DANNY COOK
Baseball, 1966-69
Inducted October 30, 1982

Danny Cook’s induction into the SMS Hall of Fame is only the second for a former SMS baseball player and the first for a player in baseball after the sport was returned to the SMS scene in 1964.  Cook was the Bears’ third baseman and the Springfield Hillcrest product lettered four years from 1966 through 1969.  He was the SMS captain in both 1968 and 1969 and was also selected the team’s Most Valuable Player each of his last two seasons.  Coach Bill Rowe’s 1969 team put SMS baseball on the map to stay, going from a 12-8 mark the year before to a 27-10 season standard that included SMS’ first baseball conference and regional championships.  The Bears advanced into the NCAA Division II World Series where they finished second.  It was Cook’s grand slam home run against Florida Southern that sent SMS into the championship round against Illinois State.  Cook batted .342 for the 1969 club and set SMS single season records with six homers and 36 runs batted in.  He was selected to receive the Virgil Cheek Athletic Achievement Award upon his graduation in 1969.