Travis Sentell "Gookie" Dawkins (born May 12, 1979) is an American former

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...

and current

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...

(MLB) for the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

and

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expa ...

Career

Drafted by the

in the 2nd round of the

1997 Major League Baseball Draft The 1997 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 2 and 3, 1997. A total of 1607 players were drafted over the course of 92 rounds. First round selections ...

, Dawkins would make his Major League Baseball debut with the Reds on September 3, . His first major league at-bat was on September 4, 1999, at Philadelphia (a game in which the Reds hit nine home runs). Dawkins singled and reached third base on a throwing error. A young Philadelphia Phillies fan seated down the first base line reached over the fence and grabbed the rolling ball during play. The Reds staff later obtained the first major league hit ball for Dawkins by trading with the fan. Dawkins won an Olympic Gold medal in 2000 while playing for the United States baseball team. Dawkins spent the season playing for the

Tacoma Rainiers The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, which opened in 1960 ...

, the Triple-A affiliate of the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...

, and the

Ottawa Lynx The Ottawa Lynx were a Minor League Baseball team that competed in the Triple-A International League (IL) from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field was Lynx Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. Over 15 seasons, the team was an affiliate of the Montreal Ex ...

, the Triple-A affiliate of the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has been Citize ...

. Dawkins was re-signed by the Phillies on December 7, 2007, to a minor league contract. Dawkins signed with the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

for the season, and was assigned to their Triple-A team, the

Charlotte Knights The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field, which opened in 20 ...

. Dawkins was traded to the

on June 11, 2008. He re-signed with the White Sox after the season. He then signed the Reds in the summer of 2010. In the 2010 offseason, Dawkins signed a minor league contract with the

. Dawkins began his professional coaching career in 2015, where he served as the hitting coach for the

Arizona League Reds The Arizona Complex League Reds are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Arizona. The team is composed ...

in Goodyear, Arizona. In 2016, he was named hitting coach for the

' Advanced-A Affiliate, the

Daytona Tortugas The Daytona Tortugas are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Daytona Beach, Florida, and play their home games at Jackie Robinson Ballpark; opened in 1 ...

. In 2017, he was promoted to hitting coach of the Reds' Double-A Affiliate,

Pensacola Blue Wahoos The Pensacola Blue Wahoos are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are based in Pensacola, Florida, and play their home games at Admiral Fetterman Field. In 2012, the team re ...

. In 2018, he was promoted to manager of the Reds' Rookie-level Affiliate

Greeneville Reds The Greeneville Reds were a Minor League Baseball team of the Rookie-level Appalachian League. They represented the town of Greeneville, Tennessee, though Pioneer Park, their home stadium, was located in the nearby city of Tusculum on the campus ...

. In 2020, he was promoted to manager of the Reds' Single-A Affiliate

Dayton Dragons The Dayton Dragons are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Dayton, Ohio, and play their home games at Day Air Ballpark, formerly known as Fifth Third Field. In ...

.Former Red ‘Gookie’ Dawkins to manage Dayton Dragons next season
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References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dawkins, Travis 1979 births Living people African-American baseball coaches African-American baseball players American expatriate baseball players in Canada Baseball players at the 1999 Pan American Games Baseball players at the 2000 Summer Olympics Baseball coaches from South Carolina Baseball players from South Carolina Billings Mustangs players Burlington Bees players Charlotte Knights players Chattanooga Lookouts players Cincinnati Reds players Indianapolis Indians players Iowa Cubs players Jacksonville Suns players Kansas City Royals players Las Vegas 51s players Lehigh Valley IronPigs players Louisville Bats players Major League Baseball shortstops Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics Minor league baseball coaches Minor league baseball managers New Orleans Zephyrs players Olympic gold medalists for the United States in baseball Omaha Royals players Ottawa Lynx players Pan American Games medalists in baseball Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States People from Newberry, South Carolina Reading Phillies players Rockford Reds players Tacoma Rainiers players Toledo Mud Hens players Medalists at the 1999 Pan American Games 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American sportspeople