Monthly Archives: October 2012

by | October 31, 2012 · 2:43 pm

Roger Hoover returns to Jacksonville as Suns Broadcaster

Roger Hoover with Tennessee in 2012. Photo Courtesy: Roger C. Hoover.

Earlier today the Jacksonville Suns announced that Roger Hoover will rejoin the Suns as the radio broadcaster and the Director of Broadcasting for the 2013 season. Hoover has worked for the Tennessee Smokies and the Smokies Radio Network for three of the past four seasons as a broadcasting assistant.

“Roger is a great talent and good friend,” said Smokies Director of Broadcasting Mick Gillispie. “We are all really happy for him and looking forward to keeping up with his career in Jacksonville. The work he did for the Smokies Radio Network was excellent and he will be tough to replace.

“The thing I’m most proud of in my time as Director of Broadcasting for the Smokies is our dedication to detail and desire to do our very best every broadcast. Then watching so many of our team members move on to leadership positions and continue that legacy. Roger represents the very best we have to offer.”
“I am very excited to return to Jacksonville and once again broadcast Suns baseball,” said Hoover. “I am very grateful to the entire Smokies organization and everyone involved with the Smokies Radio Network for their support and guidance over the past several years. Along with being one of my good friends, Mick Gillispie has been a tremendous mentor and someone that’s always willing to help me get better. Along with Mick, Cody Chrusciel, Adam King, Jonathan Guess, as well as Darren Headrick in 2009, we consistently put out a major-league quality broadcast for East Tennessee baseball fans that I was always proud of. I am glad to stay in the Southern League and I look forward to making the trip back to Smokies Park next July.”
The Smokies Radio Network congratulates Roger on his new role with the Suns, and looks forward to seeing him stay in the Southern League. Below is the official release from the Jacksonville Suns media relations department.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Suns announced today that Roger Hoover will return to Jacksonville as the radio play-by-play broadcaster for the Suns for the 2013 season.

 
Hoover was the Suns broadcaster during the 2011 season, and enters his sixth season of professional baseball broadcasting.
 
“I am excited for this opportunity to work with the Suns,” Hoover said. “I really enjoyed my time in Jacksonville in 2011, and it will be a pleasure to connect with Suns fans once again. The Bragan’s continue to run a great baseball franchise, and I’m proud to be a part of their team at Bragan Field at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.”
 
Hoover has spent the past four seasons broadcasting baseball in the Southern League, working for the Suns in 2011 and as a broadcasting assistant with the Tennessee Smokies, for three of the past four years dating back to 2009. His experience in the Southern League includes: providing play-by-play in the 2009, 2010, and 2011 Southern League Championship Series, working with baseball Hall of Famer and 2009 Smokies manager Ryne Sandberg, being a part of the radio coverage for the 2010 and 2012 Southern League All-Star Games, as well as the Smokies Radio Network’s coverage of the 2010 Rickwood Classic in Birmingham, Ala.
 
The 2013 Southern League All-Star Game presented by State Farm on Bragan Field at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville will be Hoover’s third Southern League All-Star Game broadcast in the past four seasons.
 
Hoover is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and served his alma mater as the color analyst for Tennessee Baseball on the Vol Network in 2012. He currently works as the Assistant Director of Athletic Communications for Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Tenn., where he is also the color analyst for Carson-Newman football and the broadcaster for Lady Eagles basketball.
 
Hoover, a native of Kingsport, Tenn., spent his first season broadcasting professional baseball in his hometown with the Kingsport Mets of the Appalachian League in 2008. Hoover began his broadcasting career in 2006 with the Vol Network at the University of Tennessee.
 
The 2013 Suns season begins on April 4 against the Jackson Generals on Bragan Field at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville at 7:05 p.m.

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by | October 30, 2012 · 11:28 pm

Former Smokies Infielder Darwin Barney Wins Gold Glove

2009 Smokies Infielder

Photo Courtesy of the Tennessee Smokies

Congratulations to Darwin Barney! Played for the Smokies in 2009 under manager Ryne Sandberg, although his primary position with Tennessee was shortstop.

Now Cubs second baseman Darwin Barney is the recipient of the 2012 National League Rawlings Gold Glove Award! Barney is the first Cubs Gold Glove winner since first baseman Derrek Lee in 2007 and the first Cubs second baseman honored since Ryne Sandberg in 1991.

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by | · 2:54 pm

Cubs Name Derek Johnson Minor League Pitching Coordinator

Cubs replace Dennis Lewallyn the Minor Pitching Coordinator

Photo from stacker.com

The Chicago Cubs announced Tuesday that Derek Johnson would be replacing Dennis Lewallyn as the Cubs Minor League Pitching Coordinator. Lewallyn spent four highly successful campaigns as the Tennessee Smokies Pitching Coach from 2007-2010. Three of his four years Tennessee played in the Southern League Post season. The last two years Lewallyn acted as Minor League Pitching Coordinator but  is no longer with the organization. Johnson joins the Cubs after working 11 seasons in Nashville for Vandy. While there he coached current Smokies pitcher Casey Weathers.

CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today named Derek Johnson as the club’s minor league pitching coordinator.

Johnson, 41, joins the Cubs from Vanderbilt University, where he spent the last 11 seasons as the school’s pitching coach, including the last three as the school’s associate head coach/pitching coach. During his time at Vanderbilt, Johnson earned National Pitching Coach of the Year honors in 2004 and National Assistant Coach of the Year honors in 2010.

In 2011, Johnson helped lead Vanderbilt to the school’s first-ever College World Series appearance after guiding a Commodores pitching staff that featured eight hurlers that were selected in the Major League Baseball Draft, including a pair of first round/supplemental first round pitchers. The 2011 Commodores led the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in ERA and strikeouts.

During his time at Vanderbilt, Johnson helped develop six pitchers that were selected in the first round/supplemental first round of the MLB Draft, including David Price, who was selected first overall by Tampa Bay in 2007.

In 2011, Vanderbilt saw two pitchers selected in the first round/supplemental round: Sonny Gray (18th overall, Oakland) and Grayson Garvin (59th overall, Tampa Bay). Johnson’s additional first round picks include Mike Minor (seventh overall, Atlanta, 2009), Casey Weathers (eighth overall, Colorado, 2007) and Jeremy Sowers (sixth overall, Cleveland, 2004). Johnson also helped develop Jensen Lewis, who was selected by Cleveland in the third round of the 2005 Draft and has pitched four seasons in the big leagues.

Johnson began his coaching career at Eastern Illinois in 1994, a season after he was an All Mid-Continent Conference pitcher with the program. He then served as pitching coach for Southern Illinois from 1995-97 while also managing in summer ball.Johnson coached at Stetson University from 1998-2001 before joining Vanderbilt in 2002.

- CUBS – (Release courtesy of Cubs Media Relations)

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