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Aug, 2022

Jerry Register Honored at 2022 DSGPLWS Opening Ceremony

A National Championship mentality isn’t built in a day, or a week, or a month. It takes years upon years for individuals to prepare themselves to reach the pinnacle of sports. Everyone aspires for it, but most work their whole life to never sniff it. Only a lucky few get to experience the feeling of being the best in the nation in their respective sport.

Jerry Register got to experience it three times.

Born and raised in Lufkin, Texas, Register recalled the moment his life changed forever when he got his first hit.

“At ten years old was my first go-around. I very vividly remember hitting a double down the left field line,” said Register. “It is the most vivid memory I have of baseball.”

From that moment on he did nothing but win titles. The first of his three National Championships came in 1957 in Washington, Pennsylvania at the PONY League World Series. He hit five home runs in the four games which set the record of most home runs in a series.

That home run record was not broken until 2013 when Javier Lopez of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico hit six. It stood proud and untouched for 56 years.

“They say you’re not supposed to be prideful, but I am. I’m prideful I had that record.”

Register’s second National title came two years later in 1959 when he was playing graduate ball. In his sophomore year at Sam Houston State in 1963, he won his third national championship. He not only won another National title, he had several individual accolades to add to his collection from his college years. In 1964 he was an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American as he led his team in batting average.

While his accomplishments on the field were the ones recognized, Register acknowledged that he wasn’t the one in his family who should be celebrated.

“My mom would make my dad drive to Sam Houston for ball games. I think they set the world record for miles driven to baseball games,” said Register. “I think she saw every single game.”

Talking about his mom made him emotional and he admits that PONY was such a large part of his life because of his mother’s dedication to it.

“PONY has a special place in my heart. My mother was hugely involved in kid baseball.”

His advice to young kids just starting out in the sport,

“If you can’t love it, don’t mess with it. It’s about the relationships you develop with your teammates and the associations with the people that come before you. That’s what’s most attractive about PONY. There are a lot of people that continue to support the organization and the game and that’s important.”

He was accompanied by his brother, Joe Lee, on his trip to Washington, PA. The brothers have donated countless items to our museum that are displayed for all to see. He was honored during the opening ceremony on Friday, August 12th in front of the crowd at Lew Hays PONY Field.

Register currently lives in Huntsville with his wife of 42 years, Mary Sue. He practices law for a living and has three stepchildren.

He was inducted into the Sam Houston State Hall of Honor in 2021. 



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