MARK HEDRICK RECEIVES
BABE RUTH LEAGUE, INC. NATIONAL AWARD
Hamilton, NJ… Missouri Assistant State Commissioner Mark Hedrick of Bismarck, Missouri, has been chosen as the recipient of the 2024 Babe Ruth Baseball “Lefty Gomez Volunteer of the Year” Award.
The late Vernon “Lefty” Gomez served as a member of the Babe Ruth League, Inc. Board of Directors for 25 years. One of the reasons he was so committed to the program was because he witnessed firsthand the positive impact Babe Ruth League had on its young participants, and he knew the organization relied on the many volunteers who served as mentors, set positive examples, and gave unselfishly of their time and resources to provide an enjoyable, wholesome, and educational baseball and softball experience.
The Babe Ruth Baseball “Lefty Gomez Volunteer of the Year” Award, established in 1991 to commemorate Lefty Gomez, is one of the most prestigious honors in all of Babe Ruth League, Inc., and is presented each year to a Babe Ruth volunteer who has contributed significantly to the program, locally, statewide, regionally, and nationally.
Mark Hedrick served in the United States Army from 1968 to 1971. He began his Babe Ruth career in 1974 as a manager and umpire when their local baseball association joined Babe Ruth League.
Over the years, Hedrick served in various roles at the local league level, including League President, Secretary, Treasurer, and as a manager for 13-15 and 16-18 Babe Ruth Baseball teams.
After leaving the local league level, Mark held numerous leadership roles, including District Commissioner, State Commissioner, and Assistant State Commissioner, a position he still holds today.
In addition, Hedrick has worked diligently behind the scenes to organize and administer many, District, State, and Regional Tournaments for Missouri and Midwest Plains Babe Ruth Leagues. For the past several years, Hedrick has served as a key Task Force Member for the Cal Ripken Major/70 World Series.
“For close to 50 years, Mark Hedrick has played a key role in providing youth with many opportunities to enjoy the game, where they have learned valuable life lessons that have helped them interact successfully with others, personally, at school, and throughout their lives,” said Steven Tellefsen, President/CEO for Babe Ruth League, Inc. “This award is in recognition of Mark’s long-time devoted service, compassion, and genuine dedication to our participants and our mission.”
Mark Hedrick has been married to his wonderful wife and best friend Judy for over 50 years. They have a son and a daughter, as well as five grandchildren.
Babe Ruth League, Inc. is a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to developing better citizens by providing properly supervised baseball and softball competition for 4 through 18-year-old players. It is the basic intent of Babe Ruth League that every player who has a desire to play the sport is allowed to participate and have fun.
