Davis provided big plays aplenty

[missionhockey21]

Davis provided big plays aplenty
Says making Reds Hall is a highlight

By John Erardi
Enquirer staff writer

Eric Davis, who was born to be a National Baseball Hall of Famer but didn't have the build to sustain it, says it will be a powerful moment for him when he is inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame this weekend.

"When I was growing up (in Los Angeles), the three teams in that era were the Reds, Dodgers and Yankees," he says. "That's who you aspired to play for if you were a baseball player: the Big Red Machine of 1975-76, and the Dodgers, who played the Yankees in the World Series in 1977-78."

Davis was an eighth-round draft choice of the Reds in 1980.

In 1986, at 24, he lit up baseball with 27 home runs and 80 steals for the Reds. By the end of May 1987, he was hitting .338 with 19 home runs and 52 RBI, was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated and was chronicled in Time, Newsweek, Sport and The Sporting News.

On Sept. 4, 1987, while the Reds were fighting it out with the Giants for the division title, Davis crashed into the brick outfield wall at Wrigley Field while making a game-saving catch, suffering a rib injury that kept him out of 17 games. He still finished with 37 home runs 50 stolen bases.

What's it like to look back on those things now?

"To be in the Reds Hall of Fame with Johnny Bench?" Davis asks. "Are you kidding me? Do you think I thought of that when I was 13 years old in 1975? It hasn't hit me yet. It has already hit my family. It will hit me when I'm in Cincinnati."

Davis knows the cheers were loud for his defining moment.

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[bipster]

My Man, ED44

[Slyder]

I wish I could go to that game, if anyone can I would really appreciate it fi you could tape it/record it and send it via email to me. I grew up watching Eric the Red and if Ray Knight is the reason he didnt finish in a Red uniform then Knight needs drummed out of anything with the Reds .

[CincyRedsFan30]

Classy guy all the way around!

[Reds_fan_4_life]

yea i grew up when i was very little watching the reds games with my g/pa( only way he could get me to stop crying) and i remember Davis. He always gave you 110%. He sure was fast too, having 80 SB's is quite an accoplishment i say. He is worthy to be up there with all of the other Reds Stars and should be remembered as one of the best in my ERA

[Slyder]

He wasnt IMO just one of the best of that era of Reds I feel he was the best player arguably on the 90 team (with Rijo and the Nasty Boys having claims).

[Reds_fan_4_life]

so from what i've seen He ranks up there

[Kearns Krew]

its such a shame that he was plagued by injuries. had he stayed free of injury he would be in cooperstown no doubt

to have that kind of combo of power and speed is just lethal. eric the red is one of baseball's good guys, we were lucky to watch him with the reds