Celebrating Black History Month with a Conversation with Eric Davis at Day Air Ballpark
Over the Dragons 25-year history, many legendary names have visited Day Air Ballpark, a list that has resembled a virtual “Who’s Who” in baseball history, and sports history in general. Many of the biggest names in Cincinnati Reds history have enjoyed time at a Dragons game in various roles and
Over the Dragons 25-year history, many legendary names have visited Day Air Ballpark, a list that has resembled a virtual “Who’s Who” in baseball history, and sports history in general. Many of the biggest names in Cincinnati Reds history have enjoyed time at a Dragons game in various roles and capacities, and the list of sports celebrities at Dragons games expands to many other teams as well.
Perhaps the most frequent visitor among legendary names at Day Air Ballpark is former Reds great Eric Davis, known as Eric the Red, who attends 10-20 games every season in his role in the Reds front office. Davis would have been a first ballot hall of famer if not for a series of injuries that shortened his career, but many of his accomplishments on the field stand alone in Reds history for all-around baseball talent. Davis visited with Dragons broadcaster Tom Nichols to discuss his past, present, and future.
TN: So many fans still remember you, and when you are in Dayton, we see the constant greetings you get from people who tell you how much enjoyment you brought to them as a Reds fan. How does that make you feel?
ED: I think about it all the time, and it is kind of a surreal feeling. People tell you how big of an impact you had…it really is a testament to my parents and the guys helped mold me in this game like Dave Parker and Pete Rose, and Tony Perez, and Griffey Senior. Without them, we are empty, so that is why everybody needs somebody to be an influence on their lives.
TN: You came out of Los Angeles. There have been a lot of players that came from that area, but what motivated you the most and pushed you to become the player you became?
ED: Growing up in south central LA, the motivation was to get out. Not wanting to have that environment take me, I knew that I had an opportunity to do something special. And what was I going to do with that opportunity? Was I going to waste it and be a statistic, or am I going to take the bull by the horn and try to make something of my life, and I chose the latter.
TN: When the experts talk about the greatest combinations of speed, power, and defense they have ever seen, your name is always in the conversation, yet after all these years, here you are, still out here on the field, trying to help young players. Is baseball just in your blood?
ED: Well, it is in my blood now, but the guy who established that for me was Willie Stargell, and he told me in 1983, Eric, if you obtain knowledge and you don’t share knowledge, you lose knowledge. So as a coach, you learn through conversations. You learn how to fix a player when you learn what’s wrong. So having those conversations and not thinking that I am better than anyone helped me become the man I am today.
I don’t want any player in this organization to ever be asked a question and say in response, ‘I have never heard that before.’ That would mean that we didn’t do our job with giving them everything that this game has to offer, from bunting, to pick-offs, to mindset, so that’s a bigger testament to our organization. I have had a lot of players who have left for another organization come back to me and say, “I am glad you told me that because they don’t teach that over here.”
In 1987, Davis became the first player in baseball history to hit at least 30 home runs and steal at least 50 bases in the same season. He has seven seasons with at least 20 home runs and at least 20 stolen bases, more than Hank Aaron or Willie Mays. He is now 63 years old, but you will see him on the field again this summer working with Dragons players.