Eric Davis (baseball)

Eric Davis
Outfielder
Born: (1962-05-29) May 29, 1962 (age 54) Los Angeles, California
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
May 19, 1984, for the Cincinnati Reds
Last MLB appearance
October 7, 2001, for the San Francisco Giants
MLB statistics
Batting average	.269
Home runs	282
Runs batted in	934
Teams
Cincinnati Reds (1984–1991) Los Angeles Dodgers (1992–1993) Detroit Tigers (1993–1994) Cincinnati Reds (1996) Baltimore Orioles (1997–1998) St. Louis Cardinals (1999–2000) San Francisco Giants (2001)
Career highlights and awards
2× All-Star (1987, 1989) World Series champion (1990) 3× Gold Glove Award (1987–1989) 2× Silver Slugger Award (1987, 1989) Roberto Clemente Award (1997) Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame

Eric Keith Davis (born May 29, 1962) is a former center fielder for several Major League Baseball teams. Davis was 21 years old when he broke into the big leagues on May 19, 1984 with the Cincinnati Reds, the team for which he is most remembered. Blessed with a rare combination of excellent foot speed and bat speed, Davis became the first major league player to hit at least 30 home runs and steal at least 50 bases in the same season in 1987.

A series of injuries derailed his career as he moved to the Dodgers and then the Tigers, and he retired in 1994. In 1996, Davis successfully restarted his baseball career with the Reds and was named the comeback player of the year. He moved to the Baltimore 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.

Davis grew up in Los Angeles, California, where he was childhood friends and teammates with Darryl Strawberry. He attended John C. Fremont High School where he starred in both basketball and baseball. As a senior, he batted .635 and stole 50 bases in 15 games. He was drafted in the 8th round of the 1980 MLB Draft (200th overall) by the Cincinnati Reds.

When Eric Davis first appeared 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 basepaths. He made a habit of robbing home runs and elicited comparisons to Willie Mays.

Davis excelled in 1986 hitting .277 with 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". He built on that success by hitting .293 with 37 homers and 50 steals in 1987, despite playing in only 129 games. From 1986 to 1990, he averaged 30 home runs and 40 steals. During this time he was one of the game's most exciting players and a very visible superstar player. He drew some MVP support every year in 1986–90, finishing in the top 15 in the voting every year. In 1986–89 he also finished in the NL's top 10 in home runs, slugging percentage, and OPS each year. While he had some other good seasons later in his career, injuries prevented him from reaching this type of peak again. In 1990, with a solid team around him, Davis was a key player in Cincinnati's "wire-to-wire" championship season.

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