04/30/2008

By R.B. FALLSTROM  / Associated Press

The St. Louis Cardinals observed the one-year anniversary of reliever Josh Hancock's fatal crash without fanfare.

Everything appeared to be business as usual on Tuesday for the team, which canceled a scheduled game on April 29, 2007, after Hancock's early morning, drunken-driving accident near downtown. A memorial sticker with Hancock's initials and his uniform number 32 has been on the back wall of the bullpen since the accident, not far from another sticker in memory of Darryl Kile, but the anniversary was not mentioned in the team's daily game notes package.

"I think you always mark it," manager Tony La Russa said. "It's definitely not a day like any other."

But he wasn't sure if the accident left a lasting impact on players.

"I haven't seen anything too dramatic," La Russa said. "Don't you read the paper every day? Isn't there something in the paper every day about tragedies and mistakes?

"But when it's a member of your family I think it does get your attention in a special way."

The Cardinals banned alcohol in the clubhouse in the wake of the accident, and banned alcohol on return flights home. La Russa thought the clubhouse ban was mostly symbolic, given that most players don't hang out for hours after games, yet he thought it was sending the proper message.

"It's crossing every 'T' and dotting every 'I', and I agree it should be done," La Russa said. "But there wasn't anything happening here where guys were walking out of here staggering."

The second game of a three-game series against the Reds came a day after an elbow injury provided a reprieve from a minor league demotion for reliever Brad Thompson. He kept a doctor's appointment after informing the team of elbow pain after allowing one run in four innings on April 22 at Milwaukee, and was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday night retroactive to April 23.

Thompson had been optioned to Triple-A Memphis when infielder Brendan Ryan was activated from a rehab assignment. He has not appeared since the demotion.

"I've been kind of battling with stuff all year," said Thompson, 1-1 with a 4.58 ERA in six games, including two starts. "It just started to get worse.

"The last game that I threw in, I told them after the game I'd like to see the doc. I got sent down the next day but still kept my appointment to see him."

La Russa said Thompson hadn't said anything about his elbow. He wasn't that surprised, reasoning that pitchers often deal with aches and soreness and perhaps Thompson was just waiting for it to subside.

"They know they have to pitch sore at times, but they shouldn't pitch hurt," La Russa said. "Making that decision is not a slam dunk. That's what I think it mostly comes down to."

La Russa said the team encourages pitchers to be upfront with any issues and not to be afraid to visit the training room.

"It can help you prevent injuries, and once you have the beginning of some soreness it can nip some stuff in the bud," La Russa said. "And if you have something that's going to require serious treatment, the sooner you identify it the better off you are."

Thompson said he didn't expect to be out long with what has been diagnosed as inflammation, although he said an injection might be required.

"I should be good to go hopefully soon," Thompson said. "Hopefully I'll start throwing again in a couple of days."