Former major league catcher Crash Davis, whose name was the inspiration for the main character of the 1988 hit movie Bull Durham, dies at the age of 82 after a yearlong bout with cancer. In the movie, which was ranked #1 as the greatest sports film of all time by Sports Illustrated, Kevin Costner portrays “Crash” as the veteran backstop of the Durham Bulls brought in to help a rookie pitcher reach the big leagues by sharing his experiences on and off the field.

On August 31, 2001 — Former major league catcher Crash Davis, whose name was the inspiration for the main character of the 1988 hit movie Bull Durham, dies at the age of 82 after a yearlong bout with cancer. In the movie, which was ranked #1 as the greatest sports film of all time by Sports Illustrated, Kevin Costner portrays “Crash” as the veteran backstop of the Durham Bulls brought in to help a rookie pitcher reach the big leagues by sharing his experiences on and off the field.

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Sources:
Baseball Reference August 31
National Pastime August 31
Retro Sheet
Hall of Fame
SABR Games Project
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