You knew the drill.
Chris Davis, Longview native by way of Navarro Junior College, would crush the ball at Triple-A for a couple months, get called up to the Texas Rangers and ... strikeout, strikeout and more strikeouts.
The 2006 5th-round draft pick's potential was tantalizing; His results infuriating.
So two summers ago - July 30, 2011 - the Rangers made a decision to trade Davis and pitcher Tommy Hunter to the Baltimore Orioles. For reliever Koji Uehara, and $2 million cash. Rangers' general manager Jon Daniels has made some great deals to establish his organization as one of the best in Major League Baseball, but that one has got to be one of his worst.
Because, in case you'd long given up on Davis, he's now having an epic season in Baltimore.
Only 27, he leads baseball with 31 homers (on pace for 59) and is
Top 5 in slugging percentage, total bases, batting average, on-base percentage and doubles. Last week he became the first player in MLB history to amass 30 homers and 25 doubles by July 1. Oh, and he's a lock to start next week's All-Star Game at 1st Base.
Yes, Rangers fans, you're going to need a barf bag.
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In Arlington Davis was hindered by the pressure of trying to be a home-grown hero, which diluted his patience at the plate. Result? How about 238 strikeouts - and only 38 homers - in 686 at-bats with the Rangers in 2008-09 and just another six dingers from 2010-11, when Texas finally decided their future was brighter with Mitch Moreland manning 1st.
Given his immense skill set - power at the plate and Gold Glove in the field - the Rangers had to envision this breakout was a possibility. But that doesn't soothe the hurt feelings of fans who have seen 1st Base be one of the team's most fascinating and frustrating positions.
Mike Hargrove was AL Rookie of the Year in '74. Pete O'Brien was solid, if not spectacular in the '80s. And then came Rafael Palmeiro and Will Clark - you probably heard of them - in the '90s. Guys named Carlos Pena ('01), Travis Hafner ('02) and Adrian Gonzalez ('05) had sips of cappuccino at 1st in Texas. Mark Texeira assumed the position in '03, but left a gaping hole with his departure via trade in '07.
In his wake the Rangers tried some Hank Blalock, a little Ben Broussard, a lot of Davis, a pinch of Justin Smoak and even picked up Jorge Cantu for the '10 playoff run. Last couple of years Mike Napoli and Michael Young even played 1st and some dude named Chris Guiness got 34 at-bats at the position this summer.
Nothing glaringly wrong with Moreland, who's been hurt this year. But his 12 homers and .268 average pale in comparison to the Rangers' latest one to get away ... Crush Davis.
I really don't like being such a cynic, but will anyone be surprised when it comes out, oh say, in the off-season or sometime early next season that Crush has either failed a PED test or is linked to them in some fashion? I just can't help but think of Chris as Brady Anderson (except in Chris's case, his natural power delivers even more shocking results).
ReplyDeleteAny Rangers fans wanting to "grab a barf bag" as you so claim need only look in the mirror for who's partially to blame. I doubt you'd find 10 people in DFW who didn't say Good Riddance when they made this deal. Davis is needs to go down as the ultimate example of telling our so-called fan base to shut the hell up when they want to give up on our top prospects.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree. Never said I didn't agree with trading Davis at the time, but it's just nauseating now.
DeleteThe average Ranger fan is partially to blame for this team. They could have gotten pitching this off season and another bat but the fans don't care. They just show up for dollar hot dogs and do the wave. Management understood this and said, "why do anything, these dildos will buy a couple of minor league trash pitchers."
ReplyDeleteThrow in a crack head manager who refuses to sit Murphy and you have a total package. A good team that did nothing to get better and fans who don't give a fuck.
Good attempt at trolling.
DeleteIsn't calling Wash a "crack head" a little passe?
DeleteWhat?! Richie, you were the one screaming for Ron Washington to be fired for Washington's failed drug test--for years! Passe all of a sudden?
DeleteWhat a complete hypocrite you are.
Koji was about hit/miss as Davis was in his tenure here. Still can't believe they gave up on Davis, seems to me it was a coaching thing.
ReplyDeleteRW, someone said on the radio yesterday that Davis said his problems were with coaching. He'd come up to the Rangers and couldn't get his swing right. Now his hitting coach has him doing the right things and look at the results I'm a Mitch fan but damn, unless Davis comes back to earth, Daniels needs to evaluate his coaching better.
Actually Davis said that Adam Jones fixed his swing not the coaches. He also said that he never would have figured it out here because he was under to much pressure. I don't blame the Rangers because they didn't have time to let him play ever day.
DeleteWasn't it the great Rudy Jaramillo who somehow couldn't fix Davis' swing at this level?
DeleteIt sucks to see Davis doing so well when he could have still been a Ranger. The same time though, he was given plenty of opportunities for the Rangers and just didnt produce. I think he just needed a change of scenery to clear his head. Good for him, seems like a great guy.
ReplyDeleteAmen.
DeleteRichie
ReplyDeleteFind out what who they signed w/the $ 2 mil. All part of the jedi JD's master plan. complete now and keep adding new talent through amateur draft & international signing
Agreed with others, his time with the Rangers had run its course. Koji Uehara is one of the better relief pitchers in the game and is currently closing in Boston and having a stellar season. He was productive with the Rangers and it wasn't his fault things went so badly south at the end of last year (in fact, he didn't giveup a single run from September to the end of the season). In hindsight, sure it looks like a bad trade, but at the time nobody thought Chris would amount to what he's become this year.
ReplyDeleteI'm not barfing, he had to go, he couldnt hit shit here. We have our prime example of Davis the other way here, Nelly Cruz, he was a flailing mess in Milwaukee basically unable to hit a curve ball. But now he has crushed some major hits for us in post season baseball. tit for tat. Mitch the bitch will be fine
ReplyDeleteGood points.
DeleteBREAKING RANGERS NEWS - According to Evan Grant, the Rangers have signed Manny Ramirez to a minor league deal. He'll join the Triple-A Round Rock team. Guess the Rangers are signaling that Lance Berkman was a mistake.
ReplyDeleteBerkman still has a good bat. Manny is better than Murphy! That guy has no biz being on field every day.
DeleteOh, so NOW the writers come out of the woodwork and proclaim that trading Davis was a mistake. Where were all these columns when Davis was moved? Hindsight is a great thing, I guess. Davis needed to go. He struck out more than he put the ball in play (much less actually got a base hit) and he needed a change. Glad he's having a great season, but his time here was over. And then some. I wish all the writers and talking heads who are roasting the Rangers over this trade would publish the columns they wrote, or produce the video tape that proclaimed what a terrible deal this was when it happened. Unless they can, just shut up.
ReplyDeleteBTW, the All-Star Game is not next week. It will be held on July 16.
ReplyDelete