Western Massachusetts Baseball Umpires Association President David Paradis and umpire Joe Vaschak, left to right, stand alongside Westfield Babe Ruth president Dan Welch during a recent award ceremony. Welch was presented with a plaque for his contributions to the sport of baseball throughout the Western Massachusetts area. (Submitted photo)
WESTFIELD – Westfield Babe Ruth Baseball league president Dan Welch has given so much to the sport that many felt it was time for him to receive.
The Baseball Umpires Association of Western Massachusetts recently present Welch with the Jack Lanzillo Award for his outstanding contributions to baseball in WMass.
Annually, the umpires association presents an award to someone that has provided outstanding contributions to baseball in Western Mass.
Welch has been involved in youth, high school and adult league baseball in Westfield and WMass for more than 20 years. Starting when his youngest son was 6 years old, he helped coach and coordinated the Westfield YMCA T Ball games under George Hart, moved on to Little League in 1986 where he was a league vice president under John Wheeler and also coached both sons in Little League.
Welch succeeded Dick Baldwin as president of the Greater Westfield Baseball League and has continued in that position since 2002. In 2012 and 2014, he accompanied two Westfield teams to Babe Ruth World Series appearances in Kitsap County WA and Ocala, FL. These were the first Westfield Babe Ruth teams to participate in a World Series in 20 years.
Welch has also supported numerous area baseball tournaments and is involved in the highly successful fall baseball leagues, where more than 60 teams from ages 12 through high school participate in games throughout September and October. He has served as a league coordinator and umpire in chief for the leagues, providing baseball opportunities outside the traditional season for more than 800 players.
When he is not coordinating spring and summer baseball activities he also umpires high school and baseball games from April through October for youth and adult leagues.
“I enjoy all youth sports activities and have been interested in supporting our youth long after my boys were involved as active players,” Welch said. “There is no greater joy than watching a young person succeed at the game. Today my daughter still plays competitive soccer at the college level where I can be a dad and a spectator instead of being a coordinator or a coach.”
