Former Wichita State standouts headline Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame 2024 inductees
The Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame will welcome eight new members to its ranks in an induction ceremony in Wichita next month.
Former Wichita State standouts Braden Looper and Andy Dirks headline the 2024 class of inductees, which will be honored with a reception and banquet on Saturday, Jan. 27, from noon-2 p.m. at LaVela, located at 6147 East 13th Street North. Cost is $25 per person and tickets can be purchased online.
Here’s a closer look at the eight inductees:
Aaron Crow, a Wakarusa native, was a star pitcher for Washburn Rural High School before pitching for Missouri, where he was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year in 2008. He was drafted in the first round by the Kansas City Royals and made an All-Star appearance for the club in 2011.
Andy Dirks, a Haven graduate, starred for the Shockers from 2007-08 and was the everyday left fielder for the Detroit Tigers until injuries prematurely ended his career. He played in 297 MLB games and started games in the 2012 World Series for the Tigers.
Ron Gardenhire played in the NBC World Series for the Wichita Coors in the summers of 1977 and 1978 and made his offseason home in Wichita for several years. He is best known for an 11-year run managing the Minnesota Twins, which included 1,039 career wins and six American League Central titles.
Braden Looper was an All-American pitcher for Wichita State from 1994-96 and also pitched for the bronze medal-winning Team USA in the 1996 Olympics. After being drafted No. 3 overall in the MLB Draft, Looper enjoyed a 12-year major league career that saw him win 72 games, save another 103 and win two World Series titles in 2003 with the Florida Marlins and 2006 with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Ted Power, an Abilene native, set strikeout records at Kansas State from 1974-76 before a 13-year major league career. He saved 27 games for the Cincinnati Reds in 1985, then won 10 games as a starter the next two seasons.
Ronn Reynolds, a Wichita native, was a standout catcher for Southeast High School before playing in college for Arkansas and playing in the majors for five years with four different teams.
Joe Ruocco has owned and operated a card and memorabilia shop in Wichita for the last 45 years. Rock’s Dugout was started in the basement of a bowling alley in 1977 and continues to be the longest-running card shop in Kansas.
The 1887 Topeka Golden Giants had 10 future major-leaguers on their roster, as the team finished with a 90-25 record and easily won the Western League.
This story was originally published December 18, 2023 at 10:59 AM.
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