Baseball's Dynasties and the Players Who Built Them by Jonathan Weeks

Author:Jonathan Weeks
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: undefined
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Published: 2012-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

Willie Davis, Center Field

Davis grew up in Los Angeles and was a three-sport star in high school, playing baseball and basketball, while also running track. He was signed by the Dodgers upon graduating in 1958. Demonstrating tremendous speed, he reportedly scored from first base on singles numerous times while playing at Reno in 1959. By September 1960, he was wearing a Dodgers uniform.

Davis was nicknamed “3-Dog” for his ability to stretch doubles into triples. He led the league twice in that category and finished among the top 10 regularly. Hitting primarily out of the third slot in the batting order, he finished in double digits for homers on 11 occasions, with a high of 21 in 1962. A lifetime .279 hitter, he broke the .300 mark four times during his career. Additionally, he stole 20 or more bases in 11 straight seasons.

A bit error prone in the outfield, he finished first among NL center fielders in miscues several times but also managed to win three Gold Gloves. During the 1966 World Series, he experienced the ultimate defensive nightmare. In the fifth inning of Game 2, he committed three errors—a Series record. Bombarded by reporters after the game, he said, “It’s not my life, it’s not my wife, it’s just a game.” He redeemed himself to an extent in Game 3, making a spectacular leaping catch to rob Orioles slugger Boog Powell of a home run. Davis played in three World Series for the Dodgers during his career, managing a feeble .167 batting average. He wasn’t alone. Never known for their abundant offense, the Dodgers hit .214 as a team in the 1963 Fall Classic and .142 in the 1966 postseason.

Late in his career, Davis became a member of a Buddhist sect and could be found chanting with prayer beads before games. The practice may or may not have helped him secure a place among the franchise leaders in hits (2,091), runs scored (1,004), and triples (110). Additionally, his 31-game hitting streak in 1969 is the longest by a Dodger.

Davis had a buoyant personality. He once told a reporter that nothing on the field could get him down. “If we win, I am happy for myself,” he said. “If we lose, I am happy because of the happiness it has brought the other guy.” Aside from his baseball pursuits, he had several acting roles, appearing on such TV comedies as Mr. Ed and The Flying Nun. He also had a sizeable part in the Jerry Lewis film Which Way to the Front? Davis died in 2010, at the age of 69.

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