Hiram Kyle Davies (born September 9, 1983) 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 has also played in MLB for 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 ...

and

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 ...

. Davies grew up in

Stockbridge, Georgia Stockbridge is a city in Henry County, Georgia, Henry County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census the population was 25,637, up from 9,853 in 2000. Stockbridge is part of the Atlanta metr ...

, and graduated from

Stockbridge High School Stockbridge High School is a high school located in Stockbridge, Georgia, United States, in the Henry County School District. It enrolls around 1,800 students in grades 9–12. Principals * Coy Pridmore, 1964-1983 * Sam Floyd, 1984-1987 * Gary B ...

and signed right out of high school with the Braves. He made his MLB debut in 2005, and was traded to the Royals in 2007. Injuries prevented him from appearing in MLB after the 2011 season, until he pitched for the Yankees in 2015.

Career

Davies attended

. He was highly recruited by many major college programs, most notably

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

Atlanta Braves

The

selected Davies in the fourth round of the

2001 Major League Baseball draft The 2001 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 5 and 6. First round selections Supplemental First Round Selections Compensation Picks Background On June 1, 2001, Rolando Viera, a Cuban ba ...

, and Davies signed rather than attend college. Davies was a member of the

Rome Braves The Rome Braves are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They are located in Rome, Georgia, and play their home games at AdventHealth Stadium. From 2003 to 2020, the team served ...

during their inaugural season, when they won the 2003

South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...

championship. He led the team in

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...

s with 148 during that season. Davies was part of the group of rookie players nicknamed the "Baby Braves" that Atlanta called up from its

minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nor ...

system during the 2005 season. Davies made his Major League Baseball debut on May 21, 2005, a rainy night at

Fenway Park Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Base ...

in Boston, Massachusetts, and dominated six innings against the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

. Braves pitchers John Thomson and

Mike Hampton Michael William Hampton, Jr. (born September 9, 1972) is an American former professional baseball player. Hampton played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a pitcher from 1993 through 2010. He pitched for the Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, New ...

were both put 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 ...

with injuries, and Davies was called up. Davies immediately made an impact, as he did not allow a

run Run(s) or RUN may refer to: Places * Run (island), one of the Banda Islands in Indonesia * Run (stream), a stream in the Dutch province of North Brabant People * Run (rapper), Joseph Simmons, now known as "Reverend Run", from the hip-hop group ...

in his first three starts in the Major Leagues. When Thomson and Hampton returned to the pitching rotation in August, Davies was sent back to the minor leagues. Davies began the 2006 season as a starter in Atlanta, after coming to

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...

as a probable

Class AAA Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL ...

starter. On May 15, 2006, Davies suffered an injury to his right groin while pitching against the

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The franc ...

. He was later diagnosed with a torn groin muscle and underwent surgery several days later. As a result of the injury, Davies was put on the

and missed 10 weeks of the season. He ended up making only 14 starts in 2006, with a very poor

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA) of 8.38. Out of spring training in 2007, Davies was initially assigned to the

Richmond Braves The Richmond Braves were an American minor league baseball club based in Richmond, Virginia, the Triple-A International League affiliate of the Atlanta Braves from 1966 to 2008. Owned by the parent Atlanta club and colloquially referred to as the ...

of the Class AAA

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...

. However, due to the injury of

Lance Cormier Lance Robert Cormier (CORE-mee-ay) (born August 19, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, and Los Angele ...

at the end of spring training, he was promoted at the beginning of the year to fill Cormier's spot. Cormier's inability to return to form after rehabilitating and coming off the DL, coupled with the Braves losing Mike Hampton to season ending surgery, allowed Davies role on the pitching staff to cease being a fill-in role. However, in 17 starts, Davies had a terrible time establishing any pattern of reliability and consistency, posting a record of 4–8 with a 5.76 ERA. In a start on July 16 versus the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

, Davies threw just 22 pitches and did not record an out before being taken out of the game. Consequently, Davies was optioned to Richmond on July 19 as rookie

Jo-Jo Reyes Joseph Albert Reyes (born November 20, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in MLB for the Atlanta Braves, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He has also played in the KBO Leagu ...

assumed his spot in the rotation.

Kansas City Royals

On July 31, 2007, Davies was traded to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for pitcher

Octavio Dotel Octavio Eduardo Dotel Diaz (born November 25, 1973) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. Dotel played for 13 major league teams, the second most teams played for by any player in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB), setti ...

. On August 4, Davies made his Royals debut going three innings and giving up five

earned run In baseball, an earned run is any run that was fully enabled by the offensive team's production in the face of competent play from the defensive team. Conversely, an unearned run is a run that would not have been scored without the aid of an err ...

s. He also gave up

Alex Rodriguez Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975), nicknamed "A-Rod", is an American former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman, businessman and philanthropist. Rodriguez played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the ...

's 500th

homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

in the first inning. But on August 9 he was able to bounce back with 6 and 2/3 scoreless innings against the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

, giving up only 3

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...

and

striking out ''Striking Out'' is an Irish television legal drama series, broadcast on RTÉ, that first aired on 1 January 2017. Produced by Bl!nder F!lms for RTÉ Television, ''Striking Out'' stars Amy Huberman as Dublin-based solicitor Tara Rafferty, who is ...

4. The Royals won the game by the score of 2–0. On August 1, 2011, Davies was placed on the 15-day

with right shoulder impingement. He was released on August 10, 2011, and cleared release waivers on August 12.

Toronto Blue Jays

On August 20, Davies signed a minor league contract with the

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 ...

Minnesota Twins

On February 20, 2013, Davies signed a minor league contract with the

. After missing April and half of May due to shoulder problems, Davies was assigned to High-A

Fort Myers Fort Myers (or Ft. Myers) is a city in southwestern Florida and the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 92,245 in 20 ...

, where he made his first start on May 15. After one additional start, he missed another month due to injury, making a rehab start with the

GCL Twins The Florida Complex League Twins are the Rookie-level affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays in Fort Myers, Florida, at the Lee County Sports Complex. Prior to 2021, the ...

before returning to Fort Myers, where he made 3 more starts. On July 23, Davies was promoted to Double-A

New Britain New Britain ( tpi, Niu Briten) is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago, part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from New Guinea by a northwest corner of the Solomon Sea (or with an island hop of Umboi the Dam ...

, where he made 7 starts to finish the season. In 12 starts in 2013, Davies went 4–3 with a 3.41 ERA and 4 quality starts, striking out 47 in 58 innings.

Cleveland Indians

Davies signed a minor league deal with the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

on February 12, 2014.

New York Yankees

Davies signed a minor league deal with the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

on February 10, 2015. He was called up to the major leagues on April 12, 2015, and appeared in a game that night. He was designated for assignment by the Yankees the next day.

Tokyo Yakult Swallows

Davies signed with the

Tokyo Yakult Swallows The Tokyo Yakult Swallows () are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Yom ...

Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''. Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...

for the 2016 season.

Somerset Patriots

On May 7, 2018, Davies signed with the

Somerset Patriots The Somerset Patriots are an American Minor League Baseball team based in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey, that is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They compete in the Eastern League, known as the Double-A Northeast in 2021, and ...

of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league based in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic League's ...

. He became a free agent following the 2018 season.

Lancaster Barnstormers

On March 15, 2019, Davies signed with the

Lancaster Barnstormers The Lancaster Barnstormers (colloquially known as the Stormers) are an American professional baseball team based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They are a member of the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a "partner league ...

of the

. He became a free agent following the season.

Personal life

During the offseason, Davies works for his father's construction company. He currently resides in

McDonough, Georgia McDonough is a city in Henry County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Its population was 22,084 at the 2010 census, up from 8,493 in 2000. The city is the county seat of Henry County. The unincorporated comm ...

. Kyle's younger brother Jake played baseball at

from 2009 to 2012 and signed with the

organization. He reached the Class–A

New York–Penn League The New York–Penn League (NYPL) was a Minor League Baseball league that operated in the northeastern United States from 1939 to 2020. Classified as a Class A Short Season league, its season started in June, after major-league teams signed th ...

later that year, but was released in 2013. Davies was arrested in

St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the fifth-most populous city in Florida and the second-largest city in the Tampa Bay Area, after Tampa. It is the ...

after a baseball game on August 8, 2011, for disorderly intoxication.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davies, Kyle 1983 births Living people Atlanta Braves players Kansas City Royals players New York Yankees players Gulf Coast Braves players Macon Braves players Danville Braves players Rome Braves players Myrtle Beach Pelicans players Greenville Braves players Richmond Braves players Mississippi Braves players Omaha Royals players Omaha Storm Chasers players Lancaster Barnstormers players Las Vegas 51s players Gulf Coast Twins players Fort Myers Miracle players New Britain Rock Cats players Akron RubberDucks players Columbus Clippers players Azucareros del Este players American expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Major League Baseball pitchers People from Decatur, Georgia People from Stockbridge, Georgia Baseball players from Georgia (U.S. state) Tokyo Yakult Swallows players Somerset Patriots players American expatriate baseball players in Japan