March 4, 2017
By Ben Hayden, Gazette Staff

One was taken first overall in the 2008 draft, with sky-high expectations piled on almost immediately that have been met and exceeded. The other was taken 112 players later – a safe pick without any real expectations of greatness.

At the age of 30, one man has cemented his legacy as one of the best pitchers of a generation.  At that same age, the other has earned a reputation as nothing more than a serviceable minor league starter.

One man has signed a contract that will see him earn over $91 million by the time it is complete, while the other wonders each off-season how his family will make ends meet this year.

One has been a life filled with successes and triumph; the other, a case of missed opportunities and questions of what could have been.

Truth be told, Markus “Fireworks” Hancock of the Bakersfield Bears and Matt Hancock of the Kalamazoo Badgers have very little in common in their professional baseball lives aside from sharing the same last name. However, that simple distinction has given the less-accomplished Hancock a fair bit of trouble as he has attempted to chase his big league dream.

“Anytime I’m interviewed in a new city or with a new team, reporters never want to know about my pitching or about the game we just played. They always want to ask about Markus. Are we related? What’s it like share the same name as Fireworks? When am I going to develop into a pitcher like him? Do I ever ask him for pitching lessons? It goes on and on,” said Matt at the Badgers’ spring training facility.

“It’s hard enough to make it to the big leagues, but it’s been an even harder road for me, just because of my last name.”

For the record, the two aren’t related. Matt said it’s been a challenge having the same name, especially so in 2008, when both men were in the minor leagues in their first season of professional baseball.

“That was a rough year. People knew the name ‘Hancock’ but apparently didn’t pay close enough attention. When we were on the road, for all my starts, we would get huge crowds. People heard the name ‘Hancock’ and thought they were coming out to see the number one overall pick they had heard so much about. Things got pretty nasty when they found out it was little old me instead.”

He’s gotten used to absorbing verbal jabs from fans, who call him “every name in the book,” in the years that followed. “But most often it’s some play on the Fireworks nickname,” Matt said.

“I’ve been called “Fireworks Lite” so many times. ‘Sparklers’ is a big one, too. ‘Waterworks’… anything you can think of. The fans actually bring those little sparklers out to the field now when I pitch – home and away, so I’m not even sure if it’s supposed to be to mock me or as a sign of endearment. Regardless, you don’t let it bother you too much. It’s all part of being a professional athlete, but it would be nice to be able to focus and compete without being under the shadow and expectation of a guy who is probably the greatest pitcher of our generation.”

For now, though, Hancock is focusing on the positives. Aside from a handful of occasions that include his wedding day, the birth of his two kids, and the day he was drafted by the Gloucester Fishermen, the right-handed marks Dec. 1, 2016 as one of the happiest days of his life. On that day, he was selected from the Florida Featherheads in the sixth round of the Rule 5 draft – 54^th overall – by the Badgers.

“It’s a new hope and a new beginning. For a player like me, the Rule 5 is a great chance to get a fresh start and prove yourself somewhere else. I was happy to be a member of the Featherheads organization, but it was obvious I wasn’t in their immediate plans. I’m just overjoyed that Kalamazoo wants me and will give me a chance to be a part of their big league club.”

Matt joked that his big league resume has consisted of “a little more than a cup of coffee, but likely less than a full pot.” While with the New Jersey Hitmen in 2013, Hancock realized his lifelong dream of pitching in the big leagues. He made 17 appearances that year, including 11 starts, and pitched 76.1 innings, going 4-4 with a 5.54 ERA and a .311 opponent’s batting average.

“You never, ever want to admit or think that you aren’t good enough as a professional athlete, but after that season, I didn’t feel I was good enough to be in the big leagues. I didn’t think it was my time, but I knew if I put in the work, my time would come. It was back to the drawing board.”

He put up respectable numbers for New Jersey in AAA in 2014 and 2015. Matt was claimed on waivers by Florida in April of last year. Through 142.2 innings with AAA Chesapeake Bay, he went 8-8 with a 3.91 ERA.

“Last year was about as complete as I’ve felt as a starting pitcher in a long time. I felt I was at a point where I could have been called up and contributed to the big league team. I’m happy to get that chance now in Kalamazoo. You hear the term ‘AAAA player’ thrown around so often, and you can bet I’ve heard it applied to me before, but I refuse to let one half-season in the bigs define who I am as a pitcher and what my career will mean. I know this is probably the last chance I’ll get to be a big leaguer, so I’m not going to blow it.”

While he’s only 30, Hancock said he’s contemplated leaving baseball behind. Mainly, he said, it’s due to the financial insecurity that comes with being a minor league ballplayer.

“There’s no glitz and glamour involved with life in the minors. Each and every winter, my wife and I sit down and talk about whether or not I should hang up the cleats – whether it’s worth it and whether we can afford for me to go chase my dream for another year. There’s only so long you can ride around the country on a bus, away from your family, and have it still be worth it. I’ve got two young kids at home I’ve got to think about,” he said of his two-year-old daughter Lilly and his four-year-old son Max.

“That’s why it’s important for me to be in the big leagues now. For a guy like me who never got a huge signing bonus or a big contract extension, even just a few months getting a big league paycheck would mean a lot for me and my family. I’m going to fight as hard as I can to make sure that isn’t taken away from me.”

For his part, Bakersfield’s Markus Hancock said he’s troubled to hear his namesake has been bothered by their association. “I have known him since college and have always pulled for him. Hancocks have to stick together,” Markus said. “I never realized that my success has had a negative impact on him. I am really sorry to hear that.”

Fireworks said he will be happy to offer his namesake some advice on how to stick around in the big leagues. He’ll get the chance when the two face off on Wednesday in spring training.

As for a potential Hancock-versus-Hancock regular season PEBA showdown? Fireworks is game. “That would be awesome. I think it would be a great marketing opportunity and he deserves any positive attention he can get. Matt is a great guy and I am proud to share the Hancock name with him. I am glad that he is finally getting a shot and I wish him well.”

Matt said he would also welcome the opportunity to square off against PEBA’s greatest starting pitcher. “Maybe I can go into Bakersfield, beat him, and finally be known for being my own person,” he said with a laugh.

“No matter what, he’s going to keep on being one of the game’s elite. I’m just hoping to carve out a little recognition for myself here in Michigan and be proud of what I’ve accomplished by the time I retire.”

Matt will compete for the 5^th spot in the Kalamazoo starting rotation, where he is likely up against 25-year-old Jian Bao. Matt is a groundball pitcher who won’t strike out a ton of batters – his fastball tops out at 90 MPH – but he keeps hitters off balance and does a good job keeping the ball in the park with his sinker, cutter, and changeup. Failing him winning a spot in the rotation, Hancock could also potentially serve as a long man out of the bullpen.

“I would love to get the chance to start, but you won’t hear me complain if I’m sent to the bullpen. Whatever helps the team win. Heck, I’ll even throw BP if they let me stay in the bigs,” Matt joked.

“Really, though, as long as I have this jersey on, you won’t hear a peep from me. I’ll be the happiest guy in the room.”