Former VBL President Don Lemish has been selected for the VBL Hall of Fame. Lemish joined the Valley League administration as President and Commissioner in 2012 and served through 2017.
In Lemish’s term as Commissioner, he brought the first apparel contract with a national company, saving teams thousands of dollars a year. He fostered expansion by bringing Charlottesville into the VBL. He up-dated the league’s Policies and Operating Procedures, aligning better with MLB and NCAA Rules.
He raised the money from MLB to initiate the first southern collegiate all-star
showcase and sending a group of Valley League players to participate against other collegiate summer leagues.
Lemish took it upon himself to market the league nationally and restore it’s visibility as one of the premier collegiate leagues in America. Lemish always says he is most proud of having provided the vision and spearheading the creation of the Valley Baseball League Hall of Fame.
Vice President of Major League Baseball Operations, Roy Krasik, said he “valued Lemish’s honesty, forthright analysis of the league and willingness to always do what is best for the game of baseball.”
Lemish approached the job with many innovative goals, but among the most important were unwavering support of student-athletes and maintaining the integrity of baseball in the League.