Former Major League Star Michael Cuddyer to Receive 48th Annual Bud Metheny Award

By Harry Minium

NORFOLK, Va. – When he was seven years old, Michael Cuddyer’s parents took him to the Old Dominion Baseball Clinic, an event that four decades ago drew big-time Major League Baseball stars to the area to mentor young players.

Cuddyer drew inspiration from that camp that helped lead to a 15-year Major League career. He met Hank Aaron, the former Atlanta Braves star, who was a childhood idol.

“He told us if you want to play Major League Baseball, take 50 hits per day,” Cuddyer said.

“I wanted to be better than Hank Aaron, so doubled it and took 100 a day.”

Carol Hudson, then ODU’s sports information director, got every Major Leaguer who attended the event, including Tony Gwynn and Clint Hurdle, to autograph a sheet of paper. He made copies of the autographs and handed them to each camp participant.

That copy of autographs “was my ‘why,’” Cuddyer said. “I kept a Xerox copy in every clubhouse that I played in. It inspired me throughout my career.

“It’s still in my office in Greenbrier.”

On Friday, Jan. 16, he returns to ODU to accept the 48^th annual Bud Metheny Award, named for the former ODU baseball and basketball head coach, director of athletics, and former New York Yankee.

It is given annually to an individual who has made significant contributions to baseball in Hampton Roads. He will receive the award at the Step Up To the Plate Fundraiser for ODU Baseball at the Priority Club at S.B. Ballard Stadium at 6 p.m.

Each ODU player will also be introduced, and ODU Head Coach Chris Finwood will speak about the season. Proceeds will benefit ODU’s revenue sharing program to help recruit players, said John Vellines, athletic development officer for the Old Dominion Athletic Foundation.

CLICK HERE for tickets to the Step Up to The Plate Fundraiser

Cuddyer would go on to have a stellar baseball career. He was the All-Tidewater Player of the Year and Virginia’s Gatorade Player of the Year at Great Bridge High in 1997. Drated ninth overall by the Minnesota Twins in 1997, he played with the Twins, Colorado Rockies and New York Mets.

He was a two-time Major League All-Star, won the 2013 National League batting title and was later inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame as well as the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. 

He retired in 2015, shortly after he rejoined fellow Chesapeake native and childhood friend David Wright and took the Mets to the World Series finals, where they fell to the Kansas City Royals.

Since retiring, Cuddyer has thrown himself into supporting youth baseball in Hampton Roads and across the country. His foundation sponsors local teams, he has coached local and national AAU teams, and regularly holds clinics for local youth teams.

He has done online presentations in combination with the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame aimed at helping young players cope with the wear and tear that athletics can take on their mental health. 

He joined forces with other area baseball boosters, The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press and the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, to begin the annual TowneBank All-Tidewater Classic presented by Michael Cuddyer held annually at ODU. The game matches players from private schools and the Peninsula versus players from Southside Hampton Roads public schools. 

And once a year, Finwood asks Cuddyer to come speak to his team.

“I’m very humbled by this award,” Cuddyer said. “What a distinguished list. But I’m not sure I’ve done enough to deserve it.”

He notes that many former winners, including former high school coaches Norbie Wilson and Roland Wright, and Towny Townsend, who pioneered travel baseball in the area, spent their lifetimes promoting baseball in Hampton Roads.

But Finwood said Cuddyer has earned it with the commitment he's shown to local and national youth baseball in his 10 years since retiring.

“I wanted to wait until Michael had been retired for a number of years, because I knew he was going to be the kind of guy who was going to give back,” Finwood said.

“Since he retired he’s been involved with the Twins front office. He’s also been involved with USA Baseball on the junior national side and been involved locally.

“He sponsors a local high school travel baseball team.

“He’s not doing it to make a dime. He reaches out to kids so that they learn to play the right way and respect the right things. He’s really the exception to the rule.

“We’re honored to add him to this list. He’s one of the best baseball people I’ve ever met.”

Cuddyer has been an ODU fan since he was a child, when he attended baseball and basketball games and lately has been going to ODU football games.

“He’s got a real affinity for ODU and we really appreciate that," Finwood said.

Cuddyer said he looks forward to speaking to the ODU team every spring and to his speech on Jan. 16.

“I always ask Finny about his team’s chemistry and ask him what the team needs to hear,” he said. “At the end of the day, being a good teammate, loving and caring for your teammates, that’s what it should be all about.

“Especially at the college level, you have to care about each other to go out and grind every day.

“You have such a small amount of time to play this game. Even a 15-year Major League career goes so quickly. You really need to zoom in and realize that not everything going on is life and death, even though it seems like it. You have to enjoy your career.

“I will talk about the former winners of this award and what’s special about them. Every single one of them had a significant impact on local baseball.

“I’m really honored to be on that list.”

Minium is ODU's Senior Executive Writer for Athletics. Contact him at hminium@odu.edu or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram

To see past stories from Minium, CLICK HERE

Bud Metheny Award Recipients

1978 Dave Rosenfield: General Manager, Norfolk Tides, ODU Clinic Co-Founder
1979 George Kotarides: President, Milton's Pizza
1980 Ed Nagourney: Rices Nachman Dept. Store
1981 Bud Metheny: Former ODU Baseball Coach
1982 George McClelland: Former Executive Sports Editor - The Virginian Pilot
1983 Charlie Sugg: Real Estate Assessor, City of Norfolk
1984 Don Fett: President, Waymar, Inc.
1985 Clyde McCullough: Former Major League Scout and Tidewater Tides Manager
1986 Abe Goldblatt: Sports Writer, The Virginia 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 League Scout
1990 Lewis D. Hirschler: Hofheimer's Inc.
1991 Richard Alexander: Umpire
1992 Bob Rathbun: Former Sports Anchor, WTKR-TV, WTAR Radio
1993 Sandra Picken: Founder of the Peninsula Muscular Dystrophy Benefit Tournament
1994 John T. Callahan: Former President of Tidewater Baseball League
1995 Gary Wright: Tidewater Summer League and AAU Baseball
1996 Paul Fraim: Mayor of Norfolk
1997 Roy L. Burton, Jr.:  Founder of Willard-Lakewood Athletics Assoc. & Granby Booster Club
1998 Paul Vestal: President Greenbrier Athletic Association
1999 Ken Young: President, Norfolk Tides Baseball Team
2000 Lester Bangs: Local Baseball Scout
2001 Warren Spivey: President Spivey Rentals
2002 Bill Swann: Virginia Wesleyan Head Coach and Assistant Coach at Old Dominion
2003 Tim Miller: Chairman ACS Systems & Engineering
2004 Luke Newman: President of Greenwich Kitchens Center
2005 Pat Baker: Longtime ODU team dentist and ODU baseball booster.
2006 Tony Zontini: Former ODU star. Coach / Teacher
2007 Towny Townsend: Former Lake Taylor High coach and organizer of local travel baseball.
2008 Henry Morgan: Peninsula Businessman / Peninsula Pilots Owner
2009 Jake Hardison: Challenger Little League Baseball
2010 Ed Fraim: ODU Fundraiser
2011 Wayne Gomes: ODU graduate and former Major Leaguer
2012 Tim Druzgala: Businessman
2013 Clyde “Ducky” Davis: Umpire / Scout
2014 Barry Kornblau: Business Owner & Alumnus
2015 Hervey Trimyer: Past Board Member of ODAF and the ODU Dugout Club
2016 Norbie Wilson: First Colonial High School Head Coach
2017 Tony Guzzo: Former Old Dominion Head Coach
2018 Wiley Lee: Former Old Dominion Player / Great Bridge High School Head Coach
2019 Marty Miller: Norfolk State Athletic Director / Former NSU Head Coach and All-American
2020 Billy Swoope: Norfolk Catholic High Grad. Former LA Dodger & Chicago Cubs Scout
2022 Paul Shows: Local baseball coach
2023 Matt Sinnen: Founder of Tidewater Drillers

2024 Hank Morgan: Peninsula Pilots Manager

2025: Roland Wright: Long-time Western Branch High School Coach

2026 Michael Cuddyer: Played 15 years in the Major Leagues and has since been a local and national AAU coach and team sponsor.