Knoxville Baseball Alumni

08/09/2026

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARCUS!! The big 50!! Time passes fast. Been a long time since the "three amigoes" roamed the baseball field. Love you!

12/12/2025

Coach Joel Johnson giving acceptance speech at Knoxville High School Hall of Fame luncheon.

10/16/2025

And this is at 1:25 pm the same day (yesterday) with a successful walk with the aid of a walker. Hopefully back to full strength in a few months!

10/16/2025

Waiting for my new left hip, my landing leg when pitching. It’s worn out and with a little help from radiation it’s dying. This is at 6:00 am

10/02/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17P8RBDf9P/?mibextid=wwXIfr

🐾PANTHER FANS! Mark Friday, December 12, 2025, on your calendar now to honor your 2026 inductees: HOWARD ELLIOTT from the Class of 1969, the 1987 BOYS TRACK team, the Class of 1993's Heidi Higginbotham, and COACH JOEL JOHNSON. Please plan to join us for the Noon Luncheon and the evening induction ceremony to celebrate these amazing recipients...more to come!

10/03/2022

Our last trip to Mayo, we hope! 3 more treatments. On Wednesday I will “ring the bell” which is the tradition upon completion. There is a plaque above it that says in part, “Ringing of this bell signifies the completion of your… treatment and shares the sound of HOPE with others on the journey.” While here, I’ve witnessed many who have rang the bell and it does give others HOPE.

In Apostle Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians 13:13 he says, “So faith, HOPE, and love abide, these three, but the greatest of these is love”. It sounds like a top 3 list to me and it’s hard to argue with Paul that love is the greatest. But he also lists two others-faith and HOPE. I’ve always believed that without HOPE, our life on earth ceases to exist as we know it. As a Christian, even with my last breath, I have hope for eternal life.

In my experience at Mayo, I have met more than several who are much worse off than I and they continue to have HOPE. It’s what propels them into the next day. It’s not easy. Anyone who has battled this disease knows how difficult it is to keep HOPE and faith alive (that I didn’t fully realize until I experienced it myself).

An experience in HOPE and faith: I met a man (Darwin) and his wife in the waiting room about 2 weeks into my treatments. We hit it off right away. We had similar treatment plans. His cancer was also a Gleason score of 9, however, it had already spread to several lymph nodes and was imbedded in his pelvis bone. He was considered “treatable” but not “curable”. He is 62 years old, a bank manager in another state. His wife was a career educator (another thing in common) and had taken early retirement and is also about 62. Darwin added her to his health insurance. It may be a worry about if he’ll be able to keep his job and keep their insurance till Medicare. They of course worry about their future and their kids and grandkids hearts. This disease will totally disrupt your daily life style. Darwin and I have been good support for each other and we’d just happen to see each other in the waiting room if our treatment schedules coincided.

Last Friday I saw both of them and Darwin looked a lot different. I didn’t recognize him at first until I saw his wife. Darwin was taken to the ER the night before and diagnosed with Bells Paulsey. As if they needed any more to deal with!! Right now, they still have faith and HOPE (at times I’m sure they don’t). They certainly love each other very much. So, in this post, I ask you to pray for Darwin and his wife. They may have a heart wrenching future but “ring out” as an example of faith, HOPE and love. Thanks

09/25/2022

27 radiation treatments down, 8 to go!

Wow! That was a tough week. I felt like a hitter in the box that got brushed back with two 100 mph fastballs and then HIT with the third one that brought me to my knees.

My radiation oncology team says I’m tolerating it very well, better than most. I wouldn’t want it any worse! But the medical oncology team that monitors my hormone therapy says I’m checking off most of the bad side effect list. They are trying to eliminate the production of testosterone from every gland that produces it. Prostate cancer cells feed on it.

I was in the waiting room talking to another patient who was on the same treatment plan as me. We were comparing our hot flashes, bed sweats, mood swings and irritability. He said he was complaining to his wife about the effects and she told him to “buck up, now you know how a middle-aged woman feels!” Now that was funny! At the beginning of this, I was told the hormone therapy would be a minimum of 3 years, maybe indefinitely. Hmmm… that’s not going to happen if it’s like this.

I was cleaning out some desk drawers when I was home. I came across a very yellowed newspaper clipping. I don’t remember where I got it but I think each married man needs to read this and follow it the next time their wife comes home after a bad day.

Some advice from a woman to his man: Listen!

When I ask you to listen to me and you start giving me advice,
You have not done what I asked.
When I ask you to listen to me,
And you tell me I shouldn’t feel that way,
You are trampling on my feelings.
When I ask you to listen to me,
And you feel you have to do something to help solve my problems,
You have failed me, strangely as it may seem.

Listen, all I ask is for you to listen.
Not talk, or do—just hear my words.
When you do something for me that I need to do myself,
You contribute to my fear and feelings of inadequacy.
But when you accept as a simple fact
That I do feel what I feel, no matter how irrational,
Then I can quit trying to convince you and you can focus on
Understanding what’s behind my feelings.

So just listen. If you want to say something, just wait. I’ll let you have your turn when it’s time.
-----------------------------------------
The mental and emotional part of the game is just as important as the physical.

09/18/2022

The overwhelming feeling of gratitude… and the importance of expressing it!

This post about my cancer path is a little different. No emotionally moving stories and no funny ones either. This is just about how I “feel” and am inviting “you” to act and feel the same. There is something spiritual about having the feeling of gratitude and expressing it.

We’ve all heard well-meaning, kind and caring people make the comment to someone grieving or hurting, “well, it could be worse” (Ok, that is a little funny). That’s not what people grieving or hurting want or need to here. But there is some truth in it! On my cancer journey I’ve met many in the waiting room that ARE much worse off than I! I thank God for being blessed. I pray for those who are facing worse than I am. Someday I (and you) will be in a more dire position as well. It’s inevitable.

This post is really about being grateful for the caregivers and helpers in your life—Give thanks and express your gratitude to each of them.

I have the best caregiver in the world (that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it). She has been my BEST friend for about 57 years. We met when we were 12 years old in the sheep barn at the Iowa State Fair. Isn’t that romantic! She was a girl and a friend but not my “girlfriend” at that time. That came later. We’ve been married for 48. She has been through pain, suffering, insults, accusations, criticisms, gossip and a load of stressful things because of me. Many things I brought upon myself and she stood faithfully and confidently by my side. Most times it was caused by my own doing. I was doing what I thought was best for my family, my players and my students. I’ve also been injured or sick a lot over our married life. She has ALWAYS been there to provide support, encouragement, care and comfort.

Now, with this latest chapter of our lives, she is right there providing those same things for me in this difficult time. I could NOT do this without her caregiving. God bless her and I publicly want to thank her.

Our children, grandchildren, and their families have been so communitive, supportive, caring, and prayerful and I give thanks to them and express my gratefulness.

We have such loyal, true friends in Ames. Some water our flowers, some mow the lawn, some put out the garbage, some pick up things we need, some give up their ISU FB tickets when I’m feeling like I can go and some even come all the way to Rochester to pick me up to take me home when my #1 caretaker needed a break. And many of you have been messaging us, praying for us, and expressing your love. To ALL of you, I am very grateful.

To all the people who have followed these posts (over 3,000) or click a reaction (100’s) and to all those who leave a heartfelt message, I am overwhelmed by your kindness. Many are from Knoxville and many from all over the United States. I feel underserving. Those who really know me, know I’m somewhat embarrassed by it… but extremely grateful.

This old coach offers this advice to my former players: No matter what situation you are in, no matter what pain (emotional or physical) you have, it’s true that it could be worse. No matter how unhelpful and condescending that phrase seems to be to you, be grateful. Be grateful for the people around you who are your caregivers and let them know how much you appreciate them. And if you feel like you are alone, reach out. There are people who would love to help you if only they knew. Don’t isolate and hide it inside. Speak to someone! It is not a sign of weakness nor is an embarrassment. There are wonderful people who want to be your caregiver in some way. Accept their grace.

(Now, that wasn’t too long, was it? I have some good stories but I have a few more weeks to decide on the good ones)…. God bless you all!