Hancock’s family drops lawsuit

The family of late Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock yesterday dropped its wrongful-death lawsuit against Mike Shannon’s restaurant and others in the player’s drunken-driving death in April.

The family’s local attorney, Mark Bronson, said he filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit before a procedural hearing got under way yesterday in St. Louis Circuit Court. The lawsuit had alleged that others shared responsibility for Hancock’s death.

He referred questions to Hancock family attorney Keith Kantack in Tupelo, Miss., who did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

The 29-year-old relief pitcher died after a St. Louis Cardinals home game in April when he crashed his sport utility vehicle into the back of a tow truck stopped on U.S. 40 in St. Louis. The lawsuit was filed a month later by Hancock’s father, Dean Hancock.

The lawsuit alleged that others shared responsibility for Josh Hancock’s death, including Mike Shannon’s restaurant, where the player drank earlier in the night; restaurant manager Pat Shannon Van Matre; the tow truck driver; the tow truck company; and the driver of a disabled car on the highway whom the tow truck driver had stopped to help.

Cards acquire Pineiro from Red Sox

The pitching-starved St. Louis Cardinals today acquired right-hander Joel Pineiro, optioned to the minors last week by the Boston Red Sox, and cash for a minor-league player to be named.

Pineiro, 28, was a 16-game winner in 2003. He was used exclusively in relief this year by the Red Sox before being sent to Triple-A Pawtucket on July 25.

Pineiro played seven seasons with the Seattle Mariners before signing with the Red Sox in January. He was 1-1 with a 5.03 ERA in 31 relief appearances for the Red Sox but had a 3.60 ERA in 16 road appearances covering 15 innings.

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