Storm Davis
Encyclopedia
George Earl "Storm" Davis (born December 26, 1961 in Dallas, Texas
), is a former professional baseball
player who pitched in the major leagues from 1982-1994.
in Game Four of the 1983 World Series
versus the Philadelphia Phillies
. He was the losing pitcher for the Oakland Athletics in Games Two and Five of the 1988 World Series
versus the Los Angeles Dodgers
.
In 1989, he won a career-high 19 games for the A's during a season which the A's won 99 games, more than any other team in Major League Baseball
. After Davis (and reliever Rick Honeycutt
) pitched in the only AL Championship Series game
that the A's lost that year, Davis was originally scheduled to be the A's starting pitcher for Game Four of the 1989 World Series
. When the Loma Prieta earthquake
caused Game 3 to be delayed by ten days, Tony La Russa
decided to re-use the winners of Games 1 and 2, Dave Stewart and Mike Moore, as the starting pitchers of Games 3 and 4; La Russa also penciled in Davis as the starting pitcher for Game 6, if necessary. La Russa's strategy worked: both Stewart and Moore won their games, and Davis, publicly angry at La Russa for the change, became a free agent
at the end of the season.
Bill James
, who cites Davis' 19-7 winning record as a canonical
example of how a pitcher's won-lost record can be misleading.
After the 1989 season, the Kansas City Royals
signed Davis to a three-year, $6 million contract; this has been called one of the worst blunders in baseball history. Davis had an ERA
that was worse than the league average in 1989, but Royals pitching coach Frank Funk said, "We don't want pitchers with good ERA's. We want pitchers with wins." In his two seasons in Kansas City, Davis had a win–loss record of 10-19. He pitched mostly in relief in 1991 before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles.
, the Orioles' Cy Young Award-winning pitcher; he was a "cyclone" or "storm."
Storm Davis' parents are the adoptive parents of Glenn Davis
, also a former major league player.
Davis worked as head baseball coach at The Bolles School for the 2008 and 2009 seasons after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant on the Bolles baseball staff. He resigned to become pitching coach at Low-A Hickory team in the Texas Rangers organization.
Davis' son Zachary played football for the Liberty University
Flames.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
), is a former professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player who pitched in the major leagues from 1982-1994.
World Series experience
Davis was the winning pitcher for the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
in Game Four of the 1983 World Series
1983 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 11, 1983 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandJohn Denver, whose Thank God I'm a Country Boy was played at the seventh-inning stretch of each Orioles home game, sang the National Anthem prior to this game....
versus the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. He was the losing pitcher for the Oakland Athletics in Games Two and Five of the 1988 World Series
1988 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 15, 1988 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaBecause of using ace Orel Hershiser in Game 7 of the NLCS, the Dodgers had to open with rookie Tim Belcher in Game 1. Meanwhile, Oakland sent a well-rested Dave Stewart to the mound. Both pitchers, however, would have...
versus the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
.
In 1989, he won a career-high 19 games for the A's during a season which the A's won 99 games, more than any other team in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. After Davis (and reliever Rick Honeycutt
Rick Honeycutt
Frederick Wayne "Rick" Honeycutt is the current pitching coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Honeycutt was a left-handed pitcher for 21 years from 1977 to 1997. He played with the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, and the St. Louis Cardinals...
) pitched in the only AL Championship Series game
1989 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 3, 1989 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, CaliforniaThe A's went off as heavy favorites largely due to their status as defending American League champions. The Blue Jays had been in second place much of the year before catching and passing the Baltimore Orioles...
that the A's lost that year, Davis was originally scheduled to be the A's starting pitcher for Game Four of the 1989 World Series
1989 World Series
†: Game 3 was originally slated for October 17 at 5:35 pm; however, it was postponed when an earthquake occurred at 5:04 pm.-Game 1:Saturday, October 14, 1989 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California...
. When the Loma Prieta earthquake
Loma Prieta earthquake
The Loma Prieta earthquake, also known as the Quake of '89 and the World Series Earthquake, was a major earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay Area of California on October 17, 1989, at 5:04 p.m. local time...
caused Game 3 to be delayed by ten days, Tony La Russa
Tony La Russa
Anthony "Tony" La Russa, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball manager and infielder, best known for his tenures as manager of the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals...
decided to re-use the winners of Games 1 and 2, Dave Stewart and Mike Moore, as the starting pitchers of Games 3 and 4; La Russa also penciled in Davis as the starting pitcher for Game 6, if necessary. La Russa's strategy worked: both Stewart and Moore won their games, and Davis, publicly angry at La Russa for the change, became a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
at the end of the season.
1989-1991
Years later, Dave Stewart described Davis as the "best fifth starter [Stewart] had ever [seen]....[Davis] pitched 165-170 innings (actually 169), won 19 games (19-7) and spent some time doing a pretty good job out of the bullpen, too. Storm was the perfect fifth starter." Stewart's high opinion of Davis' 1989 season is not shared by sabermetricianSabermetrics
Sabermetrics is the specialized analysis of baseball through objective, empirical evidence, specifically baseball statistics that measure in-game activity. The term is derived from the acronym SABR, which stands for the Society for American Baseball Research...
Bill James
Bill James
George William “Bill” James is a baseball writer, historian, and statistician whose work has been widely influential. Since 1977, James has written more than two dozen books devoted to baseball history and statistics...
, who cites Davis' 19-7 winning record as a canonical
Canonical
Canonical is an adjective derived from canon. Canon comes from the greek word κανών kanon, "rule" or "measuring stick" , and is used in various meanings....
example of how a pitcher's won-lost record can be misleading.
After the 1989 season, the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
signed Davis to a three-year, $6 million contract; this has been called one of the worst blunders in baseball history. Davis had an ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
that was worse than the league average in 1989, but Royals pitching coach Frank Funk said, "We don't want pitchers with good ERA's. We want pitchers with wins." In his two seasons in Kansas City, Davis had a win–loss record of 10-19. He pitched mostly in relief in 1991 before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles.
Personal life
According to his 1987 Topps baseball card, Davis' nickname derived from a character in a book his mother read while pregnant. Another story traces his nickname to similarities with Jim PalmerJim Palmer
James Alvin "Jim" Palmer , nicknamed "Cakes", is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in .As of 2008, Palmer and his wife Susan have homes in Palm Beach, Florida, and...
, the Orioles' Cy Young Award-winning pitcher; he was a "cyclone" or "storm."
Storm Davis' parents are the adoptive parents of Glenn Davis
Glenn Davis (baseball)
Glenn Earl Davis is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. While a member of the Houston Astros in the late 1980s, he finished three times in the top ten in National League MVP balloting . He batted and threw right-handed....
, also a former major league player.
Davis worked as head baseball coach at The Bolles School for the 2008 and 2009 seasons after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant on the Bolles baseball staff. He resigned to become pitching coach at Low-A Hickory team in the Texas Rangers organization.
Davis' son Zachary played football for the Liberty University
Liberty University
Liberty University is a private Christian university located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Liberty's annual enrollment is around 72,000 students, 12,000 of whom are residential students and 60,000+ studying through Liberty University Online...
Flames.