Virgil Davis

Name Note: Name presented as Spud Davis in some sources
Position: Catcher
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-1, 197lb (185cm, 89kg)
Born: December 20, 1904 in Birmingham, AL
Died: August 14, 1984 in Birmingham, AL
Buried: Elmwood Cemetery, Birmingham, AL
High School: Gulf Coast Military Academy (Gulfport, MS)
Debut: April 30, 1928 (6,733rd in major league history)
vs. CIN 2 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game: September 5, 1945
vs. BRO 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Full Name: Virgil Lawrence Davis
Nicknames: Spud
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject

Nine Players Who Debuted in 1928

Al Lopez
Bill Dickey
Chuck Klein
Rollie Hemsley
Pepper Martin
Mel Harder
Carl Hubbell
George Earnshaw
Clint Brown

All-Time Teammate Team

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Notable Events and Chronology

November 15, 1933

The Phillies and Cardinals swap catchers, with hard-hitting Virgil Davis going to St. Louis and Jimmy Wilson to Philadelphia

March 3, 1940

Boston Bees sell outfielder Debs Garms to the Pittsburgh Pirates

Biography

Virgil Lawrence Davis batted .300 in 9 of his 16 seasons. In 1933 his .349 average was second in the NL to future Hall of Famer Chuck Klein’s .368. Davis led NL catchers in assists in 1931, double plays in 1932, and total chances per game in 1934, years in which rival catchers included future Cooperstown enshrinees Gabby Hartnett and Al Lopez. Davis later backed up Ernie Lombardi at Cincinnati, and Lopez at Pittsburgh.

As a member of the 1935 Cardinals, Davis feuded with Dizzy Dean. Dean accused him of not hustling after a foul during a loss to Cincinnati, and insisted on a different catcher the next time out. Teammates sided with Davis, but manager Frankie Frisch complied with Dean’s demand. Davis managed the Pirates briefly in 1946.@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF90YWdzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiTGVhcm4gTW9yZSBhYm91dCB0aGUgdGVhbXMsIHBsYXllcnMsIGJhbGwgcGFya3MgYW5kIGV2ZW50cyB0aGF0IGhhcHBlbmVkIG9uIHRoaXMgZGF0ZSBpbiBoaXN0b3J5IC0gLSAtIC0gLSAtIC0gIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6InBvc3RfdGFnIn19@

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