Page 35 - Senior Link Magazine Spring 2021- Online Magazine

BOOK REVIEW Senior Link is happy to reintroduce a regular book review. If you know of a local
author whose book you’d like to spotlight, contact us at erin.slm@outlook.com

To the Road and Back:
The Stories of Bobby
Moegle’s 40 years stories. Jimmy Shankle, Class of
as Baseball Coach at 1974, stated, “He was trying to
make us better men, and I think
Lubbock Monterey he did that.” Respect for the game

High School and the process was drilled into
every player, as well as respect for
by Mike Gustafson the man calling all the shots. Coach
Moegle stated, “I was tough on
kids because, somewhere in their
lifetime, they’re going to run into a
BOOK REVIEW by Rachel Bloodworth situation in which they’ve got to be
tough.”

Player after player recounts how the
Rachel Bloodworth is a Lubbock native and a Texas
Tech University alum. She is a caseworker for Child lessons they learned from Coach
Protective Services during the day but is an avid Moegle impacted who they are to
reader at night and on the weekends! Rachel not only this day. Coach Moegle added, “I
does reviews for Lubbock Senior Link but also reviews think sports is a real indication of
books on her Instagram page @the.rach.reviews and how life will be. You’re going to
on her book blog therachreviews.wordpress.com have ups and downs, and you’ll win
some and lose some.... But in the
end, it’s the record that you make
and it’s the way you feel about
ccording to Mike Gustafson, that respect back when it had been yourself. This is one of the real
when Bobby Moegle earned. His players and coaches rewards I have as an ex-coach – that
Aarrived in Lubbock in 1959, recount time after time about the I can look back on all the success
high school baseball looked a lot energy and dedication Coach that a lot of kids [have] had.”
different. Most baseball coaches Moegle had, not only to the sport
were just football coaches filling but to the players themselves. Jeff The stories Gustafson collected
a spot. Coach Moegle, a former Horn, Class of 1996, stated, “He depict who Coach Bobby Moegle
Minor League player, had never was interested not only in winning was, not only as one of the best high
coached before but he knew how he baseball games but in producing school baseball coaches in Texas,
wanted to run his team. He started quality people.” Coach Moegle but more importantly, they show
by teaching the boys every aspect wanted them to be the best they how Coach Bobby Moegle made an
of the game. He spent all his free could be, often pushing them impact on his players that reached
time with his team, practicing and farther than they thought they far beyond the baseball field.
running drills, staying until the sun could go.
went down. Gustafson, a former
player, recalled that they spent The book includes
more time with Coach Moegle than memories about
they did with their own families. what it was like
They learned to live and breathe winning the State
baseball. Championship
four times. The
A common theme running blood, sweat, and
throughout this collection of stories tears that went
is the respect the players and into building
coaches had for Coach Moegle. He those teams is
demanded respect but also gave obvious in their

Lubbock Senior Link
Lubbock Senior Link 3535