Shawn Wooten was signed by the Dodgers in December 2013 to become the new hitting coach for the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Class AA Southern League. He replaces Orv Franchuk who was not offered a contract to return with the Lookouts.

Baseball fans may remember Shawn Wooten from the 2002 divisional playoffs and World Series with the Anaheim Angels. He, along with Brendan Donnelly, became unlikely heroes in postseason play helping to propel the Angels to their only World Championship. In limited action with only 19 at bats, Wooten had 9 hits, 5 runs, 1 home run and an OBP of .474. His biggest contribution came in the 9-5 victory over the Yankees in the ALDS clincher with three hits including a home run.

Without question the highlight of Wooten’s career was winning a World Series title while with the Angels in 2002. Wooten (right) is seen here with two-time World Series champ David Eckstein.
(Photo credit – Kevork Djansezian)

Wooten, 41, was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 18th round of the 1993 amateur draft. After a little over two years he was released by the Tigers. Obviously a bitter pill to swallow, Wooten could have packed it in. Rather than give up on his dream he became part of a Canadian connection. For the next season and a half he played with the independent Moose Jaw Diamond Dogs in the Province of Saskatchewan in Canada. That was certainly a long ways from major league baseball. During his minor league career Shawn Wooten played in a number of cities including Bristol, Fayetteville, Lakeland and Cedar Rapids. His favorite minor league experience was in Moose Jaw with a population of less than 30,000. “Don’t knock it,” said Wooten. “Some nights we had as many as 3,500 people in the stands, which isn’t bad for a hockey town.”

His MLB stops included part seasons with three teams – four with the Angles, one with Philadelphia and one with Boston. His major league career consisted of 267 games with 98 being the most played in a season in 2003. Playing first base, third base and behind the plate as well as serving as a designated hitter, Shawn Wooten’s career was absolutely hijacked by injury, among them a left wrist injury, a right thumb injury, a right side injury and a knee injury.

Prior to his appointment as the Lookouts new hitting coach, Wooten has been building an impressive résumé within the San Diego Padres minor league system. In four seasons with the Padres he served two as manager of the Advanced Single-A Lake Elsinore Storm and one as manager of the Low Single-A Fort Wayne TinCaps. He also served as the hitting coach for the Short-Season Single-A Eugene Emeralds in his coaching debut in 2010.

Wooten signs an autograph for a fan while managing the Advanced Single-A Lake Elsinore Storm.
(Photo credit – Edgar Preciado)

Away from the diamond Wooten opened his Hit Dawg Academy in Chaska, Minnesota in December 2010. The academy is a 22,500 square foot indoor facility offering baseball clinics to youngsters of all ages during the winter months. He personally teaches and trains all of his coaches so that the same teachings are used across the board to ensure that skills and techniques are taught properly and consistently. His primarily focus is on making sure that players know how to play the game correctly.

Baseball has presented Shawn Wooten with many challenges and also many rewards. However, his biggest challenge, along with his wife and two daughters, has been the challenge for their son Nolan. Four days after Nolan was born Wooten signed the consent form allowing a surgeon to stop his son’s heart in an attempt to save his life. Open heart surgery followed taking approximately 7 hours during which his heart was stopped while machines kept Nolan alive. Wooden’s greatest reward has been the triumph of Nolan, his family and an amazing medical team. After several weeks Nolan was able to go home and grew strong enough just in time for the family to head to Southern California for the special tenth anniversary ceremony honoring the members of the 2002 World Series Championship team.

Shawn and Nolan Wooten
(Photo courtesy of the Wooten Family)

Shawn Wooten now begins a new chapter in his baseball life as the hitting coach of the Lookouts. His challenges and rewards promise to be many as several young bats will move up from the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in 2014.