Professional baseball fans have become a jaded lot in recent years, having to deal with strikes, temperamental prima donnas, overpaid players, greedy owners, and steroids. On a beautiful Saturday last weekend, however, one could come to the Salem-Roanoke Baseball Hall of Fame, a homegrown field of dreams, and forget the troubles plaguing professional leagues.
Those dreams took root in the mind of a man whose passion for the game in its purest form had few equals. How Posey Oyler’s dream took off itself is the stuff of legend, but when he got hold of the idea for a Hall of Fame honoring the game locally in 1991, he wouldn’t let go. Together with longtime Roanoke Times sportswriter Bob Teitlebaum, and a coalition of partners that grew over the years, Oyler started inducting players, coaches and supporters in 1992. The first banquet to honor the inductees and raise funds for the project was held that year.
“We never got together without Posey talking about the Salem-Roanoke Baseball Hall of Fame,” remembers Barbara Shelton, one of Posey’s six siblings, all on hand to witness the fulfillment of his dream, even though he himself could not be. Oyler passed away in January 2008; Teitlebaum died last August.
Oyler’s work ethic was full-steam ahead, a quality he admired in amateur players. A longtime American Legion Post 3 coach with six regular season championships under his belt, the local businessman preferred to highlight the sport locally, from Roanoke, Bedford, Botetourt, Craig, Floyd, Franklin and Montgomery and their independent cities.
When the doors finally opened Saturday, plaques for all 83 inductees, chosen by a committee and honored at a fundraising banquet each February since 1992, lined the walls of the 1800-square foot facility. Displays of memorabilia documented the game’s glory in the valley, from local high school players, to rec. league coaches and future major leaguers that played for one of the Salem minor league teams.
Board members Charlie Hammersley, named president after Oyler’s death, former William Byrd baseball coach Gary Walthal and others picked up the slack after Oyler’s passing, getting the Hall ready for its opening.
Butch Reynolds was on hand to take part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony, remembering the man he called “a father-figure. He would tell me, ‘Butch, be a good baseball player, but be a better person,’” said Reynolds, who played Legion ball when Oyler was at the helm. “He was a baseball player’s best friend.”
Sixth District Congressman Bob Goodlatte was on hand to deliver an opening speech, in which he remembered Oyler as “always on the move, always calling me. Baseball was very, very deep in his heart.”
Ground was broken for the Hall in 2003, but the necessary financial support (more than $300,000) took longer than expected to gather. With help from Salem, Roanoke City, and Roanoke County governments, as well as private financial backers like former Avalanche owner Kelvin Bowles, the Hall now sits just behind the Red Sox front office outside the left field wall at Salem Memorial/Lewis Gale Field.
The Salem-Roanoke Baseball Hall of Fame will be open during Salem Red Sox games and by special appointment for schools, civic groups and Little League teams that want to take a tour. “He’d be tickled to death,” said a smiling Ann Calhoon, who was Oyler’s secretary from 1993 until he passed away. “It’s a good day today.”
By Jeff Crooke [email protected]