| Eric Davis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Outfielder | |
| Born: (1962-05-29)May 29, 1962 (age 63) Los Angeles, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| May 19, 1984, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 7, 2001, for the San Francisco Giants | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .269 |
| Home runs | 282 |
| Runs batted in | 934 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Eric Keith Davis (born May 29, 1962) is an American formerbaseballcenter fielder for severalMajor League Baseball (MLB) teams, most notably theCincinnati Reds, to which he owes his nickname "Eric the Red." Davis was 21 years old when he made his major league debut with the Reds on May 19, 1984. Davis spent eight seasons with the Reds and later played for theLos Angeles Dodgers,Detroit Tigers,Baltimore Orioles,St. Louis Cardinals, andSan Francisco Giants. A right-handed batter and fielder, Davis had a combination of athletic ability, including foot and bat speed, power, and defensive acumen. He achieved a number of rare feats.
In 1987, he became the first player in major league history to hit threegrand slams in one month and the first to achieve at least 30home runs and 50stolen bases in the same season. Showcasing his career as one of the greatest power/speed players in MLB history, Eric is tied for 4th all-time in 20HR/20SB seasons with seven,[1] one ahead of Willie Mays and Hank Aaron.
The Reds selected Davis, a native ofLos Angeles,California, in the eighth round of the1980 amateur draft fromJohn C. Fremont High School inSouth Los Angeles, where he was a heavily recruitedcollege basketball prospect. In his major league career, he often sustained injuries while winning twoMLB All-Star Game selections, threeRawlings Gold Glove Awards and twoSilver Slugger Awards. Over a 162-game period spanning June 11, 1986, to July 4, 1987, hebatted .308, .406on-base percentage, .622slugging percentage with 47home runs, 149runs scored, 123runs batted in (RBI) and 98stolen bases. In 1990, he became aWorld Series champion in the Reds' upset and four-game sweep of theOakland Athletics.
In 1996, Davis successfully restarted his baseball career with the Reds and was named the comeback player of the year. He moved to the Orioles and, despite fightingcolon cancer, he had one of his best statistical seasons in 1998. Injuries again slowed Davis over the next few seasons, and he retired for good in 2001.
Along with other business interests, Davis currently works as a roving instructor in the Reds organization.
Eric Keith Davis was born inLos Angeles,California, one of three children, to Jimmy and Shirley Davis. He has one brother named Jim Jr., and one sister named Sharletha. Jimmy worked at a grocery chain inGardena named Boys Market. He was active with his sons in sports, such aspick-up basketball games. With copious all-round athletic talent, Davis competed with futureLos Angeles Lakers playerByron Scott at Baldwin Hills Park and Recreation Center from the age of 12, and he aspired to play in theNational Basketball Association (NBA).[2]
While at Baldwin Hills, Davis befriendedDarryl Strawberry, and their careers would become intertwined from high school toMajor League Baseball (MLB). Davis attendedJohn C. Fremont High School inSouth Los Angeles where he starred in both basketball and baseball, while Strawberry attended and played for crosstown rivalCrenshaw. As a senior, Davisbatted .635 and stole 50 bases in 15 games.[3] As a basketball player, he averaged 29points and 10assists per game. Steadfast in his goal of playing in the NBA, Davis continued to exert more effort to prepare for a career in basketball[4] than he did in baseball until his senior year of high school.[2] Davis lacked interest in attending college, and because the customary path to an NBA career at the time was by playing in theNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), he decided to focus his aspirations on baseball.[4]
TheCincinnati Reds selected Davis in the eighth round (200th overall) of the1980 MLB draft.[5] Strawberry was chosen in the same draft as thefirst overall selection by theNew York Mets.[4]
In his first full year of professionalbaseball, Davis stole 40 bases in 62 games.[4]
When Davis first appeared in the major leagues in1984, his physical talents gave him the potential to be one of the most exciting players in the game. He was a rarefive-tool player with home run power as well as sheer speed on the base paths. He made a habit of robbing home runs and elicited comparisons toWillie Mays.
Davis began to excel in1986, batting .277 while swatting 27 homers and stealing 80 bases to join the20–50 club.[5][6] He andRickey Henderson remain the only players in major league history to be members of the 20–80 club.[7] In a 162-game span (June 11, 1986 – July 4, 1987) he made 659plate appearance and batted .308/.406/.622 with 47 homers, 149 runs, 123 RBI, and 98 stolen bases. (He was caught stealing just 12 times.)[4]
Davis continued to build on his success in1987. OnOpening Day, he went 3–for–3 with a home run, a stolen base, and two walks. Through the first 10 games, he was batting .526 with 4 home runs and 8 stolen bases. On May 1, 1987, he hit 2 home runs, including agrand slam. Two days later, he hit another three home runs—one each to left, center, and right field—including a grand slam, and a stolen base. He hit another grand slam that month, making him the first player in history to hit three in one month. During an eventful play in the late innings atWrigley Field on September 4, Davis crashed into the outfield brick wall as he caught a deep fly ball; he lay on the ground for several moments and was slowed afterward.[4]
Davis finished the 1987 season with a .293 average, 37 homers, and 50 steals. He became the first player in history to hit 30 homers and steal 50 bases in a season, despite playing in only 129 games.[7] Prior to 1987, just six players had achieved the30–30 club. That season, three others—including Strawberry,Joe Carter, andHoward Johnson—joined Davis in the 30–30 club.[4] He led the league inpower-speed number (42.53) with a mark that is the third-highest single season mark ever.[8]
From 1986 to 1990, Davis averaged 30 home runs and 40 stolen bases. During this time, he was one of the game's most exciting players and a very visible superstar player. He drew some MVP support every year from 1986 to 1990, finishing in the top 15 in the voting every year. From 1986 to 1989, he also finished in the NL's top 10 in home runs, slugging percentage, andOPS each year. On June 2, 1989, Davis hit for the cycle at home in Riverfront Stadium. While he had some other good seasons later in his career, injuries prevented him from reaching this type of peak again. In 1990, with a solid team around him, Davis was a key player in Cincinnati's"wire-to-wire" championship season.
One of Davis' most famous moments was when he homered offOakland'sDave Stewart in his firstWorld Series at bat in 1990. The home run triggered a World Series sweep for the Reds. While diving for a ball during game 4 of the Series, Davis suffered a lacerated kidney, which required surgery. He also underwent off-season surgery on a knee that he had injured earlier in the season.
After 1990, Davis was unable to get his career back on track. Injuries sabotaged his play in 1991, and he was traded to theLos Angeles Dodgers forTim Belcher andJohn Wetteland. He suffered several more injuries in 1992 and was largely ineffective.
On August 23, 1993, the Dodgers dealt Davis to theDetroit Tigers for aplayer to be named later. One week later, the Tigers sent pitcherJohn DeSilva to the Dodgers to complete the trade. The Tigers had one of the top offenses in 1993 and were seeking to upgrade one of their few weaknesses, the center field position. Davis replacedMilt Cuyler and batted relatively well in 29 games down the stretch with the Tigers; he batted fifth or sixth and finished with anadjusted OPS of 142 and his sixth 20/20 season. Davis was expected to be the Tigers' primary center fielder in 1994, but injuries limited him to just 37 games and batting average of just .183. Following thestrike-shortened 1994 season, Davis was granted free agency by the Tigers and chose to retire.
After recuperating for one season, he felt healthy enough to return to baseball with Cincinnati in 1996. He had a solid season with a .287 average and 26 home runs, although injuries cut into his playing time. He had played well enough, however, to convinceBaltimore to sign him as a free agent.
In May 1997, while in the midst of an impressive start of leading the AL in Batting in April, his numbers began to slump quickly, and soon after Davis was diagnosed withcolon cancer. By September, while he was still in treatment, Davis returned to the team. Cancer treatment left him tired, but he worked hard to regain his form and was well enough to hit a game-winning home run in the1997 American League Championship Series. After the season, he was given theRoberto Clemente Award. He serves as an honorary board member of theMultiple Myeloma Research Foundation.
Davis offered support to Orioles' great Boog Powell who was diagnosed with colon cancer shortly after Davis. Davis and Powell both had surgery by Dr. Keith Lillimoe, and did a series of public service announcements together.[9][10]
Davis was brought back for 1998 and had one of his best seasons, batting .327 (4th in the AL) and hitting 28 homers (eclipsing 25 HR for the 2nd time in 3 seasons), while finishing in the top 10 in Batting Average, Slugging Percent, On-Base Percent, On-Base Plus Slugging, and Offensive Win Percentage.[11] He also hit in 30 consecutive games that season, the longest streak of the 1998 baseball season, and establishing a Baltimore Orioles record.[12]
The beginning of the end for Davis's career began in 1999. He spent three injury-plagued seasons with St. Louis and San Francisco before retiring in 2001.
In 1999, Davis wrote hisautobiography,Born to Play, in which he creditedPete Rose for having faith in him and teaching him about the game. He also had harsh words for 1996 Reds managerRay Knight, with whom Davis had had a memorable on-field fight in 1986.[13] He claimed Knight did not support his comeback and did not stand up for him in contract negotiations after the season. Davis remains bitter about the Reds' treatment of him after his World Series injury. Davis was left behind inOakland after the series and requested that the Reds provide a private plane to bring him back toCincinnati. Davis claimed that he was refused a number of times and made his own way home after the hospital released him.
According to former Reds teammatePaul O'Neill, Davis was "the best hitter, best runner, best outfielder, best everything" he ever saw.[14]
As of 2017, Davis was a hitting instructor for Elite Development Invitational, inVero Beach, Florida, and seeks to promote moreAfrican American youth participation in baseball.[15]
In 1,626 games over 17 seasons, Davis posted a .269batting average (1430-for-5321) with 938runs, 239doubles, 26triples, 282home runs, 934RBI, 349stolen bases, 740bases on balls, .359on-base percentage and .482slugging percentage. He finished his career with a .984fielding percentage playing at all three outfield positions. In 25 postseason games, he hit .192 (14-for-73) with 7 runs, 2 home runs and 12 RBI.
Davis was the childhood idol of comedian Ron Sexton, as well as his most famous character fromThe Bob and Tom Show, Donnie Baker. Donnie (and Sexton) frequently appeared in character in Davis's #44 Reds jersey, and stated on numerous occasions that Davis was the most complete player he'd ever seen. Donnie claimed to have put a curse on former Reds ownerMarge Schott after she "did Eric dirty" following the 1990 World Series. He went on to claim that his alleged curse worked; every April 20, Donnie would begin his 'One Beer Press Conference' with a celebration marking the day Schott sold the team, followed by 'A mandatory moment of silence out of respect for the great Eric Davis.' When arguing with his unseen "neighbor to the north," Tony Mitchell, Donnie told Bob and Tom that he'd "crush Mitchell like Eric Davis crushed fastballs." In real life, Sexton named his first son Eric as a tribute to Davis,[16] and his foundation is named 'You Before Me - 44,' with the 44 being a nod to Davis. The non-profit organization helps comedians struggling with mental health, and also funds baseball scholarships.[17]
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | National League Player of the Month July 1986 April & May 1987 August 1988 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Hitting for the cycle June 2, 1989 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
