O/T: Willie Davis dead

[base_ball]

One of my favorite opposing players to watch ever. When I was a really little boy, I naively thought two things: 1. He and Tommy Davis were brothers. And 2. All great centerfielders were named "Willie". If he'd had some plate discipline he would've been a great hitter. Still, he was a very good hitter: not too many get 2500 hits. Then there was that short comeback after a few years away from the game. I love guys that do that.

[nolemmings]

My first memory of Willie was my dad cussing him out for three errors in one inning in the '66 World Series. I always thought that an outfielder making three errors in one inning was remarkable, so I suppose my recollection of him is less "happy" than most, but he always was an excellent player, and as my dad conceded, the Dodgers weren't going to win that Series anyway.

[Chris-Counts]

"I have always thought that the 1962 Bell Brand card of Davis is one best card pics ever...right up there with the 53 Reese IMHO."

I agree, Kevin. The interesting thing about the '62 Bell Brand photo is that Willie wasn't much of a bunter. I can't recall how many times I read that something like, "If he ever learns to drag bunt, he'll win a batting title." And yet he of all players gets the best bunting photo ever ...

[Rickyy]

I saw him play towards the end of his career, but I remember he was still a very good hitter and can run even then. I read some quotes from players who played against him and Felipe Alou said "he was a nightmare when he got on the bases." He also mentioned a great story that one time he finally threw Willie out trying to stretch a single into a double...but then the scoreboard showed that he was credited with a double...Alou said he threw him out...but found out later that he was actually safe on 2nd and got tagged going past the bag....he was that fast...

Condolences to his family..its always sad when your childhood idols passes on...

[HRBAKER]

By the time the Redbirds got him the wheels were gone but I enjoyed watching him anyway. RIP Willie D.

[howard38]

I'm a bit young to have seen him play in his prime so sadly my main memory of Davis is when he made news for threatening his parents w/a samurai sword. Does anyone know if he ever exorcised his demons or how he spent the last ten or fifteen years?

[chris6net]

For those who remember Willie Davis he was a good player but underrated. The early 60,s Dodgers seemed to be Willie and Maury Wills on base and Tommy Davis knocking them in and Drysdale and Koufax sealing the game. I can recall when he was on his downslide that the Expos traded for him and marketed their whole off season around him and he had a decent season but was definitely on his way down. He had a wierd career almost like Bill Buckner since he will probably be remembered for his 3 errors in one inning in Koufaxs last game in the 1966 WS than his overall play and his 3 Gold Gloves. CN

[Brian-Chidester]

Here's a great link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ8UBQezEDc

The New York Times has the best obit on Davis so far, and if you notice, they print A BUNCH of corrections at the end... because... on a phony L.A. self-promotion level, the Dodgers put out BOGUS information on his career, saying that he was the all-time Dodger leader in many statistic departments. Problem was, THEY DON'T COUNT BROOKLYN!!! This "phenomenon" about the Dodger office pretending the bums, and the bum image, didn't exist is so prevalent in SoCal. Immediately Dodger fans in New York slammed the L.A. Times with facts and figures about Zack Wheat, etc. The L.A. Dodgers only promote L.A. Dodger history, not Dodger history, and this shit don't fly in New York, no fuckin' way. That said, it is also why that damn World Series DVD with all the Dodger Wold Series victories on it, from the World Series Films, lacks 1955! Ugh!

That said, I've looked at the L.A. Times and I can write better memories of Koufax than they have in there, this one I read is totally bogus, some kid who grew up in Garden Grove, whose parents were Angels fans, trying to talk Willie D. and almost having nothing to say.

The vid above has a GREAT interview with Willie about his Boyle Heights days, getting drafted right out of Roosevelt High, replacing Duke Snider and sweeping the Yanks. He doesn't talk about his personal best years, 1969-1971, when he was a golden glove and hit over .300 every year, though. But it is an unselfish interview.

I did notice one of the obits said he stole something like 44 bases in 1964. There is a video of Joe Torre talking about how Wills was faster from first to second, but if Davis was at first, and a ball was hit to the outfield, it was much tougher to catch Willie going from first to third. There is another thing about him tagging up from second base and scoring, and... how often in the minors he scored from first base on a single.

[David W]

[QUOTE=HRBAKER;789282]By the time the Redbirds got him the wheels were gone but I enjoyed watching him anyway. RIP Willie D.

When he came to the Redbirds in 75,I remember how as a 12 year old I thought with Lou Brock and him we couldn't lose. In the midwest he was kind of legendary in the pre ESPN days, I'd never seen him play. Turned out he was just about done.

Looking at his stats at www.baseball.reference.com

he was real close to the hall of fame. He's one of the all time "IF" players. He never hit 300 till they lowered the mound, then did it 3 years in a row. He played in a lousy hitters park and still got 2500 hits.

He'd have stolen twice the bases if Wills wasn't stealing all of them.