Gladys Davis (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Gladys Davis [״Terrie״] (born September 1, 1919) is a former Canadian
shortstop
and outfielder
who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
between the and seasons. Listed at 5' 5", 130 lb., Davis batted and threw right handed. She was born in Toronto
, Ontario
.
Terrie Davis was one of the 57 players born in Canada to join the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in its twelve years history. She was among the top players in the early years of the circuit, winning the first batting champion title in 1943, being selected to the first All-Star Game, and as a member of the champion team in 1944. Noted for her enthusiastic and great knowledge of the game, she excelled defensively at shortstop
, second base and all three outfield
positions. Basically a line-drive hitter, she had a compact swing and tremendous plate discipline, collecting a significant .336 on-base percentage and a 2.05 walk-to-strikeout ratio
(113-to-55) in a span of three years.
The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League operated from 1943 through 1954 and started with four teams: the Racine Belles
and the Kenosha Comets
, both from Wisconsin
; the Rockford Peaches
from Illinois
, and the South Bend Blue Sox
from Indiana
. League play officially began on May 30, 1943 with the teams Kenosha Comets
, Racine Belles
, Rockford Peaches
and South Bend Blue Sox
. Each team was made up of fifteen girls.
Davis joined the Rockford team to become one of the sixty original founding members of the league. Her hitting was good enough to win the batting title win a .331 average in 102 games. She also led the league in total bases
(155), finished second in hits
(116), four behind South Bend's Betsy Jochum
, and ranked third in home run
s (4), runs batted in (58) and runs scored
(78), while tying for second in triples
(10). During the midseason took effect the first All-Star Game of the league, which coincidentally became the first night game ever played at Wrigley Field
(July 1, 1943). The contest was played under temporary lights between two teams composed of Belles and Comets players against Blue Sox and Peaches players. At the end of the season, she was selected to the All-Star Team
.
By 1944 the AAGPBL added two teams, the Milwaukee Chicks
and the Minneapolis Millerettes
. Davis divided her playing time between Rockford and Milwaukee, hitting a combined .246 average with 42 runs and 34 RBI in 80 games. The Chicks then went on to win the Championship Title, beating Kenosha in the best-of-seven series behind a strong pitching effort by Connie Wisniewski
, who went 4-1 with a 0.40 ERA in five complete games, while Davis led the team with a .333 average (9-for-27), three runs, three RBI, and eight stolen base
s.
Davis was married and had a child before joining the league. She missed the 1945 season and returned with the expansion Muskegon Lassies
during the 1946 midseason. She dropped to .202 in 58 games, driving in 31 runs while scoring 22 times, during what turned out to be her AAGPBL final season.
After retiring, Davis focused on her family and interior designing business in Toronto. In 1998, she was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
. She is also part of the AAGPBL permanent display at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown, New York
, opened in , which is dedicated to the entire league rather than any individual personalities.
Fielding
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
and outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was a women's professional baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley which existed from 1943 to 1954. During the league's history, over 600 women played ball.-History:...
between the and seasons. Listed at 5' 5", 130 lb., Davis batted and threw right handed. She was born in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
Terrie Davis was one of the 57 players born in Canada to join the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in its twelve years history. She was among the top players in the early years of the circuit, winning the first batting champion title in 1943, being selected to the first All-Star Game, and as a member of the champion team in 1944. Noted for her enthusiastic and great knowledge of the game, she excelled defensively at shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
, second base and all three outfield
Outfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
positions. Basically a line-drive hitter, she had a compact swing and tremendous plate discipline, collecting a significant .336 on-base percentage and a 2.05 walk-to-strikeout ratio
Walk-to-strikeout ratio
In baseball statistics, walk-to-strikeout ratio is a measure of a hitter's plate discipline and knowledge of the strike zone. Generally, a hitter with a good walk-to-strikeout ratio must exhibit enough patience at the plate to refrain from swinging at bad pitches and take a base on balls, but he...
(113-to-55) in a span of three years.
The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League operated from 1943 through 1954 and started with four teams: the Racine Belles
Racine Belles
The Racine Belles were one of the original teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League playing from through out of Racine, Wisconsin. The team played its home games at Horlick Field.-History:...
and the Kenosha Comets
Kenosha Comets
Based in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the Kenosha Comets were a women's professional baseball team that played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The team played their home games at Kenosha's Lake Front Stadium, but later moved to Simmons Field.The Kenosha Comets were one...
, both from Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
; the Rockford Peaches
Rockford Peaches
The Rockford Peaches were a team in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League playing out of Rockford, Illinois for the entire existence of the league from 1943 to 1954....
from Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and the South Bend Blue Sox
South Bend Blue Sox
The South Bend Blue Sox were a women's professional baseball team who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
from Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. League play officially began on May 30, 1943 with the teams Kenosha Comets
Kenosha Comets
Based in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the Kenosha Comets were a women's professional baseball team that played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The team played their home games at Kenosha's Lake Front Stadium, but later moved to Simmons Field.The Kenosha Comets were one...
, Racine Belles
Racine Belles
The Racine Belles were one of the original teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League playing from through out of Racine, Wisconsin. The team played its home games at Horlick Field.-History:...
, Rockford Peaches
Rockford Peaches
The Rockford Peaches were a team in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League playing out of Rockford, Illinois for the entire existence of the league from 1943 to 1954....
and South Bend Blue Sox
South Bend Blue Sox
The South Bend Blue Sox were a women's professional baseball team who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
. Each team was made up of fifteen girls.
Davis joined the Rockford team to become one of the sixty original founding members of the league. Her hitting was good enough to win the batting title win a .331 average in 102 games. She also led the league in total bases
Total bases
In baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run.Only bases attained from hits count toward this total....
(155), finished second in hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
(116), four behind South Bend's Betsy Jochum
Betsy Jochum
Betsy Jochum [″Sockum″] is a former outfielder and pitcher who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 7", 140 lb., she batted and threw right-handed.-Overview profile:...
, and ranked third in home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s (4), runs batted in (58) and runs scored
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
(78), while tying for second in triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
(10). During the midseason took effect the first All-Star Game of the league, which coincidentally became the first night game ever played at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
(July 1, 1943). The contest was played under temporary lights between two teams composed of Belles and Comets players against Blue Sox and Peaches players. At the end of the season, she was selected to the All-Star Team
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League All-Star Team
The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was a women's professional baseball circuit which existed for twelve seasons from through ....
.
By 1944 the AAGPBL added two teams, the Milwaukee Chicks
Milwaukee Chicks
The Milwaukee Chicks were a women's professional baseball team which played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the season. They were managed by Max Carey, former star player for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Brooklyn Robins and a future Hall of Famer.-History:By 1944 the...
and the Minneapolis Millerettes
Minneapolis Millerettes
The Minneapolis Millerettes were an expansion All-American Girls Professional Baseball League team that played for one season in 1944. They played their home games in Nicollet Park, home of the men's minor league team the Minneapolis Millers...
. Davis divided her playing time between Rockford and Milwaukee, hitting a combined .246 average with 42 runs and 34 RBI in 80 games. The Chicks then went on to win the Championship Title, beating Kenosha in the best-of-seven series behind a strong pitching effort by Connie Wisniewski
Connie Wisniewski
Constance Wisniewski was a starting pitcher and outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
, who went 4-1 with a 0.40 ERA in five complete games, while Davis led the team with a .333 average (9-for-27), three runs, three RBI, and eight stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s.
Davis was married and had a child before joining the league. She missed the 1945 season and returned with the expansion Muskegon Lassies
Muskegon Lassies
The Muskegon Lassies were one of the expansion teams of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in , representing Muskegon, Michigan. The team played their home games at Marsh Field....
during the 1946 midseason. She dropped to .202 in 58 games, driving in 31 runs while scoring 22 times, during what turned out to be her AAGPBL final season.
After retiring, Davis focused on her family and interior designing business in Toronto. In 1998, she was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum is a museum located in St. Marys, Ontario, Canada. The museums commemorates great players, teams, and accomplishments of baseball in Canada.-History:...
. She is also part of the AAGPBL permanent display at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown, New York
Cooperstown is a village in Otsego County, New York, USA. It is located in the Town of Otsego. The population was estimated to be 1,852 at the 2010 census.The Village of Cooperstown is the county seat of Otsego County, New York...
, opened in , which is dedicated to the entire league rather than any individual personalities.
Career statistics
Batting| GP Games played Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,... | AB At bat In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance... | R Run (baseball) In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured... | H Hit (baseball) In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice.... | 2B Double (baseball) In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice.... | 3B Triple (baseball) In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice.... | HR Home run In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process... | RBI Run batted in Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI... | SB Stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate... | BB Base on balls A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08... | SO Strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters.... | BA Batting average Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :... | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 240 | 819 | 142 | 223 | 19 | 11 | 5 | 123 | 137 | 113 | 55 | .272 | .336 | .341 |
Fielding
| GP Games played Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,... | PO | A Assist (baseball) In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional... | E Error (baseball) In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ... | TC Total chances In baseball statistics, total chances , also called chances offered, represents the number of plays in which a defensive player has participated. It is calculated as follows: Total Chances = assists + putouts + errors. Chances accepted refers to the total of putouts and assists only. Fielding... | DP Double play In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two".... | FA Fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 117 | 353 | 492 | 115 | 960 | 29 | .880 |