BARANGAY CAMBANAC, Philippines – On February 1, 2026, a new chapter begins for baseball in Bohol. The Bohol Coconuts Baseball & Softball Club will open its doors, a grassroots initiative born from a decades-long, globe-trotting love affair with the game. But the club’s foundation is rooted in a story far deeper than sports—a story of profound loss, survival, and redemption, now captured in a powerful new memoir, World Baseball Guy.
The book’s author, Marvin “Merv” Moore, is the driving force behind the Bohol Coconuts. His memoir chronicles his extraordinary journey from a sports writer in Texas to a pioneering coach across Europe and Asia. But woven through the tales of underdog victories in Switzerland and coaching in the shadows of the Himalayas is a haunting, unifying thread: the suicide of his best friend, Stanley, and the devastating aftermath that shaped his life.
“I used alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and Ecstasy pills to self-medicate,” Moore writes with stark honesty, recounting the years following Stanley’s death in the summer of 1985. “It took years for the guilty feelings to subside. But I also lost the ability to love. I had countless one-night stands… but nothing serious.”
This raw confession is at the heart of World Baseball Guy. The book is not just a travelogue; it’s a portrait of a survivor grappling with guilt and searching for a lifeline. Moore found that lifeline, unexpectedly, on the baseball diamonds of the world. The structure, discipline, and joy of coaching became his therapy. In Switzerland, he transformed the Therwil Flyers into a dynasty, not just by teaching skills, but by building confidence in young players. He saw in them the potential he felt he had lost.
The memoir vividly shows how the game served as both an escape and a path to healing. In one poignant excerpt from his early days coaching, he reflects on a young, struggling player named Larry: “The look on his face… gave me goose bumps. The little kid that could not hit the ball had disappeared forever. Larry had developed into a confident hitter… While I love the in-game strategy… I love player development the most.”
This focus on development—of turning “unconfident boys into confident, elite ballplayers”—became Moore’s mission. It was a way to nurture in others the resilience he was forging within himself. The book takes readers from the tense, racially charged atmosphere of a tournament in 1990s Croatia to the humid ballfields of Brunei, always underscoring baseball’s unique power to connect and heal across cultural divides.
Now, Moore and his wife, Lerma (who designed the book’s cover), are channeling this lifetime of experience—the triumphs, the hard-won lessons, and the enduring pain of loss—into a dream for Bohol. The Bohol Coconuts Baseball & Softball Club is the culmination of his journey: a place where youth development, community, and the healing power of sport take center stage.
“Finally, I was going to do things my way,” Moore writes of his decision to start the club. “My new dream was to develop collegiate, national team, and minor league prospects — and to have my wife by my side.”
To launch this dream, the Bohol Coconuts are launching a unique fundraiser: the World Baseball Guy Book Campaign. Every copy of this compelling memoir sold will directly fund an indoor training center with three batting tunnels. Readers aren’t just buying a book; they’re buying a glove for a young player in Cambanac, they’re helping build a backstop, they’re supporting a safe, positive environment for Boholano youth.
The memoir itself promises an unforgettable read, filled with moments of humor, tension, and deep humanity. From a dangerous misunderstanding in a Berlin bar (“The men wanted to talk with me outside. Apparently, I had killed one of their friends.”) to the serene reflection amid Bhutan’s mountains, Moore’s storytelling is engaging and direct.
But it is the undercurrent of survival that gives the project its profound weight. The Bohol Coconuts is more than a sports club; it is a testament to the idea that from deep pain can spring purpose. It is Moore’s answer to the question that has followed him for decades: how to move forward.
By supporting the World Baseball Guy fundraiser, you gain insight into the soul of this new community project. You’ll understand why a coach who has seen the world chose a barangay in Bohol to plant his final flag. You’ll see how a game helped a man cope with an unspeakable loss, and how he now uses that game to give back, to build, and to prevent others from feeling the same isolation.
Join the story. Step up to the plate for the next generation. Order your copy of World Baseball Guy today. All proceeds will fund the much-needed indoor training facility of the Bohol Coconuts Baseball & Softball Club, turning a story of heartbreak into a future of home runs.
Book Details & Donation:
Title: World Baseball Guy: The Overseas Adventures of an American Coach
Author: Marvin “Merv” Moore
Fundraiser: 100% of profits fund the Bohol Coconuts BC
Club Launch: February 1, 2026, Barangay Cambanac, Bohol, Philippines
For more information and to support: Visit www.bohol-coconuts.com
