Kasprzyk: Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
Published on January 15, 2010 under Texas League (TL1)
Corpus Christi Hooks News Release
CORPUS CHRISTI - Sinton baseball coach Gene Kasprzyk is the 2010 recipient of the South Texas Winter Baseball Banquet's Lifetime Achievement Award and will be honored at the annual function on Thursday, February 4.
Site is the Omni Bayfront Hotel and doors open at 6:30. Tickets are $75 and available by calling 361-561-HOOK or stopping at the Whataburger Field box office during business hours.
Houston Astros GM Ed Wade is scheduled to deliver the keynote address. Drew Locke and Wilton Lopez will be honored as 2009 Hooks player- and pitcher-of-the-year, respectively. Also to be recognized: top area professional and collegiate performers of last season and the 2010 preseason high school all-stars.
This year's all-star team has been broken down into two groups: large school (Classes 4A/5A) and small school (Classes A/2A/3A/Privates).
Kasprzyk is arguably the most successful 3A baseball coach in Texas history. Sinton is the only school in that classification to capture three state championships (1988, 1989, 2002). Since taking the Pirates' helm in 1986, Kasprzyk has guided the Maroon and White to 18 district championships, six state tournaments and 21 playoff appearances in 23 seasons. The 53-year-old has thrice been named Corpus Christi Caller-Times coach-of-the-year and twice earned the state's top 3A coaching honor.
Not many can recall a time Kasprzyk didn't coach Sinton Baseball. His first and only other high school head coaching job was at Three Rivers for four years in the early '80s, where he took a recently-begun Bulldog program with three wins over two seasons to three state playoff appearances.
Overall, his resume includes 168 all-district selections, 57 all-state picks, 10 participants in the Texas High School All-Star Game and six professional players.
Kasprzyk, who serves as color analyst for Hooks home games on 1360 KKTX-AM, graduated from the University of Texas (BS Education) in 1979. The 1974 Falls City High School graduate earned letters in five sports (baseball, football, basketball, track, tennis). Kasprzyk was a four-year starter in baseball and three-year regular in football, where he quarterbacked the Beavers to a 25-2 record and Class A state quarterfinal and semifinal appearances.
The 1973 baseball squad captured a regional title in an era when there was no state final four below Class 3A.
A history instructor, Kasprzyk chairs the Social Studies Department at Sinton. He coached SHS' academic decathlon team to three state titles in 10 years.
Gene has been married to wife Becky for 18 years and they have two daughters: Daryl, 17 and Bailey, 9.
"We are delighted to present Gene with this award," Hooks president Ken Schrom said. "He's been a leader and a winner all his life because he puts others first."
"I've had people from Sinton say he's an even better history teacher than he is a baseball coach," Hooks communications director Matt Rogers said. "It's a shame we all can't audit his class for a day. Gene is a man of many talents and enriches all of us."
Said Hooks play-by-play voice Matt Hicks: "It's my privilege to work along side Gene night after night. He is one of South Texas' great treasures."
Past Lifetime Achievement Award Winners:
2005 - Burt Hooton 2006 - Brooks Kieschnick
2007 - Rudy Jaramillo
2008 - Ox Miller (awarded posthumously)
2009 - Bart Shirley
Texas League Stories from January 15, 2010
- Kasprzyk: Lifetime Achievement Award Winner - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Elson Named Arkansas Sportscaster Of The Year - Arkansas Travelers
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