FreeBSD mysql-server failed precmd routine

Trying to start mysql-server tries start with the message failed precmd routine.

Debugging this can be done by altering /usr/local/etc/rc.d/mysql.server

Comment out the following parts : >/dev/null 2>/dev/null

mysql_create_auth_tables()
{
   ...
	eval $mysql_install_db $mysql_install_db_args # >/dev/null 2>/dev/null
   ...
}

mysql_prestart()
{
   ... 
	if checkyesno mysql_limits; then
		eval `/usr/bin/limits ${mysql_limits_args}` # 2>/dev/null
	else
		return 0
	fi
   ...
}

You will see the error message.
In my case the issue was an existing data-directory