The Baseball Whisperer Page 23

  Memories of those summers and of the dozens of visits that followed came back to him as he turned right onto Lincoln and pulled up to the white frame house on the corner, the one with a home plate for a doormat. He had walked through that front door so many times that he was as familiar with it as he was with his own home. He greeted Pat, the woman whose irrepressible spirit had nurtured him as well, and then he headed up the oak stairs.

  He made it just in time to see Merl, who always ended his phone calls to Smith with, “I love you, man.” Merl had been in and out of consciousness and not really able to hold a conversation for days. “You don’t know what to say and sometimes it’s not about saying anything as much as it is just being there,” Smith said. The old coach looked up at his most famous player and managed a broad smile. “Hey, Oz, good to see you,” Merl said.

  It was one of the last conscious moments of Merl’s life. He died five days later, at 4:30 in the morning. Pat contacted family members who weren’t there, and they gathered for an embrace. Later they sat around the kitchen table to discuss what to do about the A’s doubleheader that night. There was really no doubt. The games went on.

  Afterword

  YOU STILL FEEL Merl Eberly at Municipal Stadium. You still see what he built. There is the press stand that always needs another coat of paint after a harsh Iowa winter. There are the advertisements, lining the outfield fence, for Hy-Vee, the grocery store, and Ding’s Honk ’n’ Holler, a drive-up beverage store. There is the scoreboard, finally, a newer electronic version that Merl had made a minor obsession. There is the sign that now proclaims MUNICIPAL STADIUM, HOME OF EBERLY FIELD, so that Merl’s name will always be associated with the place. Beyond the right-field fence, there is corn in the even-numbered years, soybeans in the odd ones. There are rectangular plaques on the side of the concession stand to honor the A’s who made it to the major leagues—three dozen and counting. Another sign honors the 1981 champions, listing each player and his college. And now there is the bronze bust of Merl that Ozzie Smith commissioned and presented to the Eberly family, a work of art at Merl’s field.

  Smith surprised Pat and her family with the bust at the A’s annual Hall of Fame Banquet in 2012. A family not readily given to tears let them pour forth. The bust is an extraordinary likeness of Merl, smiling, wearing a Clarinda A’s baseball hat. “I knew it would be something that would live on forever,” Smith told the Herald-Journal. “I knew it was something that Mrs. E and Ryan and the whole family would love. I wanted them to have a place to go where they could touch and feel it, and hopefully preserve some history.”

  For Smith, the Eberlys remain a pleasant bridge to his past and an important part of his present. Sitting in the Eberlys’ family room in a recliner, he said, “All you have to do is come here. It’s home. They made us all feel like part of the family. It was always open. There was love among their family that all of us wish and hope for in our own lives.”

  On January 5, 2013, at the American Baseball Coaches Association convention, Pat walked as the lone woman in a long line of men whose work in the game was to be honored. All of her children were there, her three sons (looking somewhat uncomfortable wearing suits), her three daughters, her oldest grandson, B.J., his brother Johnny, and her youngest, Cooper.

  Tim Corbin, the head coach at Vanderbilt, introduced Pat to receive the association’s Meritorious Service Award on behalf of her late husband. It was an honor that had gone to Mike Scioscia and Dave Winfield the year before, and to Nolan Ryan and Cal Ripken Jr. in prior years. Merl Eberly, a man little known outside his hometown save in the larger fraternity of baseball, was in rarefied company. Now his name was listed among legends of the game. He hadn’t been much for ceremony, but he certainly would have enjoyed this.

  One of his former players, Stacey Burkey, was in the audience as a coach in his twenty-fifth year at Three Rivers College. When he was playing in Clarinda, Burkey said he was always trying to make an impression so Merl “would say something to me.” Merl was never too high or too low on the field, and Burkey had tried to adopt that approach. Merl advised him to always show his players that he cared about them. “They will put out a full effort if they know you care,” Merl told him. He finds himself exhorting his players just as Merl did. “Hobby Dobby!”

  Pat rose to speak, uncomfortable at first, uncharacteristically emotional in front of several thousand coaches, but she soon righted herself. “Coaches played a very big part in his becoming the man that he did,” Pat said. The message Merl took from sports, she said, was to “try to be a little better person tomorrow than you are today. Care for and respect others, and whatever you do, do it with passion and for the right reasons.

  “This is the first time I have been able to publicly thank you, the coaches who sent us the boys of summer . . . you are not just teaching athletic skills. You are touching the lives of young men in so many other ways, and as he did, please continue to pay it forward.”

  A number of people in Clarinda doubted that the A’s could survive Merl’s death, and more than a few questioned whether Ryan could handle the manager duties. But there Ryan is, night after night, hitting ground balls, throwing batting practice, coaching third base. In 2013 the Clarinda A’s won the MINK League title, and Ryan Eberly was named Manager of the Year.

  Pat and her family will try to keep the A’s going for as long as there are players eager to play summer ball and fans eager to watch them.

  Acknowledgments

  This book could not have happened without Pat Eberly, one of the most relentlessly optimistic people I have ever met. Her help on the book, as researcher, broker of contacts, fact-checker, and provider of invaluable photos and archives, enlivens almost every page. She has been even more vital to the success of the Clarinda A’s.

  The other person essential to this book is my son Lee, whose own journey through Clarinda showed me up close what a special place it is. My wife Julie remains my most critical and helpful editor, a life partner in every sense whose Iowa roots gave me a special connection. My daughter Kate provided constant encouragement and never stopped believing in the story’s potential.

  My sisters, Mary Ann Wildman and Barbara Vetor, both teachers, were helpful readers, and my eagle-eyed mother-in-law, Jean Carey, was invaluable as well.

  So many former A’s players were generous with their time and provided such rich detail that made this baseball era vivid. I am particularly indebted to Ozzie Smith, Von Hayes, Buddy Black, Darrell Miller, Andy Benes, Jamey Carroll, Cal Eldred and Andrew Cashner. The A’s proved that baseball also is a family, and the many members of the A’s family—both in Clarinda and around the country—helped me complete the story. The people of Clarinda also helped me understand their town and why the A’s were such an integral part of it. The Devoe family will always hold a place in our hearts.

  I must also single out my great friend James Warren, who knows this manuscript at least as well as I do and whose care, time, and editing talent took the story to another level. Others who helped me shape the book include Wes Kosova, who was the inspiration for the title, David Maraniss, whose insight shaped the narrative arc, and Amanda Bennett, who pushed me to take on this project. Many others provided wonderful feedback, including Phil Mattingly, Luke Albee, Jeff Zeleny, Jim Clark, Kerry Luft, Mark Rohner, and Evan Osnos. Thank you also to Nell Minow, who offered encouragement when it was needed most.

  This book would not have been launched without the peerless professionalism of David Black and his colleague David Larabell, who took a chance on a first-time author and found this book a great home at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, where I owe a great debt to a sparkling editor, Susan Canavan. Her careful eye and wise counsel elevated the story at almost every turn.

  I only met Merl Eberly once, long enough to shake his hand and say thank you. I hope this book honors the man, the town, and the team.

  Index

  A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X |
Y | Z

  A

  Alaska, 26–29

  Alaska League, 99, 112

  All-American, 69, 128, 137, 187

  Allen, Paul, 23

  All-Star, 2, 89, 126, 143

  Alvarez, Jose, 5, 6, 13

  Alvarez, Seve, 6

  American Baseball Coaches Association, 23–24, 73, 75, 81, 239–40

  American League, 143

  American Legion, 148

  Anchorage Glacier Pilots, 27–28

  Angelina College, 10, 112

  Arbuckle, Mike, 160, 181, 218–19

  Ascherl, Alan, 95, 97, 105–6, 108–9

  Ascherl, Rebecca, 109

  Atlanta Braves, 6, 13

  awards, baseball, 32, 67, 144, 159, 239

  A&W Drive-In, 38, 50

  B

  Baggott, Dave, 123–24

  Bailey, Lottie, 50

  Baker, Vernon J., 47–48, 236

  Baltimore Orioles, 16, 55

  Banks, Duane, 81–82, 128, 133, 135, 137–38

  Barchus, Lawrence, 229

  baseball fields, 28, 56–57, 102–5, 158. See also Municipal Stadium

  Baseball Hall of Fame, 2–3, 16, 67, 73, 158, 235, 236

  baseball industry

  career in (See steps to professional ball)

  contract issues, 80, 144, 200

  dominated by money, xiv, 76, 165

  major leagues, 159, 161, 164, 173

  personal costs, 136

  rise in popularity, 53–54, 55

  spring training, 60, 67, 143, 160, 180, 201, 214

  Basketball Hall of Fame, 92

  bats

  fungo, 18, 147, 172

  Louisville Slugger, 68

  metal, 104, 151, 152

  wooden, xi, xvi, 130, 151

  Bench, Allan, 68

  Bench, Bill, 49

  Benes, Andy, 127, 129–33, 134–35, 142–43, 148

  Benes, Jennifer, 129

  Bergan Mercy Hospital, 223

  “Beyond the Field” (song), 14

  bingo, baseball, 173

  Black, Buddy, 2, 78, 84–86, 110, 138, 141

  Blue Goose (team bus), 24, 29, 76, 97, 106, 140, 208–17, 221

  Bogdanski, Noel “Bo,” 72, 153, 178–79

  Bond, Terry, 70

  Bonds, Barry, 101

  Boswell, Monty, 71–72

  Bradley, George, 181

  Brickhouse, Jack, 54

  Bridie, Larry, 7, 72, 185, 191–92

  Bridie, Shira, 7, 185, 191–92

  Briggs, Virgil, 62–63

  Brigham Young University, 80

  Brockman, Brian, 226–27

  Brockman, Laurie, 226–27

  Brosius, Scott, 128, 138, 144, 217

  Browning, Tom, 200

  Brownlee, Jim, 130–31, 132, 148, 157

  Brummett, John (son-in-law), 13–14

  Buch, Darwin, 29, 97, 103, 106

  Bull Durham (movie), 214

  Burkey, Stacey, 239–40

  C

  California Angels, 92, 200

  Cal Poly–Pomona, 90

  Cal Poly–San Luis Obispo, 16, 31, 73–74

  Cal State–Fullerton, 16, 78

  Camara, Tony, 87, 203

  Cape Cod League, 86, 112, 140, 143, 187

  Caray, Harry, 8, 54

  Cardinal Canteen, 50–51

  Carr, Donny, 176–77

  Carroll, Jamey, 11–12, 146–55, 157–61

  Carson, Johnny, 45

  Carter, Jimmy, 23

  Cashner, Andrew, 121, 225–27

  Central Illinois Collegiate League, 130

  Cerv, Bob, Jr., 24

  Cerv, Bob, Sr., 24

  Chicago Cubs, 8, 49, 54, 69, 73, 158, 220, 225

  Chicago White Sox, 32, 55–60, 118, 136, 144, 161, 181

  Chiles, Rich, 100, 101–2

  Churchill, Winston, 36

  Cincinnati Reds, 83, 149, 200

  Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), 39–40

  Civil War, 41–42

  Clarinda, Iowa

  baseball field (See Municipal Stadium)

  businesses

  donations from, 7, 26, 71, 73, 218–19

  owned by the Eberlys, 119, 145

  where the Eberlys worked, 40 (See also Clarinda Herald-Journal)

  See also players, jobs found for

  city council, xiv

  community values, xiv, 17, 22, 41, 42, 46–47, 218, 236

  description, xii, xv, 15, 17, 42, 50, 83, 191

  Guntown neighborhood, 45–46

  history, xiv, 41–48, 53, 111, 140–41, 142

  population, xii, 46

  support for the players (See community aspects)

  tornado in, 108

  town motto, 17, 197

  Uptown neighborhood, 46

  Clarinda A’s (Clarinda Athletics)

  author’s son’s acceptance by, xii, xv

  batboys, 27, 84, 138, 155, 193

  board of directors, 26, 62, 71–72, 73, 172–73, 197, 218

  brawls of 1981, 96–97

  bus fire, 215–21

  Dugout News, 123, 162–63, 165–67, 173, 179–80, 205

  Eberly as coach

  duration, xiv

  job description, 76

  loyalty to the team, 96–97

  networking skills, 23–24, 31, 72, 73–74, 82, 139

  training, 69

  working for free, xiv, 139, 153

  See also leadership style of Eberly

  Eberly as manager

  first year as, 64

  fund-raising (See Clarinda A’s, financial aspects)

  as general manager, 172, 179–80

  last season as field manager, 168

  philosophy, xiv, 120

  success, 64, 107–8, 139

  vision and team development, 68–74

  See also leadership style of Eberly

  Eberly as player, 62–64

  enduring relationships, 24, 80, 125–26, 133, 138, 204–7, 219–20, 232

  financial aspects

  challenges, 10, 26, 70–71, 76, 83, 109, 140–42, 162–63

  context, 164–67, 172–74

  donations from alumni, 110, 141–42, 163, 219

  donations from businesses, 7, 26, 71, 73, 218–19

  ticket prices, 111, 163–64

  Hall of Fame Banquet, 83–84, 193, 236, 239

  lack of star system, 120, 142

  life with the, 79–80, 86, 98, 130, 139, 141, 149–50

  Merl Speech, 191

  name change to, 62

  NBC number-one ranking, 29–30

  parents’ weekend, 231–32

  rules (See rules for the Clarinda A’s)

  statistics

  1959, 62

  1961, 64

  1961–1997, 182

  1964, 64

  1973, 72

  1974, 73

  1975, 29, 30

  1976, 32

  1981, 99–100, 106

  1987, 138

  1994, 153

  1997, 170

  replacement of lost data, 219

  team bus (See Blue Goose)

  team dynamics, 81, 95–98

  uniforms, powder blue, 7, 97, 101, 103, 171, 199

  women’s auxiliary, 173, 178, 197, 218, 231

  youth clinic, 232–33

  Clarinda Cardinals, 34–35, 48

  Clarinda Chamber of Commerce, 218

  Clarinda Country Club, 191

  Clarinda Herald-Journal, 42

  Merl Eberly as staff, 7, 73, 76, 137, 144–45

  owned by Woolson, 207

  Pat Eberly as staff, 53

  sale of the, 230

  Clarinda High School

  baseball, 14, 17, 49

  baseball field (See Municipal Stadium)

  football, 34–35, 48

  Merl Eberly at, 34–35, 37

  Pat Eberly on staff, 53

  Tedore as coach, 17, 34–35, 48, 49

  track, 11, 48–49, 108, 223

  Clarinda Junior Colle
ge, 53. See also Iowa Western Community College

  Clarinda Merchants, 53, 54–55, 61–62. See also Clarinda A’s

  Clarinda Theater, 50

  Clarinda Treatment Complex, 43

  Clark, Bill, 83–84, 176, 219

  Clark, Jeff, 185, 194, 232

  Clarkson Hospital, 223

  Clemens, Roger, 101

  Cleveland Indians, 88, 200, 204

  Clinton, Bill, 47

  coaches

  annual convention, 23–24, 73–74, 75, 81, 130

  diverse skills of, 76

  respect for Eberly, 75, 77, 79–83, 102, 133, 139, 151, 239–40

  work for free, xiv, 139, 153

  College World Series, 58, 69, 124

  Colorado Rockies, 160

  commercial aspects, xiv, 76, 125, 165

  community aspects

  annual youth clinic, 232–33

  decline in attendance, 163–64, 172–73

  importance of NBC World Series, 102–3, 105, 110, 124, 139, 199

  “keeping” players (See host families)

  support from local businesses, 7, 26, 71, 73, 218–19 (See also players, jobs found for)

  team spirit, 17–18, 22, 49, 64, 84, 107–8, 197, 199

  Cooperstown, New York. See Baseball Hall of Fame

  Corbin, Tim, 239

  Costner, Kevin, 78, 112

  Cox, Dave (son-in-law), 8

  D

  Dedeaux, Rod, 89

  Dees, Paul, 29

  Desjarlais, Paul, 21

  Detroit Tigers, 31, 87

  Devoe, Allie, 196

  Devoe, Jared, 195, 196

  Devoe, Jill, xv, 6–7, 185, 194–97

  Devoe, Mike, xv, 6, 7, 185, 194–97

  Dew Drop Inn, 50

  Dietz, Jim, 76–78, 84

  Ding’s Honk ’n’ Holler, 238