PHILADELPHIA — Nine years and nearly 2,700 miles removed from her star-making moment, Mo’ne Davis is amazed at how often people still stop her for a photo.
“I feel like stuff like that never gets normal, especially so far from my home state,” Davis said. “It’s one of those moments where you’re just like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe people actually remember that and want to take pictures with me and want to talk to me.’ ”
It might seem like Davis is a long way from the spotlight she was thrust into as a 13-year-old, when she landed on the cover of Sports Illustrated, booked an appearance on The Tonight Show , and drew praise from the likes of Michelle Obama and Mike Trout. But even across the country, the impact of Davis’ appearance in the Little League World Series endures for the fans who continue to recognize her and the ballplayers who still introduce themselves to her.
In 2014, Davis was the teenage trailblazer from Philadelphia who became the first girl to pitch a shutout and earn a win in the history of the Little League World Series. Today, she is a Hampton University graduate working a comparatively normal job, editing and shooting film as a production intern for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Davis didn’t land with the Dodgers by touting her fame or relying on a connection. Like many impending college graduates, she found a listing online, submitted an application, and hoped for the best.
While sifting through resumés, Dodgers director of production Erick Vazquez recognized Davis’ name and recalled that she once threw out the first pitch at Dodger Stadium. But what stood out was her experience and professionalism.
“She obviously understands the game of baseball, and she had experience already with production,” Vazquez said. “She was very professional and put together. Those are all things that were big sellers for me.”
For Davis, the Dodgers are the latest stop in a baseball journey that started as a 7-year-old at the Marian Anderson Recreation Center in South Philadelphia. Her days on the mound are behind her, but Davis has stayed connected to baseball by coaching, broadcasting, and working in a behind-the-scenes role with MLB Network.
“She’s a good athlete, [but] she’s just brilliant mentally [and] analytically so far ahead of other people,” said Steve Bandura, founder of the Anderson Monarchs, a Philadelphia-based travel team Davis played on for much of her childhood. “That’s why I think she’d be an awesome coach. I think she’s great [being] hands-on with the kids, too.”
Davis has also expressed a desire to work in a front office or own a team.
“I feel like it’s all pretty possible,” she said.
Baseball has always been the sport most associated with Davis, but she wasn’t always sure she wanted to dedicate her career to it. Davis also played basketball, softball, and soccer. At one point, she aspired to follow in the footsteps of her idol, Maya Moore, and play college basketball at UConn.
But throughout her life, baseball remained a powerful draw.
“I thought I was going to get away from baseball once I stopped playing. … Being around the game and coming to the stadium, it just kind of brings that love back,” Davis said.
“It’s just fun being here — I can be myself. I feel like with the other sports, it doesn’t feel the same. But baseball is kind of where I got my start, so I figure it’s just part of me, really. I feel like I can never get away from this sport no matter how hard I try.”
As she has progressed in her career, Davis hasn’t been able to spend as much time in Philadelphia (she says she misses the cheesesteaks and water ice). She attended college at Hampton, an HBCU located 30 miles north of Norfolk, Va., and graduated in May with a degree in communications. After she finishes her internship in Los Angeles, she plans to move to New York and enroll in a sports management master’s program at Columbia University.
But Davis still finds a way to stay in touch, through group chats, social media, and the occasional visit. Even when she’s not around, her presence and her legacy are hard to miss at the Marian Anderson Recreation Center, where Davis’ pictures adorn the walls and where every girl receives an autographed copy of herself memoir.
“Seeing successful people that look like [the kids] is huge in our program, and we try to expose the kids to that as much as we can,” Bandura said. “Having one of our own be on that level, knowing that she came from the same program that they’re in … it’s extremely inspirational.”
