Chris Davis, Texas Rangers (by Todd Newville)

Why should all devoted baseball fans listen every week to Minor League Baseball Radio at http://www.milbradio.com/? It’s because you might miss hearing the first words to the media from the next coming of Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Nolan Ryan, Pete Rose, or any other renowned baseball great that may come to mind.
Do you want proof? Well, then consider the case of Chris Davis, a slugging rookie who made his MLB debut in the summer of 2008 with the Texas Rangers!
Davis (listed as a 6-foot-4, 235-pound left-handed hitter) is a bundle of talent, muscle, youth, and energy. Born on March 17, 1986, from Longview, Texas, Davis has quickly risen through the ranks of the Rangers’ minor league system in the last three years and has finally found a place in the Texas lineup.
In the 2008 Baseball America prospect handbook, Davis was listed No. 2 among all Texas Ranger prospects - behind only shortstop Elvis Andrus. Davis is a very friendly and humble guy and likes to talk about his success in the pro ranks. After all, wouldn’t you if you were of his stature?
Consider the fact that Davis (who was picked in the 5th round of the June 2006 draft from Navarro Junior College in Corsicana, Texas) tied a California League record with a 35-game hitting streak in just his second pro season in 2007. “It was kind of a surreal feeling,” Davis told http://www.milbradio.com/ contributor Todd Newville at the start of the 2008 season when he was with the Double A Frisco Rough Riders. “It was a lot of fun and people want to talk about the pressures. But, with my teammates, it was a fun thing to see how long we could keep it going.
“There was a little pressure here and there and, obviously when I tied it, I wanted to break that record. But, I never thought I would have a 35-game hitting streak. It was a lot of fun. It kind of put a spark into the season for me.”
In the history of professional baseball, very few players have ever had hitting streaks over 30 games. In the majors, Joe DiMaggio holds the record with a 56-game skein in 1941. After him, guys like Pete Rose, Paul Molitor, Ty Cobb, and others (mostly Hall of Famers) follow close behind.
“I’m not sure if I’m ready to step into that category just yet,” Davis said, “but they were sure great players. The main thing is go out every day and try to compete. Obviously, you want to get a hit every day you go out there. Some days, you are going to feel good and get lucky. Then, some days you are just not going to have it. I just tried to keep the feel of my swing going during the streak. I tried not to think about it and just help the team any way I could, whether it be a walk, hit, or whatever it may take.”
Through games of Aug. 6, 2008, Davis was hitting .295 with 11 home runs and 28 runs batted in at the major league level with the Rangers. As expected, Davis has proven to be a stout bat at the plate with Texas. With Class A Bakersfield and Class AA Frisco in 2007, he hit a combined .297 with 36 homers and 118 ribbies. His homer total was second in all of minor league baseball in ‘07. For his efforts, he was awarded the Rangers’ prestigious Tom Grieve Minor League Player of the Year award in ‘07.
Before being called up to Texas, Davis continued his onslaught on opposing pitchers in 2008 with Frisco and the Triple A Oklahoma Redhawks His prowess with a bat has never been in doubt. But, his defense has been getting rave reviews, too. A former third baseman, he has made the transition to first base with minimal deficiencies. Going across the diamond to the other corner stone hasn’t been that difficult at all.
“I think playing third actually helped me out a little bit with my footwork and my mobility around first,” Davis told http://www.milbradio.com/ earlier in 2008. “I played a little at first base in junior college but I was very raw at it. I had a lot of work at it in spring training this year and now I feel very comfortable over there.”
While Davis is making tremendous strides in his defensive work, his power hitting continues to be the bread-and-butter of his baseball repertoire. “I’m considered a power hitter and it’s something that’s expected to be there,” Davis said. “It’s not something that I go out and try to do everyday; it’s just something that God blessed me with. I don’t try to go out and hit home runs every day, but I just have been blessed with the ability to drive the ball. That’s obviously the strongest part of my game.”
And, it doesn’t hurt that Davis looks like a body builder up close.
“Yeah, I’m kind of a gym rat - a ‘Meat Head’ if you will,” Davis said. “I like to work out and it’s something I enjoy doing. I stay in the gym almost every day. I don’t go crazy with it, but I like to get a good workout every day. It’s important to keep your body going throughout the season.”
In 134 at-bats so far in 2008, Davis hits a homer every 12.1 times at bat. If he had started the season with the big club, his projected season total would be about 46 round-trippers. In July, he hit .303 with eight homers and 16 RBIs. That was enough to put him in the running for Rookie of the Month honors in the American League - along with second baseman Alexei Ramirez of the Chicago White Sox and pitcher Brad Ziegler of the Oakland Athletics.
When the Rangers beat the Oakland A’s 9-4 in Oakland back on July 26, 2008, manager Ron Washington told writer Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, “ He’s not afraid of any situation. He can make adjustments from at-bat to at-bat. He’ll take what they give him until they give him his pitch. He’s taken balls to left, and then when somebody tries to come inside -- POP! He’s learning to hit like a champ. Just when you think you got him where you want him, he does what he does best.”
And, that’s no bull. Besides Davis, a plethora of other current minor league standouts (as well as other baseball experts in the field) have made their presence felt this year on http://www.milbradio.com/. You just never know who you might hear from or about on this program. Stay tuned every week and we’ll continue to bring you the best we have to offer in the world of minor league baseball.
After all, you might just hear for the first time about the next coming of the Babe or the Mick!