Richmond Athletics Hall-of-Famer Tom Booker Dies at 85
05/28/2025 | Baseball, General, Men's Basketball
RICHMOND, Va. — Tom "Red" Booker, a standout outfielder and guard for Spider baseball and basketball in the late 1950s and early 1960s, died at the age of 85 earlier this week. Booker, a native of Louisville, Ky., was one of Richmond's first "two-sport" stars and earned individual honors on both the diamond and hardwood.
Playing for legendary coach Mac Pitt, Booker was a four-year starter for Spider baseball. Booker and the Spiders won Southern Conference championships in 1958 and 1961 and finished with a winning record in all four of his seasons. As a senior, Booker was named to the All-Southern Conference team.
Booker earned his way into the Spider basketball starting lineup as as sophomore in 1958 and never left, scoring more than 10 points per game in each of his final three seasons. As a senior captain in 1960-61, Booker averaged a team-high 17.7 points per game, a Richmond record at the time, and was named Second Team All-State.
Following his graduation, Booker chose to pursue a professional baseball career, signing with the New York Yankees minor league system. He played with Yankees affiliates in the minors for three seasons in Florida and North Carolina before his career was cut short due to injury.
For his accomplishments as a Spider, Booker was inducted into the Richmond Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019.
A funeral service will be held on Thursday at 1 PM at New Bridge Baptist Church in Sandston, Va.. Visitation begins at noon. Donations in his honor may be made to the church's building fund.
Playing for legendary coach Mac Pitt, Booker was a four-year starter for Spider baseball. Booker and the Spiders won Southern Conference championships in 1958 and 1961 and finished with a winning record in all four of his seasons. As a senior, Booker was named to the All-Southern Conference team.
Booker earned his way into the Spider basketball starting lineup as as sophomore in 1958 and never left, scoring more than 10 points per game in each of his final three seasons. As a senior captain in 1960-61, Booker averaged a team-high 17.7 points per game, a Richmond record at the time, and was named Second Team All-State.
Following his graduation, Booker chose to pursue a professional baseball career, signing with the New York Yankees minor league system. He played with Yankees affiliates in the minors for three seasons in Florida and North Carolina before his career was cut short due to injury.
For his accomplishments as a Spider, Booker was inducted into the Richmond Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019.
A funeral service will be held on Thursday at 1 PM at New Bridge Baptist Church in Sandston, Va.. Visitation begins at noon. Donations in his honor may be made to the church's building fund.
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