Baseball once again has been put in prespective. It is just a sport or a hobby, what it is not is life. Losing someone close to you...family, friend or co-worker is in itself hard enough. Imagine having to grieve in front of 40,000 people paying to see you perform. Josh Hancock lost his life in the early hours of Sunday morning. For the second time in less than 5 years the Cardinals lost one of their fraternity members. For the second time in 5 years it came on a day they were supposed to play their arch-rival Chicago Cubs. Now not only do the Cardinals have to face the pressure of defending their World Series title, now they must do it with heavy, mourning hearts.
Before Sunday, no one outside of Cardinal Nation or the NL Central, knew who Hancock was. He was a journeyman, who finally found his place. He came to work and did his job. He won a World Series. He did what he loved to do...play baseball.
See for every Barry Bonds (cheater) or Alex Rodriguez (overpaid, whiny, prima donna) there is a Josh Hancock. Someone who has battled and fought to do something he loved. He had more doors closed in his face than opportunties handed to him. But he continued to prove himself.
Next time, you hear of a overpaid player demanding more money or whinying about their contract, remember Josh Hancock and the hundreds of young, talented journeymen minor leaguers. They haven't been corrupted or tainted...they just want a chance to prove themselves. They just want to play the sport they love.
