RetroSimba

Why Padres dealt NL top rookie Butch Metzger to Cards

May 15, 2017 by retrosimba

When the Cardinals acquired Butch Metzger from the Padres, they hardly could believe their good fortune. Metzger, a relief pitcher, was just turning 25, not yet at his prime, and a few months earlier he had won the National League Rookie of the Year Award.

To many, it appeared the Cardinals had secured their closer for the next several years.

What the Cardinals didn’t know was that Metzger’s pitching career had peaked and was headed toward a rapid decline.

On May 17, 1977, the Cardinals traded pitcher John D’Acquisto and minor-league infielder Pat Scanlon to the Padres for Metzger.

“We felt we needed another man, a right-hander, in the bullpen and this is the type fellow we’ve been trying to acquire,” Cardinals manager Vern Rapp said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Hot streak

Metzger had won his first 12 major-league decisions. He earned a win with the 1974 Giants and a win with the 1975 Padres, but still had his rookie status with the 1976 Padres.

Under first-year pitching coach Roger Craig, who had played for the 1964 World Series champion Cardinals, Metzger became the Padres closer in 1976. He won his first 10 decisions and finished with an 11-4 record, 16 saves and a 2.92 ERA. He made 77 appearances and pitched 123.1 innings.

Metzger and Reds pitcher Pat Zachry were named co-winners of the 1976 NL Rookie of the Year Award. Each received 11 votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers Association of America, resulting in a tie for the first time in the 25-year history of the award.

“I felt I could pitch in the big leagues if I got the chance,” Metzger told The Sporting News. “I honestly didn’t expect to do as well as I did.”

Still, when Rollie Fingers, the closer who helped the Athletics to three consecutive World Series championships (1972-74), became a free agent after the 1976 season, the Padres signed him.

Opportunity knocks

Fingers figured to be the Padres’ closer in 1977, but Metzger erased any suspense with a poor spring training record, yielding 20 earned runs in 15.2 innings.

Meanwhile, the 1977 Cardinals were looking to upgrade their bullpen. Their closer, Al Hrabosky, was clashing with Rapp and their top right-handed reliever, Clay Carroll, had turned 36.

The Cardinals had approached the Padres about Metzger during the winter meetings in December 1976 and they continued their pursuit in 1977.

“Since they have Rollie Fingers now, we thought this might be a time they could spare him,” Cardinals general manager Bing Devine said of Metzger.

When Metzger got off to a poor start in 1977 _ four saves but a 5.56 ERA _ the Padres relented, dealing him five days before his 25th birthday.

“He’s been in and out, good outings and bad outings,” said Padres manager John McNamara. “We’ve had a hard time putting our finger on anything. There’s nothing wrong with his arm.”

Said Metzger: “Maybe I didn’t have things in my head right because I knew they’d gotten Fingers and he was one of the best.”

Steady work

After a good May with the Cardinals (1-0, 2.00 ERA in five appearances), Metzger had an inconsistent June (3.75 ERA, no saves in 16 games).

He found his groove late in July. In a stretch from July 25 to Aug. 13, Metzger was 3-0 with six saves and lowered his Cardinals ERA from 3.06 to 2.32.

“Now he’s showing good velocity,” Cardinals catcher Ted Simmons said. “Now I can see how he won 11 games in relief last year.”

Said Metzger: “I finally got my live, high fastball going again.”

Metzger finished with a 4-2 record, seven saves and a 3.11 ERA in 58 games for the 1977 Cardinals.

Overall, Metzger appeared in 75 games and pitched 115.1 innings combined for the Padres and Cardinals in 1977.

Foul ending

The 1978 Cardinals headed to spring training with a revamped bullpen. Hrabosky and Carroll had been traded. Rawly Eastwick, acquired a month after the Cardinals got Metzger, became a free agent and departed. The Cardinals picked up relievers Mark Littell, Dave Hamilton and Aurelio Lopez. The prime bullpen holdovers were Metzger and Buddy Schultz.

Metzger appeared headed for a right-handed setup role _ with Littell the closer _ but a poor spring training (0-2 and 6.35 ERA in eight appearances) altered the outlook.

On April 5, two days before the Cardinals opened the 1978 regular season, Metzger was placed on waivers and claimed by the Mets.

“I smelled something fishy a couple of days ago when I wasn’t pitching,” Metzger said. “Sometimes in spring training they judge you on one or two innings, which is ridiculous.”

Said Cardinals pitching coach Claude Osteen: “He just never seemed to make any adjustment with us. He had a good arm, but he just never showed any consistency.”

In 25 games for the 1978 Mets, Metzger was 1-3 with a 6.51 ERA. He was sent to the Phillies in July and never appeared in the major leagues again.

Previously: How Buddy Schultz found a home with Cardinals

Posted in Pitchers, Trades | Leave a Comment »

Don Young: Ups and downs with Cardinals, Cubs

May 12, 2017 by retrosimba

(Updated April 18, 2020)

Don Young began his professional baseball career in the Cardinals system, played for George Kissell, departed and was brought back by Stan Musial.

Though he had two stints in the Cardinals organization, Young never played for St. Louis.

Instead, he played for the Cubs, made his debut in a legendary game and became a central character in one of their most notorious defeats.

Teen hopeful

Young was 17 when he signed with the Cardinals as an amateur free agent out of Aurora High School in Colorado in June 1963.

An outfielder, he was assigned to a Class A club in Brunswick, Ga., managed by Kissell, the respected instructor. Young batted .280 in 16 games for Brunswick and was sent to another Cardinals Class A team in Billings, Mont., where he hit .257 in 58 games.

After spring training in 1964, Young was placed on waivers, claimed by the Cubs and began to re-establish himself. In 1965, Young batted .273 with 25 doubles and 16 home runs for the Class AA Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs.

At 19, he was rewarded with a promotion to the Cubs in September 1965.

Big-league welcome

Young made his major-league debut as the starting center fielder and leadoff batter for the Cubs in Los Angeles against the Dodgers on Sept. 9.

The Dodgers pitcher that night: Sandy Koufax.

The result: a perfect game.

Koufax retired 27 batters in a row and struck out 14. Young popped out twice and struck out. The Dodgers, held to one hit by Cubs starter Bob Hendley, won, 1-0. Boxscore

The next night, in San Francisco, Young, described by the Chicago Tribune as “perhaps the Cubs’ top outfield farm prospect,” got his first big-league hit, a solo home run off the Giants’ Ron Herbel. Boxscore

Lou Klein, Cubs manager and former Cardinals infielder, started Young in five games versus the Dodgers and Giants, drawing criticism from Braves manager Bobby Bragan for using a rookie in the pennant stretch against contenders.

Overmatched, Young batted .057 (2-for-35) in his September stint with the Cubs.

Musial maneuvers

Young was back in the minor leagues in 1966 and 1967.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals were trying to figure out what to do with Ted Savage.

Savage, acquired by the Cardinals from the Pirates after the 1964 season, spent most of the next two years in the minor leagues.

After Musial became Cardinals general manager in January 1967, he promised Savage he would try to keep him in the major leagues.

Savage earned a spot as a utility player on the Opening Day roster of the 1967 Cardinals, but seldom played. In May, Savage was ticketed for a return to the minors, but indicated he wouldn’t report, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Determined to fulfill his vow, Musial looked for a big-league team for Savage.

Brief return

On May 13, 1967, the Cardinals traded Savage and outfielder John Kindl to the Cubs for Young and catcher Jim Procopio.

The Chicago Tribune noted Young was “once rated a potential Cubs center fielder” but “still was struggling in the minors.”

The Cardinals assigned Young to their Class AAA Tulsa team. Young played in 12 games for manager Warren Spahn, batted .147 and was sent back to the Cubs on Aug. 1, 1967.

Young spent the 1968 season with the Lodi (Calif.) Crushers, a Class A club.

Though he wasn’t on their 40-man roster, the Cubs invited Young, 23, to attend their 1969 spring training camp. It was there he received an unexpected opportunity.

Rebuilding project

Adolfo Phillips, projected to be the starting center fielder for the 1969 Cubs, broke his hand at spring training. Cubs manager Leo Durocher considered giving the job to a prospect, Oscar Gamble, but the 19-year-old had only a year of minor-league experience.

With his options limited, Durocher turned to Young.

Young “conceivably could be ready for the big time,” Jerome Holtzman of The Sporting News wrote.

“He hasn’t been a strong hitter,” Holtzman opined. “He is, however, a beautiful center fielder … and could very well become a Gold Glove winner _ if he can hit enough to stay.”

Young worked with Klein, his former manager who had become a batting instructor, and Cubs coach Pete Reiser on his hitting. Durocher also wanted Young to become more aggressive.

“He could have a great future, but it’s up to him,” Durocher said. “I can’t do it for him. I don’t care what he hits. I want to see more enthusiasm from him.”

Blame game

Young was the Opening Day center fielder for the 1969 Cubs.

The Cubs won 11 of their first 12 games and Durocher stayed with Young. In June, Phillips was traded to the Expos, solidifying Young’s hold on the job.

On July 8, 1969, the first-place Cubs opened a key series with the second-place Mets at New York.

The Cubs led, 3-1, in the ninth inning of the opener, but the Mets rallied for a 4-3 victory when Young was unable to catch two fly balls that fell for doubles. Cubs third baseman Ron Santo blamed the loss on Young. Boxscore

“He was just thinking of himself,” Santo said. “He had a bad day at the bat, so he’s got his head down. He is worrying about his batting average and not the team … He can keep his head down and he can keep right on going, out of sight, for all I care.”

The next day, Santo apologized: “What I said about Donnie, I didn’t mean. I said it because I was upset.”

In his book, “Thanks for Listening,” Cubs broadcaster Jack Brickhouse said later in the day, “I was sitting on the team bus waiting to go to the park. I was sitting behind Young. Santo got on and sat on the armrest of Young’s seat and put his arm around the kid and apologized once more.”

The damage, though, was done. When the Cubs returned to Chicago, Santo was booed at Wrigley Field. The Mets eventually surged ahead of the crumbling Cubs, clinched the division title and went on to win the National League pennant and World Series crown.

“Let’s face it,” Brickhouse said in his book, “the Cubs were a ragtag team in the stretch, wandering aimlessly, with assorted regulars physically exhausted as the result of failure to get a day off here and there when their lead was commanding.”

“That had to be Leo’s responsibility,” Brickhouse said of Durocher, “and he added fuel to the fire with the tensions he created by nitpicking controversies with certain of his players and certain members of the media.”

Young finished the 1969 season, his last in the big leagues, with a .239 batting average in 101 games.

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents, Trades | 4 Comments »

How Cardinals rallied from 9 down to beat Braves

May 9, 2017 by retrosimba

(Updated May 9, 2020)

A passed ball was the key to enabling the Cardinals to achieve one of their most amazing comebacks.

Trailing by nine runs, the Cardinals rallied to beat the defending National League champion Braves on May 9, 1992, at St. Louis.

The comeback represented the largest deficit overcome by the Cardinals since they rallied from being down 11-0 and beat the Giants, 14-12, on June 15, 1952, at New York.

The Cardinals totaled 15 hits and five walks against Braves pitchers John Smoltz, Juan Berenguer and Marvin Freeman, but still may have come up short if not for a mistake by catcher Damon Berryhill.

Makings of a blowout

Smoltz was matched against Cardinals starter Rheal Cormier in the Saturday night game at Busch Stadium.

It quickly became a mismatch.

Smoltz held the Cardinals hitless the first three innings.

The Braves scored eight runs off Cormier and another run off Juan Agosto and led 9-0 entering the bottom half of the fourth.

“You’d think with a 9-0 lead and a no-hitter going that we’re going to win,” Braves manager Bobby Cox said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Said Cardinals catcher Tom Pagnozzi: “When we were down 9-0, I turned to (umpire Bruce) Froemming and said, ‘This is ugly.’ ”

Staying alive

The Cardinals scored three times in the fourth, but the Braves came back with two runs in the fifth off Bob McClure for an 11-3 lead.

With that kind of support, Smoltz, one of the Braves’ best pitchers, usually would take control of a game. However, he gave up two more runs to the Cardinals in the fifth, making the score 11-5.

“When it was 11-5, I thought there still was time,” Pagnozzi said.

Felix Jose led off the St. Louis half of the seventh with a double against Smoltz. After Pedro Guerrero grounded out and Brian Jordan popped out, Todd Zeile singled, driving in Jose and cutting the Braves’ lead to 11-6.

Cox replaced Smoltz with Berenguer.

Big break

An intimidating, hard thrower, Berenguer struck out the first batter he faced, Pagnozzi, but the third strike eluded Berryhill for a passed ball, allowing Pagnozzi to reach first and Zeile to move to second.

Instead of being out of the inning and heading to the eighth with an 11-6 lead, the Braves still needed a third out.

“I just blew it,” said Berryhill. “It’s something that should never happen. I kept it alive for them.”

The next batter, Luis Alicea, walked, loading the bases.

Cardinals manager Joe Torre sent Gerald Perry to pinch-hit for pitcher Cris Carpenter. Perry, a former Brave, ripped a bases-clearing double, making the score 11-9.

Ray Lankford popped out, ending the inning, but momentum had swung toward the Cardinals.

“When we got those three runs, we thought we had a chance,” Perry said.

Awesome Alicea

In the eighth, Berenguer walked Ozzie Smith. Jose followed with a home run, tying the score at 11-11.

“I knew they had no chance after Felix’s homer,” Zeile told the Atlanta Constitution.

Cox replaced Berenguer with Freeman.

Guerrero grounded out, Jordan doubled and Zeile struck out.

With two outs and Jordan at second, the Braves opted to intentionally walk Pagnozzi and pitch to Alicea, the St. Louis second baseman who was batting .115 overall and was hitless with runners in scoring position.

Alicea thwarted the strategy with a single to left, but Ron Gant made a strong throw home. Jordan, racing for the plate, tried to score standing, stepped on Berryhill’s foot, and fell to the ground after crossing the plate. Froemming called him safe, giving the Cardinals a 12-11 lead.

Some thought Jordan’s foot never touched the plate, but Berryhill said, “I don’t know if I tagged him. I just know he stepped on my foot.”

Cox told the Atlanta Constitution, “He was out.”

Jordan told the Associated Press, “I was looking to run over him, but he stepped back. He had his foot on the plate, but I kicked it or stepped on it. I scored.”

To the Atlanta Constitution on whether he touched the plate, Jordan said, “I touched it according to the umpire and that is all that mattered.”

Defying the odds

Cardinals closer Lee Smith retired the Braves in order in the ninth, sealing the win.

The Braves scored all of their runs against left-handers: Cormier, Agosto and McClure. They were held scoreless by right-handers Carpenter, Mike Perez and Smith.

“This is the best (comeback) I’ve ever witnessed,” Perry said.

Said Cox: “The odds on you losing a nine-run lead are about 500-to-1.” Boxscore and Video

Previously: How Braves rallied from 9 down to beat Cardinals

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents | 4 Comments »

Skeeter Barnes began Cardinals career with a bang

May 6, 2017 by retrosimba

Though his stint with the Cardinals was fleeting, Skeeter Barnes made a lasting impression.

In his first Cardinals at-bat, Barnes, 30, a journeyman utility player, hit a three-run home run, helping St. Louis win a goofy game against the Padres on May 7, 1987.

The home run was Barnes’ only hit as a Cardinal. He got three more at-bats with them before he was returned to the minor leagues.

Though his stay with the Cardinals lasted less than a month, Barnes had the satisfaction of contributing to a team that would become National League champions.

Traveling man

William Henry Barnes was born in Cincinnati. He told Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch he didn’t know how he got to be called Skeeter.

“If somebody called me William, I wouldn’t turn around,” Barnes said. “It’s been pretty much Skeeter all my life.”

Barnes played baseball at the University of Cincinnati and broke into the major leagues with the 1983 Reds. He also played briefly for the Reds in 1984 and for the Expos in 1985.

After spending the 1986 season in the minor leagues, Barnes became a free agent and went to Puerto Rico to play for Ponce in a winter league. St. Louis coach Nick Leyva, managing Mayaguez that winter, was impressed by Barnes, who could play all of the infield and outfield positions, and suggested the Cardinals sign him.

In January 1987, the Cardinals gave Barnes a minor-league contract and invited him to attend their big-league training camp at St. Petersburg, Fla.

“If I can just get my foot in the door, show them what I can do, things will be all right,” Barnes said. “I do know how to play the game.”

Ready or not

Though Tom Lawless won the competition that spring for a utility job, the Cardinals liked what they saw from Barnes and assigned him to their Class AAA club at Louisville.

On May 2, when Cardinals outfielder Tito Landrum went on the disabled list because of a broken left foot, Barnes, batting .294 for Louisville, was promoted to St. Louis.

The Louisville team was in Oklahoma City when Barnes learned he was being called up to the Cardinals.

“They called Skeeter at 1:15 and wanted to know if he could get on a 2:30 flight” to St. Louis, Louisville coach Joe Pettini told the Louisville Courier-Journal.

Said Barnes: “I hope I can come in here and make an impact.”

Five days later, Barnes got to make his Cardinals debut.

Opportunity knocks

Playing on a Thursday afternoon at San Diego, the Cardinals had a 14-0 lead over the Padres in the seventh inning when manager Whitey Herzog began to substitute several of his starters. Barnes was sent in to replace third baseman Terry Pendleton.

The Padres cut the lead to 14-5 in the bottom half of the seventh when starter Bob Forsch yielded a two-run home run to Stan Jefferson and a three-run home run to Bruce Bochy.

In the eighth, St. Louis had runners on first and third, two outs, when Barnes came to bat for the first time as a Cardinal. He drilled a Greg Booker pitch for a three-run home run, extending the St. Louis lead to 17-5.

Barnes’ blast made the Cardinals’ mood a little less irritable in the ninth when the Padres scored five times for a 17-10 final.

“What’s the record for having the biggest lead in the ninth inning and blowing it?” asked Herzog. “I just wondered. That had all the earmarks.”

Said Barnes: “Nobody wants to play in games like that, but I want to get into any game I can.” Boxscore

On the road again

Barnes never got a start for the Cardinals. Herzog used him three times as a pinch-hitter.

On May 20, when pitcher Ken Dayley came off the disabled list, the Cardinals opened a roster spot for him by sending Barnes to Louisville.

Though Barnes played well for the Class AAA club, batting .282, he wasn’t in the Cardinals’ plans.

On July 16, Barnes hit a two-run triple in his final Louisville game, a 5-4 victory at Nashville. After the game, the Cardinals sold his contract for $100 to the Brewers, who assigned him to their minor-league affiliate at Denver.

Barnes returned to the big leagues with the Reds in 1989 and had his best success as a Tigers utility player from 1991-94.

Previously: Tom Lawless and his role in Cardinals World Series lore

Posted in Games, Hitters | Leave a Comment »

How Al Hrabosky sparked fight night at Busch Stadium

May 3, 2017 by retrosimba

Predictably, a brawl involving two of the most temperamental characters in the major leagues, “The Mad Hungarian” and “One Tough Dominican,” was both intense and cartoonish.

On May 6, 1977, a melee among the Astros and Cardinals occurred in the ninth inning of a game at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis.

Astros batter Cesar Cedeno took issue with being drilled by a pitch from Cardinals reliever Al Hrabosky, the self-psyching showman known as “The Mad Hungarian.”

When Cedeno charged the mound, both dugouts emptied and fights erupted across the field, lasting 10 minutes before the game could resume.

Besides Hrabosky and Cedeno, the most prominent combatants included:

_ Joaquin Andujar, the Astros pitcher and self-proclaimed “One Tough Dominican,” who, like Cedeno, would play for the Cardinals in the 1980s.

_ Ted Simmons, the strong-willed Cardinals catcher and on-field leader.

_ Roger Freed, the burly and popular Cardinals pinch-hitter.

_ Dave Rader, a Cardinals backup catcher and former all-league high school football linebacker.

_ Cliff Johnson, a strapping 6-foot-4 Astros power hitter.

Asked by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch to summarize the histrionics, Astros player Enos Cabell aptly declared, “It was a goodie.”

Slap happy

Tension developed in the seventh inning. With the Cardinals ahead, 2-0, Johnson was grazed by a pitch from starter Pete Falcone.

Simmons, crouched behind the plate, and Johnson exchanged words.

“He didn’t think I got hit,” Johnson told the Post-Dispatch.

In what he said was a playful gesture, Johnson slapped Simmons in the head.

“I told him, ‘Clifford, relax,’ ” Simmons said. “He told me, ‘Take it easy.’ ”

Said Johnson: “I was just trying to get his attention.”

In the eighth, Hrabosky relieved Falcone and retired the Astros in order. The Cardinals scored twice in the bottom half of the inning and took a 4-0 lead into the ninth.

Mind games

As Cedeno approached the plate to lead off the ninth, Hrabosky went behind the mound, turned his back on the batter and went into his self-motivating meditation act.

Miffed, Cedeno left the batter’s box, went to the on-deck circle, used a rag to apply pine tar to his bat handle and waited for Hrabosky to get onto the mound.

Home plate umpire Bob Engel “waved in disgust” for Hrabosky to pitch, the Post-Dispatch reported.

Hrabosky “threw up his hands in seeming protest,” wrote Rick Hummel.

The first pitch, a fastball, plunked Cedeno in the left arm.

Cedeno dropped his bat and advanced toward the mound. Hrabosky dropped his glove and waited.

As they neared, Cedeno threw a punch. Hrabosky ducked, avoiding the blow.

“If I get knocked down, I’m in a world of trouble,” Hrabosky said.

Simmons stormed toward Cedeno and jumped on his back.

Bedlam reigns

Battles broke out all over.

Andujar, at the center of a fight near the third-base line, swung wildly in every direction. One of his swipes nearly clipped umpire Bill Williams in the jaw.

After Williams ejected Andujar, the pitcher desperately tried to get at the umpire and had to be restrained by coach Deacon Jones and teammate Bob Watson. Colleague John McSherry prevented Williams from going after Andujar, according to United Press International.

Cedeno was involved in multiple skirmishes, the Post-Dispatch reported.

Simmons, after rescuing Hrabosky, dived “into a pileup in an attempt at peacemaking.” When he emerged, Simmons shed “his catching equipment, with the exception of one shin guard, and motioned the Astros to come after him if they wished,” Hummel reported.

Though some Astros moved toward him, none dared take on Simmons.

“They were doing a lot of woofing,” Simmons said.

Johnson, the Astros outfielder, tried to lighten the mood by shadow boxing some of the Cardinals, comically tugging at an umpire’s jacket and pretending to kick another umpire in the rear.

As the field began to clear, Cedeno and Freed got into a fight near the first-base line. While the two threw punches, Rader bolted toward Cedeno, tackled him around the midsection and drove him back 15 yards, Hummel wrote. Video

Show goes on

Andujar and Freed were the only players ejected.

When the game resumed, Hrabosky and Simmons still were the St. Louis battery and Cedeno was the base runner at first.

Cedeno swiped second and Watson drew a walk.

Hrabosky got Joe Ferguson to hit into a third-to-first double play, with Watson taking second. Johnson doubled, driving in Watson and making the score 4-1.

Art Howe walked, bringing the potential tying run to the plate. Hrabosky finally ended the drama by getting Cabell to line out to shortstop Garry Templeton. Boxscore

Lighten up

Hrabosky claimed the pitch that struck Cedeno wasn’t intentional. “I just thought it was an inside pitch,” he told the Associated Press. “I’ve been told there are certain people I’m supposed to pitch up and in. I know there’s a certain way I have to pitch him and I’m going to do it.”

Said Simmons: “I didn’t call for it (a brushback pitch). I think you have to assume it was an accident.”

The Astros weren’t buying that explanation. “There should have been more punches thrown,” said Watson. “You don’t hit a man and get away with it. It was flagrant. The umpire should have kicked Hrabosky out.”

In the clubhouse, after tempers cooled, Johnson, the prankster, waited for Cedeno to head to the showers and placed an autographed photo of Hrabosky on his teammate’s chair. The picture was inscribed, “Next time, it’ll be two.”

When Cedeno returned to his locker and saw the photo, he looked around the clubhouse, yelled, “Damn you, Johnson,” and laughed.

Previously: Cesar Cedeno and his amazing month with Cardinals

Posted in Games, Hitters, Opponents, Pitchers | 2 Comments »

Sobering tragedy: The death of pitcher Josh Hancock

April 27, 2017 by retrosimba

Six months after experiencing the euphoria of winning a World Series championship, the Cardinals plunged into despair when relief pitcher Josh Hancock was killed in a highway accident.

A contributing factor _ Hancock was driving while intoxicated _ raised questions about the club’s substance abuse awareness and led to the Cardinals changing policies regarding alcohol in the clubhouse and on charter flights.

On April 29, 2007, Hancock, 29, was killed when his sports utility vehicle crashed into a parked tow truck on a St. Louis road.

As details emerged, the shaken Cardinals struggled to come to grips with the emotional loss of a teammate and the circumstances that led to his death.

Versatile reliever

Hancock debuted in the majors with the 2002 Red Sox and also pitched for the Phillies (2003-04) and Reds (2004-05). After being released by the Reds _ they said he was overweight, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported _ Hancock signed with the Cardinals and got a non-roster invitation to spring training in 2006.

Showing an ability to perform multiple bullpen roles, Hancock earned a spot with the 2006 Cardinals and appeared in 62 regular-season games, posting a 3-3 record with one save and a 4.09 ERA.

Hancock didn’t appear in the 2006 World Series _ the Cardinals won four of five against the Tigers to claim the title _ but he earned the respect of manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan, clinching a spot on the 2007 club.

In eight appearances for the 2007 Cardinals, Hancock was 0-1 with a 3.55 ERA. His final appearance was on Saturday afternoon, April 28, when he pitched three innings against the Cubs at St. Louis. Boxscore

After the game, Hancock met friends at Mike Shannon’s Steaks and Seafood restaurant in downtown St. Louis.

When Hancock got ready to leave, restaurant manager Pat Shannon, daughter of Mike Shannon, the Cardinals broadcaster who operated the establishment, told the Post-Dispatch she offered to call a cab for Hancock, but he declined, saying he would walk to the Westin Hotel.

Fatal decisions

At about 12.30 a.m. on Sunday, April 29, Hancock got into his rented 2007 Ford Explorer, left downtown and headed to suburban Clayton, where he was planning to meet teammates Jim Edmonds, Ryan Franklin, Gary Bennett and Adam Kennedy at a cafe, according to the Post-Dispatch.

Hancock, driving on Highway 40, was speeding at 68 mph in a 55 mph zone, according to St. Louis police, and he was talking on a cell phone to a woman who was seeking game tickets. Hancock’s blood alcohol level was 0.157 percent _ nearly twice the legal limit, police said.

As Hancock got near the Forest Park/Grand exit, he came upon a flatbed tow truck that was parked in the left lane. The tow truck, responding to an earlier accident, was flashing its emergency lights.

The driver, Jacob Hargrove, was inside the cab of the tow truck. When he saw Hancock’s vehicle in his rearview mirror, he honked the truck’s horn as a warning. Hancock kept barreling forward. At the last second, police said, Hancock tried to veer right, but was too late.

The Ford Explorer slammed into the right rear of the tow truck. Hargrove wasn’t hurt. Hancock, who wasn’t wearing a seat belt, died instantly of massive head trauma, police said.

Joe Walsh, Cardinals director of security, who was called to the scene to provide positive identification, told the Post-Dispatch, “If I hadn’t known him, I would have had a very tough time” identifying Hancock.

A tin of marijuana was found inside Hancock’s vehicle, police said.

“Evidently, whether it was the cell phone usage, impairment of the alcohol, or the speed, he didn’t try to change lanes” in time, said police chief Joe Mokwa.

Shock in St. Louis

At about 4 a.m., Walsh informed Cardinals president Mark Lamping and general manager Walt Jocketty of Hancock’s death. La Russa called Hancock’s father in Mississippi and delivered the news. “The pain our organization feels today is unspeakable,” said Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt.

The Cubs agreed to the Cardinals’ request to call off their April 29 game that Sunday afternoon at Busch Stadium.

Hancock, single, was survived by his parents, a sister and a brother. A memorial service was scheduled for Thursday, May 3, in Tupelo, Miss. DeWitt arranged for a charter flight to take the team to the service after they played a three-game series against the Brewers at Milwaukee.

Signs of trouble

While the Cardinals were in Milwaukee, the Post-Dispatch reported Hancock had been involved in another accident three days before his death.

At 5:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 26, Hancock was driving a GMC Denali when, according to a police report, he edged the vehicle into an intersection in Sauget, Ill., and was struck by a tractor-trailer truck. The front bumper of Hancock’s vehicle was torn off.

Hancock, uninjured, arrived late in the Cardinals clubhouse for that afternoon’s game against the Reds at Busch Stadium. La Russa later said he reprimanded Hancock for being late, but didn’t know about the accident.

As reporters dug for details, a defensive La Russa said he would swing a fungo bat at any journalist he believed was asking questions with “insincerity.”

A month earlier, La Russa had been arrested in Jupiter, Fla., the Cardinals’ spring training home, and charged with driving under the influence. His situation was drawing media scrutiny about his ability to effectively deal with players regarding alcohol issues.

The Post-Dispatch revealed some of Hancock’s teammates had spoken to the pitcher about his drinking.

Rest in peace

The shell-shocked Cardinals lost all three of their games in Milwaukee and returned to St. Louis on May 2. The next morning, the Cardinals flew to Mississippi for Hancock’s memorial service.

DeWitt gave the Hancock family a framed photo of the pitcher, a replica of the 2006 World Series ring and an American flag that flew over Busch Stadium during Hancock’s final game, the Post-Dispatch reported.

Relief pitcher Randy Flores was the only member of the Cardinals to speak during the service.

A day later, May 4, Cardinals management said the club would ban alcohol from their Busch Stadium clubhouse and on charter flights returning to St. Louis.

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