2011 KY Hall Of Fame Class Named

Mar 25th, 11

The 2011 Ky Softball Hall of Fame nominees have now been voted on and officially there will be seven new inductees added October 8th at Lexington Legends stadium in Lexington KY. The Lexington Legends Baseball Park now Whitakers Bank Park is the home of The Kentucky Softball Hall of Fame and the induction banquet is set for Saturday October, 8th at the Budweiser’s Stable inside Legends Park. The worthy recipients for the Hall of Fame will be :

Bob Smedley umpire for over 25 years including 26 years with ASA and 10 plus years officiating national championships. Mr. Smedleys travels included High School, College, weekend, State, and National Softball Championships around Kentucky and the country.
Jim Davenport managed over 2000 games mostly with GE Wacos with whom he won a National Championship in 1978. 21 Louisville City Championships, 11 midwest regionals ,and a perfect 55-0 record in regional play are just a few of Jim.s career highlights.
Danny Williams SR.—As a player Mr. Williams had an impeccable career perhaps topped by a 3 year stint with the professional KY Bourbons of Louisville. Among some of Danny’s other accomplishments were National all Tournament awards spanning 1974 with Knights of St. John to 2009 as all tourney for Jim and Joes 60 plus senior nationals.
Rosanne “Jose” Conlan—30 years ago Jose got her 1st taste of winning by taking the Sonora and Upton Roundups both of them local events on a small scale. “Small ball” did not last long however as the older she got the better ending with an ASA batting title, an ASA All American and a National Championship in 2007 with Low Bobs Slowpitch. Conlan won a grand slam of sorts over her storied past with ASA, NSA, ISA, and USSSA national titles and a bonus was a 2005 Military World series All tourney.
Wayne Everman—Sponsor. Mr. Everman has sponsored and coached Heavy Metal for 25 years to the present and that is only half of his time on the ball diamonds. Wayne started playing in 1954 with Whalen Erecting and went from them to the Road Runners which later became the Executors and finally Heavy Metal. His dedication, the amount of people he has touched on and off the field, his passion for the sport and 57 years of living softball has earned “Jellyroll” as they like to call him a spot in Ky’s Hall of Fame. A quote from a former player sums his heart up ”During the season he personally took time out to work with each kid and even at the end of the season if we lost every game we ALWAYS celebrated like we were city champs.”
Bill Braden –Player, Louisville Ky. Bill was a 1st baseman and pitcher for 25 years on some of the finest teams around the Derby City including Early Times Fastpitch and Slowpitch team, World Runners Up Duffys (1959), Jiffy’s/LG& E and Portland AC who Bill won an Industrial National Championship with. .He was awarded all world status in 1965 while pitching for Jiffy-LG&E at the World Championships in Detroit.
Bertie Duval—Sponsor. Bertie Duval is what many might say as the “better half” of the dynamic Duval duo which includes husband Anthony “sluggo” Duval who himself was just recently inducted into the KYHOF. Slug was the coach and Bertie the sponsor and scorekeeper/manager. You could never see one without the other and if Berties was not playing both Anthony and Bertie were at the parks watching. The Company Berties Ice Cream began in 1986 and since then she ahs enjoyed National and state titles all in her name and sometimes shared as in Berties/Players Warehouse 2009 ISA Champs or Berties/Hub City. The ASA East Championship in 2007 was her most tasteful topping to a Berties Ice Cream Cone dripping down the sides with awards galore. Congrats to Bertie—look for her with pencil and scorebook in a lawn chair near you. Of course, Congrats to the rest of the 2011 Hall of Fame Inductees as well.

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