Long time Corbin Little League President Jeff Chadwell could usually be found at Miller Park each summer where he also did maintenance work for the city.
“He spent most of his time at Miller Park after we got Miller Park built. You could see him on the lawn mower. If you wanted to find him, you would find him up there. I think that was his happy place,” noted Corbin Mayor Suzie Razmus. “I don’t think it will ever look that good again … He really took it seriously. His love of baseball, he was able to usher generations of kids in our community.”
Miller Park is getting a new name in honor of Chadwell, who died on June 18, 2025, at the age of 61 years old.
The Corbin City Commission voted Monday to rename Miller Park as The Jeff Chadwell Sports Complex at Miller Park.
“Tonight, we are going to honor somebody, who means so much to the city, so much to Corbin sports and especially to Little League. Jeff Chadwell was the face of Little League for decades,” Corbin Mayor Suzie Razmus said choking back tears.
“It is hard to express what he meant to so many people. He was never one to draw attention to himself. He was always wanting to be behind the scenes. He probably would not like that we are doing this tonight, but we are going to do it anyway.”
Several of Chadwell’s family members attended Monday’s meeting.
“We just wanted to let them know that he is never going to be forgotten. There is going to be generations of kids playing at The Jeff Chadwell Sports Complex at Miller Park,” Razmus said.
Two of Chadwell’s nephews, Mondo Cima and Chris Griffin, also spoke during Monday’s meeting.
Cima, a Corbin Little League board member, thanked the commission on behalf of the Little League program for “the consideration of assuring that the legacy of Jeff Chadwell left on the youth of this area is always remembered.”
Cima, who won a state championship as a Little League baseball player in 1993, noted that Chadwell came to him in 2006 and told him that it was time him to serve the children in the community.
Chadwell started out coaching Corbin Little League in 1993 before becoming a member of the Little League board and then serving as president of the Corbin Little League until the day he died.
“Jeff worked endlessly to make sure that the less fortunate kids of our area had the same opportunities as the kids that were more fortunate. He wanted all kids to have the same opportunity to succeed,” Cima said.
Cima said many people have said Corbin has the best Little League program in the state, and this is because of Chadwell’s leadership.
Cima noted Chadwell did not want notoriety, but naming the complex at Miller Park in his honor is more than a worthy decision.
He also thanked the Miller family for allowing the park to be remained in honor of both Amos Miller and Chadwell.
Griffin, who is the current president of the Corbin Little League, noted places like ballfields mean more to the community than just baseball.
“These fields are where kids learn lessons about hard work, perseverance, teamwork and accountability. It is where our families spend summer evening together. It is where lifelong memories of friends and family are made,” Griffin said.
“For more than 30 years, Jeff Chadwell quietly made sure those moments could happen from Rotary Park to Miller Park and beyond. He gave his time, his energy and his love to youth baseball and the kids of our community. Jeff served in many roles over the years in Corbin Little League from coach to board member to president for more than 25 years.”
Griffin added the league as we know it today exists in large part because of the many years of Chadwell’s selfless service.
