Former Senior VP of Maryland Baseball Keith Lupton Passes Away

SALISBURY, Md. -- Keith Lupton was perhaps the best franchise starter in the minor leagues. He was on the ground floor at the start of operations for the Frederick Keys, Bowie Baysox, Delmarva Shorebirds, Lancaster Barnstormers, and Southern Maryland Blue Crabs and has a mantle full of trophies to prove it.

On the Eastern Shore, Lupton is best known for his central role in starting the Delmarva Shorebirds in 1996. After having success with brand-new franchises in Frederick and Bowie, Lupton was chosen to head the start up operation in Salisbury. In 1997, Lupton was named the South Atlantic League General Manager of the Year, his fourth such award in various leagues.

Prior to getting into professional baseball, Keith Lupton was in radio broadcasting in Winchester, VA where he served as a DJ, Manager, Play by Play Announcer, and Syndicated Sports Show Host with WHPL.

Lupton owned the Winchester Royals in the Valley Baseball League in 1979, '80, and '81. The Royals won three consecutive league championships with 35 players drafted by Major League organizations under Lupton's tutelage.
After years managing radio stations in the Winchester, VA area, Keith Lupton got into professional baseball as an associate scout. While he was thought to have a good eye for baseball talent, an emerging company in Western Maryland also saw Lupton's tremendous abilities in the business end of minor league baseball.

Initially hired with the startup Hagerstown Suns of the Carolina League in 1981, Lupton became one of the bright stars in the early phases of what would later become Maryland Baseball and later, its partner company, Keystone Baseball and Opening Day Partners. He was quickly promoted to Assistant General Manager, a position in which he remained for seven seasons. Then, when the company opened an operation in Frederick, MD in 1989, he was named General Manager of the Frederick Keys and served in that position until 1993. 

After winning the Carolina League Championship in 1990 he was selected by the Carolina League as General Manager of the Year. In 1992 he was again named General Manager of the Year by the Carolina League. In 1993 Lupton was promoted to the Double AA Bowie Baysox, an Oriole affiliate and he was once again named General Manager of the Year, this time by the Eastern League. 

Following the 1997 season, he was promoted to Senior Vice President of Maryland Baseball and worked with the Lancaster Barnstormers in Lancaster, PA and with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in Waldorf, MD. He was named by Major League Baseball as President of the Maryland Fall Baseball League. The National Association of Minor Leagues named Lupton National General Manager of the Year. He was named Executive of the Year by the Major League Scouting Association in 1999. Gaining a reputation as being the best franchise starter in the industry, Lupton also earned Executive of the Year honors in the Carolina League, Eastern League and South Atlantic League.

J. Keith Lupton, age 73, passed away on April 12, 2015 in Dover, Delaware. Lupton was originally from Yellow Spring, West Virginia and is survived by his wife, Ardeen Copeland-Lupton of Dover, Delaware; Children, James K. Lupton II of Winchester, Virginia and Jennifer Lupton Dettman of Memphis, Tennessee; Mother, Lois Heare Lupton of Yellow Spring, West Virginia; Grandchildren, Ryan Wittman, Kurt Wittman, and Lukas Wittman of Easton, Maryland and Bailey Grace Groves of Clarksburg, Maryland. Brothers, Barry Lupton, Randy Lupton, and Joseph Lupton of Yellow Spring, West Virginia and Sister, Judy Lupton Shade of Gerradstown, West Virginia; Step-Daughters, Denise Magee of Clarksburg, Maryland, Tara Magee Brawner of Tega Cay, South Carolina, and Shannon Magee of St. Michael's, Maryland, And Eddie Groves, son-in-law, who in 1993 gave Keith a gift of life through a donated kidney. Keith is also survived by daughter-in-law, Lisa Lupton of Winchester,Virginia and son-in-law, James Dettman of Memphis, Tennessee. Many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews and nieces, also survive Keith.