During the late 1970’s, the Lambertville Little League began considering the possibility of hosting a post-season baseball tournament for all-star teams representing area little leagues. After several years in the planning stages, the league finalized its preparations during the early part of 1981.

Several months before the beginning of the regular season, Victor Walker, a lifelong Lambertville resident and businessman, died following an illness. For many years, Mr. Walker had supported local youth sports teams of all types, contributing time and money on a regular basis. The Lambertville Little League, in particular, had often benefited from Mr. Walker’s generosity. League members decided that it would be a fitting tribute to name the tournament after its deceased benefactor. Like most local youth groups, this League depends heavily on contributions by volunteers, like Vic Walker. By honoring him, the League feels that it has symbolically honored all volunteers, past and present, that have given their time, expertise, and financial support to keep the League operating through the years.

The first Vic Walker Tournament was played in July 1981 where eight teams competed in a double elimination tournament. In an all-Hunterdon County final, Readington Township defeated D.V.A.A. (Milford) in the first championship game. The following year, the Tournament field expanded to twelve teams, including teams from Mercer County and additional teams from Pennsylvania. Sunnybrae (Hamilton Township) won the 1982 championship and repeated as champs in 1983, defeating D.V.A.A. in the final game each year.

The 1984 season was an especially important one for the League. The Lambertville and West Amwell communities were facing a decline in the number of players and volunteers, so a merger of the organizations was completed. These lengthy and delicate negotiations were the basis of what has become a very successful partnership. Since 1984, the two municipalities, along with Stockton, have competed as the Lambertville-West Amwell Youth Baseball Association and have continued to sponsor the Vic Walker Tournament and other projects benefiting youth sports. The Tournament flourished under the League’s new setup as the format has gradually but steadily been improved. After three runner-up finishes, D.V.A.A. defeated Sunnybrae in the 1984 championship game, winning its first title. A year later, the Hamilton Little Lads swept to the 1985 Tournament crown by topping Penn-Jersey (Northampton County) in the title game.

The following year, the League voted to present individual Tournament awards for the first time. The Bobby Schermerhorn M.V.P. Award and the Pat Wiley Sportsmanship Awards were named in honor of two other local men who had recently died and had also been active in youth sports. Doylestown beat D.V.A.A. to take home the 1986 championship trophy and each of those clubs garnered an individual award. Doylestown’s Travis Diebert won the first M.V.P. trophy and D.V.A.A.’s Craig Philkill won the first Sportsmanship trophy.

Penn-Jersey began its run as the Tournament’s dominant team the following year when the Pennsylvania club beat Delaware Township in the 1987 final game. Penn-Jersey then toppled Tewksbury Township to win the 1988 Tournament championship and become the second back-to-back winner. Southampton (Pennsylvania) foiled Penn-Jersey’s bid for a three-peat in 1989 in the first all-Pennsylvania final.

Penn-Jersey came right back to edge Readington Township in the 1990 final, capturing its third overall title. The host club, Lambertville-West Amwell, opposed Penn-Jersey in the 1991 final game. Although Penn-Jersey won the title, the second place finish remains the host club’s best showing in its Tournament. Penn-Jersey’s success continued as it topped Langhorne in 1992 and Pennsbury in 1993 to run its championship string to four in a row.

The streak finally ended when Pennsbury advanced from the Losers’ Bracket to defeat the Hamilton Little Lads twice in the 1994 finals. In that tournament, Kevin Ryan of Pennsbury, delivered the strongest all-around individual performance in tournament history with fifteen hits, seven home runs, and fifteen runs batted in and a .577 batting average. As a pitcher, he also won three games and saved one more, with thirty-eight strikeouts in twenty-three innings, including a one hit, fourteen-strikeout complete game shutout in the final game.

Penn-Jersey recaptured the title in 1995 emerging from the Loser’s Bracket to defeat D.V.A.A. twice on the final day of the tournament. The championship was Penn-Jersey’s seventh, the most wins by any single organization.

The following year, Hopewell and Flemington-Raritan played the Tournament’s most exciting final game. Hopewell was leading 6-3 for five innings before Flemington-Raritan rallied for four runs in the top of the sixth. Down to its last three outs, Hopewell rallied for two runs to pull out an 8-7 victory. The 1996 champs were the third consecutive team to emerge from the Loser’s Bracket and win the tournament by defeating the previously undefeated runner up twice.

Tri-Township defeated Doylestown 6-3 to win the 1997 championship. In the same year, the tournament committee along with the Lambertville Elks Lodge sponsored a home run derby contest for the first time, where J. P. MacDonald of Pinehickon won the initial event.

Somerset defeated Flemington-Raritan 10-6 to grab the 1998 championship. In 1999, Doylestown outscored the D.V.A.A. Nationals 7-2 in the championship game to capture its second title.

In the 2002 and 2003 season, the Vic Walker Tournament was relocated from Ely Memorial Park to Hewitt Park in West Amwell Township due to park renovations and the construction of the new Ely field. 

In the 2004 season the LWAYBA opened the new field, which was far enough along to play games to take the pressure off of its Hewitt Park Complex.  With the new Ely Field being still a work in progress and other business reasons the LWAYBA decided to suspend the tournament for the 2004 season.

As the last few years passed, the LWAYBA has grown stronger. The girls softball division has become a solid part of the league, so much that the League officially changed it’s name to the Lambertville West Amwell Youth Baseball and Softball Association. The Ely Field Complex has seen a tremendous facelift with the resurfacing of the Softball Field and the addition of the new Snack Shack & bathroom facilities.  The 2008 season was the first time the LWAYBSA saw the benefits of the multifield complex.

It is because of those reasons along with the hard work and dedication of the LWAYBSA volunteers that we have decided to once again play host to the Vic Walker Memorial All Star Tournament in 2009. We hope to see everyone in the Lambertville West Awmell and Stockton communities, along with the participating towns during the event. We are determined to make the event a success once again.