The Baseball Whisperer: A Small-Town Coach Who Shaped Big League Dreams

In a remarkable tribute to an exceptional coach with a special summer baseball program in a small town in Iowa, Tackett, an editor in the Washington, D.C., bureau of the New York Times, shares the journey of Merl Eberly, a “baseball whisperer” who from 1961 to 1997 nurtured young hopefuls dreaming of being big-league players. Eberly, considered the patron saint of second chances and lost causes, had a troubled past but steadied his life with a solid marriage and a leadership of his Clarinda A’s baseball team, which stressed discipline and team play. Tackett addresses the drawing power of Eberly, who coached the team for over four decades, also serving as its general manager under his death in June 2011, attracting many players nationally, including Hall of Famer shortstop Ozzie Smith, Philadelphia star Von Hayes, and pitching standout Buddy Black, who became a San Diego Padres manager. One of Eberly’s teammates says he loved the sport and Clarinda, revitalizing the youngsters to “learn so much more than the game of baseball.” Highlighting the late coach’s themes of using baseball as a means of transforming boys into men with values and standards, Tackett’s story touts a man from small-town America who was a major influence on our national pastime. Agent: David Black, David Black Agency .(July)