Little League® International has named Gerry Davis as the recipient of the 2022 Little League Chairman’s Award during the Opening Convocation of the 28th Little League International Congress.
“Gerry Davis has been an incredible supporter of the Little League program over the past five years and has continued to find new ways to provide training, education, support, and inspiration to all the volunteer umpires within our organization,” said Hugh E. Tanner, Little League International Board of Directors Chairman. “On behalf of the millions of volunteer umpires who serve our leagues around the world, and the teams they support, we are honored to present this award to Gerry and are thankful for all he does to enhance the Little League experience.”
Established in 2007, the Little League Chairman’s Award recognizes an individual for their contribution and dedicated service to Little League Baseball and Softball.
Mr. Davis has become closely affiliated with the Little League program in recent years. First, through his involvement with the MLB Little League Classic, where in 2017, he became the first umpire to officiate a Little League Baseball® World Series game and MLB World Series game in the same season. Later that year, he joined the Little League team as a member of the Little League Volunteer Umpire Advisory Committee where he continues to serve today.
During that time, Mr. Davis has also been a guest at a previous Little League International Congress, West Region Umpire School, and Little League Baseball World Series (LLBWS) umpire orientation events, and even provided a #LLPepTalk to umpires during the heart of the coronavirus pandemic. Additionally, Mr. Davis has been to Williamsport a handful of times outside of the LLBWS and has a great appreciation for what Little League means to the game of baseball and softball.
In October 2021, in a contest between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs, Mr. Davis made history by umpiring in his 5,000th career game. While Mr. Davis announced his retirement from being a MLB umpire following that game, he intends to continue offering his expertise in support of Little League’s efforts in the areas of umpire recruitment, training, and education.
Former Little League Chairman’s Award Recipients
- 2007 – Bud Vanderberg
- 2010 – John Chadwick
- 2014 – Bill Carter
To learn more about the Little League International Congress, visit LittleLeague.org/Congress.