Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Phillies Missing Links of the 2000s - #10 Josh Hancock

#50
Joshua Morgan Hancock
Pitcher

Unlike teammate Valerio de los Santos, Josh Hancock did participate in the post-game ceremony following the final game at Veterans Stadium.  A September call-up, Hancock pitched in two games for the Phillies in 2003 and he'd appear in four more games with the team the following season.  Hancock was recalled from the Red Barons three separate times in 2004, making spot starts on May 22nd and June 3rd only to be sent back following both games.  He made two appearances in relief in late July when Ryan Madson landed on the disabled list.  In those six games over two seasons for the Phillies, Hancock went 0-1 with a 7.50 ERA, striking out 9 in 12 innings pitched.

In need of a strong bullpen arm for the stretch run, the Phillies sent Hancock and fellow prospect Anderson Machado to the Reds on July 30, 2004 for fellow Missing Links member Todd Jones.

Hancock was a key cog in the bullpen of the 2006 World Champion St. Louis Cardinals, appearing in 62 games and compiling a 4.09 ERA.  Tragically, an intoxicated Hancock was killed on April 29, 2007 at the age of 29 in a traffic accident.

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  217
Born:  April 11, 1978, Cleveland, MS
Died:  April 29, 2007, St. Louis, MO
Drafted:  Drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 5th round of the amateur player draft, June 2, 1998.
Major League Teams:  Boston Red Sox 2002; Phillies 2003-2004; Cincinnati Reds 2004-2005; St. Louis Cardinals 2006-2007
Professional Affiliations:  Boston Red Sox 1998-2002; Phillies 2003-2004; Cincinnati Reds 2004-2005; St. Louis Cardinals 2006-2007

Phillies Career
6 games, 2 starts - 0-1, 7.50 ERA, 12 innings pitched, 3 walks, 9 strikeouts
Acquired:  Acquired from the Boston Red Sox for Jeremy Giambi, December 15, 2002.
Debut:  September 9, 2003 - Relieved Brandon Duckworth in the eighth inning of an eventual 18-5 win over the Braves.  Pitched an inning, allowing a run on two hits.
Final Game:  July 29, 2004 - Pitched a scoreless seventh inning against the Marlins, striking out two.
Departed:  July 30, 2004 - Traded with Anderson Machado to the Cincinnati Reds for Todd Jones and Brad Correll.

2003 Donruss #42
 
2003 Choice Scranton/
Wilkes-Barre Red Barons #7
2004 Choice Scranton/
Wilkes-Barre Red Barons #14
2006 Upper Deck #812
 
4 Hancock Baseball Cards in My Collection
2003 Donruss #42
2003 Fleer Tradition #444
2003 Choice Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons #7
2004 Choice Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons #14

Other Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  2002 Upper Deck #538
First Topps Base Card:  N/A
Last Mainstream Card:  2006 Upper Deck #812
Other Notable Cards:  1999 Multi-Ad Augusta Greenjackets #12, 2003 Donruss Team Heroes #92, 2005 Topps Total #676

Sources:  Baseball Reference and The Trading Card Database

Phillies Missing Links of the 2000s
1 Kirk Bullinger
2 Chris Pritchett
3 Bryan Ward
4 Mark Holzemer
5 Turner Ward
6 P.J. Forbes
7 Matt Walbeck
8 Kelly Stinnett
9 Valerio de los Santos
10 Josh Hancock

This is a continuing series looking at those players who spent time with the Phillies but possess no baseball card proof of their time in Philadelphia.  In some cases, the First and Last Mainstream cards listed above have been subjectively chosen if multiple cards were released in that year.

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