LEROY “DICK” HOOVER

ELECTED: NOVEMBER, 1990

NEW ORLEANS, LA

INDUCTED: NOVEMBER, 1991

LAS VEGAS, NV

LEROY “DICK” HOOVER, A THIRD BASE COACH FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS IN THE LOUISVILLE AREA, WAS INDUCTED INTO THE USSSA HALL OF FAME IN THE MANAGER CATEGORY.

THE 70 YEARS OLD COACH WAS A LONG TERM FIXTURE IN LOUISVILLE COACHING CIRCLES AND CARRIED TEAMS 12 STRAIGHT TIMES TO WORLD TOURNAMENT PLAY BETWEEN 1967 AND 1980. HE COACHED IN THE FIRST USSSA TOURNAMENT IN 1968 IN MILWAUKEE.

AFTER A SUCCESSFUL CAREER IN FAST-PITCH, HOOVER STARTED COACHING THIRD BASE FOR THE LOUISVILLE FIREFIGHTERS IN 1975. HE ALSO COACHED FOR SULLIVAN EXECUTIVES, SILVER HEIGHTS, AND BURGER QUEEN, BEFORE JOINING THE KNIGHTS OF ST. JOHN.

A STAUNCH USSSA SUPPORTER, THIS ‘UNKNOWN SOLDIER’ DREW PRAISE FOR HIS THIRD BASE COACHING ABILITIES DURING HIS SPAN WITH THE KNIGHTS.

A COACH WITH OVER 40 YEARS OF SOFTBALL EXPERIENCE, HOOVER ALSO COACHED THIRD BASE FOR THE KENTUCKY BOURBONS IN THE OLD PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE. HE WAS REGARDED AS THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS.

HOOVER ORGANIZED THE FIRST OLD TIMERS TOURNAMENT AT ST. DENIS, KENTUCKY AND PROMOTED THE USSSA IN ITS INFANCY.

DESPITE HIS YEARS, HOOVER CONTINUED HIS ‘GREAT HUSTLE’ AND CONFIDENCE IN THE THIRD BASE COACHING BOX LATE IN HIS CAREER. HE WAS A LOYAL USSSA TEAM MEMBER FROM DAY ONE.