Photo courtesy of Rusty Weaver.
State Sen. Jabo Waggoner, second from left in front, poses for a photo with family at the Vestavia Hills High School baseball program’s 2025 leadoff dinner at the Vestavia Hills Civic Center on Jan. 16.
State Sen. Jabo Waggoner and his family have meant a lot to the Vestavia Hills school system over the decades — especially the baseball program at Vestavia Hills High School.
Naming the building that houses the baseball field’s concession stand, restrooms, dressing room and press box after the Waggoner family was fitting, school Superintendent Todd Freeman said.
Whether helping with athletic or academic needs, “he’s always just worked behind the scenes to support our schools,” Freeman said.
The Vestavia Hills school board made the decision on Jan. 6 when it approved a $2.3 million renovation of the facility, which will be called the Waggoner Family Field House at Sammy Dunn Field to honor Waggoner, his wife, Marilyn, and their children Scott, Mark, Lyn and Jay.
Jay Waggoner was a standout baseball player for Vestavia Hills, helping lead the school to its first baseball state championship during his senior year in 1991. He was a first-team All-American and also helped the Auburn Tigers reach the College World Series in 1994. He was then drafted by the Detroit Tigers and played in their minor league system for two years.
The current concession stand, restrooms, dressing room and press box are all outdated and in much need of renovation, Freeman said. The bathrooms are extremely small and dated, and the building’s design leads to crowded conditions around the seating area, Freeman said.
Perhaps most importantly, there are safety concerns with the building, and it needs to be brought up to current building codes, he said.
The Vestavia Hills school board is spending about $160,000 of its own money to cover architect design fees. The city of Vestavia Hills, which routinely uses the field for its middle school program, tournaments and championship games, is contributing $1.2 million, and $800,000 is coming from grants through the lieutenant governor’s capital improvement fund, Sen. Waggoner and Jefferson County Commissioner Mike Bolin, Freeman said. The rest of the funding is coming from corporate and other private donations, he said.
Vestavia Hills Councilman Rusty Weaver said Jay Waggoner is the only Vestavia Hills baseball player to have had his jersey number retired at the school. His father has always had a soft spot for the baseball program, and they have been talking about the needed improvements to the building since early 2020, Weaver said.
School board member Jay Stewart, who graduated from Vestavia Hills High School with Jay Waggoner and played baseball with him, said Marilyn Waggoner has supported the school and baseball program every step of the way as well.
Stewart said he remembers when thousands of people showed up for a championship baseball game, and there weren’t proper restroom facilities to accommodate them. “This has been a long time coming,” he said.
The Vestavia Hills Sports Hall of Fame has also selected Sen. Waggoner for induction into the Hall of Fame this year in the distinguished citizen category. Hall of Fame officials also decided to name the Distinguished Citizen Award after Waggoner.
