Marshall Coach Bock retiring after state tourney

Mike Fields - Herald-Leader Staff Writer

Win or lose, Marshall County Coach Don Bock is going to be smiling when the state baseball tournament wraps up for his team at Applebee's Park.

Bock is calling it quits after 33 years in the Marshals' dugout, the last 18 as head coach, and he can't think of a better way to bow out than after Marshall County's first-ever state tournament appearance.

"Oh, man, it's almost like a storybook," Bock said. "I'm just lucky and blessed to have a good bunch of boys who've helped me go out on top."

After Marshall County beat Henderson County in the semi-state final last Friday afternoon, Bock hurried off to a rehearsal dinner that night. His daughter Jessica got married on Saturday. "People kept coming up to me and congratulating me," Bock said. "I didn't know if they were talking about the wedding or the baseball."

Bock deserved the good times. A few years ago an assistant coach noticed Bock's hand was trembling. That led him to doctors, who diagnosed the early stages of Parkinson's disease, an incurable degenerative disorder of the central nervous system.

"Right now it's just a nuisance," Bock said.

Of greater concern is the health of his wife Rhonda, who had surgery for lung cancer last fall. "They told her they got it all," Bock said.

The family's medical problems had nothing to do with Bock's imminent retirement. He had planned to give up baseball a few years ago, but then the economy went sour and he still had to get two kids (Jessica and son Eli) through college.

This state tournament is the perfect bookend to Bock's baseball life. He was on the Paducah Tilghman team that was state runner-up to Elizabethtown in 1970. Now he's got Marshall County in the big show 39 years later.

"Win, lose or draw, it's been a great season," he said.

■ Was that former UK basketball star and dunk-meister James Lee at Lexington Catholic's baseball practice on Monday? Yep. Lee stopped by to visit longtime friend and Knights assistant coach Bruce Hadden, who was a UK basketball student manager in Lee's playing days in the 1970s. Lee said baseball was his best sport when he was a kid. He played first base and could hit the long ball. "But the sun just didn't work for me," he said, "and the game moved a little slow at times." Lee also played football before he got to high school. But once he got to Henry Clay, basketball coach Al Prewitt encouraged him to concentrate on hoops. Lee, who moved back to Lexington from Louisville in the last year, gave a thumbs-up to UK's hire of John Calipari. "He's the right fit," James said. "He relates to the media well, and he's a good people person, which is what you need here."

■ Rules limiting the number of innings a pitcher can work have had a major impact on the state baseball tournament the last several years. Another reminder of that: 40 years ago Owensboro won the state title behind the strong right arm of Bernie Strawn. He went the distance in a nine-inning 1-0 victory over LaRue County in the quarterfinals, and two days later came back to a pitch a seven-inning 1-0 win over Ashland in the finals. Strawn had 18 strikeouts in the two games. Under today's rules — which require a pitcher to rest three days after working nine innings — Strawn wouldn't have been eligible to pitch in the finals.

■ Former Owensboro coach Jack Hicks was among the spectators at Applebee's Park on Thursday. Even though Hicks, 83, has trouble getting around, he said he wouldn't have missed the Red Devils' 10-inning win over Lawrence County. This is Owensboro's 21st state tournament appearance, and Hicks has been there for every one. In 22 years as the Devils coach, Hicks guided them to 15 state tournaments, four titles and four runner-up finishes.

■ Covington Catholic senior catcher Luke Maile is Gatorade's baseball player of the year for Kentucky. Maile, who has signed with UK, hit .514 with 56 runs, 55 RBI and 12 homers this season.

■ Bullitt East baseball standouts Matt Bowles and Zach McCarthy brought big-game experience to the state tournament. They were also stars on the Chargers' football team that almost upset Bell County in the 4A finals last fall. Bowles, a quarterback, threw for more than 1,200 yards. McCarthy, a running back, rushed for more than 1,200 yards. Bullitt East scored a TD with 10 seconds left, but missed on a two-point conversion and lost to Bell County 15-13.