The Bohol Coconuts Baseball and Softball Club is conducting a Book Fundraiser to help build an indoor training center with three batting tunnels. ‘World Baseball Guy: The Overseas Adventures of an American Coach’ is a collection of 12 short stories detailing the chaotic lifestyle of an international baseball coach.
Coconuts head baseball coach Merv Moore sat down for a one-on-one interview to discuss different aspects of the book.
Q: Why is Bethel University mentioned so many times?
A: Bethel University is where I learned the most about myself. I went to a Christian college looking for inner peace and forgiveness, but all I found were some imperfect people pretending to be perfect.
Q: Why wasn’t Bethel University a good fit for you?
A: I never imagined a Christian college could have so many racist people, but that was my experience in Arden Hills. Bethel University was everything I wanted for one week – a community of God’s children. But it was mostly fake. The hockey team was known for their parties with beer kegs, and I partied with all type of sports captains and student leaders.
Q: What did you learn about yourself at Bethel University?
A: I ran to Bethel University looking for a place where I could heal myself from my inner pain. But all I found were judgmental people who were all hiding their own struggles.
Q: Do you regret attending Bethel University?
A: Not at all. The main thing I learned at Bethel University was to not be a fake. I also learned that my faith was deeply personal and did not involve anyone else or a church.
Q: What are your personal thoughts about Jay Johnson?
A: I remember some of the horrific things that racist punks at Bethel University did to Jay. The things that students of color had to endure on campus is scandalous. So many times I confronted white students who thought a black kid with glasses was an easy mark. But I was also an arrogant Texan who did not mind throwing hands.
Q: How did you end up at Bethel University?
A: I was set to attend Wheaton College in Illinois until the baseball coach got a new job at Bethel University. Coach Kevin McDonald convinced me to follow him to Minnesota.
Q: What were some of the wild moments you had at Bethel University?
A: I smoked weed in my freshman dorm one night and the entire floor was investigating. I was also reported to school officials for smoking weed in the building, and I got caught having sex in the newspaper office. But I was not alone. Lots of parents sent their kids to Bethel University for the wrong reasons, and those kids were very rebellious.
Q: Would you recommend people of color attending Bethel University?
A: Definitely not. I came from a white middle class neighborhood in Texas, but people tried to treat me like an inner-city kid. Having professors surprised by my intellect was insulting since I met lots of unimpressive students at Bethel University.
Q: Describe one racist moment at Bethel University?
A: I remember a guy named Jason on the newspaper staff who did not want to work for a black editor-in-chief. Christians hide their racist beliefs, but the eyes never lie.
Q: Have you ever visited Bethel University since leaving in 1988?
A: I have too many bad memories from that place so I doubt I will ever return. I was young and dumb when I was in Minnesota, but I learned so many valuable life lessons. I am a much stronger person today because of my Bethel University experience.
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