BAY CITY, MI – Tom Merkle hit larger-than-life status in local baseball circles.
And kept getting bigger.
“When I first met him, he was a mystic figure like Paul Bunyan,” said John Busch, who played for Merkle at Bay City Central. “After I got to know him, he became like a father to me.
“He was the type of coach you didn’t want to let down. All I wanted to do was impress him, and I’m still trying to do that today.”
Merkle hit stardom as a player, signing with the Detroit Tigers in 1980. But he didn’t stop there, returning to Bay City to become an icon in coaching and instruction, impacting wave after wave of youth baseball players from his hometown and beyond.
And that’s a grand part of the legacy he leaves behind. Merkle died Monday after a battle with cancer at age 66. He is survived by wife Kelly, son Rob, daughter Jenae and a legion of ballplayers who walked away from a lesson feeling better about hitting and life.
“He was an old-school, Leave It To Beaver person, very family-oriented and believed you work for what you get in life,” said Mark Krzysiak, who partnered with Merkle in launching Peak Performance Baseball. “His values were spot on.”
One of five children of Anna and Tom Merkle, Tom Jr. was a standout athlete as a 1977 Bay City Handy graduate. He was a two-year starting quarterback for the Wildcats in football and shined at third base and pitcher for the Saginaw Valley League champion baseball team.
He accepted a scholarship to play football at Saginaw Valley State, which had no baseball program when he arrived. Merkle and good buddy Jeff Hartt helped persuade the school to form a team and together they got the Cardinals up and running.
Bay City’s Tom Merkle chats with Tigers manager Sparky Anderson in 1981 as part of the winter caravan stop at Bay Valley.
“He was always a really good player, but his sophomore year he just had a phenomenal season,” said Hartt, now a Hall of Fame baseball coach at John Glenn. “There were so many scouts at our games to watch him.”
Merkle batted .404 with 10 home runs and was named team MVP in 1980, earning him a tryout with the Detroit Tigers. He famously bombed home run after home run into the left-field seats at Tiger Stadium and was drafted in the 17th round.
He spent two seasons with the Bristol Tigers in the minor leagues, cementing his legacy as a hometown hero. But his impact on his community had only just begun.
Merkle returned to Bay City and began his career as a educator in Bay City Public Schools, Coaching would be his calling. He served as varsity head coach at Handy from 1988-90 then moved to Central from 1991-95 after consolidation.
He guided the Wolves to their first district championship in 17 years and compiled a career record of 197-77, always bringing a presence to the diamond with his baseball resume and 6-foot-4 frame.
“When he walked on the field, he commanded attention from other teams,” said Busch, the 1994 Central grad who now serves as head softball coach at John Glenn. “We all noticed that, the other teams were in awe — and he wasn’t even playing in the game.”
A 2012 Bay County Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Merkle also coached football and served as Central’s golf coach for seven years. But baseball was his niche. He and Krzysiak opened Peak Performance Baseball as a training center, launched Bay City’s first travel baseball program, the Saginaw Bay Riverdawgs, and helped get kids to the next level.
Tom Merkle spent two seasons with the Bristol Tigers of the Appalachian League. (Courtesy)
Merkle mentored a long list of players who would become collegiate standouts, such as Grant Miller, Zach Olszewski, Sam Brooks, Cole Brooks, Logan Hugo, Nick Dardas and Mitch Jebb, the second-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He also did well with his favorite student, as son Rob blossomed into a hitting star at Oakland University.
“Hitting was his passion. And he was good at it,” Krzysiak said.
“He always used to say ‘I can look out of the corner of my eye and see if a hitter is doing it right or wrong.’ He had instincts and vision and foresight, and he needed minimal visual to know if it was being done right or wrong.”
Merkle thrived in the one-on-one environment of instruction. With his baseball knowledge – which he never stopped gaining – and his charismatic personality, he was a hit with players of all ages and skill levels.
“My son took lessons from Tom and looked forward to it every week,” said Hartt, who would remain among Merkle’s best friends beyond their college days. “He found his niche giving lessons. He would really get into it and he loved to see the kids improve week by week.
“The more intelligent the kid, the more he would break it down. He could work with a guy like Mitch Jebb, who was on his way to pro ball, or he could work with a 7-year-old who was just starting out. And he always seemed to get results.”
Hartt saw his buddy immerse himself in projects such as golf, hunting, woodcarving and winemaking and excel every step of the way. But baseball and family were the bedrocks of Merkle’s life.
“He was a good person and a good coach,” Hartt said. “I miss him.”
Visitation is scheduled for 1-4 p.m. on Monday at Gephart Funeral Home in Bay City with a celebration to follow from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Tri-City Brewing Co.