GIVING BACK TO THE GAME: BOHNER BECOMES FIXTURE WITH CAPE LEGION BASEBALL TEAM

Baseball has given so much to Bill Bohnert over the years, he figures it's only fair that he give something back.

And, without much fanfare, that he has certainly done. Bohnert has spent the past 21 years as a coach with the Cape Girardeau American Legion team, spending hot summers toiling in virtual anonymity. But glory and recognition are not what the soft-spoken, good-natured Bohnert is after.

"I do it because I really enjoy it," said Bohnert, a lifelong Cape Girardeau resident. "I just love the game. I feel as long as I have something to offer, to help the kids a little bit, then I'm contributing.

"I've been involved in baseball all my life and I want to continue to be part of it, to give something back to all the people that have taught me and helped me."

Even as he nears his 60th birthday -- and despite some knee problems a few years ago and a bad back that will require surgery soon -- Bohnert doesn't appear to be slowing down much as he works with a Legion program for which he once was a star player.

"Coaching helps keep me young," he said with a laugh. "It gets kind of warm out there, but as long as they'll have me, I want to stick around for a while."

It's likely Cape's Ford & Sons Legion program will gladly have Bohnert for as long as he wants. So says Doc Yallaly, who spent 40 years as the team's manager before stepping down five years ago. Bohnert played under Yallaly and later coached under him for more than 15 years.

A valuable contribution

"What Bill has meant to our program over the years, you can't even begin to do it justice," said Yallaly. "He's been just above and beyond. The contributions he's made to the Legion program...he's just been something else. He's good with the kids and easy to get along with. He's just a No. 1 guy."

When Bohnert says he's been involved with baseball all his life, he's not really exaggerating.

"I started playing when I was probably six years old and I've been with it one way or another ever since," he said.

Bohnert was quite a player in his time, said Yallaly, both as a pitcher and a shortstop. A 1960 graduate of the old Cape Catholic High School, which is now Notre Dame, Bohnert signed a professional contract with Cincinnati when he was about a year out of high school. He said he was the last man to get cut during the organization's spring training session in Florida.

Bohnert went on to play for various local teams -- including the Cape Capahas, Jackson Giants, Altenburg Aces and Chaffee Red Wings -- until he finally put down his glove when he was about 35.

Bearer of arm

"Bill was a good ballplayer," Yallaly said. "He could really throw."

Bohnert, who works as branch manager for Pameco, a wholesale refrigeration, heating and air conditioning supply house, is typically modest when asked about his playing days.

Told that various people have said how good a pitcher he was, Bohnert smiled and said, "I hope that's what most people thought. I had a pretty good fastball and I had an overhand curveball that basically you didn't know it was coming until it dropped off the table. I sure enjoyed playing."

In addition to spending more than two decades with Cape Legion, Bohnert also was a youth coach for many years as son Jeff got involved in baseball. Jeff, 36, also became an accomplished player as he pitched for Southeast Missouri State University in the 1980s.

"Me and Jeff were the first father and son to play for Doc," said Bohnert proudly.

Bohnert credits his wife of 38 years, Carolyn, for supporting him in his baseball endeavors. Besides Jeff, the Bohnerts have two daughters, Tammy, 34, and recent Notre Dame High School graduate Lindsay.

"My family has been so supportive," he said. "Carolyn was with me on the ball field every day when I was playing, even after we started having kids. She's been supportive of everything I've done with baseball. I couldn't have done all this without her."