Post 232 Coach, Moe Barbour

After 16 seasons as Post 232 Head Coach, Moe Barbour has decided to retire.

Moe told his team the news following their season-ending loss to Durham on Friday night.

He's my uncle, and he's a great man. He would go all out for each and everyone of his players and he respected the game of baseball as much as anyone I have ever met. He retires from Legion Baseball to spend more time with his family and to watch his daughters come through school.

Congrats on a great career Moe

 

Missing Moe

Over the past years and through a hot but healthy rivalry, I have come to respect Moe for both his giving to the players and the game annd the respect and integrety he instilled in his players. Hopefully in a 5 or 6 years he will be ready to come out of retirement. Good luck in all efforts.

 

Moe Barbour is American Legion baseball. When you lose a coach like him, you close a chapter in it's history. I hope Coach enjoys his retirement...but I also hope he gets tired of it quickly

 

Thanks Moe

Moe Barbour... "Hey Moe!!!" "Yeah, what's up Bubba?" "You ready to play ball today Bubba?" "You know it coach." "I'm ready everyday Moe." "I know Bubba." "I wish I had nine more of you."

Moe knew what to say to bring out the best in each player. He didn't push all his baseball knowledge on you (he did tell a fish tale or two though... lol), but treated his players like... hell Bubba, you're good... that's why you're on my team and I expect you to play baseball. So go be a Post 232 ballplayer. 5 and 10. 5 seconds on and off the field for infeilders and 10 for outfielders. I heard that you couldn't get players to do that anymore in Garner. Garner Legion was like playing in the pros in the 90s. It instilled confidence like I've never had since. He backed your play. It was easy to give Moe, and the American Legion, everything that you had. His laid back style, but intuitive feeling for knowing exactly what changes to make on the team and when, or for a specific player... was nothing like I'd ever experienced. He had fun, but like a pro that knew he was going to win the world series. And one that already knew what it took to get there. But not getting there wasn't the end of the world.

Moe didn't teach me the most about the game - from a fundamental and mechanical standpoint. He taught me that I was good and to play with confidence. He didn't beat me down. He put me in there and expected me to perform, because he believed that I could. And I felt it. It carried over to the field, and I performed and was good, and I fell flat on my face sometimes too. Keep playing though, it's a 7 game series and we need you tomorrow night. I never would have had those 7 game series in high school ball. I performed beyond what I thought I could ever do. Moe taught me what can't be taught. To play beyond my abilities. But not actually, he gave me the tools mentally to discover my whole new game, took my game and drive to another level... by believing in me. All of this through the vehicle of American Legion baseball. He did this with all the guys. And we all believed in each other.as a result We were a TEAM. American legion baseball was a marathon... a war of wills. We won, cheered, yelled, failed, cried, laughed, and persevered together. We had leaders on the team too though... like Clay Eason and Charlie Stevens. And silent warriors like Paul Stewart. And fireballers with more determination than talent.

It was a different time back then though. Mobbing each runner at home plate after a score... was natural. Didn't care... just loved the game. Some towns we played in thought that was Bush-league. But that's just how Moe was, he loved the game when he played and if that offended you then you probably wouldn't have much in common. It was infectuous. He infected me. I thought I loved baseball, but not until the summer of 1994 did I know what love for the game was. Man, I loved the game and my teammates as much as my family. Moe knew it,and he shared it with me. That's special. That's something every athlete long's to experience. Maybe that leads to one reason Moe left. He was having the life sucked out of him as a coach because of the life being sucked out of American Legion baseball because of the quality of the hearts of the people in this area. It was a part of who he was. My observation of the players in Garner in the last couple years was that they had some heart, and a few had fire... but they weren't a team. They had their moments don't get me wrong. But it was a bunch of individuals without a common heartbeat. My last year of Legion was like that. We didn't have a heartbeat as a team. A few of us did, but that year left a bad taste in my mouth. But Moe has a family. His family has a strong hearbeat and love for "ball". I think that heart... beat stronger than the heartbeat of his teams and baseball... so it was his time to move on. If he couldn't give his heart to the game like it deserved, because his heart was more and more with his family, then I don't think Moe could stick around. I think he made the right and hard decision. Maybe he'll come back after his daughter's are grown and have their own lives. Baseball will never leave the heart of Moe Barbour, but he'd probably only return when his family needed less of his heart and he could give his players and baseball that fire that made him great. You were great Moe. I know that fire will never go away. He'll be coaching even when he isn't 'coaching as long as he's around baseball.

The memories... the memories. J4 was right, Legion = Summertime. I'm sure to many of us that played for Moe those were the best summers of our lives. Moe has a place in my heart that will burn forever. I'll always be happy when we cross paths. His outlook on life shines in his face. He's still like a kid that just walked off the field after smelling the fresh cut grass and having a good round of BP. I'll always admire him and his carefree attitude but burning desire to win. I don't even know how those two can co-exist in one person.

I'm glad Moe's made the decision on his own terms. He went out on top. He'd be a good coach somewhere east or west of here. But there's just too much damn money in this area. And money does the same thing to Garner baseball as it does Major League baseball... produces big and talented athletes. But it doesn't cultivate heart. I'm afraid that this area's heart and desire and will to work for it, and leave it on the field... is slowly leaving with the more big money that comes in. There will always be gamers though. The money and highschools have created an infrastructure that undermines Legion ball. That's what we call progress? But, if you watched Cheryville play... that's how it's done. That's a group of guys play that love baseball and each other. But the Raliegh area and it's surrounding suburbs are the ones "progressing".

The American Legion doesn't deserve that. They deserve heart. The American Legion gave their lives and body's for this country and it's a spit in the face to them for baseball to be played half-heartedly. I had teammates that never got that: a part of us was playing for them. Let Garner American Legion baseball die though if change brings half-hearted baseball players. Half of their heart is with the high school summer league team or AAU, and the other 1/2 or 1/3 is with Garner American Legion. It's better than not to disgrace Garner American legion by fielding a team that doesn't appreciate what American Legion baseball is bringing into there lives.

I'm just grateful I got to play for Moe for 3 great years during a time when American Legion baseball was the shit. I wish I could have given him so much more. Because what he gave me, and the American Legion, was irreplaceable. I love Moe and what Garner American Legion did for me. I hope I honored it by the way I conducted myself on the field. And thank you Ross Whitfield for putting it all together.

Until I see you again Moe...
#2 1994-1997

 

great post.

 

What a powerful testimony to an outstanding coach. A chink in the coaching wall comes off when we lose a quality coach and person like Moe Barbour.

He is an "old style" coach; one that I was always familiar with growing up. I can honestly say, there are not many left coaching like him.

 

Never got to meet Moe personally, but JM15 you are good people,,,, so my very best wishes go out to your uncle,,, a man who no doubt was a great and very successful American Legion baseball coach...