George Davis (baseball)

George Stacey Davis (August 23, 1870 – October 17, 1940) was an American professional baseball shortstop and manager in Major League Baseball at the turn of the 20th century. Davis also spent multiple seasons as a third baseman and center fielder, and lesser amounts of time at other positions. He broke into the major leagues in 1890 and played through 1909. He is ranked among the top 100 players of all time in several statistical categories. Davis was the first switch hitter to reach 2,000 hits.

After his playing career, Davis managed the Amherst College baseball team for several years. He died in a mental institution, suffering the effects of syphilis. Not much was known about Davis's life or career until the 1990s, when he gained some recognition from the city historian of his hometown of Cohoes, New York. He was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1998.

Born on August 23, 1870, in Cohoes, New York, Davis was one of seven children born to Abram and Sarah Davis. His father had immigrated from Wales and his mother came from England. Davis was playing amateur baseball in Albany when he was 16 years old and he could bat from both sides of the plate.

By 1889, Davis was on a team of semiprofessional and amateur players near the Hudson River in Albany. The squad was managed by Tom York, a former major league player. York recommended Davis for major league service with the Cleveland Spiders. The team signed Davis for the 1890 season.

Davis patrolled center field for the first two seasons of his career, leading the National League (NL) in outfield assists with 35 in 1890. He made three brief appearances as a pitcher in 1891, giving up seven earned runs in four innings and recording one save. That year he was among the league's top ten players in hits, doubles, triples, total bases, runs batted in (RBI), plate appearances and assists as an outfielder.

Davis never appeared as a pitcher again, but his strong arm did lead the team to move him to third base in 1892, a position he played for the next five seasons. His batting average dropped almost 50 points to .241 in 1892, but he recorded 82 RBI and 36 stolen bases.

The Spiders traded Davis to the New York Giants for aging star Buck Ewing shortly before the 1893 season, and Davis blossomed in New York City. With league rules moving the pitcher's mound back to 60 feet, 6 inches that season, offensive totals jumped across the league, and Davis was at the forefront of the surge. He compiled a .355 batting average and set career highs with 27 triples and 11 home runs. He also collected 22 doubles and 37 stolen bases, while scoring 112 runs and driving in 119. He became the first player to hit a triple and a home run in the same inning.

Davis continued to perform at an elite level throughout the 1890s, regularly ranking among the league leaders in doubles, triples, RBI, and stolen bases. He had a batting average of more than .300 for nine consecutive seasons beginning in 1893. He began playing more shortstop in 1896 and moved to the position full-time the next season. In 1897, Davis hit .353 and registered a league-best 135 RBI. He led the league in double plays and fielding percentage four times each.