Field of Dreams – and Champions
In Corpus Christi, future stars are groomed at Whataburger Field
As fans of the Houston Astros and Texans everywhere cheered their team to the 2017 World Series, a little-known fact might have escaped all but the most diligent baseball trivia buffs.
At least nine players on that World Series roster once wore Corpus Christi Hooks uniforms. “Not only did Sports Illustrated predict the Astros’ World Series Championship in 2017,” says Mike Coffin, Hooks director of broadcasting, of that now famously prescient 2014 article, “they put [World Series] MVP George Springer on the cover!”
That cover featured outfielder Springer joined by other former Hooks alumni: first baseman Yuli Gurriel, second baseman José Altuve, third baseman Alex Bregman, shortstop Carlos Correa, outfielder Derek Fisher and pitchers Chris Devenski, Dallas Keuchel, Lance McCullers Jr. and Joe Musgrove. Adds Coffin, “Nine on the roster coming from the Hooks’ draft picks – versus expensive free agents — paid off!”
Fans today can catch glimpse of potential champions of the future for the price of a minor league ticket at Corpus Christi’s Whataburger Field. Surrounded by other waterfront attractions like the USS Lexington and Texas State Aquarium, Whataburger Field, completed in 2005 at a cost of $25 million, is built on land once populated with cotton warehouses at the Port of Corpus Christi. Rustic attributes, from huge wood beams, massive cast iron knuckles and furnaces — all covered in corrugated siding — still stand in the back of the playing field, reminders of the docks’ storied past.
In addition to the unique cotton presses, fans enjoy games against the backdrop of huge ships maneuvered through the Port beneath the Harbor Bridge, often bathed in colorful LED lighting.
Left The scoreboard behind Whataburger Field’s left-center field is framed by century old cotton press and furnaces. Right Spectators enjoy the scenic backdrop of the Harbor Bridge, cotton warehouses, and passing ships through the Port of Corpus Christi.
The Hooks play a major part in delivering family-friendly entertainment, but Whataburger Field provides more than just top-notch minor league baseball. It hosts local high school and college baseball events, puts on music events such as “Pops in the Park” by the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra, and gives back to the community through organizations like the Miracle League.
Like Houston, Corpus Christi stands to benefit from a World Series victory, an excellent return on its municipal investment. But Houston had to bring home the bacon first.
Back in 2011, considering the Astros’ annual last-place finishes — including the worst record in the league that year — the time had come for farm-raised World Series champions. All major league teams rely on a farm system, but the Hooks were part of a unique and successful system based on solid scouting and a commitment to putting math over cash to shape the team.
Soon, the minor league Hooks had become the major league Astros. “It’s like a gardener who sows the seeds, then fertilizes and waters,” says Hooks president Ken Schrom. “When that garden grows, you get the fruits of your labor. Well, all these guys, when they were here starting out … you could tell they were good, but honestly, to put a core group like that together and watch what they’re doing at the highest level — it’s incredible.”
These days,fans across the Coastal Bend have even more reason to eagerly anticipate baseball season. New fans will join the longtime faithful to watch the cultivation of Series champions at their hometown ballpark. Perhaps they’ll all get a chance to watch the next World Series Champion MVP on the turf of Whataburger Field, first wearing a Corpus Christi Hooks uniform.
