Gene Cook

Gene Cook

• School University of Toledo
• Born January 11, 1932 in Greenfield, TN, USA
• Died February 14, 2002 in Toledo, OH, USA

Biographical Information

Gene Cook served as General Manager of the Toledo Mud Hens for twenty years, 1978-1998. Cook was an innovator in minor league baseball promotions. His greatest accomplishment in this field may have been convincing Toledo, OH native Jamie Farr to wear a Mud Hens hat on his hit T.V. show M.A.S.H. USA Today Baseball Weekly called it "one of the great public relations moves in the history of Minor League Baseball". Cook's efforts were able to help attendance in Toledo go from an average of less than 100,000 a year to over 300,000 a year. He was awarded the International League Executive of the Year award in 1980.

In 1998 Cook moved up to the position of Executive Vice President of the Mud Hens. During this time Cook was also instrumental in gathering public support for the building of Fifth Third Field. In 2008 he was elected to the International League Hall of Fame.

Before joining the Mud Hens Cook won nine varsity letters at the University of Toledo and played professional football. He also served on the Toledo City Council 15 times.

Related Sites

Football Reference page