Dick Davis (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dick Davis |
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: September 25, 1953 Long Beach, California, U.S. |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: July 12, 1977, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |||
| NPB: June 6, 1984, for the Kintetsu Buffaloes | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| MLB: October 1, 1982, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| NPB: June 5, 1988, for the Kintetsu Buffaloes | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .265 | ||
| Home runs | 27 | ||
| Runs batted in | 141 | ||
| NPB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .331 | ||
| Home runs | 117 | ||
| Runs batted in | 322 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Richard Earl Davis, known as Dick Davis, is a former American professional baseball player. He played for six seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1977 to 1982. He mostly played as an outfielder. After his time in the MLB, he also played five seasons in Japan for the Kintetsu Buffaloes from 1984 to 1988. His cousin, Enos Cabell, was also a professional baseball player.
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Early Baseball Days
Dick Davis went to Compton High School in California. He played on the school's baseball team. Some of his teammates, like Odell Jones and Gary Ward, also became professional baseball players.
Professional Career
Starting with the Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers signed Dick Davis in 1972. He was an amateur player at the time. After playing for several years in minor league teams, he finally joined the Brewers in July 1977. For the next four seasons, he played as an outfielder and a designated hitter. He was often used as a designated hitter for the Brewers between 1978 and 1980.
Playing for the Phillies
In 1981, the Brewers traded Davis to the Philadelphia Phillies. This happened during spring training. Davis played some right field and also came off the bench as a pinch hitter many times. Even though he missed most of July and August due to an injury, he had 96 at bats. He hit well, with a .333 batting average and 19 runs batted in. Davis continued in a similar role at the start of the 1982 season. However, he was soon traded again.
Trades and End of MLB Career
In June 1982, Dick Davis was traded twice in a short time. Both trades involved the same player, Wayne Nordhagen. First, the Phillies traded Davis to the Toronto Blue Jays. This happened on June 15. The Phillies then sent Nordhagen to the Pittsburgh Pirates for another outfielder, Bill Robinson.
Davis stayed with the Blue Jays for a week. He played in three games and got two hits in seven tries. On June 22, the Blue Jays traded Davis to the Pirates. A few days later, on June 25, the Pirates sent a player to the Blue Jays. That player was Wayne Nordhagen, completing the trade.
Davis had a tough time for the rest of the season with the Pirates. He only hit .182 in 77 at-bats. Since he wasn't known for his strong defense, he needed to hit well to keep his spot. The Pirates released Davis in March 1983, ending his Major League Baseball career.
Playing Baseball in Japan
Dick Davis found a new opportunity to play baseball in Japan. He signed with the Kintetsu Buffaloes of the Japanese Pacific League for the 1984 season. In 1984, Davis hit .310 with 18 home runs.
He had an amazing year in 1985. He hit 40 home runs, brought in 109 runs, and had a .343 batting average in 128 games. During that season, he hit home runs in six games in a row, which tied a league record! He continued his success in 1986, batting .337. In 1987, he had a game where he drove in nine runs on April 28.
Davis played for the Buffaloes until 1988. He was a very important player for the team during his time in Japan.
