David & Baseball

David's great love for baseball started from a very young age. His Grand-pop, Fred Ward, would take him to Yankee Stadium to watch Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris play. David became an avid Yankees fan. Mickey Mantle became his lifelong idol and his prized possession was a Mickey Mantle signed baseball.

David started playing baseball at Colgate Field which was a short 5 minute walk from his home in West Orange, New Jersey.

“I was a full-fledged baseball freak, who joined the little league and everything, and there was hardly a day that went by without me screaming myself hoarse in some game, coming home with my knees skinned (from sliding for bases) and my neck filthy. Mom used to ask me if I was growing potatoes on my neck!”

Throughout his life, David’s love for baseball never faded and he took up any opportunity to go to a game, whether it was for leisure, work, or charity. He loved coaching his son’s little league team.

David was honoured to sing “God Bless America” at the World Series in 2003.

With his son Beau, David sang “The National Anthem”, and then he threw the first pitch at a Wrigley Field, Chicago game in 2006.

In 2009 he sang “The National Anthem” before the start of a Red Sox vs White Sox game in Boston.