Douglas N. Davis (born September 21, 1975) is an American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the Texas Rangers,

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...

, and

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

Youth

Davis was born in

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, California, and went to Northgate High School in

Walnut Creek, California Walnut Creek is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States, located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, about east of the city of Oakland. With a total population of 70,127 per the 2020 census, Walnut Creek ser ...

, where he played football and baseball. He was drafted by the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

following his senior year in high school, but did not sign.

College

Davis attended

Diablo Valley College Diablo Valley College (DVC) is a public community college with campuses in Pleasant Hill and San Ramon in Contra Costa County, California. DVC is one of three public community colleges in the Contra Costa Community College District (along with ...

after high school and played baseball. He later attended the

City College of San Francisco City College of San Francisco (CCSF or City College) is a State school#United States, public community college in San Francisco, California. Founded as a Junior college#United States, junior college in 1935, the college plays an important local ...

, where he earned Second Team All-Conference honors as a pitcher in his junior season.

Minor league career

Davis was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 10th round of the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft. Davis began his minor league career for the Texas Rangers rookie league affiliate, the Gulf Coast Rangers, in 1996 where he went 3–1 with a 1.90

ERA An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth. Comp ...

in 8 games and 42 innings. In 1997 Davis started his season with the Gulf Coast Rangers going 3–1 with a 1.70 ERA in 4 games before being promoted to the High-A Charlotte Rangers where he spent the rest of 1998 and 1998, going 16–10 over that period. In 1999, Davis began the season in AA Tulsa posting an impressive 2.42 ERA over 74 innings with a record of 4–4, which earned him a promotion to the AAA Oklahoma RedHawks where he finished the season with a 7–0 record, 3.00 ERA. Davis made his major league debut in 1999, and then spent time between AAA and the Major Leagues from 1999 to 2003 before becoming a full-time major league player, going 17–6 during that period.

Major league career

Texas Rangers

Davis made his MLB debut on August 9, 1999, for the Rangers, appearing in only 2 games. Davis pitched out of the

bullpen In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if t ...

for the majority of the season while also making 13 starts. He also threw a complete game against the Red Sox on August 21. Davis was inserted into the Rangers rotation, making 30 starts. He finished 11–10 in 186 innings. Davis' 2002 season was cut short due to injury, managing to make just 10 starts for the Rangers. In 2003, Davis only made 1 start, pitching 3 innings while allowing 4 runs.

Toronto Blue Jays

Davis was claimed off waivers on April 30 by the Blue Jays. He started 11 games for them, going 4–6 with a 5.00 ERA.

Milwaukee Brewers

Davis signed with the

after becoming a free agent in mid July. He made 5 starts in AAA before being called up on August 11, 2003. On September 19, he allowed a home run to Hall of Fame pitcher

Randy Johnson Randall David Johnson (born September 10, 1963), nicknamed "The Big Unit", is an American photographer and former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (1988–2009) for six teams, primarily the Seattle M ...

, the only home run of his career. Davis was an anchor for the Brewers in 2004. He had career bests in all pitching categories, notching 12 wins while allowing a career low 14 home runs. Davis continued with the Brewers in 2005, going 11–11 with a 3.84 ERA. On

Mother's Day Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the ...

, May 14, 2006, Davis was one of more than 50 batters who brandished a

pink bat In baseball, pink bats are limited-supply baseball bats manufactured by Louisville Slugger for use by select Major League Baseball players on Mother's Day, first introduced in 2006 in association with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization. E ...

to benefit the Breast Cancer Foundation. Davis made a brief appearance in 2005 as a potential home buyer on the A&E television program

Flip This House ''Flip This House'' is an American television series that aired on the A&E and Bio television networks from 2005 to 2009. Each episode spotlighted the purchase and renovation of a single unit. All episodes included listing the price of the pu ...

episode "It's a Rat Race". He finished the 2006 season 11–11 with a 4.91 ERA and 102 walks.

Arizona Diamondbacks

On November 25, 2006, Davis was traded to the

along with pitcher

Dana Eveland Dana James Eveland (born October 29, 1983) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, Pittsburgh Pirates, L ...

and outfielder Dave Krynzel, for catcher

Johnny Estrada Johnny Pulado Estrada III (born June 27, 1976) is an American former professional baseball catcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers, and Washington N ...

, and pitchers

Greg Aquino Gregori Emilio Aquino Valera (; ; born January 11, 1978) is a former professional baseball pitcher. He previously played for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers, Baltimore Orioles, and Cleveland Indians. Career Arizona Diamondbacks Aqui ...

and

Claudio Vargas Claudio Vargas Almonte (born June 19, 1978) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He has previously played for the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets, and Los Angeles Dodger ...

. The Diamondbacks and Doug Davis agreed to a three-year, $22 million deal. In his first season for the Diamondbacks, Davis went 13–12 with a 4.25 ERA and 144 strikeouts in 192 innings. DSC03662 Doug Davis

On July 29, 2008, Davis took a perfect game into the bottom of the 7th inning at Petco Park. Davis' 2008 season was cut short due to injury, making 26 starts, and finishing with a record of 6–8. On August 12, 2009, Davis' former team, the Milwaukee Brewers, put a waiver claim on him, but he was not traded. Davis ended the season with a 9–14 record, with a 4.12 ERA and 1.51 WHIP. He tied for the major league lead in errors by a pitcher with 5, and also led the league in walks with 103.

Second Stint with Brewers

On January 22, 2010, Davis signed a one-year contract with the

for $4.25 million in 2010, with a $6.5 million mutual option for 2011 with a $1 million buyout. Davis endured a rough season in 2010, making only 8 starts and going 1–4 with a 7.51 ERA. He spent most of the season on the

disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...

. His option was declined after the season.

Chicago Cubs

On April 12, 2011, Davis signed a minor league contract with the

, stipulating that if he were to join the Cubs major league team that season, he would make $900,000 with possible bonuses that could bring his total salary to nearly $2 million. The Cubs purchased his contract on May 14. Davis was released on June 29 by the Cubs after going 1–7 with a 6.50 ERA in 9 starts.

Chicago White Sox

Davis signed a minor league contract with the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

on July 15, 2011.

Kansas City Royals

On May 12, 2012, Davis signed a minor league contract with the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

. He remained the whole season at AAA, going 9–4 with a 4.66 ERA in 16 starts for the

Omaha Storm Chasers The Omaha Storm Chasers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. They are located in Papillion, Nebraska, a suburb southwest of Omaha, and play their home games at Wer ...

Pitching style

Davis threw four pitches: a

four-seam fastball A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family of pitches and is usually the hardest (i.e., fastest) ball thrown by a pitcher. It is c ...

at 84–87 mph, a cutter at 80–84, a

curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...

at 68–72, and a

changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced speed ...

at 78–81. Davis's four-seamer was the slowest fastball among left-handed starters in the 2011 season. Davis typically had a high

walk Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an ' inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults ...

rate throughout his career. He has finished in the top 2 in the National League in walks four times, including first in 2009. He was known for his windup, a slow process that could be compared to the "two-stage" motions many Japanese pitchers have used.

Personal life

Davis is married to Chantelle Renee Davis, with whom he has two children, Dylan and Gavin. He also has a daughter, Drew, and a son, Jordan, with his ex-wife. In his off time, he enjoys golf, chess, fishing, and spending time with his kids. On March 28, 2008, Davis was diagnosed with

thyroid cancer Thyroid cancer is cancer that develops from the tissues of the thyroid gland. It is a disease in which cells grow abnormally and have the potential to spread to other parts of the body. Symptoms can include swelling or a lump in the neck. C ...

. Davis made two starts in the regular 2008 season before having surgery to remove his thyroid, a procedure scheduled for April 10. Following surgery, Davis was given a radioactive iodine treatment to kill any remaining cancer. He was expected to take 4–6 weeks to recover, and doctors reported a 97% chance of full recovery. On May 9, 2008, it was announced by the Diamondbacks that Davis had undergone a series of tests, the results of which indicated that he was, by then, cancer-free. He was expected to make two rehab starts in the minor leagues before returning to the Diamondbacks' Major League roster. He returned to the Diamondbacks rotation on May 23, 2008, against the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

. He pitched seven innings, allowing only one run and striking out five in an 11–1 win for Arizona. His father was in the stands for his return.

References

External links

Doug Davis Foundation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Doug 1975 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in Canada Arizona Diamondbacks players Baseball players from Sacramento, California Charlotte Knights players Charlotte Rangers players Chicago Cubs players City College of San Francisco Rams baseball players Daytona Cubs players Diablo Valley College alumni Gulf Coast Rangers players Huntsville Stars players Indianapolis Indians players Iowa Cubs players Major League Baseball pitchers Milwaukee Brewers players Nashville Sounds players Oklahoma RedHawks players Omaha Storm Chasers players Sportspeople from Walnut Creek, California Texas Rangers players Toronto Blue Jays players Tucson Sidewinders players Tulsa Drillers players Wisconsin Timber Rattlers players