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, born on September 25, 1953, is a former professional baseball player from the United States. He played for parts of six seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1977 and 1982. He mostly played as an outfielder. After his time in MLB, he also played five seasons in Japan for the Kintetsu Buffaloes from 1984 to 1988. His cousin, Enos Cabell, was also a baseball player.
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Early Baseball Days
Davis went to Compton High School in California. He played on the school's baseball team. Some of his teammates also became professional baseball players. These included Odell Jones, Reggie Walton, Gary Ward, and LaRue Washington.
Playing in Major League Baseball
Milwaukee Brewers Debut
The Milwaukee Brewers signed Dick Davis in 1972. He was an amateur free agent at the time. After playing for several years in minor league teams, he joined the Brewers in July 1977. For the next four seasons, he split his time between playing in the outfield and being a designated hitter. From 1978 to 1980, he was often the Brewers' designated hitter.
Joining the Philadelphia Phillies
In 1981, during spring training, the Brewers traded Davis to the Philadelphia Phillies. In return, the Brewers received pitcher Randy Lerch. Davis played some games in right field for the Phillies. He also came off the bench 20 times as a pinch hitter. Even though he missed most of July and August due to an injury, he still had 96 at bats. He hit for a .333 batting average and brought in 19 runs batted in. Davis continued in a similar role at the start of the 1982 season. However, he soon moved to another team.
Trades and MLB Career End
In June 1982, Davis was traded twice in a short period. Both trades involved the same player. On June 15, the Phillies traded him to the Toronto Blue Jays for outfielder Wayne Nordhagen. The Phillies then sent Nordhagen to the Pittsburgh Pirates on the same day. In exchange, they got another outfielder, Bill Robinson.
Davis stayed with the Blue Jays for one week. He played in three games and got two hits in seven tries. On June 22, the Blue Jays traded Davis to the Pirates. This trade was for a player to be named later. A few days later, on June 25, the Pirates sent a player to the Blue Jays. That player turned out to be Wayne Nordhagen.
Davis had a tough time playing for the Pirates for the rest of the 1982 season. He batted only .182 in 77 at bats. Since he was not known for being a strong defensive outfielder, he needed to hit well to keep his spot. The Pittsburgh Pirates released Davis in March 1983. This marked the end of his Major League Baseball career.
Playing Baseball in Japan
Dick Davis found a new opportunity to play baseball in Japan. He joined the Kintetsu Buffaloes team in the Japanese Pacific League for the 1984 season. In 1984, Davis hit for a .310 batting average and hit 18 home runs.
He had an amazing season in 1985. He hit 40 home runs and brought in 109 runs. His batting average was .343 in 128 games. During that season, he hit home runs in six games in a row. This tied a league record. He continued his success in 1986, batting .337. In 1987, he had a game on April 28 where he brought in nine runs.
Davis's time in Japan ended in 1988. He was released by the Buffaloes. Ralph Bryant then took his place on the team.
