Author: Diary of a Mad Baseball Coach by Rick Clarke

My name is Rick Clarke. I'm an old, retired baseball coach with a lot of stories to tell. This will be a fun blog. A little bit of this...a little bit of that. Great Mississippi baseball stories, especially about the players and teams at Magnolia Academy and Hinds Community (& Junior) College. And some funny stuff and lots of savvy observations. Check out the Diary of a Mad Baseball Coach podcast (coming soon) as well as the printed version of Diary of a Baseball Coach, Volume 1. Also coming soon. The novel called, "The Greatest Baseball Story Every Told." It's a semi-fictional book with real-life characters and stories. You might just recognize some. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Meeting of the Elder Statesmen

(#187) Saturday night (May 4, 2024) I had the pleasure of being introduced along with NWCC and Mississippi JUCO coaching legends Jim Miles and Donny Castle during game two of the best-of-three series between Hinds and Northwest at Jim Miles Field in Senatobia. I enjoyed seeing them and visiting with them after so many years. … Continue reading Meeting of the Elder Statesmen →

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Anniversary Dates in 2024

1979 - Magnolia Academy Raiders first baseball state championship (45th), 1984 - My First Hinds Team (40th), 1989 - The History-Making 1989 Hinds Eagles (35th), 1994 Hinds Eagles; Mississippi's First Division 2 World Series Appearance (30th), 1999- The Miraculous 1999 Hinds Eagles Postseason Run (25th). #186 2024 brings some anniversaries for some great teams I … Continue reading Anniversary Dates in 2024 →

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More Honors for the Moosester!

(#184) Congrats to Coach Bill "Moose" Perry for his induction into the Midsouth Association of Independent Schools Coaches Hall of Fame (MAISCA) in ceremonies held on Saturday, August 5th at the Clyde Muse Center in Pearl. Stay tuned for his next induction. 1% Listings with NuWay VIP when you sell and buy from NuWay. (NuWay … Continue reading More Honors for the Moosester! →

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Dennis Gilbert (Bobby Bonilla’s agent) Day!

(#183) It's July 1st - Dennis Gilbert (Bobby Bonilla's agent) Day or as some people call it, "I Wish I Was Bobby Bonilla Day." Bonilla receives a $1,193,248.20 check from the Mets every year on July 1 and will have net just over $29M when the installments end in 2035. He hasn't played a single … Continue reading Dennis Gilbert (Bobby Bonilla’s agent) Day! →

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The Best College World Series Ever

(#182) From start to finish, the 2023 College World Series was the best ever. In the championship game, there were many things that I did not expect. I didn't think LSU could win the championship without using ace Paul Skenes in some way. The fact is, he did not throw a single pitch in the … Continue reading The Best College World Series Ever →

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Letters from “My Coach”

(#182) In honor of Coach Bill "Moose" Perry's induction into the Mississippi Association of Coaches Hall of Fame, I decided to share a couple of letters that he wrote to me long ago when I started my coaching career at Magnolia Academy. Plain and simple, I'm a baseball coach because of his influence. I can't … Continue reading Letters from “My Coach” →

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We Believe!

(#181) This an awesome tribute to Coach Bill "Moose" Perry by Kendall Smith at Coach's long overdue induction to the Mississippi Association of Coaches Hall of Fame. Thanks to those that made that happen. Coach Perry was my high school baseball coach at Forest Hill from 1970-72. What a great show of support from those … Continue reading We Believe! →

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The Toughness of an Eagle

(#180) The prominence of the Eagle, symbolizing toughness, is on display in my studio. Toughness is the ability to perform well, regardless of the circumstances… tough times, trials and tribulations, self-perceived pressures, or any distractions that might cloud your thinking and ability to compete in life as you were designed. It is the sum of … Continue reading The Toughness of an Eagle →