When Herman Boddy first picked up a baseball and glove as a child, like most kids, he had dreams of making it to the Big Leagues.
After honing his craft on the playgrounds of Yazoo City, the high school field at Yazoo City High School and collegiately at Mississippi Valley State University, Boddy’s dream came true when he was selected by the Montreal Expos in the 1984 Major League Baseball draft.
While his stay in the majors didn’t last long, it is an accomplishement most rarely achieve.
Boddy added another rare achievement to his resume this past weekend as he was inducted into the Hall of Fame at his alma mater, Mississippi Valley State University.
“This is an amazing feeling, the hard work you put into be a great athlete, especially in the sport of baseball,” said Boddy. “I always felt that I should have been in the Hall of Fame years ago, but I didn’t know the process of getting in. I was asked by Dr. Roy Hudson (former MVSU president) to submit an application to the committee. I am very excited about this accomplishment.”
Boddy graduated from Yazoo City High School in 1981 where, under the guidance of coach Wardell Leach, he developed into a standout catcher and pitcher. He was offered a scholarship to MVSU where he had a remarkable career from 1981-1985.
He primarily played catcher at MVSU but also excelled on the mound. He earned First Team All-Swac honors in 1983, 1984, and 1985.
He also earned First Team All-Mississippi Colleges Baseball Team honors during the 1983-84 season.
Boddy is proud when he looks back on his journey from that little kid from Benton to the Hall of Famer he is today.
“My journey as a baseball player was a tough one. Playing Little League for the Beavers under coach Arthur Claybon, we were taught to work hard to be successful. My high school career started kind of crazy. I used to walk to practice and just watch them until one day I put on the catcher equipment and Coach Leach called me over and said, ‘you want to be a catcher?’ and put me behind the plate. I was so scared, but that was the best thing that could have happened to me.”
Boddy hopes that his story can be one of inspiration for the next generation of Yazoo baseball players. He has seen the decline in baseball across the county among African-American kids and hopes that the current trend can be reversed soon.
“I feel that the rise in football and basketball becoming year-round sports now takes away from baseball. It’s harder now to get kids involved. When I came up, we played seasonal sports but now that has changed,” says Boddy. “The game has also become expensive to participate and sponsorships of teams is low. I believe if we get more involved with the youth, a turnaround can happen. I encourage everyone to take the opportunity to experience baseball as a way to expand their opportunity to play at a higher level of sports. Baseball is a sport that you cn be great at and the chances of succcess are greater than with football or basketball. The best answer is to reintroduce the game to the youth. Kids need to know that if they work hard it can happen. Give it your all and you might just get a chance to play at the next level.”
Boddy was just a kid from Benton who made it the the highest level of the sport. His story is proof that it can be done.
