A Tribute to World Series Park Icon

Mass. Baseball Coaches honor Bob Davis for his longtime efforts to promote baseball in his hometown

  World Series Park Supt. Bob Davis received a special tribute for his dedication to local baseball during the Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Association’s 56th Annual Convention held last weekend. The MBCA presented the Saugus resident with the 2023 Fred Ebbett Award, a major honor, which recognizes outstanding contributions to baseball in Massachusetts communities.

  “Bob Davis is a household word in Saugus and throughout the North Shore region for all he has done to help create then grow World Series Park into the showcase ballpark that it has become,” said Coach Steve Freker, who was head coach of Saugus High from 2014-2016 and serves as Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Association (MBCA).

  Coach Freker nominated Bob for the Ebbett Award in November, and Davis was a unanimous selectee. Ebbett did tireless work as one of the founders of the MBCA in the 1960s and 1970s and served over 20 years as the organization’s first Secretary-Treasurer. Ten years ago, an award was named in his honor.

  Davis has been the man behind the construction, maintenance and improvement of World Series Park in Saugus since its creation in 2004. It was built solely on the contributions of Saugus residents and surrounding groups and businesses to honor the spirit of the 2003 Saugus American Little League team, which made it all the way to the U.S. Championship final game before falling to Boynton Beach, Fla., in that game. Back then, the town needed another baseball diamond to maximize the ongoing development of this talented crop of ballplayers. Bob was on the committee involved in the initial construction, and he has been superintendent ever since.

  Along the way, he has continued to spearhead improvements to the field, including a scoreboard, fieldhouse, dugouts, a batting cage and, most recently, the installation of lights. All the while, he has maintained the field meticulously. Those who use World Series Park, including the hometown team Saugus High School Sachems, are treated to a top-notch field, immaculate dugouts and amenities and an overall great atmosphere.

  World Series Park has hosted everything from Babe Ruth State Tournaments to Special Olympics, and Bob’s tireless efforts – all time spent as a volunteer – to provide the best for ballplayers and visitors from around the state, certainly make Bob a fine choice for the Ebbett Award, according to Freker.

  Davis is a Saugus native and 1958 Saugus High School graduate. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcasting in 1962 from Boston University. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves for six years (1962-68), discharging as a specialist fifth class. Davis worked at WHDH TV (the old Channel 5) as a television director for nine years. He taught a TV course at Graham Junior College in Boston. He later worked at WBZ TV for 31 years, directing news programing. He directed Evening Magazine for 13 years. He officially retired in 2005. But two years before that, he got involved in building World Series Park, and maintaining the park continues to be a full-time, though volunteer, job for him. The World Series Park Committee, a nonprofit, charitable organization, maintains and manages the park, which has been hosting baseball games since 2005.

  Headlining last weekend’s event at the Four Points Sheraton in Wakefield was guest speaker Todd FitzGerald, head coach of the reigning #1-ranked high school baseball team in the nation, Stoneman Douglas High School of Parkland, Fla. Stoneman Douglas finished the 2022 spring season at 30-2 and were Florida 7A State Champions and National Champions by virtue of their #1 National Ranking by the National High School Baseball Association (NHSBCA) and Baseball America. Other noted speakers who participated included Boston College Head Coach Mike Gambino, Holy Cross Head Coach Ed Kahovec, Northeastern Assistant Coach Nick Puccio, Boston College Assistant Coach Greg Sullivan, MIT Assistant Coach Todd Carroll, Concordia University Head Coach Mark “Lunch” McKenzie, Wheaton College Assistant Coach Pete Pasquarosa, MBCA Advanced Physical Therapy Director Joe O’Connor and NHSBCA Director and Hall of Famer Tim Saunders, from Ohio.