Game Card
An air tragedy brings a Major League baseball scout back to a spring evening in 1997. A rememberance of pitcher John Hooker.

Brad DEL BARBA
MLNSportsZone.com

Game Cards. At countless games throughout the year, scouts scribble notes on them, grading each players’ tools and abilities.  In their own simple way, game cards tell a story. With the news of the tragic crash of Comair  flight 5191,  came the news that former minor leaguer Jon Hooker was reported as one of the causalities

As a scout for the Milwaukee Brewers who covers the independent leagues, I remembered seeing Hooker.

I sought out my 2004 Joliet Jackhammers game card. Sure enough, on the back of the card, where pitchers are listed, was Jon Hooker’s name without any notes.

What more could I write?

I remembered that I had seen Jon pitch during his high school days at North Laurel High School in London, Kentucky, in 1997.

Recalling a beautiful spring evening, the scouts were there to see a  pairing of right-handers: Hooker was matched up against Jeremy Brown from cross-town rival South Laurel High.  This was going to be a game for scouts to view two of the better pitchers in the Bluegrass.

Brown was the higher profile pitcher who was heading to the University of Tennessee, while Hooker was staying home to hurl for the University of Kentucky (UK).

My game card noted that Jon threw in the mid-80s, without a lot of movement, but had fair control. He would be worth following in college.

These cards do not note the final score, but I remember that he out-dueled Brown that evening, as a handful of scouts and most of London, Kentucky witnessed.

Continued...

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