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by Charles_Jaco from St. Louis

Last Post 134 days, 17 hours Ago


Hancock Coverage
May 1, 2007 | 6:10 PM
Category: News
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        There are St. Louis baseball fans of a certain age (translation: over 65) who will swear up, down, and sideways that the Cardinals never threatened to go on strike to protest Jackie Robinson's integration of the major leagues in 1947. But do some online searching and there it is, big as brass, from the New York Herald Tribune of May 8, 1947.   It's best summed up by this entry from the Encyclopaedia Brittanica:

"Some Dodger teammates openly protested against having to play with an African American, while players on opposing teams deliberately pitched balls at Robinson's head and spiked him with their shoes in deliberately rough slides into bases. Not everyone in baseball was unsupportive of Robinson. When players on the St. Louis Cardinals team threatened to strike if Robinson took the field, commissioner Ford Frick quashed the strike, countering that any player who did so would be suspended from baseball."

I include this not only because we're approaching the 60th anniversary of the strike story, reported by legendary sportswriter Stanley Woodward, but because it serves as a reminder of how foggy we can all get when we swear our allegiance to and define big parts of our lives by a professional sports team.

A number of media outlets (including Fox 2) have been lambasted by some fans (which in this case is, literally, short for fanatics) demanding that newspapers, radio, TV, and online news sources stop reporting about the death of pitcher Josh Hancock.  Like Bill Maher says when he skewers the White House "I couldn't make this stuff up, folks."

Hancock was reported by eyewitnesses to be visibly intoxicated the night of the crash. Managers at Mike Shannon's  offered to get him a cab or give him a ride. He was overheard saying he'd been ripped by Tony LaRussa for staying out drinking and being late for a game. The night before that game, Hancock was involved in a wreck. In Sauget. At 5:30 a.m.

Ahem. None of this is to imply Josh Hancock was anything but a stand-up guy in the clubhouse. He apparently signed autographs for kids. His teammates thought the world of him.  But it appears he died as the result of drunk driving. We're lucky no one else was killed. So where is the problem in all of this?

The answer is hidden deep inside the minds of people who identify so completely with a multi-million dollar business--in this case, the Cardinals--that their judgement is impaired.

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Member Comments Total Comments: 26
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devas_yb_ecarg read my blog view my photos
May 1, 2007 | 6:56 PM

Jaco....something is wrong I agree with you, go figure what is this world coming too.
stlweatherfanatic read my blog view my photos
May 1, 2007 | 7:19 PM

jaco so what people like the cardinals and will stand with them in bad times. Sort of like this country, people like you though will turn around and slap them in the face with every chance you can get. Typical
SERVANTOFCHRIST read my blog view my photos
May 1, 2007 | 7:27 PM

AHEM,MR. Jaco
DERN IT .....I agree with you also !What next?
Dogs and Cats living in harmony ?
God Bless
kathymc read my blog view my photos
May 1, 2007 | 7:43 PM

hey, Charles I'm not saying that Josh was right for driving while drinking. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends and the Cardinals organization. This horrible accident just proves that EVERYBODY is human. We ALL make mistakes. My only bone of contention is some of the bloggers who are writing sound as if they're almost glad that he died, that he got what he deserved. So somebody makes a mistake and they deserve to die? That's a little harsh, don't you think? A very well written blog, Charles. I'm sure we'll be hearing and reading a lot more about this subject.
rtralles read my blog
May 1, 2007 | 8:00 PM

Amen Jaco
LadyCardFan read my blog view my photos
May 1, 2007 | 8:41 PM

Charles . . . right on target, well, almost. While I love Cardinal baseball, I wouldn't say that this is the "total" of the problem. I think the picture is much bigger, that of what goes on after the game. Like they were discussing on Paul Harris's show today, These guys do not work normal hours, often leaving the stadium around 10 p.m. They are wired, need to unwind, go have a bite to eat and toss back a few beers while they are at it. This is considered normal behavior for all sports teams. Not all of them will have a problem with alcohol, but some, like in every other profession, will. Perhaps it is time that MLB, NFL, NHL, etc starts looking at this problem for what it is, outside of a sports sponsorship.

BTW, I was unfamiliar with the 'strick' story, so thanks for sharing.
mecaton2 read my blog
May 1, 2007 | 10:13 PM

GUYS, I am seriously torn on this issue. Yes I agree Josh was a good pitcher for my beloved cards. We don't know if he was intoxicated but we do know he had been drinking. Here is my take on it. I will NOT say he deserved it! I will say however, when he chose to get behind the wheel after leaving a drinking establishment he took his life in his own hands and took everyone else in St. Louis in his hands too. He could have just as easily hit the mother or father of 5 kids and killed them all. I am thankful that did not happen. We need to quit making such a big deal out of a person who was drinking and got killed. Yes he was a cardinal but does not make him any more imortal than any other person on this great earth. He was wrong for getting behind the wheel of a vehicle if he even had ONE drink. No technically not impaired with one drink but impaired none the less with ANY drink. Get over it media and move on we lost a great pitcher but bad judgemental person.
Missouri_Mama
May 1, 2007 | 10:37 PM

When I first heard the story of Josh Handcock's passing on the news, it sounded too much like an example of drunk driving to me... Tragic. I remember first noticing Josh on a Cardinals line up of players. We had something unusual in common; He was born April 11, 1978 and I was born April 11, 1968!
TriciaB
May 1, 2007 | 10:49 PM

As a mother of 3 boys all in their 20's. Boys will have a beer, they also makes mistakes, it is called Life! I think the media is making a big mistake with this airing of the crash, and the bar interviews. It is tragic this young man has died. Let him and his family have privacy now. You all jumped the gun on the cards coach, Tony. Some thing are better left unsaid. Think of the family, and his very close friends. I have never been to a Cards game, but only can imagine what there loss feels like. People make mistakes, let is be----------
Banger11 read my blog
May 2, 2007 | 3:44 AM

I love how everyone believes an eye witness who turned his back on the camera and was sitting at a bar getting intoxicated himself more than likely and drove home. The police in Sauget said there was no evidence of any signs of drinking and driving about the accident a couple days before the Chief even came out to say it, the espn reporter that was hanging out with Hancock during the same time "Vince" said he overheard him gettin wasted, also said he never recalls any story about that nor Josh telling one like that. I am pretty sure that would be a memorable story to a veteran reporter at ESPN. Do i know if he was drunk nope, but this is America your innocent until proven guilty and apparently some of you have already decided he was guilty without any hard evidence.
Banger11 read my blog
May 2, 2007 | 3:44 AM

I love how everyone believes an eye witness who turned his back on the camera and was sitting at a bar getting intoxicated himself more than likely and drove home. The police in Sauget said there was no evidence of any signs of drinking and driving about the accident a couple days before the Chief even came out to say it, the espn reporter that was hanging out with Hancock during the same time "Vince" said he overheard him gettin wasted, also said he never recalls any story about that nor Josh telling one like that. I am pretty sure that would be a memorable story to a veteran reporter at ESPN. Do i know if he was drunk nope, but this is America your innocent until proven guilty and apparently some of you have already decided he was guilty without any hard evidence.
mincooper read my blog
May 2, 2007 | 8:41 AM

-seen drinking quite a bit at Mike Shannon's
-now they found marijuana in his car

sad that he is gone, just don't think we should idiolize someone like this. Just what our kids need to see is someone they looked up to and he was doing all the wrong things. I am sure if you talked with the Cards they would say that doing drugs and drinking are bad to young kids, but then they do it themselves. Very 2 faced.
PurpleRain read my blog view my photos
May 2, 2007 | 9:47 AM

For one time I agree with Jaco, and Banger11 you need to get a life ! How about the weed they found in his SUV I guess that was planted like maybe by the guy who would not show himself so people like you could go looking for him Huh !
meandmyshadow read my blog view my photos
May 2, 2007 | 10:24 AM

people do get set up.it does happen.
mincooper read my blog
May 2, 2007 | 10:42 AM

set up get real.
mimi38
May 2, 2007 | 12:20 PM

well I hope your never caught being human! It's a horrible thing that he died because of being a weak human being,seems there's a lot of them out there.Maybe the authorities should have been called to stop him from getting behind the wheel,did any of the people at the bar think of that?
mimi38
May 2, 2007 | 12:26 PM

Where is the proof that he was drunk and high,I have'nt heard any of that except from another drinker at the bar who is anyonmous.So quick to judge,and mincooper in these blogs I say if that is in fact true,he paid the ultimate price for his faults,have little compassion people.
mimi38
May 2, 2007 | 12:29 PM

hey Jaco are you bashing the Cardinals becuz Tony took the media to task for their unclassie articles about the Cubs?tsk tsk tsk!
mincooper read my blog
May 2, 2007 | 12:55 PM

no one said he was high. but pot was found in the car. of course that was not his right......

humans are allowed to make mistakes, we all do, some are stupid ones and there are little excuses for them. we as a society do not value life as a precious gift, we invent things that make us put our lives in danger, ie cell phones, is it really necessary to chat on a cell phone on a highway? drinking is know to lower your inhibitions and reaction time, drugs don't get me started. when a mistake involves another person there is a problem. and for those who want to point out how doctors make mistakes that is a whole other story.
mamba_0182 read my blog view my photos
May 2, 2007 | 1:15 PM

Yep - the world must be coming to an end. I agree with Jaco for the first time EVER...
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Charles_Jaco

I'm a reporter for Fox 2 and host of The Jaco Report, seen Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. and Sundays at 8:30 a.m.

Member Since: 9/13/2006


 

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