Eric Davis

From BR Bullpen

Eric Keith Davis

Bats Right, Throws Right
Height 6' 3", Weight 185 lb.
High School John C. Fremont High School
Debut May 19, 1984
Final Game October 7, 2001
Born May 29, 1962 in Los Angeles, CA USA

[edit] Biographical Information

Widely considered the most talented player in the National League in the 1980's, Eric Davis never reached his career potential in large part because of injuries.

Davis was a boyhood friend and teammate of Darryl Strawberry, who was the bigger star when they were kids growing up in Los Angeles, CA. He was signed as an 8th round pick in the 1980 amateur draft by the Cincinnati Reds and scout Larry Barton Jr.. Davis came up in 1984 at the age of 22, showing signs of his trademark abilities: he hit 10 home runs in only 57 games, and stole 10 bases, getting caught only twice.

It was Davis' lot to come up when Pete Rose had just taken over the managerial reins for the Reds. Rose took an immediate liking to the young player, who became a big star for Rose, at a time when Rose was betting on games.

In 1986, Davis stunned baseball with his unusual combination of stats: 27 home runs, 80 stolen bases, and 100 strikeouts. It was reminiscent of Bobby Bonds, although Bonds had never stolen close to 80 bases. Davis was, however, partly overshadowed by Rickey Henderson's performance in the other league during the same year, when Rickey hit 28 home runs and had 87 stolen bases. In 1987 Davis rearranged the numbers a bit, hitting 37 home runs with 50 stolen bases.

Davis tied the record for a MLB position player by striking out in nine straight plate appearances. He did so in 1987, following Adolfo Phillips (1966) and Steve Balboni (1984). Reggie Jackson also tied the mark in 1987 and Bo Jackson followed in 1988. It was 19 years until Mark Reynolds became #6 to share the record.

Davis, was, however, never a very durable player, appearing in at most 135 games in a season, which limited his home run and stolen base totals. The year in which he stole 80 bases he appeared in only 132 games. At the age of 30, Davis became a journeyman, going to the Dodgers, then Detroit, then Cincinnati, then Baltimore, then St. Louis, and then finally the Giants in his last 10 years in the majors. In 1998, with Baltimore, his slugging percentage reached as high as .582.

He retired with 282 home runs and 348 stolen bases. He appeared in post-season play 3 times, winning a World Series ring in 1990 with the Reds. He never came close to winning an MVP award, and did not lead the league in any major category. He did win 3 Gold Gloves, and his range factors were consistently good.

Diagnosed with colon cancer in 1997, he returned to play though the 2001 season. In 2005 the fans of Cincinnati voted him to the team's Hall of Fame, along with fellow 1990 World Series hero Jose Rijo.

In terms of "similarity scores", two of the most similar players are Larry Doby and Darryl Strawberry.

He went through quite a post-All Star break surge in 1988. Before the break, he hit .247 with 14 home runs and 45 RBI. After the break, he hit .304 with 12 home runs and 48 RBI.