Rajai Davis
Encyclopedia
Rajai Davis [RAH-jay] is an American professional baseball
center fielder
with the Toronto Blue Jays
of Major League Baseball
.
Davis began his career as a switch-hitter, but became a full-time right-handed hitter prior to the season. He also throws right-handed.
was born in Norwich, Connecticut
on October 19, 1980. He played Little League Baseball in Willimantic, Connecticut
for the Willimantic Fire Fighters. In 1991, Davis helped the Willimantic Little League All-Star Team win the District 11 championship. In 1994, Davis helped the Willimantic Senior League All-Star team to the District 11 championship, a team that reached the Connecticut State championship, losing 9-8 to South Windsor at Palmer Field in Middletown, CT.
In 1999, Davis graduated from New London High School where he earned letters playing baseball
, basketball
, and football
. During the summer he was a member of the New London American Legion
team.
After high school, Davis attended the University of Connecticut
at Avery Point in Groton
.
in the 38th round (1,134th overall) of the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft
as a second baseman
. He had an extended minor league career, playing six full minor league seasons before making his major league debut. He achieved great success at all levels, however, with a .305 career minor league batting average
to go along with 251 stolen base
s in 322 chances. In addition, Davis made three consecutive All-Star appearance at three different levels of play from to .
appearance against the Milwaukee Brewers
. He stole his first base two days later, but did not get his first major league hit
for another two weeks. It came on August 29, in the form of a pinch hit double
off Chicago Cubs
ace
Carlos Zambrano
. He made his first and only defensive appearance of 2006 the next day, playing three inning
s in right field
.
with pitcher Stephen MacFarland on July 31, , for Matt Morris. He made his Giants debut the next night against the Los Angeles Dodgers
, stealing a base and throwing out a runner from center field
. In his time with the Giants, Davis was a semi-regular in the Giants lineup
, filling in for Dave Roberts or Barry Bonds
whenever necessary.
On August 13, the Giants played a doubleheader
in Pittsburgh, which was Davis' first time back since the trade. He started in center in both games, going a combined three-for-seven, with three doubles, two runs scored
, two stolen bases, and an RBI
. Additionally, in the second game, Davis made a spectacular diving catch on the warning track
in left-center field.
Just three days later, he robbed Andruw Jones
of a possible home run
to end the game at Turner Field
in Atlanta. Davis kept the ball as a souvenir. The next night, Davis hit his first career home run off Florida Marlins
starter
Scott Olsen
.
Davis was second among the NL
rookie leaders in stolen bases, with 22. The leader, Arizona
's Chris Young, had 27—but also had nearly three times as many at-bats as Davis.
and was added to the active roster. With Oakland in 2008, he stole 25 bases in only 196 at-bats. In 2009, Davis became the primary center fielder
for the A's hit .305 with 41 stolen bases in 125 games, primarily in center field. In 2010 he also started for most of the season hitting .284 with 52 RBIs and 50 stolen bases. When Coco Crisp
came back from injury, Davis switched from center to left and right field for the remainder of the season.
, the Athletics traded Davis to the Toronto Blue Jays
for Trystan Magnuson
and Daniel Farquhar.
In a game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
on August 14, Davis tore his hamstring running to first base. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list after the game. Prior to the injury, Davis ranked third in the American League in stolen bases with 34.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
center fielder
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
with the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
.
Davis began his career as a switch-hitter, but became a full-time right-handed hitter prior to the season. He also throws right-handed.
Early life
Davis, who is African AmericanAfrican American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
was born in Norwich, Connecticut
Norwich, Connecticut
Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing...
on October 19, 1980. He played Little League Baseball in Willimantic, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
for the Willimantic Fire Fighters. In 1991, Davis helped the Willimantic Little League All-Star Team win the District 11 championship. In 1994, Davis helped the Willimantic Senior League All-Star team to the District 11 championship, a team that reached the Connecticut State championship, losing 9-8 to South Windsor at Palmer Field in Middletown, CT.
In 1999, Davis graduated from New London High School where he earned letters playing baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
. During the summer he was a member of the New London American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
team.
After high school, Davis attended the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
at Avery Point in Groton
Groton, Connecticut
Groton is a town located on the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,907 at the 2000 census....
.
Minor leagues
Davis was drafted by the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
in the 38th round (1,134th overall) of the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft
2001 Major League Baseball Draft
-First Round Selections:-Supplemental First Round Selections:-Background:The Minnesota Twins selected St. Paul, MN native Joe Mauer with the number one pick in the 2001 draft. The 18-year-old Mauer, a catcher from Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, became the seventh Minnesotan to be...
as a second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
. He had an extended minor league career, playing six full minor league seasons before making his major league debut. He achieved great success at all levels, however, with a .305 career minor league batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
to go along with 251 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s in 322 chances. In addition, Davis made three consecutive All-Star appearance at three different levels of play from to .
Pittsburgh Pirates (2006–07)
Davis made his major league debut for the Pirates on August 14, , going 0-for-1 in a pinch hitPinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
appearance against the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. He stole his first base two days later, but did not get his first major league hit
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
for another two weeks. It came on August 29, in the form of a pinch hit double
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
off Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
ace
Ace (baseball)
In baseball, an ace is the best starting pitcher of any team and nearly always the first pitcher in his starting rotation. Barring injury or exceptional circumstances, an ace usually always starts on Opening Day...
Carlos Zambrano
Carlos Zambrano
Carlos Alberto Zambrano is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher with the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball. Zambrano, who stands 6' 5" and weighs 260 pounds, was signed by the Cubs as a free agent in 1997 and made his debut in 2001...
. He made his first and only defensive appearance of 2006 the next day, playing three inning
Inning
Inning is a municipality in the district of Erding in Bavaria in Germany....
s in right field
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
.
San Francisco Giants (2007–08)
Davis was traded to the San Francisco GiantsSan Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
with pitcher Stephen MacFarland on July 31, , for Matt Morris. He made his Giants debut the next night against the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, stealing a base and throwing out a runner from center field
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
. In his time with the Giants, Davis was a semi-regular in the Giants lineup
Batting order (baseball)
The batting order, or batting lineup, in baseball is the sequence in which the nine members of the offense take their turns in batting against the pitcher. The batting order is the main component of a team's offensive strategy. The batting order is set by the manager before the game begins...
, filling in for Dave Roberts or Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
whenever necessary.
On August 13, the Giants played a doubleheader
Doubleheader (baseball)
A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
in Pittsburgh, which was Davis' first time back since the trade. He started in center in both games, going a combined three-for-seven, with three doubles, two runs scored
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, two stolen bases, and an RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
. Additionally, in the second game, Davis made a spectacular diving catch on the warning track
Warning track
A warning track is the term for the part of the baseball field that is closest to the wall or fence and is typically made of dirt, instead of grass or artificial turf like most of the field. It runs parallel to the ballpark's wall and looks like a running track...
in left-center field.
Just three days later, he robbed Andruw Jones
Andruw Jones
Andruw Rudolf Jones is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is a free agent.Jones made his debut during the 1996 season. In the 1996 World Series, Jones became the youngest player to ever homered in the postseason...
of a possible home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
to end the game at Turner Field
Turner Field
Turner Field is a stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, home to Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves since 1997. Turner Field was originally built as Centennial Olympic Stadium, it was completed in 1996 to serve as the centerpiece of the 1996 Summer Olympics...
in Atlanta. Davis kept the ball as a souvenir. The next night, Davis hit his first career home run off Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
starter
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
Scott Olsen
Scott Olsen
Scott Matthew Olsen is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher who is a free agent.-Early life:Olsen was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan...
.
Davis was second among the NL
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
rookie leaders in stolen bases, with 22. The leader, Arizona
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
's Chris Young, had 27—but also had nearly three times as many at-bats as Davis.
Oakland Athletics (2008–2010)
On April 23, , Davis was claimed off waivers by the Oakland AthleticsOakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
and was added to the active roster. With Oakland in 2008, he stole 25 bases in only 196 at-bats. In 2009, Davis became the primary center fielder
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
for the A's hit .305 with 41 stolen bases in 125 games, primarily in center field. In 2010 he also started for most of the season hitting .284 with 52 RBIs and 50 stolen bases. When Coco Crisp
Coco Crisp
Covelli Loyce "Coco" Crisp is an American professional baseball center fielder. Crisp is a switch-hitter and throws right-handed...
came back from injury, Davis switched from center to left and right field for the remainder of the season.
Toronto Blue Jays (2011-present)
Following the acquisition of David DeJesusDavid DeJesus
David Christopher DeJesus is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball.-Career:DeJesus was raised in Manalapan Township, New Jersey, and played high school baseball at Manalapan High School. He was drafted out of high school by the New York Mets in...
, the Athletics traded Davis to the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
for Trystan Magnuson
Trystan Magnuson
Trystan Stuart Gwyn Magnuson is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball....
and Daniel Farquhar.
In a game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
on August 14, Davis tore his hamstring running to first base. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list after the game. Prior to the injury, Davis ranked third in the American League in stolen bases with 34.