Butch Davis (davisbu03)

Robert Lomax Davis

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 220 lb.

• Debut 1947
• Final Game 1947
• Born May 4, 1916 in Charlotte, NC USA
• Died November 28, 1988 in Charlotte, NC USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Butch Davis was a Negro League outfielder for four years and played two seasons in the minor leagues.

Davis debuted in 1947, hitting .340 with 27 steals for the Baltimore Elite Giants. The North Carolina native was second in the Negro National League in steals, two behind Luis Marquez. He ranked fifth in batting average, trailing Marquez, Johnny Washington, Henry Kimbro and Lorenzo Cabrera. Butch played for Cienfuegos in 1947-1948, joining Pedro Pagés and Jose Colas in the outfield. He hit a team-high .303 and slugged .372.

In 1949, Davis batted .371 for the Elite Giants. He hit 5th and played left field for the East in the 1949 East-West Game; in a 4-0 win, he went 1 for 4 with a run and an error. Davis split 1950 between Baltimore and Winnipeg of the Manitoba-Dakota League (a sky-high .456). In '51, he played for Winnipeg (.406) and the Albany Senators (.350/?/.564).

Davis ended his career in '52, hitting .256/.310/.397 in 38 games for the Scranton Miners and .319/.354/.440 in 77 games for the AAA Toledo Mud Hens/Charleston Senators. One negative that year was a fielding percentage under .935 at both stops. Despite his impressive hitting at AAA in '52, Davis never played pro ball again after that year.

Davis had trouble with left-handed pitching as per James Riley. The former Negro League All-Star died in an auto accident in 1988.

Notable Achievements

• NNL At-Bats Leader (1947)
• NNL Triples Leader (1947)
• NNL RBIs Leader (1947)
• NNL Stolen Bases Leader (1947)

Sources

• The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues by John Holway
• The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues by James Riley
• Black Baseball's National Showcase by Larry Lester
• Cuban Baseball: A Statistical History by Jorge Figueredo