The Long Goodbye: Plainfield South baseball coach Phil Bodine ready for one last season

Take a listen to the song “End of the Line” by the Traveling Wilburys. Then, hear the story of Phil Bodine’s career. You may start to wonder if George Harrison and company had precognition.

“Well, it’s all right riding around in the breeze. Well, it’s all right if you live the life you please. Well, it’s all right doing the best you can. Well, it’s all right as long as you lend a hand.”

Yeah, that sounds like the Plainfield South baseball coach right off the bat.

Bodine has spent the past 34 years lending a helping hand while doing the best he can at Plainfield South for the last 16 years.

However, the Franklin Park native is coming to the end of the line. He’s decided that this will be his final season in coaching.

“It was a tough decision for sure,” Bodine said. “It’s just time to retire. It’s been a long, long run and it’s time to spend time with my grandkids, enjoy a little travel and step away from the game for a little bit. It’s time to see what the next chapter holds.”

“Well, it’s all right even when push comes to shove. Well, it’s all right if you got someone to love. Well, it’s all right, everything’ll work out fine. Well, it’s all right, we’re going to the end of the line.”

After playing college ball at Southwestern Community and later UIC, Bodine wanted to stay around the game. He was immediately hired as a head coach at Mendota where he spent the next 15 years. After heading to York School High for three, he found his way to Plainfield South, where he’s been since 2008. There’ve been a lot of highs throughout his tenure.

Mendota made it to the state championship game in 1996 under Bodine’s leadership. He’s been a head coach his entire tenure. He’s won 670 games and that’s with no 2020 season and only half a year in 2021. He’s guided the Cougars to two summer state championships, a super-sectional team, and coached players currently participating in MLB Spring Training in Konnor Ash and Jordan Mikel.

To Bodine, though, it’s not about the accolades or the numbers. It’s about the kids.

“When we made it to state in ‘96, one of my managers was a Down syndrome kid named Bernie Beetz,” Bodine said. “He had a three-page article done about him in the Springfield paper. That’s what it was about... He’s still out there and I still see him occasionally. That’s a great memory. That team taking second place was a good memory but seeing kids be successful players, fathers and whatnot is what it’s really about.”

“Well, it’s all right even if they say you’re wrong. Well, it’s all right, sometimes you gotta be strong.”

No life or career is without some degree of questions. There are plenty of things to look back on and wonder about. If I’d done X would Y have happened? For what it’s worth, Bodine has no regrets about his career.

“I don’t think I’d change a thing,” Bodine said. “I started out coaching at a small school that I didn’t even know where it was ... We had a great run for a Class A school and won over 300 games while turning out a lot D1 guys. I wanted to go back home and coach a bigger school so I went to York and then had the opportunity to come here and have this awesome, awesome experience with all of these great people. This game has given me so much and it’s been a great run for sure.”

“Well, it’s all right even if you’re old and gray. Well, it’s all right, you still got something to say.”

Don’t expect to see Bodine in a rocking chair anytime soon. While time with the grandkids is at the top of his priority list, he’ll still be out and about. He wants to visit Fenway Park, see Cooperstown, improve his golf swing, and all sorts of things. He won’t be sitting down anytime soon.

He had a long list of coaches and administrators he wanted to thank, including his former college coach and current assistant Bill Krejci. He’s not done coaching the Cougars, either, as he says the goal is to win 20 games and compete for the conference. He says wherever they land he owes all his great times in the game to the kids he’s coached.

And to all those coaches hoping to be around 34 years from now, he’s got a piece of advice for you. It’s advice he got from his time coaching in the Canadian Football League from Ray Jauch, one of his greatest mentors.

“Don’t tell me what (players) can’t do,” Bodine said. “Tell me what they can do and coach them up. That’s the best piece of advice any coach can get ... Separate from that, young coaches, go see your kids’ games. Coaches will miss a lot of things, but make time for your kids.”

“Well, it’s all right, even if the sun don’t shine. Well, it’s all right (all right), we’re going to the end of the line.”