Eric Davis

Eric Keith Davis (born May 29, 1962) is an American former center fielder for several Major League Baseball (MLB) teams, most notably the Cincinnati Reds, to which he owes his nickname "Eric the Red".

The Reds selected Davis, a native of Los Angeles, California, in the eighth round of the 1980 amateur draft from John C. Fremont High School in South Los Angeles, where he was a heavily recruited college basketball prospect.

In his major league career, he often sustained injuries while winning two MLB All-Star Game selections, three Rawlings Gold Glove Awards and two Silver Slugger Awards.

The Cincinnati Reds selected Davis in the eighth round (200th overall) of the 1980 MLB draft.

Strawberry was chosen in the same draft as the first overall selection by the New York Mets.

In his first full year of professional baseball, Davis stole 40 bases in 62 games.

Davis was 21 years old when he made his major league debut with the Reds on May 19, 1984.

Davis spent eight seasons with the Reds and later played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Detroit Tigers, Baltimore Orioles, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Francisco Giants.

A right-handed batter and fielder, Davis had a mesmerizing combination of athletic ability, including excellent foot and bat speed, tremendous power, and superlative defensive acumen.

He became one of baseball's most exciting players during his peak, achieving a number of rare feats.

When Davis first appeared in the major leagues in 1984, his physical talents gave him the potential to be one of the most exciting players in the game.

He was a rare five-tool player with home run power as well as sheer speed on the base paths.

He made a habit of robbing home runs and elicited comparisons to Willie Mays.

Over a 162-game period spanning June 11, 1986, to July 4, 1987, he batted .308, .406 on-base percentage, .622 slugging percentage with 47 home runs, 149 runs scored, 123 runs batted in (RBI) and 98 stolen bases.

Davis began to excel in 1986, batting .277, swatting 27 homers, and stealing 80 bases.

He and Rickey Henderson remain the only players in major league history to be members of the "20/80 club".

In a 162-game span (June 11, 1986 – July 4, 1987) he made 659 plate appearance and batted .308/.406/.622 with 47 homers, 149 runs, 123 RBI, and 98 stolen bases.

(He was caught stealing just 12 times.)

In 1987, he became the first player in major league history to hit three grand slams in one month and the first to achieve at least 30 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the same season.

Showcasing his career as one of the greatest Power/Speed players in MLB history, Eric is tied for 4th All-Time in 20HR/20SB seasons with seven, one ahead of Willie Mays and Hank Aaron.

Davis continued to build on his success in 1987.

On Opening Day, he went 3–for–3 with a home run, a stolen base, and two walks.

Through the first 10 games, he was batting .526 with 4 home runs and 8 stolen bases.

On May 1, 1987, he hit 2 home runs, including a grand slam.

In 1990, he became a World Series champion in the Reds' upset and four-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics.

In 1996, Davis successfully restarted his baseball career with the Reds and was named the comeback player of the year.

He moved to the Orioles and, despite fighting colon cancer, he had one of his best statistical seasons in 1998.

Injuries again slowed Davis over the next few seasons, and he retired for good in 2001.

Along with other business interests, Davis currently works as a roving instructor in the Reds organization.

Eric Keith Davis was born in Los Angeles, California, one of three children, to Jimmy and Shirley Davis.

He has one brother named Jim, Jr., and one sister named Sharletha.

Jimmy worked at a grocery chain in Gardena named Boys Market.

He was active with his sons in sports, such as pick-up basketball games.

With copious all-round athletic talent, Davis competed with future Los Angeles Lakers player Byron Scott at Baldwin Hills Park and Recreation Center from the age of 12, and he aspired to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

While at Baldwin Hills, Davis befriended Darryl Strawberry, and their careers would become intertwined from high school to Major League Baseball (MLB).

Davis attended John C. Fremont High School in South Los Angeles where he starred in both basketball and baseball, while Strawberry attended and played for crosstown rival Crenshaw.

As a senior, Davis batted .635 and stole 50 bases in 15 games.

As a basketball player, he averaged 29 points and 10 assists per game.

Steadfast in his goal of playing in the NBA, Davis continued to exert more effort to prepare for a career in basketball than he did in baseball until his senior year of high school.

Davis lacked interest in attending college, and because the customary path to an NBA career at the time was by playing in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), he decided to focus his aspirations on baseball.