MOREHEAD, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — Morehead State University's longtime play-by-play broadcaster Chuck Mraz has spent more than 45 years in journalism calling some of the biggest games in Eagles' history. Now, he is channeling that career into a new mission: getting kids to read.
Mraz wrote the book, "Baseball Stories for Kids," hoping it will inspire young readers to pick up reading.
"I want to write something that was light and easy to read, something that anybody could pick up and read," Mraz said.
The effort is personal. As a child, Mraz struggled to sit down with a book.
"My mom was an elementary school teacher at that time and couldn't get me to read. There were better things to do, like play baseball," said Mraz.
Comic books changed everything for Mraz. They led him to reading — and reading led him to the career he has today.
"Good reading makes for good writing because you're around the language all the time. You understand how the language is used," Mraz said.
The stakes for early literacy in Kentucky are significant. According to the 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book, Kentucky ranks among one of the lowest states in the nation for early literacy rates. Nearly seven out of ten Kentucky fourth graders — 67% — still cannot read at grade level.
Educator Dr. Shana Savard-Hogge has spent more than 25 years in education. She said literacy is about more than just reading — it is about giving people the tools to navigate their own lives.
"Literacy matters. You're able to engage the information that you're being presented with in a more deeper way," Savard-Hogge said.
"The more you know, the more you're able to control yourself, and therefore not be impacted by external forces so much," Savard-Hogge added.
Mraz has used his voice to bring fans to their feet. Now, he is hoping his book will do the opposite — get a child to sit down and read.
"Without the ability to read, you can't do a lot of other things," Mraz said.
