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OK, let’s see, who’s on the roster for Spring Training …
OK, he makes sense.
Yep, him too.
Wait, what?!
Is that?
Juan Gonalez?!!?
What’s going on here?
The two weeks that span the time between the Super Bowl and the Daytona 500 have to be the absolute worst time of the year for sports fans. It’s just brutal. No football. No great basketball - college or pro (not that there’s a lot of NBA following here). No great golf … and when you’ve got 6 inches of snow on the ground, it makes it kind of tough to get hyped about it. No baseball.
Here’s what we’ve got:
And a lot of waiting around for Spring Training to hit, Daytona 500 to kick-off NASCAR, and March Madness to captivate us all.
On June 1, 1910 Cardinals lead-off hitter and second baseman, Miller Huggins, came to the plate six times in a game at Philadelphia and was not credited with an official at bat. Huggins walked four times and sacrificed twice. This is believed to be the first time this unusual feat had been accomplished in the Major Leagues.
What’s the deal with all the coaching changes and back-outs? (a bit Seinfeld-esque)
Just the latest in the indeciciveness:
According to the Orlando Sentinel, the Orlando Magic has agreed to let Billy Donovan out of his contract, paving the way for the former Florida coach to return to the Gators.
Donovan agreed to a five-year, $27.5 million deal late last week with the Magic, but approached both sides about getting out of the contract over the weekend … AFTER being formally indrotuced at a news conference on Friday. Donovan had already turned down offers from Kentucky and the Memphis Grizzlies, and looked to be staying in Gainesville before being announced in Orlando.
Other notables THIS season:
Dana Altman: Creighton coach Dana Altman was introduced as Arkansas’ new basketball coach earlier this spring, then decided to return to Creighton two days later.
Gregg Marshall: Charleston hired Winthrop’s Gregg Marshall, but Marshall told the Cougars one day later he was returning to Winthrop.
I could understand if they changed their minds and cancelled the deal before the news conference, but after being introduced as the new leader? Come on.
There is a precendece for this, though.
In 1993, Bobby Cremins accepted the South Carolina job, then changed his mind two days later and returned to Georgia Tech.
Bill Belichick was introduced as the Jets new football coach. One day later he changed his mind.
Eddie Stanky was introduced as Texas Rangers manager. One day later he changed his mind.
Mr. Hancock, we’re sorry for your loss, but seriously? You’re bringing a lawsuit against the restaurant owners, the tow truck company and driver, and the driver of the broken-down vehicle? What about the personal responsibility of your son?
Did he not have the willpower to say, “no” when he had too much to drink?
Did he not have the foresight to not get behind the wheel?
I wonder how many other cars passed the broken-down vehicle and the tow truck safely that night?
I wonder how many other vehicles passed by safely whose drivers intoxicated over twice the legal limit, on a cell phone and speeding late at night?
The father of Josh Hancock filed suit Thursday, claiming a restaurant provided drinks to the St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher even though he was intoxicated prior to the crash that killed him.
The suit, filed in St. Louis Circuit Court by Dean Hancock of Tupelo, Miss., does not specify damages. Mike Shannon’s Restaurant, owned by the longtime Cardinals broadcaster who starred on three World Series teams in the 1960s, is a defendant in the case along with Shannon’s daughter, Patricia Shannon Van Matre, the restaurant manager.
Other defendants include Eddie’s Towing, the company whose flatbed tow truck was struck by Hancock’s sport utility vehicle in the early hours of April 29; tow truck driver Jacob Edward Hargrove; and Justin Tolar, the driver whose stalled car on Interstate 64 was being assisted by Hargrove.
The Cardinals and Major League Baseball were not listed as defendants. In a brief statement, the Cardinals said, “We hope this matter will come to a swift and fair resolution for all parties involved.”
Authorities said the 29-year pitcher had a blood alcohol content of nearly twice the legal limit when he crashed into the back of the tow truck. He was also speeding and using a cell phone and wasn’t wearing a seat belt, police chief Joe Mokwa said after the accident. Marijuana was also found in the SUV.
Mokwa said Hancock went to Mike Shannon’s not long after the Cardinals played a day game against the Chicago Cubs on April 28. The lawsuit claimed that Hancock was a regular at the restaurant bar and was there for more than 3½ hours.
“It’s understood that for the entire 3½ hours that Josh Hancock was there that he was handed drinks,” Keith Kantack, a lawyer for Dean Hancock, said. “It’s our understanding that from the moment Josh Hancock entered Mike Shannon’s that night that he was never without a drink.”
A person answering phones at the restaurant declined comment. A message left with Van Matre was not returned.
The lawsuit claimed Tolar was negligent in allowing his vehicle to reach the point where it stalled on the highway and for failing to move it out of the way of oncoming traffic. A police report said the car became stalled when it spun out after being cut off by another vehicle. (FSC: What?! He was negligent in allowing his vehicle to reach the point where it stalled? Yeah, b/c we all know when our vehicles are going to break down.)
Police said Hargrove noticed the stalled vehicle and stopped to help. The report said he told officers he was there five to seven minutes before his truck was hit by Hancock’s SUV. But Kantack said the tow truck may have been there up to 15 minutes, yet failed to get the stalled vehicle out of the way.
“Were the police contacted?” Kantack asked. “Why weren’t flares put out? Why was the tow truck there for an exorbitant amount of time?” (FSC: has Kantack never had a car towed? 15 minutes is a drop in the bucket.)
Tolar did not have a listed telephone number. Calls to the towing company were met with a busy signal.
Kantack said others could be added later as defendants in the suit. He declined to speculate on whether the Cardinals or Major League Baseball could be added to the suit but said the Hancock family has been “overwhelmed by the support and respect the Cardinals have shown since Josh’s passing.”
Dean Hancock said in a statement that the “facts and circumstances” of Josh’s death “have caused great pain to all of Josh’s family.” As administrator of his son’s estate, Dean Hancock said he has an obligation to represent the family on all issues, “including any legal actions necessary against those who contributed to the untimely and unnecessary death.”
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
Un-freaking-believable!
