Tommy Davis
From BR Bullpen
Herman Thomas Davis Jr.
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 2", Weight 205 lb.
- Debut September 22, 1959
- Final Game October 2, 1976
- Born March 21, 1939 in Brooklyn, NY USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Tommy Davis was a terrific young player who won the N.L. batting titles in 1962 and 1963. His 1962 RBI total of 153 stands out as a notable accomplishment in a decade when not many runs were scored (the total was partly due to Maury Wills stealing over 100 bases that season).
His career was one of high batting averages and decent power initially, but not too many walks. He was one of the many outfielders that the Los Angeles Dodgers unsuccessfully tried to turn into a third baseman: between 1961 and 1963, he played 138 games at the position, but barely fielded above .900.
He reached the majors in 1959 at the age of 20, and when he was done 18 years later, he had played 1,999 games and had over 2,100 hits. He was on the pennant-winning Dodgers teams in 1963, 1965, and 1966.
On May 1, 1965 (Boxscore), he suffered a broken ankle, causing him to miss most of the season; while he was still a high-average hitter after his return to action, he lost most of his power and started moving from team to team after being traded to the New York Mets following the 1966 season.
He did play for good teams in the second part of his career as well, including division winners in Oakland in 1971 and Baltimore in 1973 and 1974, where he was the first full-time designated hitter in the team's history. Although he is best remembered for his play with the Dodgers, he hit over .300 with Oakland in 1971 and Baltimore in 1973. He played for ten teams in his career, hitting over .300 for four different teams and compiling a lifetime .294 batting average during a period that has been called the second dead-ball era.
His .320 batting average as a pinch hitter is the highest of any batter with at least 150 at bats in the role, tied with Alex Arias.
He became a hitting coach after his retirement as a player.
Based on similarity scores, the most similar player to Davis is his contemporary Felipe Alou.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 1960 Topps All-Star Rookie Team
- 2-time NL All-Star (1962 & 1963)
- 2-time NL Batting Average Leader (1962 & 1963)
- NL Hits Leader (1962)
- NL RBI Leader (1962)
- 20-Home Run Seasons: 1 (1962)
- 100 RBI Seasons: 1 (1962)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 1 (1962)
- 200 Hits Seasons: 1 (1962)
- Won two World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers (1963 & 1965) (he did not play in the 1965 World Series)
