Josh Hancock lost in car crash, Game cancelled.

fulldeck · Post by **fulldeck** » April 30 07, 5:05 am

card_fan_in_chi wrote:I was at the game the day after DK died, and I wouldn't miss tomorrows in Milwaukee for anything.

I too was there the night after DK died. I am already heading to Wednesday's game, but I am also trying to figure out if I can get up there tonight as well.

Simbagal23 · Post by **Simbagal23** » April 30 07, 6:18 am

I was driving home to ATL from Nashville yesterday when my parents called....I answered, all prepared to rant over the Cards losing two games to the Cubs; I was ticked. Then my mom told me the news and it was truly like a bucket of cold ice water was thrown in my face. Puts thing into perspective....in the grand scheme of things, losing to the Cubs is no big deal, losing a young player like this is just plain sad. I went through this with Thurman Munson (he was my favorite player at the time), then again with Kile...I had hoped to never experience this again. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and his Cardinal family.

fanforever · Post by **fanforever** » April 30 07, 6:33 am

boyer14 wrote:The previous twenty pages contain the reasons I do not boo ballplayers.

I'm not saying its wrong to boo someone...feel free to do so if you like. Its just that I don't do it, and this is why.

IMO booing is counterproductive anyway. It's a waste of time and energy

Suicide_Squeeze · Post by **Suicide_Squeeze** » April 30 07, 6:40 am

I don't really get emotional, and I rarely cry. I've been upset by this event, but I'm not quite sure how to express it. With Kyle, I felt a real sense of pathos...that wife and cute little kids of his made it all the more tragic.

With Hancock, the loss is more personal for me. He is only ten days older than I am. We both just had our 29th birthdays. He died in a way I could die. I think that is what bothers me the most.

He left behind no wife or children...probably thought he had all the time in the world. That bothers me. The fact that he had a 2007 car bothers me. Probably one of the first things he bought with that WS check. These are things we have all thought and have done.

There is so little joy in this world, and I don't like the idea of what little there is being taken away so early. I can only hope that he was saved and that he is enjoying something far better than a World Series ring right now.

Leroy · Post by **Leroy** » April 30 07, 6:44 am

I told everyone that this was my idea of a perfect weekend...three Cards games on local tv, against the Cubs no less. Someone asked me Saturday night if I still thought it was a perfect weekend, and I said yes, even though we just got beat.

Then I see the news, and remember what it feels like to get punched in the gut.

Leeyat · Post by **Leeyat** » April 30 07, 6:59 am

God bless Cardinals! God bless Josh Hancock and his family!

Post by **Radbird** » April 30 07, 7:14 am

TimmyG wrote:These guys are our heros. I know it seems weird for you older guys to consider a guy in his twenties to be your hero, but it's true. They are out there living our dream, and we love watching them do it.

The Redbirds of my youth - specifically the '60s - were my heroes.

Today, when I'm old enough to be their father, I would say the feeling is more like one of a proud papa.

Excellent post, Timmy.

Post by **heyzeus** » April 30 07, 7:41 am

It's now starting to look like something that I hoped wasn't part of this possibly was. I like the articles telling me more about who Hancock was as a person and teammate. But in the next few days, be prepared to see more articles with details like this one. We're going to be discussing the role of alcohol in all of this. I do want to spend more time talking about tthe person, Josh Hancock. But now I'm already thinking about this, and I wish it wasn't so, but I am.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports ... enDocument

"Although the accident occurred not far from the Fox Theatre, Hancock was not among a number of teammates who attended the Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center benefit Saturday night at the theater.

Hancock instead dined with a group of friends at Mike Shannon's Steaks and Seafood after Saturday's game and told the manager that he was headed to the Westin Hotel three blocks away.

"I personally called the police chief and told him everything I know about last night," said Pat Shannon, manager at the restaurant operated by her father, Cardinals broadcaster Mike Shannon.

Hancock, Pat Shannon said, declined an offer for a cab. Shannon declined to say if Hancock consumed alcohol at the restaurant, instead referring the question to police. "

BW23 · Post by **BW23** » April 30 07, 7:51 am

It would be nice if the games tonight started at 32 minutes past the hour with a 1 minute moment of silence at 31 past the hour. I know that would throw things off a little, but fans could wait 22 more minutes to see the first pitch.

Cronos · Post by **Cronos** » April 30 07, 7:57 am

Random thoughts to add:

My stupid DSL hub at home blew up on me Thursday, so I've been completely cut off from the internet and any information about this all weekend; I found out Sunday morning as I got out of church and turned on the radio expecting to hear Hadley chatting with TLR, and instead he was talking to various people about "this tragedy" and my eyes opened wide and jaw dropped when I heard "Hancock" and I thought to myself: "I can't believe this is happening again". I spent the rest of the free time I had that day listening to KTRS and hearing guys like Rick Horton, etc. talking about Josh.

The thing that struck me the most about Hancock was that he devoted so much of his time in the offseason to public appearances, radio shows(the "Last Call" on 590; it seemed like he was a part of it pretty much every night), and things like that that he probably really was one of the most down-to-earth players around.

I wanted him to make the team out of Spring Training in '06, seeing him in a "Cal Eldred" type role.

Finally, if it were even possible, I'm now even more happy that they won the world series last year. A guy that wasn't even a superstar type player got to experience the top of the mountain in his career at least once before he had to go, and many players don't even get to experience that at all in playing for 20 years+.

RIP, Josh. We'll all miss you.