Jim Davis was ahead of the curve on this one. Long before the annual all-star tournaments became multi-media events, Jim Davis was providing excellent coverage of Little League.
Working for a newspaper based in Trenton, N.J., Jim focused on the leagues in District 12 and developed long-lasting relationships and friendships which eventually spread to Little Leagues in other parts of the state and region.
But he had a true passion for N.J. District 12 and the feeling was mutual with several annual awards named in honor of the late Trentonian sports writer. One year, his employer put up billboards complete with a large photo of the smiling Jim Davis to let the public know that Mr. Little League would be on the beat for another summer. For more than 30 years it was a beat he loved and it loved him back.
Upon his death in 2004, the twenty District 12 presidents unanimously decided to name the prize given to the winner of the annual premier all-star tournament The Jim Davis Cup. Although Jim loved the all-stars, he never lost sight of the young athletes who were solid citizens, and fittingly, a twelve year old boy and a girl from each league also receive the Jim Davis Sportsmanship Award every summer.
Jim’s favorite assignments were Little League, field hockey and basketball games and his coverage was described by colleagues as “all-out.” He has been recognized by other groups, including the Central Jersey Field Hockey Umpires’ Association who bestowed the Positive Force Award upon him in 2003 and the Central Jersey Field Hockey Association which named the senior all-star game “The Jim Davis Classic.”
Born in Atlanta, Ga., Jim Davis was a resident of Trenton most of his life. A graduate of Trenton Central High School, he continued his education with a year of college in New Hampshire. He returned to Trenton and began writing for the Trentonian. He later enlisted in the Air Force in 1969 and completed a four-year tour of duty, before returning back to The Trentonian as a staff writer in 1973. His coverage of girls’ sports in the 1970s was considered ground-breaking. A married father of three and grandfather of one, Jim was 54 when he died.
His legacy lives on in his family and his work, particularly through his efforts in Little League Baseball’s New Jersey District 12.
Mary Ann Tarr