A Tough Road Ahead
http://www.atomicsportsmedia.com/articles/827/1/A-Tough-Road-Ahead/A-Tough-Road-Ahead.html
Brian Feldman
By Brian Feldman
Published on 05/8/2007
For the second time in less than a decade, the St. Louis Cardinals have tragically lost a teammate during the season. In 2002, the club was able to use Darryl Kile's untimely passing as a rallying point for an emotional postseason run. This year, the death of 29-year-old Josh Hancock has left the club reeling, and ASM's St. Louis correspondent Brian Feldman says it will be a tough job to get the team back on the right track.
For the second time in less than a decade, the St. Louis Cardinals have tragically lost a teammate during the season. In 2002, the club was able to use Darryl Kile's untimely passing as a rallying point for an emotional postseason run. This year, the death of 29-year-old Josh Hancock has left the club reeling, and ASM's St. Louis correspondent Brian Feldman says it will be a tough job to get the team back on the right track.
A Tough Road Ahead
It’s so different yet it’s so the same. When Josh Hancock tragically crashed into the truck on that fateful Sunday morning, the comparisons immediately were made to 2002 when Darryl Kile died.
Once again, the Cards have to deal with the loss of a teammate. Once again, they have to mourn a close friend. And once again, they have to try and move on in the middle of a season and attempt to play baseball.
Yet this time it’s so much more. With Kile, it was simply a health issue. No question about it. No foul play. No second guessing the deceased’s actions. Nothing.
Hancock’s death is so complex it makes Kile’s look as simple as 1+1.
Hancock was legally drunk, but still was out drinking before he got in his car. He was not wearing his seat belt. He was talking on his cell phone while driving. He got into an accident just days before he lost his life. His manager, Tony La Russa, was arrested for DUI less than 2 months ago.
There’s so much to this story it would be absolutely impossible to figure out what exactly happened and why. So, I won’t even try to do that.
But what we do know is the Cardinals are left reeling. On a daily basis the players have to answer questions regarding alcohol and going out after games. Some players are worried it will end up in the news if they are seen in a social situation just in the presence of people drinking.
General Manager Walt Jocketty had to make the decision to ban alcohol from the clubhouse just to show the public he’s doing something to address the situation.
In reality, there is nothing he can do. It’s totally on the players to make the right choices away from the game. Jim Edmonds said it best: “It’s not (Walt’s) job to baby-sit us.” Uhh, ya. I would hope a bunch of grown men, some in their mid to late 30s, don’t need babysitting.
The situation keeps getting worse, too. We haven’t even gotten to baseball yet. Not only are the Cardinals in last place, but the team had to travel on its regular off day to Tupelo, Mississippi so it could attend Hancock’s memorial service.
They already were having a hard enough time getting hits and scoring runs; now they still have to get hits and score runs…but with their thoughts completely away from the game of baseball.
Tony La Russa has his hands full for the rest of the season. His team is not good right now. It’s had the worst start to the season since 1990. For the mathematically challenged, that’s 17 years. While this article is being written, La Russa is trying out .213 hitter Preston Wilson leading off because .220 David Eckstein wasn’t good enough. He’s got So Taguchi playing center field because $9 million Jim Edmonds hasn’t done anything.
They have a tough road ahead to make sure they don’t go from World Series Champions to finishing in last place.
After Darryl Kile’s death the team was able to make a spirited run over the rest of the season. Cardinal fans can only hope they have another one in them.
Once again, the Cards have to deal with the loss of a teammate. Once again, they have to mourn a close friend. And once again, they have to try and move on in the middle of a season and attempt to play baseball.
Yet this time it’s so much more. With Kile, it was simply a health issue. No question about it. No foul play. No second guessing the deceased’s actions. Nothing.
Hancock’s death is so complex it makes Kile’s look as simple as 1+1.
Hancock was legally drunk, but still was out drinking before he got in his car. He was not wearing his seat belt. He was talking on his cell phone while driving. He got into an accident just days before he lost his life. His manager, Tony La Russa, was arrested for DUI less than 2 months ago.
There’s so much to this story it would be absolutely impossible to figure out what exactly happened and why. So, I won’t even try to do that.
But what we do know is the Cardinals are left reeling. On a daily basis the players have to answer questions regarding alcohol and going out after games. Some players are worried it will end up in the news if they are seen in a social situation just in the presence of people drinking.
General Manager Walt Jocketty had to make the decision to ban alcohol from the clubhouse just to show the public he’s doing something to address the situation.
In reality, there is nothing he can do. It’s totally on the players to make the right choices away from the game. Jim Edmonds said it best: “It’s not (Walt’s) job to baby-sit us.” Uhh, ya. I would hope a bunch of grown men, some in their mid to late 30s, don’t need babysitting.
The situation keeps getting worse, too. We haven’t even gotten to baseball yet. Not only are the Cardinals in last place, but the team had to travel on its regular off day to Tupelo, Mississippi so it could attend Hancock’s memorial service.
They already were having a hard enough time getting hits and scoring runs; now they still have to get hits and score runs…but with their thoughts completely away from the game of baseball.
Tony La Russa has his hands full for the rest of the season. His team is not good right now. It’s had the worst start to the season since 1990. For the mathematically challenged, that’s 17 years. While this article is being written, La Russa is trying out .213 hitter Preston Wilson leading off because .220 David Eckstein wasn’t good enough. He’s got So Taguchi playing center field because $9 million Jim Edmonds hasn’t done anything.
They have a tough road ahead to make sure they don’t go from World Series Champions to finishing in last place.
After Darryl Kile’s death the team was able to make a spirited run over the rest of the season. Cardinal fans can only hope they have another one in them.