That Josh Hancock, you know, that baseball fella. He was a good boy, I tell ya. Born way back in 1978, April 11th. A good day, that was. Heard he came from Mississippi, but then they moved to Alabama. He was a strong one, even as a little tyke. Played that baseball, he did. Real good at it too, they say.
They called him Joshua Morgan Hancock. Fancy name, huh? But everyone just called him Josh. This Josh Hancock, he played for them big teams. You know, them ones on the TV. The Boston Red Sox, that’s one of ’em. Heard of them Phillies too, and the Cincinnati Reds. And the St. Louis Cardinals. Lordy, that boy got around, throwin’ that ball. He was a pitcher, you know, that baseball player. He stand on that little mound and throw that ball like a bullet.
- Born in Mississippi
- Moved to Alabama
- Played baseball in high school
- Was a pitcher
- Played for the Boston Red Sox
He was a right-handed pitcher. Remember hearin’ that on the radio. He was picked by the Red Sox in somethin’ called the “draft”. It was in 1998, my old bones remember that year. The fifth round, they said. Don’t rightly know what that all means, but it sounded important. Seems like it was a big deal for that Josh Hancock, getting’ picked like that for baseball. He must have been real happy.
He played a lot of games, that boy. Over a hundred of ’em, I reckon. Won some, lost some. Nine wins and seven losses. That’s what they said. That’s a lot of baseball. That Josh Hancock had a lot of games in him. I guess it’s like plantin’ seeds, you know? Some sprout, some don’t. But he kept at it, that’s what matters. Just kept throwin’ that ball, just like I keep tendin’ my garden, year after year.
He played on three state championship teams in high school. Imagine that! Three! That boy must’ve been somethin’ special on that baseball field. He was just a young’un then. They say he was born in Cleveland, Mississippi. Then his folks up and moved to a place called Vestavia Hills, in Alabama. Near Birmingham, I reckon. I got a cousin lives down in Birmingham. That Josh Hancock, he sure got around, huh?
Heard he played college ball too, that Josh Hancock. And somethin’ called Minor League and Summer League. Sounds like a whole lot of baseball to me. He must’ve loved that game somethin’ fierce. Just like I love my quiltin’. Keeps your hands busy, keeps your mind occupied. Keeps you outta trouble, most of the time. They had all sorts of information about him. His stats, they called ’em. And awards and all that. Must be nice to have folks keep track of all that stuff.
- Played over 100 games
- Had 9 wins and 7 losses
- Played college baseball
- Played Minor League baseball
- Played Summer League baseball
I heard he died young, that Josh Hancock. Only 29 years old. Died in a car wreck, they said. Real sad, that is. Back in 2007. April 29th, 2007, to be exact. Happened in St. Louis. Such a shame. He was just a young fella, with his whole life ahead of him. All that baseball he coulda played. Just goes to show, you never know when your time is up. Like a storm that comes outta nowhere and takes your prize-winnin’ tomato plant. Just gone, like that.
He was a good boy, I reckon, that Josh Hancock. A good baseball player. Loved that game. And people loved him, I suppose. It’s a sad thing when someone dies young. But you gotta remember the good times, I guess. Remember the home runs, or whatever they’re called. Remember that Josh Hancock, throwin’ that ball, playin’ that game. Remember that smile he must’ve had, playin’ somethin’ he loved. He was a good baseball player.
Well, that’s all I know about that Josh Hancock. Just a baseball player, livin’ his life. Playin’ his game. Gone too soon, that’s for sure. But he lived a full life, I reckon, even if it was short. He did what he loved. That baseball, he played and he played and he played. And that’s somethin’, ain’t it? Yep, that’s somethin’. That’s a good thing to remember about that young man. He is a baseball boy, he was called Josh Hancock.
- Died in 2007
- Was 29 years old
- Died in a car accident
- Full name was Joshua Morgan Hancock
