Larry Davis

1928-2000

NBC World Series Tournament Director (1971-1999)
NBC Hall of Fame Inductee | Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee

Larry Davis was born in 1928 in Lamont, Oklahoma, and graduated from Wichita East High School. He began his 47-year career with the National Baseball Congress in 1952 as a ticket taker for Hap Dumont, the legendary founder who created the annual tournament in 1935. What started as a part-time job selling tickets would evolve into one of the most consequential careers in amateur baseball history.

Working as a bank teller by day, Davis learned the intricacies of tournament operations from the master promoter himself. Dumont recognized Davis’s unique ability to handle people, settle disputes, and understand the delicate balance required to coordinate 32 teams, countless fans, and an entire city across ten days of intensive baseball competition. By 1961, Dumont had placed Davis him in charge of the complex logistics that made the NBC World Series function seamlessly.

Leadership Through Crisis

On July 3, 1971, Raymond “Hap” Dumont collapsed and died in his office at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, just weeks before that year’s tournament. With no succession plan in place, the future of the NBC World Series hung in the balance. Davis immediately took control of operations and ensured the 1971 tournament proceeded as scheduled, demonstrating the leadership that would define his nearly three-decade tenure as tournament director.

Over the next 28 years, Davis guided the NBC World Series through its most turbulent period. The organization underwent multiple ownership changes, including Anne Dumont, Dee Hubbard, a consortium led by Professor Fran Jabara of Wichita State University, Rusty Eck, and eventually the Rich family of Buffalo, New York, who purchased the NBC in 1985. Through each transition, Davis remained the constant, maintaining the tournament’s integrity and traditions while adapting to the evolving landscape of amateur baseball.

Building Structure and Sustainability

Davis’ daily responsibilities included constructing tournament brackets, coordinating with teams from across the country, managing game schedules, and overseeing the entire Lawrence-Dumont Stadium operation. Davis had an encyclopedic knowledge of amateur baseball talent and used it to create competitive matchups that kept fans engaged throughout the tournament. He also maintained relationships with professional baseball scouts, ensuring the NBC World Series remained a premier showcase for future major league talent.

The Tournament’s Steady Hand

Davis rarely left Lawrence-Dumont Stadium during tournament season, dedicating himself entirely to ensuring smooth operations. He adjusted schedules to accommodate teams arriving at different times, resolved disputes between managers and umpires, and made countless decisions that kept games running on time despite the logistical challenges of playing over 60 games in a ten-day span.

His management style was direct and firm. Managers quickly learned that Davis’s decisions were final, and those who couldn’t accept his authority often weren’t invited back. Yet beneath his gruff exterior was a deep passion for the NBC World Series and genuine care for making the tournament successful for everyone involved—teams, fans, and the city of Wichita.

Steve Shaad, who worked alongside Davis for 21 years, described him as “a real get-down-to-business type guy” with “a real good knack for counting money and counting tickets.” Davis understood that the tournament’s success depended on both the quality of baseball and sound fiscal management.

Adapting to Changing Times

Davis oversaw the tournament during significant changes in amateur baseball. He navigated the shift from military service teams and town teams to college players dominating rosters in the 1960s and beyond. He managed the introduction of Alaska-based teams that became NBC World Series powerhouses. He supported the return to wooden bats in 2000, which brought professional scouts back to Wichita in greater numbers and restored a traditional feel to the games.

He also managed the complex relationship between the NBC World Series and professional minor league baseball in Wichita. When the Wichita Wranglers began play at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, Davis coordinated schedules to accommodate both organizations, even as it created additional logistical challenges during tournament season.

Personal Life and Recognition

Davis was married to his wife Joan in 1960, who passed away in 1982. He was survived by two sons, Chris and Mark; two daughters, Debbie Chamberlain and Rhonda Gray; and six grandchildren. His son Chris followed him into athletics, becoming head boys basketball coach at Wichita South and later Athletic Director.

Larry was inducted into the Wichita Sports Hall of Fame during ceremonies on the second day of the 2002 NBC World Series. His son Chris accepted the award, noting the timing couldn’t have been better—during his father’s favorite time of year. Davis was also a member of the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the National Baseball Congress Hall of Fame in 1992.

Legacy

Davis retired as NBC tournament director in December 1999 and was named commissioner emeritus for the 2000 tournament. He died on September 12, 2000, at age 72.

For 47 years, Larry Davis devoted himself to the NBC World Series. From his start as a ticket seller in 1952 through his final years as tournament director, he ensured that Hap Dumont’s vision not only survived but flourished. While Dumont created the tournament, Davis built the organizational foundation that allowed it to endure into the 21st century. His steady leadership, institutional knowledge, and unwavering commitment to excellence established standards that continue to guide the NBC World Series today.

The tournament that plays each summer in Wichita stands as Larry Davis’s monument—a testament to the power of dedication, hard work, and an unshakeable belief that amateur baseball matters.