Baseball coach Clyde Selby dies
Known for his years with youth league, strong patriotism
BY BOB HERTZEL, The Dominion Post
Clyde Ira Selby is best known for his work in Morgantown's youth baseball program, but the retired carpenter and contractor was also a passionate member of the American Legion. Selby, 90, died Tuesday.
Selby not only coached Morgantown's Post 2 Legion team to state championships in 1973, 1974, 1976, 1980, 1981, and served as state American Legion baseball commissioner, but he was also state president of the American Legion.
"He was an extremely patriotic man," said WAJR-radio general manager Dale Miller, who took over as manager of the American Legion team from Selby in 1985 after Selby had coached it for 40 years.
Miller noted that Selby would attend games after leaving as manager and would offer a scowl if both the American flag and the American Legion flag weren't displayed.
"We would have the American flag and either the pledge of allegiance or the national anthem before every game," said John Raese, head of Greer Industries and senatorial candidate. Raese played three years for Selby.
Selby was known as a level-headed leader of young men. "He wasn't a coach that yelled, cussed and threw things," said Karl Sommer, a local pharmacist. "He treated you like an adult. If you had a problem or needed to talk to him, he was there."
"He made you want to play for him," said Rick Rice, who played with four brothers in the American Legion program under Selby and later would manage the Post 2 team. "He enjoyed the relationships with the kids. You wanted to win for him."
Selby was an accomplished carpenter who built his own home, worked on many houses in the Morgantown area and who helped to build the Little League field in Marilla Park.
Selby's son, David, is a noted character actor who has appeared on Broadway, in films and in such television series as "Falcon Crest," while his other son, Craig, is president of the Charleston Newspapers Inc.
His wife, Sarah E. McIntyre Selby, died two years ago.
A memorial service for Selby will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Spruce Street United Methodist Church, of which he was a lifetime member.
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Submitted Photo Craig (left), his late mother, Sarah,
David and Clyde Selby gather in this undated family photo.