Cardinals Relief Pitcher Dies in Car Crash

By Shannon in News on Apr 29, 2007 8:08PM

There will be no Cubs-Cardinals endgame to their current series. The Cards have postponed tonight's game at Busch Stadium due to a death in the family. 29-year-old relief pitcher Josh Hancock died in a car crash early Sunday morning.

Hancock, driving alone in his 2007 Ford Explorer, struck the rear end of a tow truck that was stationed in the left lane. The Cards pitcher died at 12:35 a.m. at the scene; the unidentified tow truck driver was in his vehicle, but suffered no injuries. An autopsy was scheduled for later Sunday morning. Hancock joined the organization last February after being released from the Cincinnati Reds. This is the second death of a Cardinals pitcher in five years; 33-year-old Darryl Kile died of a heart attack during another Cards-Cubs series in June 2002, this time in Chicago. Strangely, Hancock was involved in a death scare three days before his death that reminded teammates of Kile's demise - Hancock overslept and wouldn't answer the phone. His team feared the worst, but he eventually showed up for the game. Then ... this happens.

We at Chicagoist were stunned at the news. We'd witnessed Hancock play just yesterday, putting in three innings of work for the beleaguered Cards. It's very hard to believe that the young man who'd helped his team reach another World Series victory just last year could be dead. We know it doesn't count for much, but Chicagoist wishes all the best to his family, friends, and fans.

Image via the Cardinals' MLB website.