Tuesday, July 21, 2015

#455 Chili Davis

About the Front: Chili Davis looks like he's about seven feet tall, rather than his listed 6'3". Maybe it's the pinstripes.

About the Back: Chili was the first Jamaican-born major leaguer, and to date there have only been three others: Devon White, Rolando Roomes, and Justin Masterson. That last one can probably win you a bar bet.

Triple Play:

1. On June 17, 1993, he pitched the final two innings of an 18-2 Angels loss to the Rangers. He retired six of the seven batters he faced, with only a plunking of Jose Canseco keeping him from perfection.

2. Chili retired after the 1999 season with 350 home runs, the fourth-most among switch hitters behind Mickey Mantle, Eddie Murray, and Chipper Jones. He batted .274/.360/.451 (121 OPS+).

3. Davis is currently in his first year as Red Sox hitting coach, following a three-year stint in the same position with the Athletics.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: How can you not like a guy named "Chili"? His birth name is Charles Theodore Davis, FYI.

Bill James Said: "A full-time DH, Davis drove in a hundred runs for the first time in his career, which effectively prevented people from talking about all of the things that he can't do." In the first year of his second go-round with the Angels, Chili batted .243/.327/.440 with 27 homers and 112 RBI. He also struck out a career-high 135 times, and his 103 OPS+ was the second-lowest of his career.

On This Date in 1993: July 21. Five years after the Yankees traded him to Seattle for Ken Phelps, Jay Buhner celebrates by going 5-for-5 with a homer, a double, and three RBI in a 10-3 Mariners win over the Bronx Bombers. Ken Griffey, Jr., Tino Martinez, and Lee Tinsley also go deep for the M's, who clobber Jimmy Key and Steve Farr in support of a complete-game effort from Erik Hanson.

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