Jan. 13, 2013
NORFOLK, VA-- Clyde "Ducky" Davis, who has been active in baseball as both an umpire and scout for over 40 years in the Hampton Roads area, has been named the 36th recipient of the Bud Metheny Award, which will be presented at the annual GTI Systems "Meet the Stars" Baseball Banquet at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel, January 25th.
"This is quite a humbling honor for me to win this award named for Bud Metheny," said Davis. "He was the first Major Leaguer I ever met when he taught my sister's fifth grade grammar school class in South Norfolk. Bud left a big impression on me. He was always a gentlemen both on and off the field and one of the greatest people I ever met."
Davis is currently serving as an associate scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and is on the Board of Directors of the Middle Atlantic Major League Baseball Scouts Association as Treasurer.
Prior to joining the Dodgers organization, Davis served as an associate scout for the Florida Marlins for 10 years, and as an associate scout for the Montreal Expos, the New York Mets and the Baltimore Orioles. In 2004, Davis received the Middle Atlantic Major League Baseball Scouts Association Scout of the Year.
Over the past 41 years, Davis has umpired eight High School State Championships, five Thoroughbred World Series games, six Regional tournaments, and three National tournaments and has served as the Deputy Umpire-in-Chief for 14 years with the ASA.
He umpired in eight collegiate conferences which included the Dixie, ODAC, CAA, Metro, CIAA, MEAC, Sun Belt and ECAA baseball conferences. Through the years, Davis has umpired in four NCAA Division III regional tournaments, two Sun Belt tournaments, along with the CIAA, Commonwealth Coast Conference tournaments. Internationally, Davis umpired such contests as USA against South Korea, Chinese Taipei and Cuba.
His impressive baseball and softball umpiring resume also includes stints as an alternate in both the Carolina and International Leagues.
Ducky Davis was elected to the Tidewater Virginia ASA Hall of Fame as an umpire in 1990, the National Indicator Fraternity in 1991, and was elected as Lifetime Member of ASA of America in 2000.
Davis served as president for five years of the Eastern Virginia Officials association, is a lifetime member of the Eastern Virginia Officials Association and was elected to the Eastern Virginia Officials AssociationHall of Fame in 2002.
Davis has been elected into Hall of Fames which also include Oscar Smith High School (class of 1958), and the Tidewater Virginia ASA Hall of Fame as an umpire in 1990 and the Eastern Virginia Officials Association Hall of Fame in 2002. Ducky currently lives in Norfolk with wife Francis, and they have one son, Barry.
Individual tickets for the Friday, Jan. 25th banquet are $65 each with a special rate for groups or teams at $45.00 each (20 + tickets) by calling 683-6964. Table sponsorships, which include amenities such as VIP reception with the headliner, autographed baseballs and more, will be available as well. Please contact the Old Dominion Athletic Foundation (ODAF) at 683-6964 for sponsorship information.
PREVIOUS BUD METHENY WINNERS1978 Dave Rosenfield General Manager, Norfolk Tides, Clinic Co-Founder1979 George Kotarides President, Milton's Pizza1980 Ed Nagourney Rices Nachman Dept. Store1981 Bud Metheny Former ODU Baseball Coach1982 George McClelland Former Executive Sports Editor - The Virginian Pilot1983 Charlie Sugg Real Estate Assessor, City of Norfolk1984 Don Fett President, Waymar, Inc.1985 Clyde McCullough Former Major League Scout1986 Abe Goldblatt Sports Writer, The Virginia Pilot/Ledger Star1987 Richard J. Davis President, Tidewater Professional Sports, Inc.1988 Harry Postove Major League Scout1989 Hank Foiles Foiles Insurance, Former Major League Scout1990 Lewis D. Hirschler Hofheimer's Inc.1991 Richard Alexander Umpire1992 Bob Rathbun Former Sports Anchor, WTKR-TV, WTAR Radio1993 Sandra Picken Founder of the Peninsula Muscular Dystrophy Benefit Baseball Tournament1994 John T. Callahan Former President of Tidewater Baseball League1995 Gary Wright Tidewater Summer League and AAU Baseball1996 Paul Fraim Mayor of Norfolk1997 Roy L. Burton, Jr. Founder of Willard-Lakewood Athletics Assoc. & Granby Booster Club1998 Paul Vestal President Greenbrier Athletic Association1999 Ken Young President, Norfolk Tides Baseball Team2000 Lester Bangs Local Baseball Scout2001 Warren Spivey President Spivey Rentals2002 Bill Swann Former Head Baseball Coach - Va. Wesleyan/Asst. Coach at ODU2003 Tim Miller Chairman ACS Systems & Engineering2004 Luke Newman President of Greenwich Kitchens Center2005 Pat Baker Local Dentist2006 Tony Zontini Coach/Teacher2007 Towny Townsend Coach/Teacher2008 Henry Morgan Peninsula Businessman/Peninsula Pilots Owner2009 Jake Hardison Challenger Little League Baseball2010 Ed Fraim ODU Fundraiser2011 Wayne Gomes/Major Leaguer2012 Tim Druzgala/Businessman