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KANSAS CITY ROYALS RELEASE 18-YEAR VETERAN TOMMY DAVIS, ENDING HIS CAREER

 

On January 17 1977 — The Kansas City Royals released veteran outfielder Tommy Davis, ending his 18-year career. In 1962, Davis led the National League in batting average with a .346 mark, and in RBI with 153. In 1963, Davis again won the batting crown, helping the Los Angeles Dodgers to capture the World Series. Two years later, he fractured an ankle, curtailing his production for the rest of his career.

Davis caught on with the Yankees in 1976 but failed to make the team in spring training. He stayed in shape and signed to play with the Angels in June. He finished the year as the Royals’ DH but joined Kansas City too late to be eligible for the epic ALCS showdown with the Yankees. KC’s designated hitters failed to bat their weight in that series. On October 2, Davis appeared in his 1,999th regular-season game. He collected a pair of singles—hit number 2,120 and 2,121.

Davis was tired of moving from team to team and retired after his release. Although he conceded that his lackadaisical approach may have irked some of his employers. Even in his glory years, he was known to disappear from the dugout between at-bats to read or grab a shave. “The lazier I felt,” he liked to say, “the better I hit.” Besides, what manager would question a player who could come into a game cold and hit better? Besides his DHing prowess later in his career, Davis retired with a lifetime .305 average as a pinch-hitter in 203 at-bats.

 

 


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