Butch Davis (outfielder, born 1958) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Butch Davis |
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Davis with the Minnesota Twins in 2015
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: June 19, 1958 Williamston, North Carolina, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| August 23, 1983, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 31, 1994, for the Texas Rangers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .243 | ||
| Home runs | 7 | ||
| Runs batted in | 50 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Wallace McArthur "Butch" Davis was born on June 19, 1958. He is an American former professional baseball player who played as an outfielder. After his playing days, he became a coach.
Butch Davis played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1983 to 1994. He is known for his long career in baseball, both on the field and as a coach.
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Butch Davis: A Baseball Journey
Butch Davis played for five different teams during his time in Major League Baseball. He was active in the league for parts of eight seasons. Davis was about 6 feet tall and weighed 185 pounds. He batted and threw with his right hand. He was born in Martin County, North Carolina.
Starting His Professional Career
The Kansas City Royals picked Butch Davis in the 12th round of the 1980 MLB Draft. He was playing baseball at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina at the time. This was his first step into professional baseball.
Playing in the Major Leagues
Davis began his Major League career with the Kansas City Royals in 1983. He played for them until 1984. Later, he joined other teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1987. He also played for the Baltimore Orioles from 1988 to 1989. In 1991, he was with the Los Angeles Dodgers. His last team was the Texas Rangers, where he played from 1993 to 1994.
Davis had a very strong start to his career. In 1983, he had a high batting average of .344 in 33 games. However, he did not reach those high numbers again in his later seasons.
Time in the Minor Leagues
Besides playing in the Major Leagues, Davis also spent 13 seasons in the Minor Leagues. In these games, he had a combined batting average of .297. He also stole 291 bases, which means he was very fast on the field.
During the 1991–1992 off-season, Davis played winter baseball. He played for the Leones del Caracas team in the Venezuelan League.
Butch Davis: From Player to Coach
After he stopped playing baseball, Butch Davis became a hitting coach. He worked for the Baltimore Orioles' minor league teams for many years.
Coaching Roles and Teams
Davis mainly coached for the Double-A Bowie Baysox. He was their hitting coach in 2000, from 2003 to 2005, and again from 2013 to 2014. He also worked as an instructor for outfielders and bunting (a special way to hit the ball) in the Orioles' farm system from 2007 to 2012.
He also had a chance to be a manager for some teams. He managed the Gulf Coast League Orioles from 1997 to 1998. Then, he managed the Class-A Delmarva Shorebirds in 1999.
Coaching in the Major Leagues
On December 1, 2014, Butch Davis was named the first base coach for the Minnesota Twins. He worked under Paul Molitor, who was the Twins' manager in 2015. Davis stayed with the Twins until the end of the 2016 season.
After leaving the Twins, Davis continued his coaching career. In 2018, he became the hitting coach for the Norfolk Tides. This team is the AAA (highest level of minor league) affiliate for the Orioles. Before the 2020 season, he was named the fundamentals coach for the Bowie Baysox.
Butch Davis: Beyond the Field
Butch Davis is married and has two children. He currently lives in Garner, North Carolina.
He also had a small part in a baseball movie! He made a brief appearance in the 1988 film Bull Durham. This movie starred famous actors like Kevin Costner, Tim Robbins, and Susan Sarandon.
