Eric Davis (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eric Davis |
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: May 29, 1962 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| May 19, 1984, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 7, 2001, for the San Francisco Giants | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .269 | ||
| Home runs | 282 | ||
| Runs batted in | 934 | ||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Eric Keith Davis (born May 29, 1962) is a former American baseball player. He was a center fielder for several teams in Major League Baseball (MLB). He is best known for his time with the Cincinnati Reds, where he earned the nickname "Eric the Red."
Eric Davis made his MLB debut with the Reds on May 19, 1984, when he was 21 years old. He played for the Reds for eight seasons. Later, he also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Detroit Tigers, Baltimore Orioles, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Francisco Giants. Davis was a right-handed batter and fielder. He was known for his amazing athletic skills, including his speed, power, and great defense. He achieved many rare feats during his career.
In 1987, Eric Davis made history. He became the first player in MLB to hit three grand slams in just one month. He was also the first to hit at least 30 home runs and steal 50 stolen bases in the same season. Eric Davis is tied for 4th all-time with seven seasons where he hit 20 home runs and stole 20 bases. This shows he was one of the best power and speed players in baseball history.
The Reds picked Davis from John C. Fremont High School in South Los Angeles in the 1980 amateur draft. He was also a top college basketball player. During his baseball career, he often faced injuries. Despite this, he was chosen for two MLB All-Star Games. He also won three Rawlings Gold Glove Awards for his defense and two Silver Slugger Awards for his hitting.
From June 1986 to July 1987, he had an incredible stretch. He hit .308, scored 149 runs, had 123 runs batted in (RBI), and stole 98 bases. In 1990, he helped the Reds win the World Series. They surprised everyone by sweeping the Oakland Athletics in four games.
In 1996, Davis made a successful return to baseball with the Reds. He was even named the comeback player of the year. He then joined the Orioles. Even while battling colon cancer, he had one of his best seasons in 1998. Injuries slowed him down again in his final seasons, and he retired in 2001. Today, Eric Davis works as an instructor for the Reds team.
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Early Life and Baseball Dreams
Eric Keith Davis was born in Los Angeles, California. He was one of three children born to Jimmy and Shirley Davis. His father, Jimmy, worked at a grocery store. He was very involved in sports with his sons, including playing pick-up basketball. Eric Davis was a talented athlete. From age 12, he played basketball with future Los Angeles Lakers star Byron Scott. Eric dreamed of playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
While playing at Baldwin Hills, Davis became friends with Darryl Strawberry. Their careers would often cross paths, from high school to Major League Baseball (MLB). Davis went to John C. Fremont High School in South Los Angeles. He was a star in both basketball and baseball. Strawberry played for a rival school, Crenshaw.
In his senior year of high school, Davis was amazing in baseball. He hit for a .635 average and stole 50 bases in just 15 games. In basketball, he averaged 29 points and 10 assists per game. For a long time, Davis focused more on basketball. But since most NBA players went to college back then, and he wasn't interested in college, he decided to focus on baseball.
The Cincinnati Reds chose Eric Davis in the eighth round of the 1980 MLB draft. Darryl Strawberry was also picked in the same draft as the very first player overall by the New York Mets.
Rising Star in Baseball
In his first full year playing professional baseball, Eric Davis showed his speed. He stole 40 bases in just 62 games. When he first joined the major leagues in 1984, everyone could see his amazing talent. He had the potential to be one of the most exciting players. He was a rare five-tool player. This means he had power to hit home runs, incredible speed for stealing bases, and great defensive skills. People often compared his fielding to the legendary Willie Mays.
Davis really started to shine in 1986. He hit for a .277 average, blasted 27 home runs, and stole 80 bases. He joined the exclusive 20–50 club. He and Rickey Henderson are the only players in MLB history to be part of the 20–80 club. This means they hit at least 20 home runs and stole at least 80 bases in a season.
Eric Davis continued his success in 1987. On Opening Day, he had a fantastic game. He got three hits, including a home run, and stole a base. In the first 10 games, he was hitting .526 with 4 home runs and 8 stolen bases. On May 1, 1987, he hit two home runs, including a grand slam. Two days later, he hit three more home runs, one to each part of the field, and another grand slam. He hit one more grand slam that month. This made him the first player ever to hit three grand slams in a single month!
Davis finished the 1987 season with a .293 average, 37 home runs, and 50 stolen bases. He was the first player in history to hit 30 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season. He did this even though he only played in 129 games. Before 1987, only six players had joined the 30–30 club. That season, three other players, including his friend Darryl Strawberry, also joined this club.
From 1986 to 1990, Eric Davis was one of baseball's most thrilling players. He averaged 30 home runs and 40 stolen bases each year. He was a visible superstar. On June 2, 1989, Davis achieved a rare feat called "hitting for the cycle" at home in Riverfront Stadium. This means he hit a single, a double, a triple, and a home run all in the same game.
In 1990, Davis was a key player for the Cincinnati Reds. They had a "wire-to-wire" championship season, meaning they were in first place from the start to the end. One of his most famous moments was hitting a home run off Oakland's Dave Stewart in his very first at-bat of the 1990 World Series. This home run helped the Reds sweep the World Series. During Game 4 of the Series, Davis was diving for a ball and suffered a serious kidney injury. He also had knee surgery later that year.
After 1990, injuries made it hard for Davis to get back to his top form. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1991. He faced more injuries in 1992 and wasn't as effective. In 1993, he was traded to the Detroit Tigers. He played well for the Tigers for a short time. However, injuries limited him again in 1994, and he decided to retire.
After taking a year off to recover, he felt healthy enough to return to baseball. He rejoined the Cincinnati Reds in 1996. He had a strong season, hitting .287 with 26 home runs. His good play convinced the Baltimore Orioles to sign him.
Battling Cancer and a Strong Comeback
In May 1997, Eric Davis was playing very well for the Orioles. He was leading the American League in batting average in April. But then his performance quickly dropped. Soon after, he was diagnosed with colon cancer. Even while still getting treatment, Davis returned to the team in September. The cancer treatment made him tired, but he worked hard to get back in shape. He was even well enough to hit a game-winning home run in the 1997 American League Championship Series. After that season, he received the Roberto Clemente Award. This award honors players who show great sportsmanship and community involvement.
Davis returned to play in 1998 and had one of his best seasons ever. He hit for a .327 average, which was 4th best in the American League. He also hit 28 home runs. He finished in the top 10 in several hitting categories. That season, he also had a 30-game hitting streak, which was the longest in baseball that year and a record for the Baltimore Orioles.
End of Career and Lasting Impact
Eric Davis's playing career began to wind down in 1999. He spent three more seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants, dealing with injuries, before retiring in 2001.
In 1999, Davis wrote his autobiography called Born to Play. In the book, he shared how much Pete Rose believed in him and taught him about baseball. He also talked about his difficult relationship with 1996 Reds manager Ray Knight. Davis felt that the Reds did not support him well after his World Series injury in 1990. He said he was left behind in Oakland and had to find his own way home after being released from the hospital.
According to his former Reds teammate Paul O'Neill, Eric Davis was "the best hitter, best runner, best outfielder, best everything" he had ever seen.
As of 2017, Eric Davis was working as a hitting instructor for the Elite Development Invitational in Vero Beach, Florida. He works to encourage more African American young people to play baseball.
Career Statistics
In his 17-season career, Eric Davis played in 1,626 games. He had a .269 batting average with 938 runs, 282 home runs, and 934 RBI. He also stole 349 stolen bases. He finished his career with a .984 fielding percentage, playing all three outfield positions. In 25 postseason games, he hit .192 with 2 home runs and 12 RBI.
See also
- 30–30 club
- Cincinnati Reds award winners and league leaders
- List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of people from Los Angeles
