On The HOT SEAT with BaseballdeWorld’s Marvin Moore

I first played email-tag with BaseballdeWorld founder and Chief Editor Marvin Moore early last spring. The reclusive, hermit-like former sports editor and Swiss national baseball team manager was a deeply private individual (who shunned baseball forums and message boards) who walked away from the game a decade ago determined to live a normal life.

Moore was a standout prep baseball player at Seagoville High School near Dallas (Texas) where he hit .478 and was the team Offensive Player of the Year in 1983. However, major leg surgery ended his dream of playing professional baseball and he accepted an offer from former Bethel College Head Coach Kevin McDonald to play baseball for the Royals where he earned Freshman of the year honors in 1987.

Nicknamed the “Human Vacuum Cleaner” for his defensive prowess, Moore said the surgery to repair a torn artery killed his spirit since he understood he was damaged goods. But, for an individual who convinced his friends to defect from the local little league at the age of 13-years-old and founded a newspaper when he was 24, the challenge of travelling overseas to teach baseball re-ignited the fire that burned inside of him.

Moore won four championships in six seasons with the Therwil Flyers and the Zurich Challengers and appeared in the Swiss league finals in all but one year, 1987. But that one season, after taking the helm of the fifth-place Challengers, proved to be his most satisfying season as the Zurich club came within one win shy of reaching the title series and finished in third-place.

It was no secret that Moore relished coaching at the international tournaments more than the action in the Swiss League, and he transformed one of Europe’s worst national baseball teams into a B-Pool powerhouse.

In 1994, Switzerland stunned Ukraine 4-3 at the European Championship in Llubjana, Slovenia in a tourney won by the Ukranians. Four years later, the tiny Swiss country lost to Austria and their two American-born pitchers by one run in a game that would have put the squad one victory shy of advancing to the A-Pool.

In his first interview (after two months of prodding and begging) since retiring from coaching in 1998, the former award-winning sports writer and native Texan takes the HOT SEAT with Becca Arnold and talks about performance-enhancing drugs, the Yankees, European baseball, family life, BaseballdeWorld, and why he will never step foot on the baseball diamond again.

Q: Why did you finally decide to take the HOT SEAT?
A: My hands were tied. It was either I answer your questions or delay the debut of your weekly interview article.

Q: Why do you only watch MLB during the postseason?
A: Even when I was a little boy, there was just something about the playoffs that excited me. It is a time when you learn which players enjoy the spotlight and pressure of competing in the “big” games.

Q: You told me once that MLB is in a transition period, can you explain this?
A: Steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs played a much bigger role in pro baseball in America than owners want to admit. The actual number of juiced-up pitchers and hitters would numb the average fan, and now baseball must re-invent itself without the “sexy” home run ball.

Q: What is your opinion of Barry Bonds?
A: For me, Hank Aaron will always be the true Home Run King. But that said, Barry Bonds is one of the best hitters to ever play the game.

Q: Do you really believe Rafael Palmeiro belongs in the Hall-of-Fame?
A: Why not? I thought it was a mistake when the Texas Rangers chose to sign Will Clark over Palmeiro which might have cost Texas a few playoff wins in the 90s. The bottom line is that Rafael had one of the sweetest swings the game has evert seen, period.

Q: Are you a New York Yankees fan?
A: Who doesn’t like a winner? Of course, I love underdogs like Tampa Bay but I would rather coach a team like the Yankees – who spend the bucks to contend every year – than a team like the Rays who will lose their biggest stars to the “evil” franchise in years to come.

Q: Do you miss coaching?
A: Yes and No. I miss devising practice plans, nurturing young talent, strategizing during the games, and coaching against top teams. But do I want to spend time away from my wife and two kids? No.

Q: You won 82 percent of your games as a coach in the Swiss league, and 68 percent of your games as the Swiss national team manager for a squad that had lost 32 of 36 games before your arrival. Why not give Europe another try?

A: To put it bluntly, European baseball really consists of four leagues (Dutch, Italy, Spain and Germany) with Belgium, Czech Republic, France and Sweden at the next level. Unless baseball becomes an Olympic sport, again, the game is destined to wallow in mediocrity in Europe.

Q: Where do you see European baseball in 10 years?
A: The Americans within the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) are very knowledgeable people so it will be interesting to see their course of action when it comes to Europe. I personally believe that the major leagues should establish minor league-type systems in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain which would be a small investment compared to the costs of signing American and Latin prospects. But, MLB has a porous record when it comes to investing in Europe so I am betting on the continuation of cost-effective projects like the Coaches Envoy Program and an European Academy showcase to be the extent of funding from the world’s richest baseball league.

Q: What are your plans for BaseballdeWorld?
A: 2009 will be a pivotal year because every aspect of the website for next season is being planned this winter. As you know, I have basically taken the last two months off to lay the groundwork for next year which will feature a website rich in original content and photos. Starting with the World Baseball Classic, BaseballdeWorld will be playing with the “big” boys at YAHOO Sports, Sporting News and ESPN.

Q: Now that you will be writing about NCAA and U.S. Prep baseball next season, will you miss covering the European beat?
A: It was always a struggle writing about European baseball because the majority of clubs were just not media savvy. American high school and collegiate baseball web sites appreciate the free exposure that BaseballdeWorld offers their teams and programs, and the cooperation makes promoting the U.S. teams a whole lot easier.

Q: What are BaseballdeWorld plans for European baseball in 2009?
A: We are definitely going to streamline coverage depending on the number of site visitors for the European section. Right now our plans are to provide comprehensive coverage for the Big Four (Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Spain) with limited coverage of the other leagues. It just does not make good business sense to commit 10-12 hours per week for certain leagues with a readership of less than 50 visitors.

Q: Why did you feel that a Prep Section was vital to the success of BaseballdeWorld?
A: The U.S. is the biggest market of baseball fans in the world and high school baseball in America has evolved into a force in terms of participants and supporters. Our goal is to attract 5,000-10,000 prep players, coaches and fans each month next spring with expectations for even higher numbers.

Q: Why are you so excited about the new College Section?
A: NCAA Division I baseball gets the bulk of coverage across the internet but there is a large and mostly untapped market of small college schools (Division II, Division III, and junior colleges) which we feel can help boost our monthly unique visitors to 25,000+ monthly. Our goal this winter is to coordinate with more than 2,000 sports and information offices nationwide which will help us become the source for small college baseball news.

Q: Are there any jobs on the internet that would lead you to depart BaseballdeWorld?
A: I do not think so. Although BaseballdeWorld will never have the numbers or reach that YAHOO Sports enjoy, we feel that we can surpass 25,000 monthly visitors in 2009 which would be a terrific beginning. The IBAF web site intrigues me because with the right mix of articles and press releases – it is a site with unlimited growth which is attractive for any sports editor.

Q: Why has BaseballdeWorld been able to average more than 8,000 monthly visitors this winter even though the site is operating at a part-time status?
A: It’s obvious to me we have a successful formula, and this is one of the reasons I made the decision to use October and November to prepare for the future. Next month (December) we will begin cultivating our reader base with a variety of regular features and, hopefully, once the 2009 World Baseball Classic begins we will be in a position to reach our target numbers.

Q: You told me that because of your family, you would never step on a baseball field again. Explain?
A: I was 34-years-old when my daughter was born and having the opportunity to be a part of her life has been a life-altering experience for me. I know how it feels to be married to the game, and that simply cannot compare with spending time with my son and daughter. Developing BaseballdeWorld into a one-stop source for worldwide baseball news while my kids are at school or sleeping allows me the best of both worlds.

The HOT SEAT is a weekly BaseballdeWorld feature by freelance writer Becca Arnold