Kevin Hooper Bringing Slice of Defensive Heaven to San Diego Padres
In the last year, it has finally become apparent that Major League clubs are seeing that the Wichita Wingnuts are far from a bunch of guys just trying to hang onto their baseball careers. This is a first-class organization that produces talent, both on the field and in the dugout. Last season closer Matt Nevarez and ace starter Anthony Capra were signed away to the Mexican leagues, LHP Jarret Leverett joined the San Francisco Giants organization, and shortstop Alberto Gonzalez was nabbed by the Detroit Tigers. Also, Dakota Watts, who replaced Nevarez as the club’s closer, was signed by Texas, infielder Luis Hernandez joined the Los Angeles Angels, and Omar Bencomo became a member of the Minnesota Twins organization.
It was a typical season in Wichita, as Major League clubs found that they could easily fill their needs by turning to the best run team in independent baseball. This off-season that pattern has continued like never before.
Two Wingnuts players already joined Major League organizations this fall. OF Jayce Ray was signed by the Boston Red Sox and closer Paul Smyth was signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He is the third Wichita closer to find a home at the upper levels of baseball in the last six months. Also, former Wingnuts star David Espinosa retired and became the Head Scout for the Independent Leagues for the Miami Marlins. Hitting coach Jose Amado also left the Wingnuts, joining the Diamondbacks as the hitting coach for their single-A club in Hillsboro, Oregon. Last week reliever Derek Eitel became the newest Wingnuts player to move to greener pastures, as he was signed by the San Diego Padres.
While incredibly tough loses, the club has always managed to keep rolling, primarily because one of the best minds in baseball has been running the team – Manager Kevin Hooper. That will not be the case any longer.
The Wingnuts announced that Kevin will be leaving the team to join the San Diego Padres as their minor league infield coordinator. Clearly, the Padres were wise enough to entice one of the best teachers of the game to join their organization.
This off-season San Diego brought in Andy Green to take over for the departed Bud Black as the club’s new skipper. Green has never managed at the Major League level, but he made some splashy moves by bringing in Mark McGwire as his bench coach and Darren Balsley as the team’s pitching coach. The Skipper’s emphasis is on teaching fundamentals at every level.
In the ultra-competitive NL West, the Padres are not going to be able to compete with the deep pockets of the Los Angeles Dodgers unless they are smart with the way that they build their club, much as the San Francisco Giants have done. The Giants have built their team around an outstanding starting staff, solid defense, and quality players who do all the small things that help their team win.
The first-year manager understands the task ahead of him and is ready to take his lumps to build a club that has staying power. The addition of Kevin Hooper is a great first-step toward reaching that goal.
According to baseball insiders, the Padres had considered hiring Hooper as their AA- or AAA-manager, but concluded that he was a much better fit to work with their infielders at every level. Kevin has always been a great student of the game, whose primary asset has been his ability to teach his expertise to his players. The results of his abilities speak for themselves.
At just 39, Kevin has won at least 50 games in every one of his seasons with the team, and has been in the playoffs in every one of his seasons as the team’s manager. He boasts a gaudy 422-270 record (.610 winning percentage) and his team won the 2014 American Association title after being the runner-up the two previous seasons. Clearly he will be very difficult to replace.
Born in Lawrence, KS, Hooper starred at Wichita State before being drafted by the Florida Marlins in the eighth round of the 1999 amateur draft. He played in nine seasons of affiliate ball, reaching the Majors with the Detroit Tigers in both 2005 and 2006. Kevin has always had a quality glove, a solid bat, and great instincts on how to run the bases. He finished with 162 stolen bases in the minors, hitting .271 and boasting an outstanding .983 fielding percentage.
In 2008 he joined the Wingnuts as the team’s first shortstop in their inaugural season. In 88 games with Wichita he hit a still club record .373 with 34 stolen bases. He was thrown out just once. He also flashed that brilliant range in the field, making just 12 errors in 451 chances.
Since taking over the Wingnuts as the club’s manager the team has regularly been one the best fielding teams in the league. From 2009 to 2014, Wichita led the American Association in fielding percentage in all but two of those seasons, and set a league record in 2009 and 2014 with a .980 percentage. Kevin has always touted his commitment to building his team around pitching and defense, and now the Padres organization is counting on him to bring that same kind of success to all levels of their organization.
Being a Kansas native, playing at Wichita State, and being part of the Wingnuts since 2008 made this an incredibly difficult decision for the new Padres coach, but it was an opportunity that Kevin could not forgo.
“It was tough, really tough, but they threw an offer at me that I couldn’t pass up on,” Kevin explains of his decision. “I thought I would be cheating myself if I did not take this job and see where it takes me.”
The prospect of how he can impact these young men looking to reach the Majors is what really has Hooper excited most. “This is great because these guys can make it to the Majors pretty quick, and I want to do all I can to assist that transition, to help it go smoothly and to make it one where they really have the chance to succeed.”
There is no doubt that if the Padres new manager was looking to turn around his club he chose the right man to teach his future infielders. San Diego may not be competing next year or the year after in the NL West, but the Giants and Dodgers better enjoy their place now. They may be looking up to the heavenly new team leading the pack in a couple of seasons.
As for his old job, the Wingnuts are rumored to be looking outside the organization for a replacement for Kevin. Team sources indicate that the club is looking for a manager with the right kind of savvy and connections to be able to recruit players much in the same that Kevin Hooper has. General Manager Josh Robertson has narrowed the list to a couple of candidates, according to sources with the team, and a new manager is likely to be named by the team before the end of January.
By Robert Pannier
Member of the IBWAA
Short Hops with Kevin Hooper
January 13, 2016 @ 2:48 pm
[…] Feature Story on Kevin Hooper. Kevin Leaving to Join San Diego Padres organization. […]
January 12, 2016 @ 11:01 pm
Thank you for this outstanding article. As a Wingnuts season ticket holder for the last 6 years, it’s been a privilege to watch Kevin Hooper lead this club and I wish him all the best. The Wingnuts are a quality organization devoted to developing ballplayers.