LL pitcher Davis Athlete of the Year
PHILADELPHIA—No one in the sports world had heard of the 2014 Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year until August.
That’s when 13-year-old Mo’ne Davis became an instant celebrity as she took the pitching mound in baseball’s Little League World Series and mowed down batter after batter, giving “throw like a girl” a whole new meaning.
She was the first girl to win a Little League World Series game, and her performance dazzled fans young and old. Her steely gaze and demeanor on the mound were intimidating, while off-the-field, she shined in interviews. She told admirers that if they thought she was good at baseball, they should see her play basketball. Only in eighth grade, Davis already plays for her school’s high school varsity basketball team.
Davis appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, has her jersey displayed in baseball’s Hall of Fame and was named Sports Kid of the Year by Sports Illustrated Kids.
She met the Obamas at the White House, starred in a Spike Lee-directed car commercial (the NCAA said it wouldn’t hurt her eligibility), marched in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade along with her Taney Dragons teammates and presented Pharrell Williams with Soul Train’s “Song of the Year” award.
The talented three-sport star—she also plays soccer—and honor student from South Philadelphia handled all the attention with poise, modesty and maturity.
“A lot of adults around me help out, taught me to be respectful, to be calm during everything and not let anything get to you,” Davis said after learning of her latest honor.
A vote by US editors and news directors selected Davis as The Associated Press 2014 Female Athlete of the Year. The youngest winner in history, Davis beat out Mt. St. Joseph freshman Lauren Hill—who played her first college basketball game while battling terminal brain cancer—and three-time winner Serena Williams.
Davis tossed a two-hitter to help Philadelphia beat Nashville 4-0 in the Little League World Series opener for both teams. Davis, the first girl to appear for a US team in South Williamsport since 2004, had eight strikeouts and didn’t walk a batter. Her team was eventually eliminated after losing to teams from Las Vegas and Chicago.