Josh Hancock
Encyclopedia
Joshua Morgan Hancock was a Major League Baseball
pitcher
who played for the Boston Red Sox
, Philadelphia Phillies
, Cincinnati Reds
and St. Louis Cardinals
. Born in Cleveland, Mississippi
, he lived in St. Louis
during the off-season. He was killed in a car crash during the 2007 season.
in Vestavia Hills, Alabama
, Hancock was selected in the fourth round of the 1996 amateur draft by the Milwaukee Brewers
, but did not sign. An Alabama fan, he instead attended college at Auburn University
in Auburn, Alabama
because the Tigers offered him a better scholarship. He was taken by the Boston Red Sox
in the fifth round of the 1998 amateur draft and signed with the Red Sox, making his major-league debut on September 10, 2002. In December 2002 he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies
for Jeremy Giambi
. On July 30, 2004, he was traded along with Andy Machado to the Cincinnati Reds
for Todd Jones and Brad Correll. The next day, Hancock was the winning pitcher for the Reds in a game against the Houston Astros
, a suspended game that began the day before while Hancock was still with the Phillies.
On the first day of Spring Training 2006 Hancock was released by the Reds for being 17 pounds overweight, violating a clause in his contract. He promptly signed with the St. Louis Cardinals
and had his best season, pitching 77 innings, compiling a 4.09 ERA, and appearing in the 2006 postseason with the Cardinals. He performed in a variety of roles for the Cardinals' bullpen, from short term relief appearances to less desirable roles when the game was out of hand.
Hancock was on the Cardinal roster for the 2006 World Series
but did not pitch. St. Louis won the Series in five games over Detroit
.
Before coming to the Cardinals, he had a penchant for giving up home run
s. He gave up 17 homers over 68 innings pitched in 2005. He improved in 2006, giving up only nine over 77 innings. In 2007, Hancock had pitched 8 games with an 0-1 record and a 3.55 ERA.
On Sunday, April 29, 2007, Hancock was killed in a motor vehicle accident when the 2007 Ford Explorer
he was driving while intoxicated struck the rear of a flat bed tow truck
at 12:35 a.m. Central Time. The truck was reportedly in the left lane assisting another vehicle that was involved in a prior accident.
A police report revealed that Hancock was intoxicated at the time of his fatal accident with a blood-alcohol level of 0.157, nearly double the legal limit in Missouri
. Police found 10.95 grams of marijuana and a pipe in his vehicle, although toxicology
reports came back revealing that there were no drugs in his system. Hancock was texting on his cell phone when the accident occurred and was not wearing a seatbelt. An accident reconstruction team determined that Hancock was driving 68 mi/h in a 55 mi/h zone.
The Cardinals' scheduled game with the Chicago Cubs
later that day, that was supposed to air nationwide on Sunday Night Baseball
, was postponed due to his accident. The game was eventually made up on September 15, 2007, a 3-2 Cubs victory.
Hancock's death marked the second time in five years the Cardinals have mourned the loss of a teammate, the first being the death of pitcher Darryl Kile
in 2002 with a coronary artery blockage. He was the second active MLB player to be killed in an accident in less than a year, the first being the plane crash
of Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle
.
Three days earlier, his teammates were worried when they could not reach Hancock after he had overslept and had not shown up for the game on time, likening it to the events leading up to the sudden death of Kile. Hancock did not answer until the "20th call", having thought the start time was later than it actually was. Hancock was expected to be fined by the Cardinals after the incident.
On May 31, 2007, it was reported that Hancock had been involved in another accident involving his GMC Denali
three nights before his fatal crash involving a rented Ford Explorer.
Hancock's final appearance for the team was April 28, 2007, giving up one run in three innings of relief.
Although his number is not retired, he is currently honored with his number being displayed above his name in the Cardinals bullpen at Busch stadium, alongside teammate Darryl Kile
.
In the wake of Hancock's accident, several teams have banned alcohol from their home clubhouses. The Florida Marlins
had already implemented this policy several seasons before Hancock's death, saying that they wanted to keep their players from driving home intoxicated after home games. They have not banned alcohol from visiting clubhouses because their players usually ride a team bus after playing away games. In 2006, after Esteban Loaiza
was arrested for drunk driving, Oakland A's GM Billy Beane
banned alcohol in both clubhouses, saying it was a liability issue. After Hancock died, the Baltimore Orioles
implemented a similar policy, at least on a temporary basis.
Hancock's family filed a lawsuit on May 24, 2007 against Mike Shannon
's restaurant, the tow truck company, tow truck driver, and the driver of the car that the tow truck was stopped to help.
On May 31, 2007, the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control announced results of an investigation revealed no wrongdoing on the part of employees at Mike Shannon's Steaks and Seafood restaurant in Hancock's death.
The lawsuit was dropped on July 30, 2007.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
who played for the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
and St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. Born in Cleveland, Mississippi
Cleveland, Mississippi
Cleveland is a city in Bolivar County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 12,334 as of the 2010 census.Cleveland has a fairly large commercial economy, with numerous restaurants, stores, and services along U.S. Highway 61...
, he lived in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
during the off-season. He was killed in a car crash during the 2007 season.
Career
After graduating from Vestavia Hills High SchoolVestavia Hills High School
Vestavia Hills High School , founded in 1970, is a public high school in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. Part of the Vestavia Hills School System, the high school is known for the success of its band, math, debate, "We the People" Team, Economics Challenge Team, American football,...
in Vestavia Hills, Alabama
Vestavia Hills, Alabama
Vestavia Hills is a city in Jefferson and Shelby Counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is a suburb of the city of Birmingham.-History:Vestavia Hills is named for the estate of former Birmingham mayor George B. Ward. It was situated on the crest of Shades Mountain in what is now the northern...
, Hancock was selected in the fourth round of the 1996 amateur draft by the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, but did not sign. An Alabama fan, he instead attended college at Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
in Auburn, Alabama
Auburn, Alabama
Auburn is a city in Lee County, Alabama, United States. It is the largest city in eastern Alabama with a 2010 population of 53,380. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area...
because the Tigers offered him a better scholarship. He was taken by the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
in the fifth round of the 1998 amateur draft and signed with the Red Sox, making his major-league debut on September 10, 2002. In December 2002 he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
for Jeremy Giambi
Jeremy Giambi
Jeremy Dean Giambi is a left-handed, former Major League Baseball player for the Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, and Boston Red Sox. He also played in the minors for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox. He is the younger brother of Colorado Rockies first...
. On July 30, 2004, he was traded along with Andy Machado to the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
for Todd Jones and Brad Correll. The next day, Hancock was the winning pitcher for the Reds in a game against the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
, a suspended game that began the day before while Hancock was still with the Phillies.
On the first day of Spring Training 2006 Hancock was released by the Reds for being 17 pounds overweight, violating a clause in his contract. He promptly signed with the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
and had his best season, pitching 77 innings, compiling a 4.09 ERA, and appearing in the 2006 postseason with the Cardinals. He performed in a variety of roles for the Cardinals' bullpen, from short term relief appearances to less desirable roles when the game was out of hand.
Hancock was on the Cardinal roster for the 2006 World Series
2006 World Series
The 2006 World Series, the 102nd edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, began on October 21 and ended on October 27, and matched the American League champion Detroit Tigers against the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals won the Series in five games, taking...
but did not pitch. St. Louis won the Series in five games over Detroit
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
.
Before coming to the Cardinals, he had a penchant for giving up home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s. He gave up 17 homers over 68 innings pitched in 2005. He improved in 2006, giving up only nine over 77 innings. In 2007, Hancock had pitched 8 games with an 0-1 record and a 3.55 ERA.
Death
On Sunday, April 29, 2007, Hancock was killed in a motor vehicle accident when the 2007 Ford Explorer
Ford Explorer
The Ford Explorer is a sport-utility vehicle sold in North America and built by the Ford Motor Company since 1990, as a replacement for the smaller but related Ford Bronco II. It is manufactured in Chicago, Illinois...
he was driving while intoxicated struck the rear of a flat bed tow truck
Tow truck
A tow truck is a vehicle used to transport motor vehicles to another location , or to recover vehicles which are no longer on a drivable surface.Towing services are generally provided by an emergency road service operator...
at 12:35 a.m. Central Time. The truck was reportedly in the left lane assisting another vehicle that was involved in a prior accident.
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. Police found 10.95 grams of marijuana and a pipe in his vehicle, although toxicology
Toxicology
Toxicology is a branch of biology, chemistry, and medicine concerned with the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms...
reports came back revealing that there were no drugs in his system. Hancock was texting on his cell phone when the accident occurred and was not wearing a seatbelt. An accident reconstruction team determined that Hancock was driving 68 mi/h in a 55 mi/h zone.
The Cardinals' scheduled game with the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
later that day, that was supposed to air nationwide on Sunday Night Baseball
Sunday Night Baseball
Sunday Night Baseball is the Major League Baseball exclusive game of the week that is televised Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN during the regular season...
, was postponed due to his accident. The game was eventually made up on September 15, 2007, a 3-2 Cubs victory.
Hancock's death marked the second time in five years the Cardinals have mourned the loss of a teammate, the first being the death of pitcher Darryl Kile
Darryl Kile
Darryl Andrew Kile was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1991-2002 for three different teams in his career. In his first season for the Cardinals, he won 20 games in 2000 as the team reached the postseason for the first time in four years. They advanced to the...
in 2002 with a coronary artery blockage. He was the second active MLB player to be killed in an accident in less than a year, the first being the plane crash
2006 New York City plane crash
The 2006 New York City plane crash occurred on October 11, 2006, when a Cirrus SR20 general aviation, fixed-wing, single-engine light aircraft crashed into the Belaire Apartments in New York City at about 2:42 p.m. local time...
of Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle
Cory Lidle
Cory Fulton Lidle was an Americanright-handed baseball pitcher who spent nine seasons in the major leagues with seven different teams. His twin brother Kevin Lidle also played baseball, as a catcher for several minor league teams...
.
Three days earlier, his teammates were worried when they could not reach Hancock after he had overslept and had not shown up for the game on time, likening it to the events leading up to the sudden death of Kile. Hancock did not answer until the "20th call", having thought the start time was later than it actually was. Hancock was expected to be fined by the Cardinals after the incident.
On May 31, 2007, it was reported that Hancock had been involved in another accident involving his GMC Denali
GMC Denali
The GMC Denali nameplate is used by General Motors' heavy truck division, GMC, on its top-of-the-line. The name applies to the top version of all SUVs as well as pick-up trucks in the GMC line-up. Vehicles with the Denali trim option carry MSRPs up to 43% higher than those of the regular models...
three nights before his fatal crash involving a rented Ford Explorer.
Hancock's final appearance for the team was April 28, 2007, giving up one run in three innings of relief.
Aftermath
The Cardinals wore a special patch on their uniform sleeves with Hancock's number (32) for the duration of the 2007 season to commemorate his life.Although his number is not retired, he is currently honored with his number being displayed above his name in the Cardinals bullpen at Busch stadium, alongside teammate Darryl Kile
Darryl Kile
Darryl Andrew Kile was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1991-2002 for three different teams in his career. In his first season for the Cardinals, he won 20 games in 2000 as the team reached the postseason for the first time in four years. They advanced to the...
.
In the wake of Hancock's accident, several teams have banned alcohol from their home clubhouses. The Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
had already implemented this policy several seasons before Hancock's death, saying that they wanted to keep their players from driving home intoxicated after home games. They have not banned alcohol from visiting clubhouses because their players usually ride a team bus after playing away games. In 2006, after Esteban Loaiza
Esteban Loaiza
Esteban Antonio Loaiza Veyna [lo-EYE-sa] is a former Major League Baseball pitcher...
was arrested for drunk driving, Oakland A's GM Billy Beane
Billy Beane
William Lamar "Billy" Beane III is a former Major League Baseball player and the current general manager and minority owner of the Oakland Athletics...
banned alcohol in both clubhouses, saying it was a liability issue. After Hancock died, the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
implemented a similar policy, at least on a temporary basis.
Hancock's family filed a lawsuit on May 24, 2007 against Mike Shannon
Mike Shannon
Thomas Michael Shannon is an American-born former Major League Baseball player and current radio sportscaster.Shannon is a radio broadcaster for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was raised in St. Louis, Missouri and played with the Cardinals during some of the team's most successful years...
's restaurant, the tow truck company, tow truck driver, and the driver of the car that the tow truck was stopped to help.
On May 31, 2007, the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control announced results of an investigation revealed no wrongdoing on the part of employees at Mike Shannon's Steaks and Seafood restaurant in Hancock's death.
The lawsuit was dropped on July 30, 2007.