Background
Hoover was born in Brawley, in Imperial County, California, in 1915.
Hoover was born in Brawley, in Imperial County, California, in 1915.
He played three years in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the from 1943 to 1945. He also played six years in the Pacific Coast League for the Hollywood Stars from 1938 to 1942 and the San Francisco Seals in 1946. He spent most of his childhood in Pomona, California, and played high school and junior college baseball there.
Hoover began his professional baseball career in 1937 playing for the Rock Island Islanders of the Western League and the Indianapolis Indians of the American Association.
He next played for five years with the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League from 1938 to 1942. In 1942, he compiled a.327 batting average with 34 doubles, 10 triples, 11 home runs, 62 RBIs and 14 stolen bases.
On October 1, 1942, the purchased Hoover from the Stars after all three Detroit shortstops — Billy Hitchcock, Johnny Lipon, and Murray Franklin — were inducted in the military during World World War World War II Hoover had a draft deferred status as a married man with a family. At the time of Detroit"s purchase of Hoover, The Sporting News described him as "hustle personified" and "not a chatterbox type." Physically, it described him as "a regular Adonis" with a "wasp-like waist" and "a fine pair of shoulders and a strong pair of legs to keep him in the lineup day after day."
Hoover became the Tigers" starting shortstop in 1943 and hit.243 with a.300 on-base percentage in his three seasons with the Tigers.
In 1943, he compiled a.243 batting average and led the American League in outs with 478 and in sacrifice hits with 28.
He was also second in the league with 101 strikeouts in 1943. Before the start of the 1944 season, Hoover was reclassified as 1A by the draft board, raising fears that the Tigers would lose yet another shortstop to the war. Nevertheless, Hoover remained the Tigers starting shortstop in 1944.
His batting average dipped to.236, but he was steady defensively, ranking second in the American League in range factor (555) and double plays turned (102) by a shortstop.
He also ranked third in the league in putouts by a shortstop with 256. However, after two seasons as the team"s everyday shortstop, Hoover in 1945 divided shortstop duties with Skeeter Webb.
Hoover started 55 games at shortstop, while Webb started 99. Hoover"s last major league appearance came in Game 6 of the 1945 World Series.
He had a single in three World Series at bats.
He also had an Reserve Bank of India and scored a run in an 8–7 loss to the Cubs. San Francisco Seals
On January 24, 1946, the Tigers sold Hoover to the San Francisco Seals in the Pacific Coast League. Hoover compiled a career low.200 batting average in 87 games for the Seals.
Hoover was married to Alice Smith Andres in November 1935.
They had one child, Joethel Ann, born in approximately 1941. Hoover died in Los Angeles, California in 1965 at age 50.