View source for Alvin Davis

{{short description|American baseball player (born 1960)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Alvin Davis
|image=Alvin Davis.jpg
|image_size=120
|caption=Davis in Seattle, Opening Day [[2007 Seattle Mariners season|2007]]
|position=[[First baseman]] / [[Designated hitter]]
|bats=Left
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1960|9|9}}
|birth_place=[[Riverside, California]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=April 11
|debutyear=1984
|debutteam=Seattle Mariners
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=June 25
|finalyear=1992
|finalteam=California Angels
|debut2league = NPB
|debut2date=July 10
|debut2year=1992
|debut2team=Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes
|final2league = NPB
|final2date=September 15
|final2year=1992
|final2team=Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.280
|stat2label=[[Home run]]s
|stat2value=160
|stat3label=[[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
|stat3value=683
|stat2league = NPB
|stat21label=Batting average
|stat21value=.275
|stat22label=Home runs
|stat22value=5
|stat23label=Runs batted in
|stat23value=12
|teams=
* [[Seattle Mariners]] ({{mlby|1984}}–{{mlby|1991}})
* [[Los Angeles Angels|California Angels]] ({{mlby|1992}})
* [[Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes]] ({{by|1992}})
|highlights=
* [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1984 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1984]])
* [[AL Rookie of the Year]] (1984)
* [[Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame]] 
}}
'''Alvin Glenn Davis''' (born September 9, 1960), nicknamed "'''Mr. Mariner'''",<ref name="stmlst13">{{cite news |last=Stone |first=Larry |date=March 5, 2013 |title=Alvin Davis: Mr. Mariner reconnects with his old team |work=[[The Seattle Times]] |url=http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/alvin-davis-mr-mariner-reconnects-with-his-old-team/ |access-date=July 30, 2017}}</ref><ref name="fsplvi">{{cite web |last=Levi |first=Adam |date=June 30, 2017 |title=Mariners Greatest Hits: "Mr. Mariner" Alvin Davis |url=http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/mariners-greatest-hits-mr-mariner-alvin-davis-020517 |access-date=July 30, 2017 |work=[[Fox Sports]] |publisher=[[FanSided]]}}</ref> is an American former [[Major League Baseball]] [[first baseman]] and [[designated hitter]]. He played eight of his nine seasons for the [[Seattle Mariners]] and won the [[American League]] [[MLB Rookie of the Year Award|Rookie of the Year Award]] in [[1984 Major League Baseball season|1984]].<ref name=waybackm>{{cite web |url=http://sportspressnw.com/2180315/2014/wayback-machine-alvin-davis-mr-mariner |work=Sports Press Northwest |last1=Eskenazi |first1=David |last2=Rudman |first2=Steve |title=Wayback Machine: Alvin Davis, Mr. Mariner |date=April 11, 2014 |access-date=July 30, 2017}}</ref>

==Early years==
The youngest of four sons,<ref name="sivlt">{{cite magazine |last=Maisel |first=Ivan |date=June 11, 1984 |title=At last, a man to shout about |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1984/06/11/at-last-a-man-to-shout-about |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |page=64}}</ref> Davis was born and raised in [[Riverside, California|Riverside]], [[California]]. His father died in 1970.<ref name=sivlt/> Davis graduated from [[John W. North High School]] in 1978.<ref name=waybackm/> He was selected in the eighth round (189th overall) of the [[1978 Major League Baseball draft]] by the [[1978 San Francisco Giants season|San Francisco Giants]], but opted to attend [[Arizona State University]] play [[college baseball]] for the [[Arizona State Sun Devils baseball|Arizona State Sun Devils]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=8th Round of the 1978 MLB June Amateur Draft |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?year_ID=1978&draft_round=8&draft_type=junreg&query_type=year_round |access-date=March 27, 2023 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref> Davis, who batted left-handed and threw right-handed, was later drafted by the [[1981 Oakland Athletics season|Oakland Athletics]] in the sixth round (144th overall) of the [[1981 Major League Baseball draft]], but opted to stay in college and earned a degree in finance.<ref name=waybackm/><ref name=sivlt/><ref>{{Cite web |title=6th Round of the 1981 MLB June Amateur Draft |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?year_ID=1981&draft_round=6&draft_type=junreg&query_type=year_round |access-date=March 27, 2023 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref>

==Minor league career==
After his senior season at Arizona State in 1982, Davis was [[1982 Major League Baseball draft|drafted]] in June by the [[1982 Seattle Mariners season|Seattle Mariners]] in the sixth round (138th overall).<ref>{{Cite web |title=6th Round of the 1982 MLB June Amateur Draft |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?year_ID=1982&draft_round=6&draft_type=junreg&query_type=year_round |access-date=March 27, 2023 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref> He played the rest of the season in [[Double-A (baseball)|Double-A]] for the [[Lynn Sailors]] in the [[Eastern League (1938–2020)|Eastern League]], batting .284 with 12 [[home run]]s and 56 [[Run batted in|runs batted in]] (RBI) in 74 games.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Alvin Davis Minor & Japanese Leagues Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=davis-001alv |access-date=March 27, 2023 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref> Davis continued at that level in 1983 in [[Tennessee]], with the [[Chattanooga Lookouts]] in the [[Southern League (1964–2020)|Southern League]]. He hit .296 with 18 home runs and 83 RBI in 131 games, and nearly averaged a walk per game.<ref name=":0" />

Davis began the [[1984 Seattle Mariners season|1984]] season in [[Triple-A (baseball)|Triple-A]], with the [[Salt Lake City Bees|Salt Lake City Gulls]] of the [[Pacific Coast League]]. After just one game, he was promoted to the majors, due to a hand injury to [[Ken Phelps]] on April 6,<ref name="sivlt" /> and Davis remained with Seattle for eight seasons, through [[1991 Seattle Mariners season|1991]]. In that only game for Salt Lake, he went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk, and never returned to the minors.<ref name=":0" />

==Major league career==
===Seattle Mariners===
During a nine-year major league career, Davis [[batting average (baseball)|batted]] .280 with 160 home runs and 683 RBI in 1,206 career games.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Alvin Davis Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/davisal01.shtml |access-date=March 27, 2023 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref> He hit 20-plus homers in three seasons, and drove in over 100 runs twice.<ref name=":1" />

Davis holds the Mariners and Major League Baseball record for the most consecutive games reaching base to start a career, with 47.<ref>{{cite web |last=Thorpe |first=Jacob |date=September 24, 2013 |title=Safe to say, Almonte makes strong first impression |url=http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/news/print.jsp?ymd=20130923&content_id=61504426&notebook_id=61509896&vkey=notebook_sea&c_id=sea |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303191113/http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/news/print.jsp?ymd=20130923&content_id=61504426&notebook_id=61509896&vkey=notebook_sea&c_id=sea |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |access-date=May 26, 2015 |work=[[Seattle Mariners]] |publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref> Well-liked by Mariners fans, Davis held most of the young franchise's offensive records until the arrival of [[Ken Griffey Jr.]], [[Edgar Martínez]], and [[Alex Rodriguez]]. His fellow players thought highly of him as well. "You know sooner or later we're going to score some runs," teammate [[Ed Vande Berg]] said in 1984. "We have mister everything on the offense – Mr. Alvin Davis."<ref name="UPI"/> [[Tommy John]] called him a "modern-day [[George Scott (first baseman)|George Scott]]," explaining, "When Scott first came into the league, no one knew how to pitch to him, and they didn't find out for three years."<ref name="UPI">{{cite web |author= |date=May 7, 1984 |title=VandeBerg, M's clip Angels |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=860&dat=19840507&id=q5hUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5o4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2459,3832191&hl=en |access-date=March 31, 2020 |work=[[Ellensburg Daily Record]] |via=[[Google News]] |agency=[[United Press International|UPI]]}}</ref>

Davis made his major league debut in the Kingdome on April 11, 1984; he homered in his first two big league {{nowrap|games,<ref name=mburnbo>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=E1dOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=g_kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3966%2C2588219 |work=[[Spokane Chronicle]] |location=Washington |agency=[[Associated Press]] |title=M's burn Bosox |date=April 12, 1984 |page=33}}</ref><ref name=bbrms>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FldOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=g_kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6945%2C3156950 |work=[[Spokane Chronicle]] |location=Washington |agency=[[Associated Press]] |title=Brunansky bruises Mariners |date=April 14, 1984 |page=14}}</ref>}} and collected two doubles in his sixth and three doubles in the next.<ref name="dvscfc">{{cite news |date=April 19, 1984 |title=Davis cuffs Caudill, A's around, 5-4 |page=33 |work=[[The Spokesman-Review]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |location=Spokane, Washington |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xxhXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8e4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5299%2C2106023 |via=[[Google News]]}}</ref> After his first week, Davis had a .370 batting average, a .778 slugging percentage, and a seven-game hitting streak. He reached base in each of the first 47 games of his career, and was chosen for his only [[1984 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]] as a rookie. Named the Mariners' MVP, he was also voted the American League's [[Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award|Rookie of the Year]], with a .284 batting average, 27 home runs, and 116 RBI in 152 games.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="dvghs">{{cite news |date=November 21, 1984 |title=M's Davis gets his shot; earns AL Rookie honors |page=2C |work=[[Lewiston Morning Tribune]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |location=Idaho |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=I4tfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7C4MAAAAIBAJ&pg=4608%2C1885573 |via=[[Google News]]}}</ref> Davis hit a career-high 29 home runs in 1987, and he had perhaps his best season in 1989, when he finished second in the American League with a .920 [[On-base plus slugging|OPS]].<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=1989 American League Batting Leaders |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1989-batting-leaders.shtml |access-date=March 27, 2023 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref>

With the addition of [[Pete O'Brien (first baseman)|Pete O'Brien]] in [[1990 Seattle Mariners season|1990]], Davis was increasingly used as Seattle's designated hitter. He only saw action on defense as a first baseman in 52 games that season, further reduced to just 14 games in 1991. His batting average fell to .221 in 1991 with 12 home runs and 69 RBI in 145 games;<ref name=":1" /> with young [[Tino Martinez]] in the organization, Davis was not in the team's plans for [[1992 Seattle Mariners season|1992]].

Davis' season high for home runs was 29 in [[1987 Seattle Mariners season|1987]] and his most RBI (116) came as a rookie in 1984. His highest batting average for a season was .305 in [[1989 Seattle Mariners season|1989]].<ref name=":1" /> Davis hit the last home run in Chicago's Comiskey Park on September 29th, 1990.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHA/CHA199009290.shtml | title=Seattle Mariners vs Chicago White Sox Box Score: September 29, 1990 }}</ref>

===California Angels===
After eight years in Seattle, Davis signed a one-year, $800,000 contract with the [[1992 California Angels season|California Angels]] on February 14, 1992.<ref name="sbangls">{{cite news |date=February 14, 1992 |title=Alvin Davis signed by Angels |page=C5 |work=[[The Spokesman-Review]] |location=Spokane, Washington |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BV1WAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QPADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6110%2C1841542 |via=[[Google News]]}}</ref> In 40 games with the Angels in a platoon role, he hit .250 with no homers and 16 RBI.<ref name=":1" /> Davis had two hits in his final major league game,<ref name="mlstts">{{cite news |date=June 26, 1992 |title=Major League stat sheet |page=3B |work=[[Lewiston Morning Tribune]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |location=Idaho |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9n9fAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RjAMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5043%2C2616157 |via=[[Google News]]}}</ref> but was released after only a half season in late June.<ref name="adhf">{{cite news |date=June 27, 1992 |title=Alvin Davis headed for Japan |work=[[Lewiston Morning Tribune]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |location=Idaho |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=939fAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RjAMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4021%2C3150076 |via=[[Google News]]}}</ref> {{nowrap|He soon}} joined the [[Kintetsu Buffaloes]] of [[Osaka]] in [[Japan]],<ref name=adhf/> and appeared in 40 games in the [[Pacific League]], batting .275 with five home runs and 12 RBI.<ref name=":0" />

==Personal life==
Davis lives in his hometown of Riverside with his wife Kim; they have three children. Davis has been a volunteer at Cornerstone Fellowship Bible Church in Riverside, California for the past nine years overseeing the church's finances and has served as a member of the church's elder board for over 20 years.<ref>{{cite web |title=Leadership and Staff |url=https://www.cornerstonebible.org/leadership-and-staff/ |website=Cornerstone Fellowship Bible Church}}</ref> He has also previously coached baseball at [[Martin Luther King High School (Riverside, California)|Martin Luther King High School]] for ten years.<ref name=stmlst13/><ref>{{cite web |title=Running Home to the Father |url=http://awana.org/alvindavis/alvin-davis,default,pg.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120504111950/http://awana.org/alvindavis/alvin-davis,default,pg.html |archive-date=May 4, 2012 |website=[[Awana]]}}</ref> After his father's death in 1970, Davis and his mother Mylie had a very close relationship, and she relocated from Riverside to Tempe when he was in college.<ref name=sivlt/>

In 1997, Davis was inducted into the [[Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Alvin Davis - Mariners Hall of Fame |url=https://www.mlb.com/mariners/fans/hall-of-fame/members/davis |url-status= |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=August 10, 2008 |work=[[Seattle Mariners]] |publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref>

In 2012, Davis returned to the Seattle Mariners organization as a roving minor league instructor.<ref name=stmlst13/><ref>{{cite web |last=Baker |first=Geoff |date=July 26, 2012 |title=Hisashi Iwakuma returns to Japan for personal reasons, but Mariners expect him to make next start |url=http://blogs.seattletimes.com/mariners/2012/07/26/hisashi_iwakuma_returns_to_jap/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304022740/http://blogs.seattletimes.com/mariners/2012/07/26/hisashi_iwakuma_returns_to_jap/ |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=March 6, 2013 |website=[[The Seattle Times]]}}</ref>

His niece is professional wrestler [[Candice LeRae]].

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Baseballstats|mlb=|espn=|br=d/davisal01|fangraphs=1003033|brm=Davis-001alv|retro=}}

{{Pacific-12 Conference Baseball Player of the Year navbox}}
{{AL Rookie of the Year}}
{{Sporting News MLB Rookie of the year}}
{{Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Alvin}}
[[Category:Major League Baseball first basemen]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball designated hitters]]
[[Category:California Angels players]]
[[Category:Seattle Mariners players]]
[[Category:American League All-Stars]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Riverside, California]]
[[Category:African-American baseball players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award winners]]
[[Category:American expatriate baseball players in Japan]]
[[Category:Kintetsu Buffaloes players]]
[[Category:Arizona State Sun Devils baseball players]]
[[Category:Lynn Sailors players]]
[[Category:Salt Lake City Gulls players]]
[[Category:Chattanooga Lookouts players]]
[[Category:Leones del Caracas players]]
[[Category:American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela]]
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:21st-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks players]]
[[Category:John W. North High School alumni]]