By Erik Hall
The Associated Press Sports Editors celebrates its 50th year in 2023. A series of interviews with the organization’s presidents will be unveiled throughout the year to mark this milestone.
Hal Bodley was the APSE president in 1981-82 while sports editor at The Wilmington (Delaware) News Journal. He is interviewed by St. Louis Post-Dispatch digital sports editor Erik Hall.
Bodley was involved with the launch of APSE in June 1974 at the New York City Squire Inn. He took on the task of establishing the initial ethical guidelines for the organization’s members.
He had the role of APSE’s secretary and treasurer during some of the organization’s early years. During a difficult financial year in 1978, Bodley and Richmond (Virginia) Times-Dispatch sports editor Bill Millsaps pooled together $5,500 to donate to the organization.
Bodley reflects on being involved in the launch of the APSE contest in 1976 and the inception of the Red Smith Award in 1981. He also shares memories of his former assistant sports editor, Henry Freeman, who went on to be APSE president and receive the Red Smith Award.
Bodley discusses some of the people who helped him during his presidency, including future APSE president Bill Dwyre running the newsletter. He goes into the evolution of the sports editor during his career as it has become more of an executive role and less of a writing role.
He spent 22 years at The Wilmington News Journal from 1960-82, and he was the sports editor for his final 12 years at the publication. Before that he was sports editor at the Delaware State News and sports director of WDOV-AM 1410 both in Dover, Delaware. Bodley served as USA Today baseball editor and columnist from 1982-2007. In 2008 he became a senior correspondent at MLB.com.
Bodley recently completed a book on Belleair (Fla.) Country Club along with previously writing the books “The Team That Wouldn’t Die,” “Countdown to Cobb: My Diary of the Record Breaking 1985 Season,” and “How Baseball Explains America.” Bodley graduated from the University of Delaware in 1959.
Video link: https://youtu.be/QpesT_3WSo0
A 2010 Q&A with Hal Bodley by Bill Bradley: https://apsportseditors.com/where-are-they-now-hal-bodley-president-1981-1982/
If you are a former APSE president and have yet to conduct or schedule an interview, contact Erik Hall at hallerik7@gmail.com.
