SCF Will Induct Two Baseball Alum into Hall of Fame Tonight

BRADENTON — State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) athletic department will induct two new members into the SCF Hall of Fame at a ceremony at 7 p.m. tonight at IMG Academy Golf Club, 4350 El Conquistador Pkwy., Bradenton.

Tom Cook, a Sarasota native and current resident of Manatee County, was a catcher for the SCF baseball team under Hall of Fame Coach Robert C. Wynn from 1965 to 1967. Cook earned First Team All-American honors in 1967 and helped his team claim the Suncoast Conference title in 1966 and 1967. He is remembered as the first player to hit the electronic scoreboard after it was installed at the baseball field.

Cook continued his playing career at Florida State University in 1968, where he was the starting catcher. He led the team with nine home runs, 37 RBIs and a .384 batting average that ranked second highest for the Seminoles. 

He was later drafted by the Oakland Athletics in 1968 and advanced as high as Triple A baseball by the end of his professional career in 1972. After playing professional baseball, Cook returned to Sarasota to join his family in their photography development and camera sales business.

Ryan Moore, a Bradenton resident, got an early start in his baseball career at SCF, then Manatee Community College, as a batboy with his lifelong friends Tim Hill Jr. and Ronnie Wynn under coaches Bob Wynn and Tim Hill Sr. He was a pitcher for the SCF Baseball team in 1990 and 1991, finishing with a 4-0 record as a freshman and a 6-1 record as a sophomore.

In 1991, his team claimed state and regional championship titles and became the runner-up in the JUCO World Series.

After graduating from SCF, Moore earned a baseball scholarship to the University of Central Florida (UCF) and was a member of the 1993 Trans America Athletic Conference Championship team. After his career at UCF, Moore played independent baseball and joined the Montreal Expos and the Texas Rangers organizations.

Moore, an area scout for the Seattle Mariners, has been a business owner in Manatee County since 1999. He has been a strong supporter of the SCF athletics department and was instrumental in starting the Hall of Fame with former Athletic Director George Sanders. The Hall of Fame was established to recognize individuals whose accomplishments have drawn recognition to the SCF athletic department. Moore’s vision also led to the inception of the Robert C. Wynn Scholarship and various baseball program enhancements.

Visit SCFManatees.com/Alumni for more information.