Ron Gooch

Ronald Lee Gooch

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 165 lb.
• School Southeastern Oklahoma State University
• High School Mustang High School

• Born April 16, 1957 in Thomas, OK USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Infielder Ron Gooch was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 18th round of the 1978 amateur draft, out of Southeastern Oklahoma State University, where he had played in the championship game of the 1977 NAIA College World Series. He began his professional career that same year with the GCL Rangers and after 10 games moved up to the Asheville Tourists of the Western Carolinas League, hitting a combined .274/.398/.360 in 54 games. He progressed quickly after that, reaching AAA with the Tucson Toros by the end of 1979, after starting that season in AA with the Tulsa Drillers of the Texas League. He hit a combined .298/.370/.359 in 125 games, with 58 runs scored and 49 RBIs while playing almost exclusively at second base. At that point, he seemed like a sure thing to make the majors in short order, but he never progressed further.

In 1980, he started the season in AAA with the Charleston Charlies of the International League but hit just .232 in 42 games and was demoted back to AA Tulsa to finish the season. He hit a scorching .351 in 29 games there. Abroken wrist cost him a good chunk of the season. In 1981, he was back at Tulsa, hitting .248/.319/.320 in 128 games. He played another 13 games at Tulsa in 1982, hitting .149 before a knee injury put an end to his playing career. In 391 games, his average was .271, with 9 homers, 190 runs and 166 RBIs.

On July 3, 1980, playing for Tulsa, he was in the middle of a highly unusual play when he managed to clear the bases on a fly ball: with the bases loaded, he flied out to Jackson Mets OF Archie Amerson. Mike Jirschele scored on the sacrifice fly, but Amerson's throw bounced away from C Stan Hough, allowing George Wright to score as well. When Hough's throw back to P Tom Thurberg, who was covering home plate, hit on-deck batter Phil Klimas, Mel Barrow was able to score all the way from first base. Tulsa won the game, 7-1.

He was inducted into his school's Hall of Fame in 2002. He returned to his alma mater after baseball to complete his degree and earn a master's degree in education and became a teacher and coach, also working in automotive sales. His son, Talor Gooch, became a professional golfer on the PGA tour after drawing notice as a golf prodigy when he was barely six years old.

Further Reading

• Berry Tramel: "Boy a Chip Off Block, Putt Above", The Oklahoman, August 18, 1998. [1]

Related Sites

• Southeastern Oklahoma State Hall of Fame page