Spud Davis

Virgil Lawrence Davis

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 197 lb.
• High School Gulf Coast Military Academy
• Debut April 30, 1928
• Final Game September 5, 1945
• Born December 20, 1904 in Birmingham, AL USA
• Died August 14, 1984 in Birmingham, AL USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Catcher Spud Davis played 16 seasons in the National League from 1928 to 1945, hitting .308 over his career. He was second in the 1933 NL batting championship, behind Chuck Klein. He was part of the Gas House Gang with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1934-1936, and went 2 for 2 in the 1934 World Series.

The most similar players to Davis, according to the similarity scores method, are Smoky Burgess and Don Slaught.

Davis also managed the 1946 Pittsburgh Pirates for three games. He was a coach with the Pirates from 1941 to 1946 , then scouted for the team from 1947 to 1949. He then became a coach for the Chicago Cubs from 1950 to 1953.

Notable Achievement

• Won a World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1934

Preceded by Frankie Frisch

Pittsburgh Pirates Manager 1946

Succeeded by Billy Herman

Year-By-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Organization	Playoffs	Notes
1946	Pittsburgh Pirates	National League	1-2	7th	Pittsburgh Pirates		replaced Frankie Frisch (62-89) on September 28

Further Reading

• Andy Sturgill: "Spud Davis", in Charles F. Faber, ed.: The 1934 St. Louis Cardinals: The World Champion Gas House Gang, SABR, Phoenix, AZ, 2014, pp. 74-77. ISBN 978-1-933599-731

Related Sites

• Spud Davis at the SABR Bio Project
• BR Manager page