Virgil Davis
Born: 12/20/1904 in Birmingham, AL, USA
Died: 8/14/1984 in Birmingham, AL, USA
MLB Debut: 1928-04-30 | Final Game: 1945-09-05
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 197 lbs
Full name: Virgil Lawrence Davis
Biography
Virgil Davis was a prominent position player in Major League Baseball, whose career spanned from 1928 to 1945. Born in 1904, Davis showcased his talents in a total of 1,458 games, establishing himself as a reliable hitter with a career batting average of .308. Over his career, he recorded 1,312 hits, which included 77 home runs and 647 runs batted in (RBIs). Known for his consistent offensive production, Davis played a significant role during a transformative period in baseball, navigating through the Great Depression and World War II, which impacted the sport and its players.
Davis's playing style was characterized by his ability to make contact and get on base, making him a valuable asset to his teams. Although he was not known for his speed, as evidenced by his total of 6 stolen bases, his offensive contributions and clutch performances solidified his reputation in the league. His career, marked by impressive statistics, placed him among the notable players of his era, allowing him to leave a lasting impact on the game long after his retirement on September 5, 1945.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1458 | 4255 | 388 | 1312 | 244 | 22 | 77 | 647 | 6 | 386 | 326 | 0.308 | 0.369 | 0.430 | 0.799 | 7851.6 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | PHI | NL | 67 | 163 | 16 | 46 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 0 | 15 | 11 | 0.282 | -154.2 |
| 1928 | STL | NL | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.200 | -154.2 |
| 1929 | PHI | NL | 98 | 263 | 31 | 90 | 18 | 0 | 7 | 48 | 1 | 19 | 17 | 0.342 | 774.6 |
| 1930 | PHI | NL | 106 | 329 | 41 | 103 | 16 | 1 | 14 | 65 | 1 | 17 | 20 | 0.313 | 418.1 |
| 1931 | PHI | NL | 120 | 393 | 30 | 128 | 32 | 1 | 4 | 51 | 0 | 36 | 28 | 0.326 | 1042.1 |
| 1932 | PHI | NL | 125 | 402 | 44 | 135 | 23 | 5 | 14 | 70 | 1 | 40 | 39 | 0.336 | 2052.8 |
| 1933 | PHI | NL | 141 | 495 | 51 | 173 | 28 | 3 | 9 | 65 | 2 | 32 | 24 | 0.349 | 2257.7 |
| 1934 | STL | NL | 107 | 347 | 45 | 104 | 22 | 4 | 9 | 65 | 0 | 34 | 27 | 0.300 | 825.2 |
| 1935 | STL | NL | 102 | 315 | 28 | 100 | 24 | 2 | 1 | 60 | 0 | 33 | 30 | 0.317 | 601.1 |
| 1936 | STL | NL | 112 | 363 | 24 | 99 | 26 | 2 | 4 | 59 | 0 | 35 | 34 | 0.273 | -221.7 |
| 1937 | CIN | NL | 76 | 209 | 19 | 56 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 33 | 0 | 23 | 15 | 0.268 | -150.0 |
| 1938 | CIN | NL | 12 | 36 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 0.167 | 0.0 |
| 1938 | PHI | NL | 70 | 215 | 11 | 53 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 1 | 14 | 14 | 0.247 | 0.0 |
| 1939 | PHI | NL | 87 | 202 | 10 | 62 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 24 | 20 | 0.307 | 86.3 |
| 1940 | PIT | NL | 99 | 285 | 23 | 93 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 39 | 0 | 35 | 20 | 0.326 | 977.4 |
| 1941 | PIT | NL | 57 | 107 | 3 | 27 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 0.252 | -195.4 |
| 1944 | PIT | NL | 54 | 93 | 6 | 28 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 8 | 0.301 | 290.6 |
| 1945 | PIT | NL | 23 | 33 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.242 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | WS | SLN | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 5 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 3B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| C | 1282 | 0 | 4374 | 684 | 84 | 97 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | PHI | C | 49 | 0 | 149 | 46 | 4 | 7 |
| 1928 | SLN | C | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1929 | PHI | C | 89 | 0 | 198 | 47 | 10 | 7 |
| 1930 | PHI | C | 96 | 0 | 307 | 50 | 5 | 6 |
| 1931 | PHI | C | 114 | 0 | 420 | 78 | 3 | 10 |
| 1932 | PHI | C | 120 | 0 | 408 | 54 | 6 | 15 |
| 1933 | PHI | C | 132 | 0 | 395 | 69 | 8 | 9 |
| 1934 | SLN | C | 94 | 0 | 459 | 42 | 6 | 7 |
| 1935 | SLN | C | 81 | 0 | 335 | 34 | 3 | 2 |
| 1935 | SLN | 1B | 5 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 1936 | SLN | C | 103 | 0 | 390 | 59 | 7 | 7 |
| 1936 | SLN | 3B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1937 | CIN | C | 59 | 0 | 300 | 40 | 7 | 3 |
| 1938 | CIN | C | 11 | 0 | 43 | 7 | 2 | 1 |
| 1938 | PHI | C | 63 | 0 | 217 | 27 | 5 | 5 |
| 1939 | PHI | C | 85 | 0 | 260 | 40 | 0 | 1 |
| 1940 | PIT | C | 87 | 0 | 288 | 61 | 12 | 11 |
| 1941 | PIT | C | 49 | 0 | 97 | 16 | 0 | 3 |
| 1944 | PIT | C | 35 | 0 | 76 | 10 | 3 | 3 |
| 1945 | PIT | C | 13 | 0 | 26 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 1284 |
| First Base | 5 |
| Third Base | 2 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 25th | 1.0 | 80 | 0 |