Youth baseball players from around the state will gather in La Pine this weekend for the seventh David Taylor Jr Memorial Baseball Tournament. For the Taylor family and the community of La Pine, it’s a weekend that represents a lot more than baseball games. It’s a fundraiser for La Pine students.
By all accounts. David Taylor Jr was a joy to be around. Big Davey, as he was affectionately known to friends and family, had two loves: His son, Little Davey, and his first love — baseball.
On a fateful Friday night in 2015, at the age of 30, David’s life would come to a tragic end. David was killed instantly when the vehicle he was in collided head-on with a semi.
The father, son and coach that was always there for his kids and the community would not be forgotten. La Pine did what La Pine does. They rallied and created a scholarship and baseball tournament in David’s name.
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Little Davey, now 15, will no longer be playing but rather working the tournament.
“I’ve played in it for the last six years and this year I will not be playing in it, but I will be maintaining fields and umping,” Davey said.
His stepdaughter, Kailey, will be helping out, too.
“I run the snack shack and the sweatshirt sales,” Kailey said.
And the community will rally.
“It means a lot to us all to come together for someone in the community like that,” said Deakon Looney, a tournament player and worker.
A lot of baseball will be played, and a lot of fun will be had. But at its core, the tournament has become a vehicle to help La Pine kids and remember what was important to Big Davey.
“Every year, this tournament raises money for the fund or for the scholarship, and we gave it out to baseball or softball players,” Davey said.
This year alone the David Taylor scholarship fund awarded $4,000 to La Pine students.
“We also give back to the baseball program every year because they help us run the program,” said Sissy Shafe, Davey’s mom.
The heart beats well and the heart beats strong. And for the 7th summer in a row, La Pine will show that heartbeat off to the rest of the state.
“I think that this legacy that has gone on and that the people that have all stepped up, I think that that tells this story,” Sissy said.
