Mark Davis (pitcher)

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox baseball biography Mark William Davis (born October 19, 1960) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Davis played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies (1980–1981, 1993), San Francisco Giants (1983–1987), San Diego Padres (1987–1989, 1993–1994), Kansas City Royals (1990–1992), Atlanta Braves (1992), and Milwaukee Brewers (1997). He won the National League Cy Young Award in Template:Baseball year, as a relief pitcher for the Padres. Davis batted and threw left-handed. He was the Minor League Pitching Coordinator for the Kansas City Royals organization, but stepped aside after the Template:Baseball year season to coach a single short-season affiliate in Template:Baseball year.

Playing career

Davis began his career in Template:Baseball year with the Philadelphia Phillies. He spent parts of five seasons with the San Francisco Giants after being dealt along with Mike Krukow and minor-league outfielder C.L. Penigar from the Phillies for Joe Morgan and Al Holland on December 14, 1982. He started a career-high 27 games in Template:Baseball year for a 5–17 win–loss record. He became a primary reliever the following season, but he did not establish himself as a top reliever until being traded to San Diego during the Template:Baseball year midseason.

In Template:Baseball year, Davis became the Padres' closer, earning 28 saves and 44 in Template:Baseball year, appearing in the All-Star Game in both seasons. He was a Cy Young Award winner in 1989 after a 1.85 ERA and 65 games finished in addition to his league-leading save total. In the last month of the season, he pitched 25 innings and did not allow any of the 19 runners he inherited to score. He was the fourth closer so honored in Award history. No closer would win the NL Cy Young again until Éric Gagné in Template:Baseball year.

Davis signed as a free agent for US$13 million with the Kansas City Royals before the Template:Baseball year season. He pitched ineffectively early in the season and subsequently lost the closer role to Jeff Montgomery. After a brief stint for the Atlanta Braves in Template:Baseball year, again he pitched with the Phillies and Padres from Template:Baseball year–Template:Baseball year. After going out for two years, he returned to pitch until retiring with the Milwaukee Brewers in Template:Baseball year. He never came close to matching his accomplishments for San Diego, earning only eleven saves over the last eight seasons of his career.

In a 15-season MLB career, Davis posted a 51–84 record, with a 4.17 ERA, and 96 saves, in 624 games pitched.

Post-playing career

Davis spent three seasons on the Arizona Diamondbacks staff, as bullpen coach in Template:Baseball year–Template:Baseball year, and pitching coach in Template:Baseball year. From Template:Baseball year to Template:Baseball year, Davis was the pitching coach for the Arizona League Royals. That October, he was promoted by the Kansas City Royals to Minor League Pitching Coordinator.

Personal life

Davis lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, with Candy, his wife. They have two sons and two daughters.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders

External links

• Career statistics from
• Mark Davis at Baseball Almanac