By Hali Moore
Coconuts Staff Writer
No limitations.
From the first day he stepped on Swiss soil in 1993, Marvin “Merv” Moore has encountered countless limitations that hamper the growth of baseball in most countries in Asia and Europe.
“Besides a lack of practice sessions, playing fields, and equipment, the sport also suffers from a low number of organized leagues that help baseball players hone their skills,” the native Texan said recently. “Europe is proof that playing baseball 8-12 hours a week will not develop a consistent pipeline of professional-caliber prospects.”
Moore has always been a fan of the Dominican Baseball Academies model of developing elite prospects, and along with his Filipino wife, will launch the Bohol Coconuts Baseball and Softball Club on February 1, 2026. It is a “dream come true” for a coach who feels he finally has an opportunity to develop baseball prospects that can compete on the international stage.
“I had the opportunity to coach a few teenagers in Switzerland for 3-4 years, and I have always wondered what would have happened if I could train a kid for 7-8 years,” the 59 year-old coach pondered. “This is a challenge I have been waiting on for my entire life.”
Moore spent time in Bhutan and Nepal over the past few years, and witnessed the struggles that international baseball organizations endure with a lack of funds.
“You cannot develop elite baseball or softball players practicing part-time,” Moore said. “Students do not study academics part-time because that would hinder their academic development. It’s the same with sports!”
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“The countries that play part-time baseball are on one level, and the countries that play full-time baseball are on another level.” added Moore. “I am ecstatic to be back playing with the big boys, again.”
The former Swiss national team skipper feels that with 250-plus days of trainings and games in 2026, the development process of his Filipino boys and girls will be comparable to the Dominican Republic.
“Iron sharpens iron, and we want to separate the elite prospects from the recreational players quickly,” said Moore. “Our club members don’t want to be good. They want to be great!
