Baseball Field Renamed For Manuel

, Baseball Field Renamed For Manuel

The Buena Vista School Board has approved a measure to rename the Parry McCluer High School baseball field in honor of city native Charlie Manuel. The successful vote at the regular meeting last Thursday honors the former Major League Baseball manager best known for leading the Philadelphia Phillies to their 2008 World Series victory.

The decision marks the culmination of a monthslong process to amend a policy that prohibited naming school facilities after individuals who had not been deceased for at least ten years.

According to Superintendent Tony Francis in a phone call with The News-Gazette, the policy was originally adopted as a recommendation from the Virginia School Board Association (VSBA) in the wake of the Bill Cosby scandal. In 2018, after Cosby was found guilty of assault, facilities bearing his name—most notably at Temple University in Philadelphia— were renamed, prompting the VSBA to encourage similar precautionary policies statewide.

After the policy was voted on and changed last fall, an application was brought by the Parry McCluer Athletics Hall of Fame to rename the baseball field. The application went “above and beyond,” according to board chair Teresa Ellison.

The next step in the process will involve planning a dedication event, which will include new signage for the field. Francis added that the date for the event will be announced in the coming months, but that it will be during baseball season, in the spring.

“We’re hoping to get Charlie Manuel here to attend the event himself,” Francis said.

Raised in Buena Vista, Manuel built a legacy in professional baseball as both a player and manager. After a career in the major leagues and Japan, Manuel transitioned to managing, ultimately guiding the Phillies to their second-ever World Series championship in 2008. His achievements have made him a beloved figure in Buena Vista and beyond.