LETTERS: YALLALY DESERVES HONOR

To the editor:

In his "Prayer for Generosity," St. Ignatius Loyola asks, "Teach us ... to labor and not ask for any reward." And the American philosopher Emerson said, "The reward of a thing well done, is to have done it."

John "Doc" Yallaly is a man who has labored for four decades on behalf of the young people of Cape Girardeau, and he has never asked for a reward. He is not asking for a reward now but continues for this final season to spend his spare time managing the American Legion baseball team. As far as John is concerned, "the reward of a thing well done, is to have done it."

But that is not enough for many of his friends, including myself. We believe Cape Girardeau should provide an appropriate reward for 40 years of service to youth, and that reward should be the naming of the ballfield in Capaha Park "John Yallaly Stadium." We are not proposing to change the name of the park, just the baseball diamond where Doc has spent so many years providing a wholesome recreational opportunity for youngsters. We believe a Hall of Fame, as suggested by the park board, is a good idea, because there are so many outstanding baseball players and managers in Cape Girardeau's history. But Doc Yallaly's contributions are legendary and deserving of more special recognition because they extend over such an unusually long period of time and have touched to many young lives.

The focus of this request is not on Doc's contributions to baseball, as such, but on his willingness to spend his time and effort on young men who are other people's sons. His contributions to the community youth effort have included fund raising, preparing lunches for kids, taking time away from his own family for games at home and away and lending, over the years and at various times, over $100,000 of his own funds to keep this youth program going.

His friends and I cannot even guess how many young people he has served with no thought of reward except the doing of the thing itself.

It is precisely because Doc expects no reward or recognition that his friends believe the city should take the step we have recommended.

As I conclude my year as president of Southeast Missouri State University, I urge the community to encourage the park board and city council to consider, once again, a suitable reward for the most uncommon common man, Doc Yallaly.

BILL L. ATCHLEY, President

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau