Pilots Owner Henry Morgan Named 2008 Bud Metheny Award Recipient
NORFOLK, VA. - The Coastal Plain League would like to congratulate Peninsula Pilots' owner Henry Morgan on being honored as the recipient of the 2008 Bud Metheny Award. Morgan is the second recipient of the award with ties to the CPL, as the late friend and former Outer Banks Daredevils owner Warren Spivey won the award in 2001.
"Congratulations to Henry for this very prestigious award," said Coastal Plain League President and Commissioner Pete Bock. "The Coastal Plain League is very proud of his efforts with contributions and commitments in the Peninsula area. He, personally, and the entire Peninsula Pilots organization are to be commended for their donations and support of many local charities, sports organizations, local schools and others."
(The below story was featured on www.odusports.com)
Local Peninsula businessman Henry Morgan, who has devoted much of his life and resources to area youth baseball activities, was honored as the 31st recipient of the Bud Metheny Award at the GTI Systems, Inc. "Meet the Stars" banquet, on Friday Jan. 25th at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside as part of the annual Greenwich Kitchens/ODU Baseball Clinic weekend.
Baseball Hall of Famer and award winning sportscaster Joe Morgan of the Cincinnati Reds was the keynote speaker and clinician.
"Henry Morgan strongly represents the true ideal of the Bud Metheny Award," said former ODU standout and Hall of Famer Wayne Gomes. "Mr. Morgan has spent numerous years coaching baseball at the Little League level as well as AAU. He is what baseball is and should be about in our community."
Morgan has raised/donated nearly $100,000 on behalf of Peninsula Pilots batboy Kevin Eadie and the Niemann-Pick Type C cause known as the Ara Parseghian Medical research Foundation/ Kevin Eadie Fund over the past four-plus years. He has also implemented a program to encourage reading throughout the Peninsula's school systems.
Morgan has parlayed Peninsula Pilots activities into fundraisers and donations for many non-profit organizations like the Red Cross, York High School band, local youth cheerleading teams, the 9-11 firefighters and more. His construction business has donated time and materials to nearly every high school and Little League field on the Peninsula.
He has sponsored two local high school players participate in a barnstorming baseball tour of Cuba on a Christian missionary trip. During his Little League coaching days, Morgan brought Legion teams to tournaments in Cocoa Beach, Fla., and Cooperstown, N.Y., all of which he funded personally.
Morgan currently owns the Peninsula Pilots of the Coastal Plain League which is designed to allow college players to hone their skills for 56 additional games in the summer, as well as continue their exposure to professional scouts.
Morgan heads two small construction businesses in Isle of Wight and Suffolk. He first became involved in youth league coaching in 1979 as he handled a Hampton-Wythe Little League team. He eventually became president for two years, and then presided over a three-time A-League that had grown to 10 teams by the time he resigned In 1989. He also coached in the Phoebus Senior League and the Hampton Post 31 American Legion team in the 1990's.
By 2001, Morgan had been appointed to the Peninsula Stadium Authority and quickly became its chairman. He was instrumental in triggering the drive to construct the proposed stadium in Newport News and also contributed financially to that project. During that period, Morgan became interested in the Coastal Plain League and eventually resigned from the Authority to obtain the college team. The league that operates for three summer months and uses wooden bats. Under his direction, many stadium improvements have been made above and beyond what the Authority could afford.
In all, Henry Morgan still loves working with young people. He and his wife Sue have two adult children, Hank and Kara, and four grandchildren.
PREVIOUS BUD METHENY WINNERS
1978 Dave Rosenfield General Manager, Norfolk Tides, Co-Founder of ODU Clinic
1979 George Kotarides President, Milton's Pizza
1980 Ed Nagourney Rices Nachman Dept. Store, Co-Founder of ODU Clinic
1981 Bud Metheny Former Old Dominion baseball coach
1982 George McClelland Former Executive Sports Editor, The Virginian Pilot/Ledger-Star newspapers
1983 Charlie Sugg Real Estate Assessor, City of Norfolk
1984 Don Fett President, Waymar, Inc.
1985 Clyde McCullough Former major league scout
1986 Abe Goldblatt Sportswriter, The Virginian Pilot/Ledger Star
1987 Richard J. Davis President, Tidewater Professional Sports, Inc.
1988 Harry Postove Major League Scout
1989 Hank Foiles Foiles Insurance, former major leaguer
1990 Lewis D.Hirschler Hofheimer's Inc,
1991 Richard Alexander Umpire
1992 Bob Rathbun Former sports anchor,WTKR TV WTAR Radio
1993 Sandra Pickin Founder of the Peninsula Muscular, Dystrophy Benefit Baseball Tournament
1994 John T. Callahan Former President of Tidewater Baseball League
1995 Gary Wright Tidewater Summer League, AAU
1996 Paul Fraim Mayor of Norfolk
1997 Roy L.Burton, Jr. Founder of Willard-Lakewood Athletic, Association & the Granby Booster Club
1998 Paul Vestal President Greenbrier Athletic Assoc.
1999 Ken Young President, Norfolk Tides Baseball Team
2000 Lester Bangs Local Baseball Scout
2001 Warren Spivey President Spivey Rentals
2002 Bill Swan Former Head Baseball Coach at Virginia Wesleyan, Former Asst. Coach at ODU.
2003 Tim Miller Chairman ACS Systems & Engineering
2004 Luke Newman President of Greenwich Kitchens Center
2005 Pat Baker Local Dentist
2006 Tony Zontini Coach/teacher
2007 Towny Townsend Coach/teacher
The Coastal Plain League is the nation's hottest summer collegiate baseball league with 14 teams across the Carolinas and Virginia. For more information on the CPL, please visit www.coastalplain.com.
Contact:Justin Sellers
(919) 852-1960