1983 All Stars Darrell Hoffman was manager and Greg Hoffman, coach, of the 1983 Flora Little League All Stars. The team is pictured above, l-r: Front row – Ryan McKenzie, Jimmy Gish, John Filbrun, Ron Warf, John Achor, Jerry Hughes. Back row – Ed Downham, Darrell Hoffman, Bill Dillon, Brian Guyer, Jon Adams, Paul Redmon, Matt Skiles, Rick Carter, Greg Hoffman, Scott Knight. Darrell Hoffman’s Indians were undefeated that season. In recent years Flora joined the Town & Country League, and the ball program is called Flora Youth Baseball. Photo provided Darrell Hoffman has devoted the past 42 summers to Flora Little League.

When he got out of military service in 1968, he volunteered to coach that summer, but there were no coaching positions available, so he umpired.

The next year he became a coach for the Indians, helping manager Ralph Sparks. That was Sparks’ last season. Hoffman took over as manager of the Indians in 1970. He has managed the Indians ever since.

Last season Darrell Hoffman is pictured with his family at the end of the regular baseball season in June. It also marked Hoffman’s last season as manager of the Indians. Pictured l-r are Hoffman’s grandson, Jaden Reneau; daughter, Karlene Reneau; Hoffman and grandson, Landen Reneau; and Hoffman’s son-in-law, Joe Reneau. Both boys played on their grandpa’s ball team. Landen will join his brother in Pony League next year. Photo provided “I just always liked the game; just liked baseball and kids,” Hoffman said.

He decided to make this past season his last because he said, “It’s time.” For one thing, he said he’ll be 65 in December. Another big reason is that he wants to be free to attend his grandsons’ Pony League games.

Hoffman played Little League and Pony League himself. He started when he was 10, in 1955, the year that Flora Little League was established. His dad, Pete Hoffman, was one of the organizers of the league.

Hoffman played for the Giants, and Dale Boller was his coach. Hoffman still holds the league record for pitching the most strike-outs in any one season (143). He set the record in 1957, at age 12.

When Hoffman became a coach in 1969, one of the kids on the team was Brad Sparks, son of the manager. Young Sparks, now of Camel, was a pitcher.

“I always looked back at Darrell to get a signal for what to throw,” Sparks said.

That year the Indians won the league championship.

“Darrell was good with kids,” Sparks recalls. “He got his point across, but in a very calm way.”

That style has served Hoffman well over the past four decades as a manager. His Indians team has won the league 16 times. The best years for the Indians came in the 1980s.

“In 1983 and 1988, we didn’t lose at all,” Hoffman said.

During one three-year period, 1986, ’87, and ’88, the team only lost four games.

Hoffman and his brother, Greg, were competing managers for 14 years. Greg managed the Dodgers for 12 years and has managed the Giants the last two years.

Besides the regular season play, Darrell has also been an All-Star manager or coach throughout his time with the league. It was a Hoffman team, with Darrell as manager and Greg as coach, for 12 of those years.

The year 1980 was a milestone for the Flora All-Stars because the team won the area All-Star Tournament for the first time in 25 years of competition. It was played in Delphi. Stan Cronk was the team manager, and Darrell Hoffman was the coach.

Hoffman said he’s thankful for all the friendships he’s made with the coaches, kids, and their families from all the teams in the league.

“I’ve always taught the kids to play hard and compete – to battle on the field, but when it’s all over, still be friends,” Darrell said.

Marsha Million, now of San Antonio, Texas, was one of the Indian team moms (mother of Troy Million).

She said Hoffman treated all the boys the same and prepared them for future sports and for life in general.

“The boys start out at age 10 with no clue what they’re doing. It’s amazing what they learn,” she said.

“Darrell taught the kids teamwork and gave them encouragement and confidence. It’s amazing, how many lives he’s influenced.”

Jimmy Gish has helped coach the Indians the past three years. He is assistant principal at Northwestern Elementary School.

“Kids need consistency,” he said. “Darrell has had a 42- year commitment as a volunteer, dedicating time to children.”

Hoffman said some of the kids he coached later came back and helped him coach and even became Little League officers. In some families, Hoffman has coached both fathers and sons.

In his own family, a nephew, Nick Hoffman, and grandsons, Jaden and Landen Reneau, all played for the Indians. The year 2007 was Jaden’s last year in LL and Landen’s first year.

Karlene Reneau is Hoffman’s daughter. For as long as she can remember, her dad has spent the summers at the ball park.

“I didn’t mind sharing him because this is something he really liked to do,” she said.

Open House for Darrell Hoffman