Ben Davis (baseball)
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|---|---|
| Baltimore Orioles — No. 19 | |
| Catcher | |
| Born: March 10, 1977 Chester, Pennsylvania |
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| Bats: Switch | Throws: Right |
| Major League Baseball debut | |
| September 25, 1998 for the Baltimore Orioles | |
| Selected MLB statistics (through 2007) |
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| Batting average | .237 |
| Home runs | 38 |
| Runs batted in | 204 |
| Teams | |
Mark Christopher "Ben" Davis (born March 10, 1977 in Chester, Pennsylvania) is a Major League Baseball catcher in the Baltimore Orioles organization.
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[edit] Professional Baseball
He was a first-round pick (2nd overall) in 1995 by the San Diego Padres.
Davis played parts of four seasons with the Padres before being traded with Wascar Serrano and Alex Arias to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Brett Tomko, Tom Lampkin, and Ramon Vazquez in 2002. This trade, in large, disappointed the Padres organization because of their continuing failures to produce "home-grown" talent. Davis was a highly regarded top prospect[1].
On June 27, 2004, Davis was once again traded, this time from the Mariners to the Chicago White Sox. Davis injured his elbow the following spring training, had surgery in June 2005 and was released after the season.
For the 2006 season, after signing with the New York Yankees, Davis played for the Columbus Clippers, the Class AAA affiliate of the Yankees. On January 12, 2007, he re-signed and was invited to spring training by the Yankees. Ben was released by the Yankees April 1, 2007. In May 2007, he joined the independent Camden Riversharks and played well enough that he was signed to a minor league contract by the Los Angeles Dodgers in June. He was then assigned to their Class AAA team, the Las Vegas 51s. He was released by the 51s in August.
In January of 2008, Davis was signed by the Baltimore Orioles to a minor league contract, with an invitation to spring training. Davis did not make the team coming out of spring training and was assigned to Class AA Bowie.
[edit] Controversy: Baseball's "Unwritten Rules"
Davis was the subject of controversy in a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 26, 2001, as a member of the San Diego Padres. Starting pitcher Curt Schilling took a perfect game into the 8th inning with one out when Davis reached base safely on a drag bunt to second baseman Jay Bell. Bell was playing deep for his position so he could help preserve Schilling's perfect game when the Davis bunt rolled slowly toward him. After Davis reached base, many of the Diamondback's players shouted obscenities at him for supposedly breaking baseball's "unwritten rule". After the game, Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenly called Davis' play "chicken"[2]. Many analysts continually debate Davis' decision to bunt for a base hit being that the Diamondbacks were only up 2-0, which brought the tying run to the plate. In addition, in this game, one of baseball's most elite hitters, Tony Gwynn, was on the bench available to pinch hit. San Diego's Alex Arias led off the ninth with a clean double. Schilling completed the three-hitter for the Diamondbacks' 3-1 win. This game started a fierce rivalry between the teams, which included several bench-clearing brawls, that lasted for several years, but which has since dissipated.
[edit] Trivia
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- Attended Malvern Preparatory School in Malvern,Pennsylvania
- Currently lives with his wife and son in West Chester, Pennsylvania
- During the 1995 Amateur Baseball Draft, USATODAY.com called him the best high school catcher since Dale Murphy in 1974[3].
