We will take this weeks’ Stater code strait from the Ten Commandments (but don’t worry not religiosity in this post). Respect thy Mother and Father. In lieu of moms weekend having just past, I think it is a good idea to mention the true respect that we all have for our superiors, which extends beyond our parents.
One of those people is Jeff Hooper. Derek Jones broke Hooper’s record for career home runs as a Cougar earlier this month. With a special ceremony before our Friday opener against Utah, Hooper and Jonsey shook hands, and the crown was passed.
It was awesome to see how much respect this guy still had in our clubhouse. The mantra, “Once a Coug always a Coug”, withstood the test of time as Hooper made his way back to Bailey Brayton after twenty-five years, to a Cougar team that still admired him.
All and all, it was a pretty special thing that we all will be able to say we were a part of. Big up’s to DJ for all his hard working paying off. And I’m sure he hasn’t run the well completely dry quite yet.
With Hooper and most of our folks around, it set the scene for a fun weekend of baseball on the Palouse. The mom’s got to throw out the first pitches on Sunday, which is always a personal favorite.
It was good to see Bobo at the yard in his spot up the right field line. I don’t think we have mentioned his name much in these blogs, but Cougar baseball would not be were it is today without the tough love of Bobo Brayton.
From parents, to ex-record holders, and coaches alike, the wisdom around the Cougar family is something special. It is our hope that we can pay it forward and keep building this program the way these pivotal people have.
Tommy Richards
