Charles Theodore Davis was drafted by the Giants in the 1977 amateur draft in the 11th round out of Dorsey High School in Los Angeles. Nicknamed Chili, he quickly made his way up the minors and became a September callup in the 1981 at the age of 21.
In 1982, Davis made the team and immediately proved his worth in appearing in 154 games and compiling 641 at-bats. In that season, Chili belted 19 home runs, 76 RBI, and batted .261 while garnering 4th place in the National League Rookie of the Year ballot. Chili would end up playing another five years in San Francisco, and accumulated 101 HR, 418 RBI, while batting .267. His best statistical season as a Giant was in 1984, when he hit 21 HR, 81 RBI, and batted .315. It would also mark, Chili's first All-Star game selection and appearance.
After the '87 season, Chili entered free agency and signed with the California Angels where he would spend the next four seasons. Immediately following the 1990 season, Chili would spend the next nine seasons with stops in Minnesota, back to the California Angels, Royals, and Yankees. In those post-Giants years, Chili was a part of three World Championship clubs: Minnesota - 1991, New York Yankees - 1998, 1999.
Chili's career would eventually end with a World Championship title with the Yankees in 1999, and in his 19-year career, he amassed 350 HR, 1,372 RBI, and a career batting average of .274, and was three-time All-Star.
After his playing career ended, it appears Chili took some time off before rejoining organized baseball as an instructor. His first foray into coaching was with the Australian Summer League, where he served as a coach in 2003-2004. In 2010, he was a part-time instructor for the Dodgers for their instructional league.
Where is he now? Just last week, the Boston Red Sox announced that Chili was their new hitting coach for their AAA Pawtucket team. Chili replaces Gerald Perry, who was hired as the hitting coach with the Oakland A's.
Chili Davis (SF Giants: 1981-1987)
Chili pictured with teammates Will Clark and Chris Brown
1 comment:
Great blog. I love learning more about this era I wish I would have been a Giant fan sooner. My first game was the last game of the 1985 season. I fell in love with the Giants and have never looked back. Chili was my favorite player both for on the field accomplishments and because how nice he was with fans and kids after the games. Missed him dearly when he left but I was happy he had a great career and was rewarded with championships! Will always remember you Chili thank you for being nice to all of us :)
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