Little League Baseball Memorabilia

Part of the museum is the Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum Hall of Excellence. This is where Little League graduates who have gone on to distinguished careers as adult role models are permanently enshrined as recipients of Little League’s highest honor. You can read about those who have been enshrined by clicking on Hall of Excellence.

ARTIFACT: The Little League Baseball World Series, held each year at Lamade Stadium, South Williamsport, PA.

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Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum

The Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum is all about the excitement of Little League Baseball and Softball. From its humble beginnings in 1939 as a three-team league in Williamsport through today and millions of participants in scores of countries, the museum is a tribute to Little League, past and present.

The Little League Museum is full of pictures, displays, films and exhibits about the players, equipment, history, rules, the all-around fun of Little League, as well as information on issues facing children today. This combination both entertains and educates visitors.

Watch the actual growth of Little League throughout the world on a fantastic fiber optics map. You can "play ball" in the batting and pitching areas, and then watch your form on instant replay. Experience the "hands-on" components of the museum such as the running track, push-button quiz panels, and the opportunity to do your own play-by-play commentary on a World Series game. Learn about nutrition that will help you play your best. Watch videotaped highlights of the most exciting moments of the Little League World Series. There’s so much more to see and do!

If you are a Little League player of today or yesterday or a devoted fan of Little League, the Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum will be a special place for you.

	Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum Hall of Excellence The Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum Hall of Excellence was established to recognize Little League graduates who have become outstanding citizens and role models as adults. When considering a person for enshrinement into the Hall of Excellence, playing ability is never a factor, even though some have advanced to outstanding athletic careers. Each enshrinee has agreed to accept this highest honor Little League can bestow, and they are immortalized with a plaque in the Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum Hall of Excellence at Little League International, in Williamsport, Pa. The enshrinees are listed below, followed by the year they were enshrined. The museum is located on U.S. Route 15 in South Williamsport, Pa., next to the Little League International Administration Building, overlooking Howard J. Lamade Stadium and Little League Volunteer Stadium, home of the Little League Baseball World Series each August. If you know of someone who played Little League Baseball or Softball, has established a career in which they have risen to the top of their profession, and who clearly accepts their position as a role model for children, please let us know by e-mail at lvanauken@littleleague.org. For more information, call the museum at 570-326-3607.
	Lloyd McClendon -- 2006 Lloyd McClendon, playing for Anderson Little League of Gary, Ind., in the 1971 Little League Baseball World Series, became known as “Legendary Lloyd” for his performance over three Series games, dominating as a pitcher and as a hitter, with five home runs, 10 runs batted in, and five intentional walks in 10 plate appearances. More importantly, Mr. McClendon went on to become a role model for children during his long career as a Major League player, manager and coach.
	Jose Maiz Garcia -- 2005 Jose Maiz Garcia, a civil engineer, businessman, and owner of the Monterrey Sultans of the Mexican League, played in 1957 for Monterrey’s Industrial Little League, the first non-U.S. team to win a Little League Baseball World Series championship. Learning “discipline, teamwork, obedience, and how to win and lose,” from Little League, Mr. Garcia has generously given back to the program and to his community. He heads one of the largest construction firms in Mexico, and is the first non-U.S. person to be enshrined in the Hall of Excellence.
	Krissy Wendell -- 2004 Krissy Wendell, the first girl to start at catcher in a Little League Baseball World Series game, played in Williamsport in 1994 for Brooklyn Park (Minn.) American Little League, and would go on to become one of the best women’s ice hockey players in U.S. history. She led the U.S. Olympic Women’s Hockey Team to a silver medal in the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. In 2004, she won the most outstanding player award in the NCAA tournament as a member of the national champion University of Minnesota Women’s Hockey Team.
	Nancy dosReis -- 2004 Nancy dosReis, a detective in the Providence (R.I.) Police Department, played softball for six years in the North Providence West Little League, and was a member of her league’s world championship team in the 1979 Little League Softball World Series, played in Waco, Texas. Detective dosReis, who earned a master’s degree from Roger Williams University, made national headlines in 1996 when she and her K-9 partner were credited with the arrest of a convicted murderer who had escaped from a maximum-security prison.
	Cathy Gerring -- 2004 Cathy Gerring, a professional golfer, played baseball in the Times Corners Little League of Fort Wayne, Ind. After earning All-America honors at Ohio State University, she became a professional golfer in 1983, winning three events on the Ladies Professional Golf Association tour, and she climbed to No. 4 in tour winnings in 1990. Severe burns from a 1992 accident and a serious head injury in a 2002 fall dealt setbacks to her career, but she has battled back each time to play golf professionally again.
	Staff Sgt. Wilbert Davis -- 2003 Wilbert Davis played Little League in Tampa, Fla., and helped the 1975 Belmont Heights Little League team to reach the Little League Baseball World Series. On April 3, 2003, while en route to Baghdad in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as a member of the U.S. Army Third Infantry Division, Staff Sgt. Davis perished when his Humvee came under fire and overturned into a canal. Now, Headstone 7867 in Section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery marks the final resting place of Sgt. Davis, alongside thousands of this nation’s heroes. Robert Davis, Wilbert’s brother, said the two things his brother valued in life were “Little League baseball and the military.” Sgt. Davis is the first U.S. military person enshrined posthumously into the Hall of Excellence.
	Gen. Peter Pace -- 2003 Peter Pace played in the Teaneck (N.J.) Southern Little League in the 1950s. In 1968, as a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, his first assignment during the Vietnam War was to help lead about 2,500 Marines in dislodging an enemy force four times their strength in the city of Hue. He subsequently served assignments in Japan, Somalia, Europe and many places in the U.S. Gen. Pace is the sixth officer (and the first Marine) to become Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs – the second-highest attainable position in the U.S. military. Of his Little League lessons, Gen. Pace said, “Over time I learned if I wanted play, I had to go to practice and practice on my own, and do all the things I needed to be successful.”
	Michael Cammarata -- 2002 Michael Cammarata, who was last seen rushing into the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, 2001, played in the 1991 Little League Baseball World Series for South Shore Little League of Staten Island, N.Y. He is the first person to receive Little League’s highest honor posthumously and the first firefighter so honored. His willingness to sacrifice his own safety for the safety of others made him the very embodiment of all three words in the Little League motto: character, courage and loyalty. After graduating high school, Mr. Cammarata attended college on a hockey scholarship. He left college to pursue his dream of becoming a firefighter in New York City. In a note he left in case he were to perish in the line of duty, he asked his family to “make my spirit live on.” Little League hopes it has played a small part in memorializing the spirit and life of a true hero.
	Rudolph Giuliani -- 2002 In the weeks following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, this former New York City mayor’s compassionate leadership helped the city and, by extension, the nation stay focused on remembrance and recovery. Mr. Guiliani was born in Brooklyn and played in the Garden City South Little League in Long Island, N.Y. An avid baseball fan, he graduated from Manhattan College and earned a law degree from New York University Law School. He became U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and in 1993 was elected to the first of two four-year terms as mayor. Under his guidance, the city reasserted its position as one of the world’s great hubs of culture, history, commerce and diplomacy. New York City statutes did not allow Mr. Giuliani to seek a third consecutive term as mayor. But the performance of his public duties in one of our country’s darkest hours earned him the unofficial title “America’s Mayor.”
	President George W. Bush -- 2001 Defense was the specialty of George W. Bush when he played in the Central Little League of Midland, Texas, during the 1950s and he has cited Little League as providing his fondest childhood memory. After attending Yale University and Harvard Business School, he served as an F-102 pilot for the Texas Air National Guard, then moved into the energy business from 1975 until 1986. After working on this father’s successful 1988 presidential campaign, he led a group that purchased the Texas Rangers baseball franchise in 1989. He was elected the 46th Governor of Texas in 1994 and was re-elected in 1998. In 2000, he became the first Little League graduate elected President of the United States. His “Tee Ball on the South Lawn” program was launched in May 2001, giving Little Leaguers a chance to play ball on the grounds of the White House.
	Dr. Robert Stratta -- 2000 Dr. Stratta considers pitching in the 1967 Little League World Series Championship Game, for North Roseland Little League of Chicago, one of the high points of his life. “By achieving this lofty goal at the age of 12, I always believed that no goal was beyond my reach.” His goals these days involve saving lives and teaching others to do the same: He’s been a transplant surgeon and professor of surgery at the University of Tennessee-Memphis since 1997. Before that, he led the Clinical Pancreas Transplant Team at the University of Nebraska-Omaha for seven years. Dr. Stratta, who attended college on a baseball scholarship, isn’t shy about crediting Little League and the sport of baseball with enabling him to accomplish so much in life. “I played baseball for the competition and sheer joy of the sport. But in the end it allowed me to travel around the country, paved the way for my higher education, and taught me how to effectively compete in the ‘game’ of life.”
	George H. “Billy” Hunter -- 2000 As an athlete, Mr. Hunter was a leader on the field; when his playing days ended, he became a leader off the field, too. In 1955, Mr. Hunter led his Delaware Township (N.J.) Little League team to the finals of the Little League World Series. Along the way, he made lifelong friends, earned a hero’s welcome in his hometown and met people from all walks of life. “It was phenomenal, a high point in my life,” says the man who later captained the Syracuse University football team and played professional football. While still in the pros, he earned a law degree. After retiring, he practiced law in California, becoming United States Prosecutor for Northern California in 1976. In 1996, he was unanimously selected executive director of the NBA Players Association. His advice for young players is simple: “Children today have to be children, to take their time and savor the moment. Embrace every opportunity, not just on the field, but off it. Meet people and learn how to be a role model, because your reputation is the most important thing you have.”
	Kevin Costner -- 2000 With American classics like “Dances With Wolves” and “Field of Dreams” to his credit, this Academy Award-winning director and actor knows how important the entire team is to the success of any project. It’s one of the lessons Mr. Costner learned as a star pitcher in the Saticoy Little League of Ventura, Calif. “You learn how you have to depend on teammates, because even on no-hitters there’s someone behind you making a play.” As a Little Leaguer, Mr. Costner had his share of pitching success, striking out as many as 16 opponents in one game, tossing no-hitters and shutting down rallies. The most important lesson he learned, though, was to make his best effort every day. “Once you learn your place on the team, did you give it your best shot? I’m a filmmaker and an actor. I know that hits aren’t going to happen every time…But I honestly believe I’ve given it my best shot.”
	Brian Sipe -- 1999 “Friends, fun and teamwork” are the three adjectives that spring to Brian Sipe’s mind when he remembers his Little League days. A member of the 1961 Little League World Series Championship team, Northern Little League, El Cajon, Calif., Brian went on to a highly successful career as one of the National Football League’s best quarterbacks. A member of the Cleveland Browns and chosen as the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1980, he demonstrated a rare combination of athletic grace and leadership.
	Michael Pladus -- 1999 When asked what playing at Shenandoah North (Pa.) Little League meant to him, Michael Pladus replied “Little League provided me with more than positive recreation, it provided me with opportunities to learn lessons from which I have benefited throughout my life.” Some of these lessons learned on the Little League field were no doubt in use as a successful educator. He is such a positive force for his students that he was named 1999 National High School Principal of the Year. It was his dedication to his students and his drive to help them succeed that led to his Principal of the Year award.
	Don Beaver -- 1999 In 1952, Don and his teammates proudly represented the Southern region during the Little League Baseball World Series for the Mooresville (N.C.) Little League. Now, as an owner of several minor league baseball teams around the country and a minority owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates, this highly respected businessman still holds pitching in the World Series as his most cherished moment throughout all of his sporting activities. Don Beaver is a role model for all Little Leaguers; a respected businessman, dedicated community leader and lifelong fan of America’s Pastime.
	Dave Barry -- 1998 Dave Barry fondly recalls when “Little League dominated his life in late spring and early summer.” Now a best-selling author, syndicated columnist and Pulitzer Prize winner, he still remembers his Little League career in Armonk, N.Y., as a time when he “learned a lot; what if feels like to have to perform under pressure; how to be a part of, and have obligations to a team; how to win, and how to lose. Little League was my first, and best, exposure to organized sports.” Dave Barry’s community involvement includes working with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the Fellowship House, Children’s Home Society and the Tactical Speech Project.
	Tony Dungy -- 1998 Tony Dungy, is accomplished on and off the playing field. After graduating from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, he went on to lead a successful career in the National Football League. First as a player, and then as a head coach, he brings lessons learned on the Little League field at Southeast Little League of Jackson, Mich., to his team: sportsmanship, teamwork, and a dedication to excellence. A former NFL representative for the United Way and a representative for the National Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Tony Dungy helps other athletes become positive role models worthy of emulation.
	Bruce Springsteen --1997 Bruce Springsteen once commented that “Little League has a big, positive impact in my life.” He often talks about his Little League days in Freehold, N.J., during concerts. His impact on other people’s lives has been big and positive as well. Winner of seven Grammy awards and an Oscar, Bruce sets out to “make sure something is revealed at the end of a song, some knowledge is gained. That’s when I figure I’m doing my job.” His efforts to help others is demonstrated frequently by donating income from T-shirts and other merchandise sold at his concerts to selected soup kitchens, veteran’s groups and homeless shelters.
	Dan O’Brien -- 1997 Dan O’Brien is World Record holder and 1996 Olympic Gold Medallist in the Decathlon, giving him the unofficial title of world’s best athlete. Perhaps with lessons learned on the Little League fields at South Suburban Little League in Klamath Fall, Ore., Dan has taken failure in stride. Failing to qualify for the 1992 Olympic Team, due to three missed pole vault attempts, he came back to win the 1993 world championship (setting the world record along the way) and the Olympic Gold three years later. Dan’s winning spirit is also seen through his efforts for children, and his work with many other agencies and foundations such as Wendy’s Foundation, United Way, Ronald McDonald House and the Orphan Foundation of America.
	Cal Ripken, Jr. -- 1996 Cal Ripken, Jr., a shortstop and a pitcher as a twelve year old, advanced all the way to the Little League Baseball Southern Regional Series in 1973 for the West Ashville (N.C.) Little League. Twenty two years and one month later, the eyes of the baseball world were on him as the Baltimore Orioles shortstop shattered one of baseball’s most important records- Lou Gehrig’s 2,130 consecutive games played. If anyone was going to come close, it had to be someone with the rare combination of ability, stamina, and perserverance. Cal Ripken, Jr. is also one of the finest gentleman in the game. He and his wife Kelly are active in promoting literacy in the Baltimore area.
	Dr. Robert Sloan -- 1996 Like many children, Robert Sloan played Little League just for “something to do.” But Little League became one of the forces that drove him to success. The graduate of Western Little League in Abelene, became President of Baylor University in Waco, Texas. “In a way, all the basic elements of life are in baseball and Little League,” said Dr. Sloan. “You have to show up at a certain time. If you’re late, you let the team down. And just like life, there are isolated individual performances that stand out. But in the end, it’s what the team did that really matters.” Dr. Sloan, a Little League coach from 1984-1990, has authored two books and more than 50 articles.
	Leonard S. Coleman, Jr. -- 1996 When Leonard Coleman dreamed of professional baseball as a Little Leaguer in Montclair, N.J., he probably never considered he would rise to the rank of President of the National League. Mr. Coleman became the 14th President of the league in 1994, prepared with more than two decades of exemplary professional and community service. Mr. Coleman has achieved tremendous success while retaining the values and character he developed as a child on a Little League field. Mr. Coleman’s community involvement includes work with the Little League Foundation, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Non-Violent Social Change, the Children’s Defense Fund, and the Boys and Girls Club of Newark, N.J.
	Dale Murphy -- 1995 A graduate of the Tualatin Little League in Portland, Ore., Dale Murphy won five consecutive Golden Glove Awards. He was selected as a National League all-star five times. In 1983 he became the youngest of only four players to win back-to-back Most Valuable Player Awards. He was presented Major League Baseball’s Lou Gehrig Memorial Award in 1985 as the player who best exemplifies the image and character of a Hall of Famer.
	Dr. Vincent Fortanasce -- 1994 Dr. Fortanase is a Board Certified Psychiatrist and Neurologist as well as a clinical professor at the University of Southern California School of Medicine where he was twice named Outstanding Teacher of the Year. A member of the 1964 US Olympic Weight Lifting Team, Dr. Fortanasce is a member of the Los Angeles County Medical Association Board of Ethics. He played in the Elmont Little League, Queens, N.Y.
	Dr. Story Musgrave -- 1994 Dr. Musgrave is a NASA Astronaut who has flown more than 17,000 hours in more than 160 types of aircraft including five missions on the Space Shuttle. Dr. Musgrave, who was instrumental in the repair of the Hubble Space Telescope, has three bachelors degrees and five masters degrees in addition to a Doctorate in Medicine. Dr. Musgrave played Little League in Boston, Mass.
	Jim Palmer -- 1994 Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer is a graduate of the Beverly Hills, Calif., Little League. In his 19-year Major League career he won three Cy Young Awards and was the first pitcher ever to post a World Series victory in each of three decades. He also distinguished himself as an analyst and commentator for ABC Sports. Jim Palmer completed his career with more than 2,200 strikeouts and a 2.86 earned run average.
	Hale Irwin -- 1993 Hale Irwin was a scholar/athlete at the University of Colorado where he excelled at football. He is considered one of the most successful members of the PGA. A graduate of the Baxter Springs (Kan) Little League, he has won three U.S. Open Championships and was a member of the U.S. World Cup Team twice and a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup Team five times.
	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar -- 1992 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the all-time leading scorer in National Basketball Association history and member of the NBA Hall of Fame, played Little League Baseball in the Inwood Little League in New York City where he was awarded his team’s sportsmanship award. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been on six NBA championship teams and has been named NBA Most Valuable player six times. He is second in NBA history for most games played and holds the NBA record for career blocked shots.
	George Will -- 1992 George Will, a graduate of the Champaign (Ill.) Little League, is a nationally syndicated columnist, political analyst and best-selling author. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 1977. His book, “Men At Work,” reached the top of the New York Times Best Seller List and is widely regarded as the best “nuts and bolts” book about baseball book of the decade.
	Nolan Ryan -- 1991 Major League Baseball’s all-time strike out record holder is a graduate of the Alvin Little League in Alvin, Texas, where his children also played Little League. Nolan Ryan was the 1990 recipient of the Sporting News Man of the Year Award, United Press International’s Male Athlete of the Year Award and the United States Sports Academy/USA Today Professional Sportsman of the Year Award. He retired from Major League Baseball following the 1992 season with an unprecedented seven no-hit games and twelve one-hit games. Nolan Ryan ranks among the all-time leaders in games started, innings pitched, shutouts, and earned run average, and was the 18th pitcher to win 300 games.
	Mike Schmidt -- 1991 Mike Schmidt is a graduate of the North Riverdale Little League in Dayton, Ohio. During his stellar 18-season career with the Philadelphia Phillies, he earned three National League Most Valuable Player Awards and was awarded the Gold Glove ten times. Mike Schmidt retired from Major League Baseball in 1989 having hit 548 home runs and driving in 1,595 runs and collecting 1,015 extra-base hits.
	Tom Selleck -- 1991 Tom Selleck was an all-star pitcher with the Pioneer Little League of Sherman Oaks, Calif. This multi-talented actor has earned both an Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award for his work. His highly successful series “Magnum, PI” enjoyed eight seasons as one of network television’s most popular programs. Tom Selleck has also starred in several hit movies.
	Vice President Dan Quayle -- 1990 Vice President Dan Quayle played second base in the Hoosier Little League of Huntington, Ind., during the mid-1950’s. He was the first Little League graduate elected to the nation’s second highest office. A special enshrinement ceremony was held for Mr. Quayle in the Indian Treaty Room of the Old Executive Office Building (now the Eisenhower Executive Office Building) at the White House complex in Washington, D.C. At his enshrinement, Mr. Quayle donated his Little League glove to the Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum, where it displayed today.
	Senator Bill Bradley -- 1989 Bill Bradley, a graduate of the Crystal City (Mo.) Little League, personifies the principles of sportsmanship, responsibility and discipline. He has demonstrated an exceptional balance of superior academic and sports accomplishments through his illustrious professional basketball career with the New York Knicks and into his leadership position as a U.S. Senator for New Jersey. He distinguished himself as a Rhodes Scholar at Princeton University where he was an All-America basketball player and captain of the 1964 U.S. Olympic Basketball Team.
	Tom Seaver -- 1988 Tom Seaver, a graduate of the Spartan Little League, Fresno, Calif., and one of Major League Baseball’s most accomplished pitchers is the Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum Hall of Excellence charter enshrinee. Throughout his 19-year career he accumulated 311 wins, a no-hit game, three Cy Young Awards, the National League Rookie of the Year Award, and a World Series Championship with the New York Mets. He was awarded baseball’s highest honor, selection into the Baseball Hall of Fame, in 1992. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Southern California in 1974, seven years after his Major League career began.