Author: Diary of a Mad Baseball Coach (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.

A Day at the Park

(#171) Great day for baseball. Opening day at Joe G. Moss Field in Raymond. Sweep by the Eagles, 5-4 and 13-2. Got the guru to sign my book. It is very effective for training that “6 inches of real estate between the ears.” Thanks to Walter Herbison. His grandson pitches for Hinds. Another guru sighting. … Continue reading A Day at the Park →

Competitors Competing

(#170) It's baseball season, 2023. It's time to compete. I still think these two clips are the best examples of a pitcher competing against a hitter who is also competing against the pitcher. A classic pitcher vs. hitter, hitter vs. pitcher battle, just like they all should be. Yankees-Dodgers, 1977 World Series, Game 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26fRnCj4SYQ … Continue reading Competitors Competing →

Baseball & Whataburger

(#168) I had a great visit and lunch with Greg Guidry (no kin to Ron Guidry, except for one time for a good cause at Yankee Stadium) from Lafayette, LA. He is the Brand VP for Whataburger in the southeast and was in town and decided to "call the coach" after 36 years. We had … Continue reading Baseball & Whataburger →

“Intestical” Fortitude

(#166) It's been 36 years since Warren Guerriero pitched at Hinds, but he finally received his just reward, the infamous "Ballsack" keychain symbolizing Toughness and "Intestical" Fortitude day-in and day-out. The best "big game" pitcher in Hinds history. Well deserved. Tough·ness /ˈtəfnəs/ n. - The ability to perform well on each pitch regardless of the … Continue reading “Intestical” Fortitude →

Congrats to the “Moosester”

(#165) Congratulations to "my coach" Bill "Moose" Perry for being selected for induction to the Mississippi Association of Coaches Hall of Fame for 2023. The banquet is June 23, 2023 at 6 pm at the Sheraton Refuge Hotel in Flowood. Let's set a record attendance in support and love for Coach Perry. Rick's NuWay Linq … Continue reading Congrats to the “Moosester” →

Show Me a Sign Lord

(#164) One time we were playing a national powerhouse traveling through Mississippi with a 100% chance of severe storms all around. A merciful rainout was our only chance. It was thundering and lightning in every direction off in the distance. It was storming everywhere in Central Mississippi but in a little circle surrounding Joe G. … Continue reading Show Me a Sign Lord →

Hinds Baseball First Pitch Banquet

(#163) Brought some treasures that nobody ever sees to the Hinds First Pitch Dinner with speaker Christian Ostrander. The History-Making 1989 Hinds Eagles tribute makes it’s debut tonight and will be in a prominent spot at Joe G. Moss Field this spring. The conversational format was great and Coach Ostrander was outstanding. Awesome baseball conversation. … Continue reading Hinds Baseball First Pitch Banquet →

Ace in the Hole

(#162) In the 1995 Region 23 championship in Senatobia, we won the opener of the best of three series with the Northwest Rangers on Friday. With game 2 on Saturday underway, I was verbally wrestling with "one of those umpires" behind the plate who just would not call strikes. Ironically, his first name was "Homer," … Continue reading Ace in the Hole →

Baseball Small Talk

(#160) Joe DiMaggio had a 56 game hitting streak broken on July 17, 1941, going 0-3 with two hard hit balls. After that game he hit safely in 16 more games. Hits in 72 of 73 games. Won the AL MVP over the great Ted Williams... who hit just 406.6. MLB teams after winning any … Continue reading Baseball Small Talk →