Spud Davis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spud Davis |
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Davis on a 1933 Goudey baseball card
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| Catcher / Manager | |||
| Born: December 20, 1904 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
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| Died: August 14, 1984 (aged 79) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 30, 1928, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 5, 1945, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .308 | ||
| Home runs | 77 | ||
| Runs batted in | 647 | ||
| Teams | |||
As Player
As coach
As manager
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Virgil Lawrence "Spud" Davis (born December 20, 1904 – died August 14, 1984) was an American professional baseball player. He also worked as a coach, scout, and manager. Spud played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for several teams. These included the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Spud was a great hitter. His career batting average of .308 is one of the best ever for a major league catcher.
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Spud's Early Baseball Days
Spud Davis was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He started his professional baseball journey in 1926. He was 21 years old then. His first team was the Gulfport Tarpons. He played very well for them, hitting for a .356 batting average. After that, he moved to the Reading Keystones. In 1927, he continued to hit well, with a .308 average.
Playing in the Major Leagues
Spud Davis joined Major League Baseball in 1928. He made his debut with the St. Louis Cardinals on April 30. Soon after, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. He started as a backup catcher. But by the end of the 1929 season, he became the main catcher. He had a great year, hitting .342 with 7 home runs. He also had 48 runs batted in.
This was the start of a fantastic hitting streak for Spud. For seven years in a row, he hit over .300. In 1933, he almost won the National League Batting Championship. He finished second with a .349 average. He was also second in the league for on-base percentage. Even though his team finished in seventh place, Spud was recognized as one of the league's best players.
Winning the World Series
In November 1933, Spud was traded back to the St. Louis Cardinals. He shared catching duties with another player, Bill DeLancey. Spud hit .300 in 107 games. His team was known as the "Gashouse Gang" because they were so lively.
The Cardinals won the National League pennant in 1934. Then, they went on to win the 1934 World Series against the Detroit Tigers. Spud played in two games during the World Series. He got two hits in two at bats. This was his only time playing in the post-season.
Later Career and Coaching
Spud had another strong season in 1935. He hit .317 and led all National League catchers in fielding percentage. In 1936, his batting average dropped a bit. He was then traded to the Cincinnati Reds. He played as a reserve catcher behind Hall of Famer Ernie Lombardi.
In 1938, Spud was traded back to the Philadelphia Phillies. He played well again in 1939, hitting .307. The Pittsburgh Pirates then bought him in October 1939. He continued to hit well for the Pirates in 1940, with a .326 average.
By 1941, another future Hall of Famer, Al López, became the Pirates' main catcher. In 1942, Spud became a coach for the Pirates. During Second World War, many players were away. So, Spud returned to play in 1944. At 39 years old, he played in 54 games and hit .301. He played in 23 games in 1945 before retiring as a player at age 40.
After retiring, Spud continued as a coach and scout for the Pirates. He even briefly managed the team in 1946. He later coached for the Chicago Cubs from 1950 to 1953. After that, he retired from baseball completely.
Career Highlights and Records
In his sixteen years in Major League Baseball, Spud Davis played in 1,458 games. He had 1,312 hits and a career batting average of .308. He also hit 77 home runs and had 647 runs batted in. He hit over .300 in ten of his sixteen seasons.
When he retired, Spud's .308 batting average was second only to Mickey Cochrane among catchers. As of 2010, he ranks fourth all-time for catchers' career batting averages. He is behind Joe Mauer, Mickey Cochrane, and Bill Dickey.
Spud led National League catchers in fielding percentage twice. He also led in assists once and in baserunners caught stealing once. He was traded for the same player, Jimmie Wilson, twice in his career. These trades happened five years apart between the Phillies and Cardinals. In 1977, Spud Davis was honored by being inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.
Spud Davis passed away in Birmingham, Alabama, at 79 years old. He is buried there.
