One would reasonably assume that “Hoffpauir” is an extremely unusual last name. Not so – at least in Chicago this weekend.
Hoff and Hoff History
Friday’s Cardinals-Cubs game marked the first game in the history of MLB that two Hoffpauirs appeared. They were not in the game together however, as the Cardinals’ Jarrett pinch hit, walked and ran the bases in the seventh before leaving the game. Cub Micah collected a pinch-hit double in the ninth. (The two were on opposite clubs numerous times as minor leaguers.)
In fact, the unrelated pair are the only two Hoffpauirs to have ever become Major Leaguers.
However, in 2004, there were four Hoffpauirs in the minors as Jarrett and Micah were joined by Brad Hoffpauir (Cubs – rookie ball) and Josh Hoffpauir (Rangers – A ball). It is not quite as incredible since Josh and Jarrett are brothers. Both were born in Natchez, Mississippi six years apart, graduated from Vidalia High School in the Magnolia State and later played for Southern Mississippi.
Don’t buy another vowel!
Added by Tom Orf:
Jarrett Hoffpauir is the fourth player in St. Louis Cardinals history to have three consecutive vowels in his last name and the first since 1971.
Hoffpauir represents the first “aui” in team annals as the others all had “eau” in their surname:
- Patsy Tebeau, 1899-1900
- Jim Beauchamp, 1963, 1970-71
- Jap Barbeau, 1909-1910
Update: On Saturday, from the sixth until the top of the ninth, the two Hoffpauirs were in the game together. Micah entered for the top of the sixth when Derrek Lee injured his neck on a hard slide in the previous half-inning. Jarrett played the entire game until being pinch-hit for during the top of the ninth. The two met at first base in the seventh when Jarrett grounded into an inning-ending double play.
I knew the Cards’ Hoffpauir had at least one brother in pro ball. I assumed it was the Hoffpauir with the Cubs. It would be hard on any family to have sons on each side, so a relief such a misfortune has been spared Jarrett’s kin.
Jarrett’s brother Josh is coaching at Southern Mississippi U. http://southernmiss.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/hoffpauir_josh00.html
Josh played at Northwestern Louisiana for three years, then one year at SMU. After his senior year, the Oakland As signed him as an UDFA in 2000. He played minor league ball until 2004. He has coached at Holmes CC (where the top pitcher for the Astro’s played) and at Pearl River CC, where the Cards 12th rounder this year, Daugherty, pitched. So he seems well based in Mississippi baseball.
Micah and Brad Hoffpauir are also brothers and both have played in the Cubs organization.
Hoffpauir as a surname comes from southern Germany and means farmer. More useless Hoffpauir facts.
Looking forward to your investigation of Jap Barbeau and Patsy Tebeau next. After all, they both have a little Beau in them…
couldn’t resist
Jarrett is a member of the reviled Cards draft class of 2004. Others include reliever Mark Worrell, traded to the Padres in the Khalil Greene deal and out this year after Tommy John surgery. Matt Scherer, an effective set up man at Memphis. LHP Eric Haberer won 11 games at Springfield in 2007, but was let go. Mike Sillman was a good closer, but his career was snuffed out by injury.
Jarrett has followed a typical path for a Cards position player who does not lose time to an injury. He signed after three years of college in June 2004. It took 5 pro seasons to become a ML candidate, including 3.5 years at AA/AAA, age 26.
Jap and Patsy seem unusual first names for baseball.
In terms of Barbeaus, Adrienne was an all star, but I forget if she married any ballplayers.
Jim Beauchamp was mentioned in Ball Four. I think his name was pronounced Beecham. Beauchampion would make an effective name.
What is something Jarrett Hoffpauir has in common with CF Colby Rasmus, RHP PJ Walters, and AAA 1B Mark Hamilton?
I know the answer, Jumbo, but I will let someone else guess. No All-Star FanFest tix riding on it, though…
Since this is a “useless” facts column, it would contradict the purpose to award a nice prize.
Jarrett Hoffpauir is a moneyballer. He is not going to wow anyone with base-stealing, defensive range, and arm. No million dollar bonus when he was Sweet 16, so there is not a lot of publicity. His strengths are controlling the strikezone and he packs a little more punch than might be anticipated, given his size. He has been schooled in the game, so can play at a ML level, if Fate is kind and there is roster room. If not, he is AAAA.
Beauchamp means beautiful field in French.
There is a Jim Beauchamp baseball field in Grove City, Oklahoma, in honor of the late ballplayer.
Owing to an oversight, Jim’s name is not included among the many Beauchamps listed at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauchamp
Beauchamp means beautiful field in French.
Aptly, there is a Jim Beauchamp baseball field in Grove City, Oklahoma, in honor of the late ballplayer.
Owing to an oversight, Jim’s name is not included among the many Beauchamps listed at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauchamp
Walters pitched for Univ of South Alabama in Mobile. Hoffpauir played at S. Mississippi in Hattiesburg. Hamilton played for Tulane U in New Orleans, LA. These colleges are not far apart, maybe 140 miles, though situated within different States. Not surprisingly, these players were signed by the same scout, Hoffpauir in rd 6 of 2004, Hamilton round 2 of 2006 and Walters rd 11.
In 2005, this scout was credited with Colby Rasmus, from Alabama, maybe 250 miles north east from Mobile, over near Columbus, GA.
Finding a good player can be good for a scout’s career too. Scott Nichols took a job with the KC Royals, who have been improving their scouting program. The Cards still cover Alabama, because we went back to S. Alabama U with a late selection in the 09 draft.
Another useless comment about Hoffpauir is we selected his middle infield running mate in the 2004 draft just a couple of rounds lower, Southern Miss SS Matt Shepperd, IIRC. I guess it is common for a MLB team to draft a couple of guys off the same amateur team, such as Bittle and Corrigan this year from the SEC school Univ. ofMississippi. Its less common that they be a SS/2B duo at fairly high rounds, as with Shepp and Hoff. Shepperd had a good year in the Midwest League in 2005, but in 2006 the Cards gave priority to toolsy Tyler Greene, so rather than ride the pines Shepperd chose to leave pro baseball.
The Cards did something similar in the 1986 draft. The first round choice was Florida State switch-hitting 2B Luis Alicea. In the 5th round, his SS partner, Bien Figueroa. Alicea hailed from Puerto Rico, Figueroa was born in the Dominican. Figueroa spent about 7 years at AAA, with a short appearance in St Louis in 1992. Alicea spent 14 years in the bigs.
The Cards signed 4 players in 2009 with a Mississippi connection: Bittle and Corrigan, RHPs out of the University of Mississippi; Daugherty a LHP from a juco; and IF Goodwin from Delta State U.
In the 1950s, the Cards signed Wilmer Mizell, hard-throwing southpaw born in Leakesburg, MS, not far from Hattiesburg, where Hoffpauir played in college. Mizell helped the Pirates to a WS win.
I made a brief addendum to the initial post reflecting Saturday’s Hoff news.