William Henry Davis (April 15, 1940 – March 9, 2010) was an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

player. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

and the

Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''. Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...

league as a

center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the ...

from through , most prominently as an integral member of the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League West, West division. Established in 1883 i ...

teams that won three National League pennants and two

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the Worl ...

titles between and . Known for his speed and agility as an outfielder as well as a base runner, Davis was a three-time

Gold Glove Award The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in bo ...

winner and a two-time National League (NL) All-Star player during his tenure with the Dodgers. He also played for the

Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in ...

, Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, and the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...

before spending two seasons in the Nippon Professional Baseball league with the Chunichi Dragons and the Crown Lighter Lions. After his stint in Japan, Davis returned to Major League Baseball where he played one final season with the

California Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ...

in 1979. At the time of his retirement in 1979, Davis had accumulated 2,561 hits over his 18-year playing career. He ranked seventh in major league history in

putout In baseball statistics, a putout (denoted by ''PO'' or '' fly out'' when appropriate) is awarded to a defensive player who (generally while in secure possession of the ball) records an out by one of the following methods: * Tagging a runner wi ...

s (5,449) and total chances (5,719) in the outfield, and third in games in center field (2,237). He was ninth in

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...

history in total outfield games (2,274). He had 13 seasons of 20 or more

stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe o ...

s, led the NL in triples twice, and retired with the fourth most triples (138) by any major leaguer since 1945. He holds Los Angeles club records (1958–present) for career

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * '' H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album s ...

(2,091), runs (1,004), triples (110),

at bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...

s (7,495), total bases (3,094) and extra base hits (585). His 31-game hitting streak in remains as the Dodgers team record more than 40 years after his retirement.

Career

As a youngster, Davis moved to Los Angeles, where he was a three-sport standout in

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

, and

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

at Theodore Roosevelt High School. He once ran a 9.5-second 100-yard dash, and set a city record in the

long jump The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a takeoff point. Along with the triple jump, the two events that measure jumping for distance as a ...

of 25 feet 5 inches (7.75 m).Crowe, Jerr
"Few players were more exciting than Willie Davis"
''Los Angeles Times'', Wednesday, March 10, 2010 Discovered by the Dodgers

scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement ** Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom **Scouts BSA, secti ...

, Kenny Myers, Davis signed with the ballclub upon graduating from Roosevelt in 1958."Statement from the Los Angeles Dodgers on the passing of Willie Davis (1940–2010)", Los Angeles Dodgers press release, Tuesday, March 9, 2010.
/ref> Davis played his first game with the Los Angeles Dodgers in . The following season he replaced the former All-Star Duke Snider in center field, where Davis stayed for 13 years. Widely considered to be one of the fastest baseball players of the 1960s, Davis had 20 or more

s in eleven consecutive seasons, with a career-high 42 in . Along with Maury Wills, Davis provided footspeed at the top of Dodgers' lineup. In 1962, these two players "set the table" for teammate Tommy Davis to lead the National League with 153

runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the b ...

(RBI), a Los Angeles Dodgers single-season record. Willie Davis, along with Maury Wills, was a key part of the Dodgers' National League titles in 1963, 1965, and 1966. In , Davis batted .285 with 85

, posting career highs in

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s (21), runs (103), and hits (171). In that same season, Davis and Wills set a National League record for stolen bases by two teammates in season with 136 (Wills with 104 and Davis with 32). 1962 was the first of two seasons that Davis would lead the National League in triples. It was the first of two seasons that he would tally double-figure totals in doubles, triples, home runs, and stolen bases. Davis was a part of two World Series championship teams, in 1963 and 1965. In the

1963 World Series The 1963 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1963 season. The 60th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff that matched the American League (AL) champion and two-time defending World Se ...

He knocked in the game winning run with a 1st inning 2 run double in game 2 and in game 4 the game that clinched the World Series, he hit the game winning RBI with a Sacrifice Fly in the 7th Inning. In the

1965 World Series The 1965 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1965 season. The 62nd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff that matched the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers against the Ame ...

, Davis set a record (since broken) of three stolen bases (including one during which he stumbled and fell, the pitcher hesitated throwing to first base, and Davis literally crawled into second base safely) in a single game. Davis committed a World Series record three errors on two consecutive plays, in the fifth inning of Game Two of the

1966 World Series The 1966 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1966 season. The 63rd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Baltimore Orioles and National League ...

. First, he lost Paul Blair's fly ball in the sun for a two-base error. One batter later, he dropped

Andy Etchebarren Andrew Auguste Etchebarren (June 20, 1943 – October 5, 2019) was an American professional baseball player and minor league manager. He played for 15 seasons in Major League Baseball as a catcher in and then from through , most notably as a m ...

's fly ball. When he recovered the Etchebarren ball, Davis threw it over third base, allowing

Boog Powell John Wesley "Boog" Powell (born August 17, 1941) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman and left fielder from through , most prominently as a member of the Baltimore Orioles dyna ...

and Blair to score. When questioned after the game, he said, "Even when you can't see the ball you have to take a stab at it, I couldn't see the ball in the sun." The Orioles swept the Dodgers, four games to none. The Dodgers did not score a run in Game Two, Game Three, or Game Four. In Game Four, Davis made a leaping catch at the centerfield fence, robbing Powell of a home run. Davis batted a career-high .311 in . His 31-game hitting streak that year, from August 1 to September 3, was the longest in the major leagues since , when

Dom DiMaggio Dominic Paul DiMaggio (February 12, 1917 – May 8, 2009), nicknamed "The Little Professor", was an American Major League Baseball center fielder. He played his entire 11-year baseball career for the Boston Red Sox (1940–1953). DiMaggio w ...

hit in 34 straight. Davis' streak broke the previous franchise record of 29, set in by Zack Wheat. When he tied Wheat's previous record at 29 games, the message board at

Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium is a baseball stadium in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers. Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a cost of ...

flashed a message sent via

telegram Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...

by Wheat from his home in

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

, saying, "Congratulations. Keep going. You have done a good job. Good luck." Davis was named NL Player of the Month of August with a .459 batting average. During the streak, his season average climbed from .259 to .316. In , Davis batted .305, posting career highs in triples (16) and RBI (93). His 16 triples led all major league players, and was the second time he led the National League in triples. He ended with career highs in

double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * ...

s (33) and total bases (281). He batted .309, his third straight season topping .300. For the second time, he posted double-figure totals in doubles, triples, home runs and stolen bases. Davis was selected for his first (of two) National League All-Star team in 1971. He was awarded his first (of three)

Gold Glove The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in b ...

award. Davis won three consecutive Gold Glove awards, 1971 through 1973. He was the first National League outfielder who threw left-handed to be so honored, and just the second in Major League history (the first was Vic Davalillo, who won an American League Gold Glove in 1964). For his career, Davis led the NL in putouts by an outfielder twice, in 1964 and 1971. He led NL center fielders in assists twice, in 1963 and 1964. He led NL center fielders in fielding percentage twice, in 1970 and 1976. He also led centerfielders in errors five times, in 1962, 1963, 1965, 1968, and 1974. In two All-Star games, 1971 and 1973, he batted a combined 3-for-3, with a home run off Nolan Ryan. Davis was traded from the

Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Broo ...

to the

for Mike Marshall at the Winter Meetings on December 5, 1973. Marshall would win the

Cy Young Award The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL). The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Ha ...

in . Davis batted .295 with 12 home runs and 25 stolen bases and led the team in hits (180), runs (86), doubles (27), triples (9) and RBI (89) in his only season with the Expos which dealt him to the Texas Rangers for Don Stanhouse and

Pete Mackanin Peter Mackanin, Jr. (pronounced ; born August 1, 1951), is an American former professional baseball utility player, coach, scout, and manager, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Montreal Expos, Philadelphia Phillies ...

at the Winter Meetings on December 5, 1974. Davis hit .249 with five home runs and 17 RBI in 42 games with the Rangers before being sent to the St. Louis Cardinals for Ed Brinkman and Tommy Moore on June 4, 1975. After batting .291, he was traded for a third time within a year when he was dealt from the Cardinals to the

for Dick Sharon on October 20, 1975. He batted .268 with the Padres in 1976, then he spent two years in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

with the Chunichi Dragons and Crown Lighter Lions. He played his final major league season with the California Angels in 1979, making two pinch-hitting appearances in the American League Championship Series. He played in the Mexican League in 1980, managing part of the year, before retiring. In an 18-year career, Davis accumulated a .279 batting average with 182 home runs and 1,053 RBI in 2,429 games. He also collected 2,561 hits and 398 stolen bases. His total of 2,237 games in center field ranks behind only Willie Mays (2,827) and Tris Speaker (2,690) in major league history. In addition to the Los Angeles records he retains, his club mark of 1,952 games was surpassed by Bill Russell in 1984; Steve Garvey broke his records of 849 RBI and 321 doubles in 1981 and 1982 respectively. Garvey and Ron Cey passed his Los Angeles club record of 154 home runs in 1979; Davis' record for left-handed hitters was broken by Shawn Green in 2004. Despite his impressive career, Davis was excluded from the 1985

National Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...

ballot, the first year for which he would have been eligible, nor has he been added to subsequent ballots. His 60.7 career WAR (according to Baseball Reference) is the highest among all players to not appear on a Hall of Fame ballot (excluding banned players). Willie Davis 1973

Legacy and post-baseball

Davis married Jeanna LemYou, whom he met in Los Angeles while a member of the Dodgers, on September 5, 1963. Davis subsequently adopted Jeanna's son, Gregory Chapman Davis. Jeanna and Davis had two daughters, Kimberly in 1964 and Jennifer in 1967, before divorcing in 1975. Davis also had another son, Shonan Casey Davis, with his second wife, Amy Rumbelow. A convert to Buddhism via his marriage to Jeanna, Davis constantly fingered his prayer beads and chanted before games.Whiting, Robert.
You've Gotta Have 'wa'
''Sports Illustrated'', September 24, 1979. Davis appeared in several TV programs, including ''

Mr. Ed ''Mister Ed'' is an American television sitcom produced by Filmways that aired in syndication from January 5 to July 2, 1961, and then on CBS from October 1, 1961, to February 6, 1966. The show's title character is a talking horse which origin ...

'', '' The Flying Nun'', and '' Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law'', and was a co-star of the

Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. As his contributions to comedy and charity made him a global figure in popular culture, pop culture ...

comedy film from 1970, '' Which Way to the Front?''. In a 1969 episode of ''

Bewitched ''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typ ...

'', Samantha, attending a game at

Shea Stadium Shea Stadium (), formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.

to see the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major lea ...

host the Dodgers, remarks "Willie Davis just hit a grand slam!" The episode was filmed August 22, 1969, a date when the Mets coincidentally beat the Dodgers at Shea. In reality, Davis went 2 for 4 in the game, but did not hit a grand slam. Davis was found dead in his home in

Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, who ...

, on March 9, 2010, by a neighbor who sometimes brought him breakfast.Blankstein, Andrew.
Former Dodger Willie Davis found dead in Burbank home
, ''Los Angeles Times'', March 9, 2010. Initial indications showed he most likely died of natural causes. Davis had four children. Davis, an Arkansas native, was voted 21st-greatest Arkansas sports figure by ''Sports Illustrated,'' along with former teammate

Lou Brock Louis Clark Brock (June 18, 1939September 6, 2020) was an American professional baseball outfielder. He began his 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the 1961 Chicago Cubs but spent most of it as a left fielder for the St. Louis ...

, who was also on the list.

References

* ''Baseball: The Biographical Encyclopedia'' (2000). Kingston, New York: Total/Sports Illustrated. .

External links

Willie Davis
- Baseballbiography.com
The Baseball Page
*
Willie Davis
1970 (Associated Press photograph) – ''Los Angeles Times''
Willie Davis
''Sports Illustrated'', May 1, 1972 (magazine cover) {{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Willie 1940 births 2010 deaths African-American baseball managers African-American baseball players American expatriate baseball people in Mexico American expatriate baseball players in Canada American expatriate baseball players in Japan Baseball players from Arkansas California Angels players Chunichi Dragons players Crown Lighter Lions players Gold Glove Award winners Green Bay Bluejays players Los Angeles Dodgers players Major League Baseball center fielders Mexican League baseball managers Montreal Expos players National League All-Stars Nippon Professional Baseball outfielders Pacific Coast League MVP award winners People from Howard County, Arkansas Reno Silver Sox players San Diego Padres players Spokane Indians players Baseball players from Los Angeles St. Louis Cardinals players Texas Rangers players 20th-century African-American sportspeople 21st-century African-American people

Career

Legacy and post-baseball

See also

References

External links