Bill ‘Chief’ Dey inducted into Missouri American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame

Published 9:48 pm Wednesday, November 4, 2026

By Jack Denebeim

Bill Dey spent decades shaping the fabric of Sedalia baseball.

Known affectionately as “Chief,” Dey paired on-field success with a lasting impact on generations of local student-athletes through the Post 642 Travelers program.

Those contributions earned permanent state recognition with his posthumous induction into the Missouri American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame.

“I got goosebumps because it’s so deserving,” Bill Dey’s son, Warren, said of the honor. “When I got the phone call from Connor Spunaugle — he called me and said he was going to nominate my dad — No. 1, I appreciate him and thank him for doing that, but after I gave him the credentials and stuff, I was sitting there thinking, ‘Man, if he don’t get in, nobody deserves to get in,’ … His love was just kids and baseball. He could do that just day in and day out.”

Bill Dey began his long tenure with the Travelers in 1978. Over the next several decades as a coach, Dey racked up over 1,000 career wins, captured more than 35 district championships and won two state championships.

He also served as the Western Zone (Zone 2) Commissioner.

Spunaugle, who is the current Zone 2 Commissioner, submitted Bill Dey’s name and resume for nomination.

“Coach Dey fit all the criteria, you know, with the time, the accolades and the impact,” Spunaugle said. “I can remember in the meeting, I’d brought it up, and it wasn’t a hard sell. All the commissioners have been around longer than me and knew Chief really well. It was like, ‘Yeah, there’s not a better candidate we can think of.’

Spunaugle formally inducted Bill Dey into the Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Oct. 24. Members of the Dey family accepted the honor on his behalf.

“He would have had tears in his eyes,” Warren Dey said. “When he would go up to that podium to talk, I think he’d have a hard time, not only because of the time he put into it, but the relationships he built within that time. I mean, you got to figure how many kids. It’s probably 10,000 kids in 50 years — he was also a teacher at the high school — so he had an influence on over 10,000 kids if you think about it. I couldn’t tell you all the relationships, but if you say the name ‘Chief’ here in town, people know who you’re talking about.”

Jeff Mays, who played under Bill Dey and later coached the Travelers, noted the scope of the honor.

“It’s a great honor that he was recognized,” Mays said. “When his name was mentioned, they didn’t even consider anybody else to go in [the Hall of Fame] with him. Typically, they’ll enshrine several members, and when he was mentioned, there was no consideration for anybody else to go in with him. That’s what he means to Legion baseball, not only Legion but all of baseball in Missouri.”

After graduating from Smith-Cotton High School in 1952, Bill Dey served in the U.S. Navy, where he was stationed at Whidbey Island, Washington, and aboard the USS Taussig before his discharge in 1955.

Following his military service, Dey played collegiate baseball at Central Missouri State College — now the University of Central Missouri — and later coached the Mules for two seasons, leading the program to its first regional tournament appearance. He also played semi-pro baseball for a decade before transitioning to fast-pitch softball.

He went on to coach at Smith-Cotton for 14 years.

Bill Dey married his wife, Alma, in 1963, and the two turned the Legion program into a shared family operation — right down to her famous homemade dill pickles served at the concession stand.

“If it wasn’t for her, we probably wouldn’t have a program because she made money [doing] the concessions,” Warren Dey said. “She did that concession all the time, I mean, all the time, and she would make her own food. She didn’t take money out of the Travelers’ budget, the Legion budget. She spent her and dad’s own money … She said, ‘My husband’s involved with baseball. My kids are. I’m going to be a part of it too.’”

In addition to his coaching career, Bill Dey was instrumental in the revival of Liberty Park Stadium, where the field is named “Dey Field” in honor of Bill and his son, Ross.

“In my opinion, he saved the stadium,” Mays said. “He couldn’t do the work. He wasn’t a carpenter, but he surrounded himself with good people that got the stadium rebuilt … [He] raised money to help keep the stadium and get it back going, of course, the Parks have taken it over now, but to keep it alive and keep baseball going.”

Bill Dey died in 2023 at the age of 88.

While he isn’t exactly sure where his father’s passion for baseball came from, Warren Dey said it was a lifelong calling that extended far beyond his own family.

“Baseball was just in his blood,” Warren Dey said. “I think it was just built in him … I thought once I left the [Legion] program, he and mom were going to give it up, and they’re going to travel and do whatever … He stuck with it for the next 30 years. So, that shows you that it wasn’t about just me and my brother. He wanted to help other kids. He wanted to be around the game. He wanted baseball to thrive in Sedalia, and he did just that.”

Sports editor Jack Denebeim can be reached at 660-530-0142.