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Former Major League Baseball umpire Gerry Davis
Former Major League Baseball umpire Gerry Davis attends the 3rd annual New Hampshire Umpire clinic Saturday at the NH SportsDome in Goffstown.
YOU MIGHT not know the name Gerry Davis, but if you were a Red Sox fan in 2004, he played a key role in one of the happiest moments of your life.
Standing behind first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz as Boston ended 86 years of misery was Davis, the first base umpire who called the final out of the 2004 World Series. As players poured onto the field, Davis, a then-51-year-old St. Louis native and childhood Cardinals fan, was officiating one of what would one day become a Major League Baseball record for postseason games called by an umpire.
That record — 151 games — still stands today, and Davis is one of only four umpires to call more than 5,000 games. That resume followed Davis from his home in California to Goffstown on Saturday, where he presided over a Little League umpiring clinic for nearly 200 kids and adults at the AutoFair SportsDome.
“It was special. It really was,” Davis said of being on the field for Boston’s first World Series championship since 1918. “Anytime you’re able to be a part of history like that, it’s a big deal.”
Davis also umpired the World Series in 1996, 1999, 2009, 2012 and 2017 during an MLB career that spanned from 1982 to 2021 and included 22 postseasons. He joined Little League as a senior umpire consultant and adviser in 2023 and travels the country lending a hand by training and coaching aspiring umpires.
One of those Little League umpires is Cam Bernard of Bedford, who organized the clinic last weekend.
“It’s an absolutely amazing experience,” Bernard said. “What he brings to the table, the wealth of knowledge that he has even from the major leagues, and he can give back to the grassroots level and simplify it for us, is phenomenal.”
Former Major League Baseball umpire Gerry Davis
Former Major League Baseball umpire Gerry Davis attends the 3rd annual New Hampshire Umpire clinic Saturday atthe NH SportsDome in Goffstown.
2004 World Series
Davis said it’s difficult to put into perspective the history that’s happening in front of you when the stage is so big. As an umpire, you want to be at your best for both teams and the sport, and put your own feelings and even legacy aside.
“You think about it before and after the fact, but you know once the first pitch comes down the chute, you’re concentrating on doing your job,” he said. “As I look back on it and become reflective, it was pretty special.”
Baseball has been his life.
“I’m originally from St Louis, so yeah, I did grow up being a Cardinal fan and played semi-pro baseball,” Davis said.
Ticket to ‘The Show’
When he got hurt, his manager asked him to step in and umpire during games for his travel team. At that time because of a shortage of officials, each team would provide an umpire.
“My manager said, ‘You’re going to be the umpire.’ And I said, ‘OK,’ and did it,” Davis said. “Afterwards, he said, ‘You know, you’re pretty decent. You should think about going to umpire school.’
“It had never even crossed my mind. He sent away to the umpire school for the application, and had it sent to my house. I knew I wanted to stay involved in sports in some capacity, if I could. So, I went to umpire school, and here we are,” he said.
Davis said other young players who love the game but might not have the skills to make the big leagues should consider umpiring as the next best thing.
“I wanted to be the next Bob Gibson or the next Stan Musial, but I realized that wasn’t going to happen,” he said. “But I’ve been very blessed. I’ve been able to work six World Series and the most postseason games in history. As I look back on my career, those are the things that really stand out.”
Little League a big deal
As Davis puts it, Little League is Americana personified. Not only is it a great tradition at the local level, but the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, is something everyone should experience, he said.
“When you go and see the kids slide down the hills and things like that, the atmosphere is so, so wonderful. It’s something I would recommend to anybody,” Davis said.
Former Major League Baseball umpire Gerry Davis
Former Major League Baseball umpire Gerry Davis, right, speaks at the start of the 3rd annual New Hampshire Umpire clinic Saturday atthe NH SportsDome in Goffstown.
Advice to aspiring umps
“The best-officiated game is the one where you don’t remember who the umpire was,” he said. “We don’t want to stand out. We don’t want to get in arguments that naturally ensue and are going to happen because of the nature of the game.”
He also said officials, coaches, players and parents need to realize they are teaching leadership skills and probably not preparing the next Rafael Devers or Pedro Martinez.
“We’re developing tomorrow’s leaders. They learn how to deal with things when they don’t always go your way,” Davis said. “I think if, as adults, we can realize that our actions speak much louder than our words. The kids are going to learn from our actions.”
Former Major League Baseball umpire Gerry Davis
Former Major League Baseball umpire Gerry Davis, left, attends the third annual New Hampshire Little League umpire clinic Saturday at the AutoFair SportsDome in Goffstown.
Former Major League Baseball umpire Gerry Davis
Former Major League Baseball umpire Gerry Davis works with Hayden Hanson, of Amherst, during the 3rd annual New Hampshire Umpire clinic Saturday at the NH SportsDome in Goffstown.
The clinic itself
Bernard said having Davis there to reinforce the ideals of Little League makes a difference in New Hampshire communities.
“We’re developing the future of America right in our ballparks,” Bernard said. “I think it’s so great that we’re building leaders in our junior umpire program and how they handle situations is how they’re going to handle things in real life. It’s not just on a baseball field.”
Amherst’s Hayden Hanson celebrated his 14th birthday Saturday at the clinic. He’s already an umpire and said he loved getting the personal attention of an MLB legend.
“It was pretty cool. He gave me a lot of good information,” Hanson said.
It’s rare when you see an umpire get a standing ovation, but with Bernard, Hanson and others getting hands-on instruction from one of the all-time greats, that’s exactly what happened Saturday when Davis was introduced.
And who knows? Maybe one of these kids will be the next Gerry Davis.
dpierce@unionleader.com
Continue reading...
Former Major League Baseball umpire Gerry Davis attends the 3rd annual New Hampshire Umpire clinic Saturday at the NH SportsDome in Goffstown.
YOU MIGHT not know the name Gerry Davis, but if you were a Red Sox fan in 2004, he played a key role in one of the happiest moments of your life.
Standing behind first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz as Boston ended 86 years of misery was Davis, the first base umpire who called the final out of the 2004 World Series. As players poured onto the field, Davis, a then-51-year-old St. Louis native and childhood Cardinals fan, was officiating one of what would one day become a Major League Baseball record for postseason games called by an umpire.
That record — 151 games — still stands today, and Davis is one of only four umpires to call more than 5,000 games. That resume followed Davis from his home in California to Goffstown on Saturday, where he presided over a Little League umpiring clinic for nearly 200 kids and adults at the AutoFair SportsDome.
“It was special. It really was,” Davis said of being on the field for Boston’s first World Series championship since 1918. “Anytime you’re able to be a part of history like that, it’s a big deal.”
Davis also umpired the World Series in 1996, 1999, 2009, 2012 and 2017 during an MLB career that spanned from 1982 to 2021 and included 22 postseasons. He joined Little League as a senior umpire consultant and adviser in 2023 and travels the country lending a hand by training and coaching aspiring umpires.
One of those Little League umpires is Cam Bernard of Bedford, who organized the clinic last weekend.
“It’s an absolutely amazing experience,” Bernard said. “What he brings to the table, the wealth of knowledge that he has even from the major leagues, and he can give back to the grassroots level and simplify it for us, is phenomenal.”
Former Major League Baseball umpire Gerry Davis
Former Major League Baseball umpire Gerry Davis attends the 3rd annual New Hampshire Umpire clinic Saturday atthe NH SportsDome in Goffstown.
2004 World Series
Davis said it’s difficult to put into perspective the history that’s happening in front of you when the stage is so big. As an umpire, you want to be at your best for both teams and the sport, and put your own feelings and even legacy aside.
“You think about it before and after the fact, but you know once the first pitch comes down the chute, you’re concentrating on doing your job,” he said. “As I look back on it and become reflective, it was pretty special.”
Baseball has been his life.
“I’m originally from St Louis, so yeah, I did grow up being a Cardinal fan and played semi-pro baseball,” Davis said.
Ticket to ‘The Show’
When he got hurt, his manager asked him to step in and umpire during games for his travel team. At that time because of a shortage of officials, each team would provide an umpire.
“My manager said, ‘You’re going to be the umpire.’ And I said, ‘OK,’ and did it,” Davis said. “Afterwards, he said, ‘You know, you’re pretty decent. You should think about going to umpire school.’
“It had never even crossed my mind. He sent away to the umpire school for the application, and had it sent to my house. I knew I wanted to stay involved in sports in some capacity, if I could. So, I went to umpire school, and here we are,” he said.
Davis said other young players who love the game but might not have the skills to make the big leagues should consider umpiring as the next best thing.
“I wanted to be the next Bob Gibson or the next Stan Musial, but I realized that wasn’t going to happen,” he said. “But I’ve been very blessed. I’ve been able to work six World Series and the most postseason games in history. As I look back on my career, those are the things that really stand out.”
Little League a big deal
As Davis puts it, Little League is Americana personified. Not only is it a great tradition at the local level, but the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, is something everyone should experience, he said.
“When you go and see the kids slide down the hills and things like that, the atmosphere is so, so wonderful. It’s something I would recommend to anybody,” Davis said.
Former Major League Baseball umpire Gerry Davis
Former Major League Baseball umpire Gerry Davis, right, speaks at the start of the 3rd annual New Hampshire Umpire clinic Saturday atthe NH SportsDome in Goffstown.
Advice to aspiring umps
“The best-officiated game is the one where you don’t remember who the umpire was,” he said. “We don’t want to stand out. We don’t want to get in arguments that naturally ensue and are going to happen because of the nature of the game.”
He also said officials, coaches, players and parents need to realize they are teaching leadership skills and probably not preparing the next Rafael Devers or Pedro Martinez.
“We’re developing tomorrow’s leaders. They learn how to deal with things when they don’t always go your way,” Davis said. “I think if, as adults, we can realize that our actions speak much louder than our words. The kids are going to learn from our actions.”
Former Major League Baseball umpire Gerry Davis
Former Major League Baseball umpire Gerry Davis, left, attends the third annual New Hampshire Little League umpire clinic Saturday at the AutoFair SportsDome in Goffstown.
Former Major League Baseball umpire Gerry Davis
Former Major League Baseball umpire Gerry Davis works with Hayden Hanson, of Amherst, during the 3rd annual New Hampshire Umpire clinic Saturday at the NH SportsDome in Goffstown.
The clinic itself
Bernard said having Davis there to reinforce the ideals of Little League makes a difference in New Hampshire communities.
“We’re developing the future of America right in our ballparks,” Bernard said. “I think it’s so great that we’re building leaders in our junior umpire program and how they handle situations is how they’re going to handle things in real life. It’s not just on a baseball field.”
Amherst’s Hayden Hanson celebrated his 14th birthday Saturday at the clinic. He’s already an umpire and said he loved getting the personal attention of an MLB legend.
“It was pretty cool. He gave me a lot of good information,” Hanson said.
It’s rare when you see an umpire get a standing ovation, but with Bernard, Hanson and others getting hands-on instruction from one of the all-time greats, that’s exactly what happened Saturday when Davis was introduced.
And who knows? Maybe one of these kids will be the next Gerry Davis.
dpierce@unionleader.com
Continue reading...
