MOORMANISM #13, 3-16-72 From Mcleansboro Times Leader, Mcleansboro, Illinois

Letter to the Editor 

Dear Sir: 

This year I was going to organize a traveling Khoury League team, and I was going to get what money I could and pay the rest myself. Five showed.

I wanted once again to see a few real athletes, but to be dogmatic, I actually feel sorry for kids here who want to become athletes because I am sorry to say it doesn’t come easy, yet I know I won’t convince you of that or some of you parents.

You don’t want to run the track or you are too busy watching television or you like to “goof off” in softball, Indian ball, or the pinball machine, or you like to scrimmage with the basketball, and when you scrimmage you like to plow into one another. You don’t throw the baseball enough, and you cannot see how that would help you in other sports and I see no reason to tell you why.

Some of you could make good money in sports, yet determination and desire are not there, and we could forget you if we had a large pick. Also, most of you who would like to be athletes are hauled around as if you were an invalid.

Also I have asked some of you to do certain tasks to improve your efficiency in sports and you think I am nuts and trying to entertain you.

Also, I have told some of you what softball does for young boys and you refuse to believe it. A baseball man told me to “forget it, because they won’t believe you.”

In years gone by and now, many of you parents will blame the high school coaches, yet in most cases you blamers have done nothing to help your kid. Fact is, you don’t know how. In grades, especially in the country school, when the correct help is so important, the kid gets softball training and gets hauled around like an invalid.

Finally, some of you parents have griped so much that you have almost killed Little League and Khoury League baseball.

 Another thing that I have noticed with interest, as long as your kid is playing you come to the games, and when your kid is gone we see you no more.

Last year I saw thirty little boys come out for baseball and more than half of them couldn’t throw. Why?

I am going to do what I have been told, forget it. And finally, one can umpire a game because you want it called as you see it, and you are never wrong. Since my kid is gone, you’ll see me no more in sports.

When you get 18 and you do not get an athletic scholarship, please don’t come around and say “I wish...” Ira E. Moorman.

This letter to the editor was Hank saying goodbye to sports, which I think he had already done the year before. He then would be devoted to two of his loves, nature and writing.