How Low Can You Go Before You Can't Turn Around?

The sadness of Josh Hancock's death can't get any easier, and it looks like it may be even more problematic, if the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's latest article is any indication.

According to the article, he had been in another traffic accident just a few days before. He was uninjured, but was late for the game that day. The Cardinals said he had overslept, but the newspaper claims a contradictory report:

But sources say he was late because he was hung over.

Two nights later, after pitching in a Saturday afternoon game, Hancock spent the evening at Mike Shannon's Steaks and Seafood drinking to a point of impairment, according to a couple at the restaurant.

The couple said they overheard Hancock telling ESPN broadcaster Dave Campbell that manager Tony La Russa had been infuriated with Hancock Thursday because he was "too hung over to play." A club source also said Hancock was hung over when he arrived at the ballpark.

I hope these sources are wrong; it's bad enough for the Cardinals to lose a teammate and a friend under any normal circumstances. Let's see what actually comes up when the toxicology reports are done.

(Let me also address La Russa's little tiff of a boycott here. He's well within his right to request that of his players, but to accuse of the media of trying to turn this into "anything that isn't sweet," is nasty. No one's death is ever sweet. It's likely the newspaper writers are just doing their job.)

Cardinals Pitcher Dies In Car Accident.

Reliever Josh Hancock died in an automobile accident early today. He was part of last year's championship team, and died at the age of 29. The Cardinals have already called off tonight's game with the Cubs.

Hancock apparently hit the back of a tow truck that was helping another vehicle on the road, and was killed instantly. This is the second Cardinals pitcher to die prematurely in the past five years, as Darryl Kile passed away of heart blockage at the age of 33 just under four years ago.

Note: what kind of hole does this leave for ESPN, as this was the Sunday night game? I'm not sure of their usual procedure. When the game of your signature sporting franchise gets postponed for very good reasons, is there a back-up they can shuttle Miller and Morgan to, or do they just fill with something else for the evening?

(Photo credit: Reuters)

"One Down, 161 Left To Go."

These are my father's words after the Mets beat the Cardinals on the Opening Day Eve game 5-1, with a solid performance by Tom Glavine and five double plays turned by the Mets defense during the game, plus more defensive goodness like the play at the plate above, where Carlos Beltran hurled a rocket to home off a hit and threw out David Eckstein at the plate when Glavine was in a jam.

Naturally, my dad doesn't think he can make it through another Mets season, and as I tell him every year, "We'll make it. If you survived through all those lean years, winning won't kill you."