[Orioles] Chris Davis has announced his retirement

[u/Prince_b1127]

https://twitter.com/orioles/status/1425826948727574529?s=21

[u/IAmGrum]

Players with a +50HR season and at least one win as a pitcher during their career:

• Babe Ruth *
• Jimmie Foxx *
• Chris Davis

* Hall of Fame

[u/miden24 → u/IAmGrum]

He was Ohtani before Ohtani

[u/TigerBasket → u/miden24]

Ruth before Ruth

[u/IAmGrum → u/[deleted]]

He hit like a pitcher!

[u/FartingBob → u/IAmGrum]

A non-trivial number of pitchers hit better than Chris Davis in his last few years.

[u/mac-0 → u/[deleted]]

Did Ruth or Foxx ever bat 8 times in a game they pitched??

[u/FLPacker → u/mac-0]

I was bored and decided to try to eyeball this one for an answer.

TL;DR - Doesn't appear so.

------------------------

Babe Ruth appears to have had 8+ plate appearances five times, with only one game having 8 at-bats. However, all of those games were with him in LF, so Babe never had 8 at-bats in a game he pitched.

- LF on July 9, 1921 vs Chicago White Sox: 8 PA (8 ABs). Went 1-8, 1 RBI.
- LF on May 22, 1923 vs Chicago White Sox: 8 PA (6 ABs). Went 1-6, 2 RBI, 2 BB.
- LF on September 5, 1927 vs Boston Red Sox: 10 PA (7 ABs). Went 1-7, 1 RBI, 2 BB.
- LF on August 15, 1931 vs Detroit Tigers: 8 PA (7 ABs). Went 2-7 with 1 RBI, 1 BB.
- LF on June 1, 1932 vs Philadelphia A's: 8 PA (6 ABs). Went 1-6 with 1 RBI, 2 BBs.

Links to those game logs:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHA/CHA192107090.shtml https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHA/CHA192305220.shtml https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS192709051.shtml https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/DET/DET193108150.shtml
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHA/PHA193206011.shtml

In Jimmie Foxx's case, he didn't pitch much. Prior to 1945, he only threw 1 IP which was back in 1939 on August 6th against Detroit while going 1-5 hitting.

Then, from July 1945 to September 1945, he suddenly threw 22.2 IP with 2 games started. However, he usually was a pinch hitter in those games or only had a couple of at-bats. So he also didn't make it to 8 PAs in a game he pitched.

Links to the game logs where he pitched:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS193908061.shtml
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN194507151.shtml
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN194507221.shtml
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI194508192.shtml
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI194508271.shtml
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BSN/BSN194509021.shtml
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN194509060.shtml
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN194509142.shtml
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN194509162.shtml
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SLN/SLN194509170.shtml

[u/FutilityInfielder → u/[deleted]]

I remember that, the Red Sox fans were giving him so much shit for it in the last few at-bats. Made his pitching performance so much more satisfying.

[u/johnnyavocado → u/IAmGrum]

Three until next month.

[u/UncleIrohsPimpHand → u/johnnyavocado]

I dunno, Ohtani has really slowed down. You think he gets to 50 by October?

[u/AbstractBettaFish → u/UncleIrohsPimpHand]

It's plausible but I wouldnt bet on it

[u/lionheart4life → u/AbstractBettaFish]

12 HR by the end of the year? Barring injury he's well ahead of pace

[u/MFoy → u/lionheart4life]

He has a month and a half left. In the last month and a half he has 10.

In August he only has 1 HR in 11 games.

Sure he could heat back up, but recently he has been off his pace.

[u/queefmonchan → u/MFoy]

But if you only look at his last 1 games, he is on pace for 88 homers.

[u/dwhite21787 → u/queefmonchan]

Statistics: the source, and cure, of splitting headaches

[u/lionheart4life → u/MFoy]

They have 47 games left. He's homered every 4.3 for his career (much higher this year obv). We will see.

[u/MFoy → u/lionheart4life]

Exactly. I'm not saying he won't do it, I'm just saying it's clearly no slam dunk. I'd say he has a better than 50/50 chance if he can start playing like he was before this mini slump he was in.

[u/A_Monocle_For_Sauron → u/MFoy]

In August he only has 1 HR in 11 games.

Sure he could heat back up, but recently he has been off his pace.

“That just means he’s due to get a bunch more soon” - guy who doesn’t understand stats

[u/hawkbatt → u/AbstractBettaFish]

September call ups will help since Ohtani will be facing more shitty pitchers. I know it’s not as large a roster expansion as in the past, but it’ll probably help his pace enough.

[u/the_cramdown → u/UncleIrohsPimpHand]

He was slowed a bit by the away series against Dodgers as he could not start DH.

[u/cjosu13 → u/the_cramdown]

Wonder what their plan is if they ever make the world series and he's still a two-way player

[u/atchemey → u/cjosu13]

DH on home games, starting pitcher for as many away games as possible.

[u/EternalEagleEye → u/atchemey]

I honestly could see them putting him in the field as an outfielder for those games if they know the rotation isn’t going to come around to him again. Pretty hard to throw off a routine if he’s for sure thrown his last pitch of the season win or lose by that point.

[u/xixbia → u/EternalEagleEye]

If I'm not mistaken he's at least a serviceable outfielder. It's just that they want to minimize how much defense he plays due to the injury risk (he has played a few innings in the outfield this season).

If they ever make a world series I'm pretty sure Ohtani will expect to play every game, and both he and the Angels will be willing to take that risk.

Of course all of that assumes the Angels make it to a world series before the Universal DH, which is probably not that far away.

[u/DoseofDhillon → u/UncleIrohsPimpHand]

He'll heat back up

[u/KamartyMcFlyweight → u/DoseofDhillon]

do your part jays. pitch meatballs to him tonight

[u/Chaxterium → u/KamartyMcFlyweight]

Or don't....that's cool too.

But I'd be fine with a couple solo dingers as long as we win. Best of both worlds.

[u/meraiosu → u/Chaxterium]

How about this ohtani hits 12 homers tonight but you guys win 45-20 sound good?

[u/llama5876 → u/UncleIrohsPimpHand]

Yes

[u/VivaaLaRevo → u/UncleIrohsPimpHand]

He's still on pace for 53

[u/TheAnchored → u/johnnyavocado]

Idk man, David Price will have to really get hot if he's gonna hit 50 hrs

[u/MrKnee93 → u/IAmGrum]

Ohtani who?

[u/5k1895 → u/IAmGrum]

Well, I'm convinced. Chris Davis for the Hall

[u/holy_cal → u/IAmGrum]

Ayyy double X and Baby Ruthie. Maryland represent.

[u/BucksMissingLeg]

Chris was that dude from 2012-2014 ... he will be remembered for the good times here

[u/Goooldschmidt → u/BucksMissingLeg]

Crush Davis will always be in our hearts

[u/TigerBasket → u/Goooldschmidt]

And the Angelo's wallets

[u/isestrex → u/BucksMissingLeg]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stWeiBVLMJA

[u/MattFromWork → u/isestrex]

effortless

[u/HungryGhosty → u/isestrex]

I miss Gary Thorne

[u/marshallwithmesa → u/HungryGhosty]

Dont we all. He was the best part of watching the Orioles for a while.

[u/waymar → u/HungryGhosty]

He came back to New York and filled in for Gary Cohen a few times this season. Brings me back.

[u/Bobson-_Dugnutt → u/isestrex]

Oh my god I remember the beginning of his season that year. I think he had a home run and 4 RBI in each of the first 4 games of the season. I remember because I was getting hosed by him in fantasy

[u/orioles0615 → u/BucksMissingLeg]

He had a solid 2015 to 2016 as well. Hell I would have taken his 2017 for the rest of the contract

[u/bakonydraco → u/BucksMissingLeg]

Chris Davis also beat Alabama in 2013 in one of the most amazing finishes of all time.

[u/Nafteh → u/BucksMissingLeg]

He a dude today. He a dude.

[u/jonmuller]

I feel bad for him but I'm happy he doesn't have to deal eith any mental hurdles anymore. Best of luck in retirement

[u/Basic_Bichette → u/jonmuller]

I don't think I've ever been angrier at baseball than when I heard that Chris Davis was forced to change his ADHD medications to satisfy some suit.

[u/futhatsy → u/Basic_Bichette]

It's sad to think about how many people don't really know the full story and think he just randomly became awful at one point.

[u/avery_crudeman → u/futhatsy]

Well it wasn't random. He just declined steadily. His first year on Vynase was 2015 which was one of the best seasons of his career. Also Davis himself said he preferred Vynase.

[u/RCDuke → u/futhatsy]

raises hand

I now know otherwise but I will admit to being someone who thought Davis just starting sucking and never recovered. Apologies.

[u/morosco → u/RCDuke]

It's pretty speculative to attribute his sucking to that one thing. Davis himself has disputed any idea that the medication alone was the difference between him being a shitty player and him being a good player.

[u/buShroom → u/morosco]

Having to suddenly struggle more with his ADHD may well have been the straw that broke the camel's back, especially when you consider how a lack of focus would make working on everything else that much harder.

[u/squarerootofapplepie → u/buShroom]

My biggest difference between taking my medication and not for baseball was the ability to overcome a bad inning on the mound or a bad game batting and refocus myself and avoid a major hit less streak or disastrous inning. I think that the ability to not just focus but refocus if things start not going your way is one of the biggest benefits I saw when taking my medication.

[u/lionheart4life → u/RCDuke]

It wasn't because of the medication. He had some injuries, lost some bat speed, and refused to change his approach, or anything, to suit his abilities.

He couldn't catch up anymore without cutting down his swing, and lost some power to the opposite field. As a result he had to "cheat" by starting his swing a little earlier resulting in a ton of swing and miss and weak contact into the shift. He allegedly refused to work with coaches to change his swing.

[u/DepressedBearsF4n → u/futhatsy]

Exactly. He's a victim of the policy that forced him to change his medication. It's not like he just fell off out of nowhere.

[u/ScaldingHotSoup → u/DepressedBearsF4n]

Also the shift. That hurt him more than almost any other player

[u/The_Polo_Grounds → u/ScaldingHotSoup]

And old player skills in general. Low BA, high K, first guys almost never age well.

[u/Vegetable-Double → u/The_Polo_Grounds]

See also: Ryan Howard

[u/liquid_courage → u/Vegetable-Double]

Why you gotta do this right now

[u/trophy9258 → u/The_Polo_Grounds]

It still is somewhat intriguing just how poorly he aged right alongside the league wide shift into TTO ball

[u/ggggtotalwarrior → u/trophy9258]

Mark Teixeira did it too. Went from a .300 hitter to a low-mid .200s hitter

[u/Aarondirtysanchez → u/ScaldingHotSoup]

This IMO is the the real answer. The shift basically ruined this guys career. Once the power numbers went down it was just apparent he was a very one dimensional player too.

A lot of the hate this guy got is just from the fact the orioles signed him to a mega deal he never should’ve got.

[u/FreddyDemuth → u/DepressedBearsF4n]

Except CD himself doesn’t really think his medication was the issue:

“I understand that was a mistake I may never stop paying for in the eyes of some people, not going through the steps to get reapproved for those couple of years,” he said. “I understand that. But the medication that I take doesn’t make me a great baseball player. The entire reason I started taking this was because life away from baseball was just kind of spiraling out of control and I had never really explored any avenues as far as being diagnosed.

“There was some pretty good certainty in a few of my school teachers when I was younger that I had ADHD, just because, I mean, I’m the poster child for it. But my whole life I had been able to go out and play baseball with no problem because it was almost like an escape. It was almost place where I felt so in my skin that I didn’t have to worry about forgetting to do something earlier that day. So, the medication gets in my opinion a little too much power in some people’s eyes. And yeah, it’s the same thing I’ve been taking for years. It’s the same thing, it’s made by the same guy. It’s just under a different name.

“I’ve had success years I didn’t take anything, I’ve had success years I was on medication. That’s an easy fix to me if that was the case. If I thought that was the reason I was struggling, I’d do whatever I could to not have to worry about it. I just think that’s too much of an easy fix.”

[u/futhatsy → u/DepressedBearsF4n]

You'd have to think that if he played in a larger market or on a more competitive team, it'd be a bigger part of the story. But instead, it was too easy for the world to make Davis the face of the Orioles freefall in the second half of the decade.

[u/ManfredsJuicedBalls → u/futhatsy]

If he played in a larger market, he’d have been eviscerated by the media. Imagine him playing for the Yankees when his performances started slipping, and the Daily News and Post having their way with him about it in the sports section.

[u/theJiveMaster → u/ManfredsJuicedBalls]

Honestly I feel like he WAS eviscerated by the media. And if he was on a large market team he'd also get eviscerated at first, but I agree that I think the medication news would have been more widely spread to the point where Mike Francesa would be like "Chris Davis freakin sucks now!" and he'd get 30 calls from people saying "He got forced to stop taking his medication that he needs, you fucking asshole".

[u/jimmy_three_shoes → u/theJiveMaster]

God I hate Francesa.

[u/futhatsy → u/ManfredsJuicedBalls]

It would probably be a good combination of both. There would certainly be a good amount of people tearing him apart for playing poorly, but if Yankees fans realized there was a reason for his poor play and it's actually MLB's fault, I think that is where a lot of them would turn their anger.

I think it comes down to the question of who do Yankees fans like to boo more, their own players or the commissioner's office?

[u/JakeFromSkateFarm → u/futhatsy]

The more realistic scenario is that the same media would first eviscerate him to make their ratings and money off publicly humiliating and crucifying him, and then once that stopped working, they'd 180 and run the heartstrings-pulling tragic take to once again make their ratings and money off publicly using him to sound concerned about mental health and that they (the media) are the champions of truth and defending the little guy (Davis) from the real bad guys.

I fucking hate how much the media in general, sports media in particular, use this same damn tactic again and again to continue profiting off the people they victimized/exploited in the first place.

[u/Peechez → u/DepressedBearsF4n]

He was forced to change but iirc there was also some fault in his camp. The medication he had was banned but he was grandfathered in. He (or his trainer or whoever) let the prescription lapse and he lost his grandfathered status

[u/jt7king → u/Peechez]

Yup, makes a ton of sense for MLB to do that too. If there's one thing people with ADHD are known for, it's being on top of deadlines.

[u/at1445 → u/jt7king]

If there's one thing people with millions upon millions are known for, it's paying someone to make sure they don't miss deadlines.

[u/dodoaddict → u/futhatsy]

I mean, the full story is also that ADHD diagnosis are notoriously fuzzy and the MLB has a percentage of players WAYYYY about the general population who have exemptions for taking ADHD medications. Also, these medications clearly give a performance enhancing benefit like other amphetamines. Where Chris Davis fits into all this, gets tricky. Did the medication get him "even" to those without ADHD would be? Did he gain an advantage? IMO, it's not so simple to say that either "he sucked because he lost access to medically required drugs" nor "he was only good when he had the advantage of taking adderall"

[u/jdbolick → u/dodoaddict]

Yeah, I have no idea where this narrative is coming from but it is nonsense. Chris Davis only had three seasons in his career with 2+ WAR. He was terrible before he got to Baltimore and it was extremely predictable that he would become terrible again after that contract, as many people including Orioles fans called it a mistake from the moment it was signed.

[u/WhatAboutGarbage → u/Basic_Bichette]

As someone with ADHD, I can’t imagine how hard it would have been to compete without something that makes you normal.

[u/trolloc1 → u/WhatAboutGarbage]

I'm curious what the replies were to this lol

[u/squarerootofapplepie → u/Basic_Bichette]

He actually has ADHD and he got suspended for taking amphetamines?

[u/RIFofBDL → u/squarerootofapplepie]

Yep. Had an exemption and everything, I think Miguel Tejada got fucked over also.

At least Davis saved a guy’s life while he was suspended, so some good came out of it

[u/TheOneTrueChuck → u/RIFofBDL]

Tejada got busted for steroids though, IIRC.

[u/GroceryBasketUser → u/TheOneTrueChuck]

Didn't he also get caught lying about his age?

[u/David-S-Pumpkins → u/GroceryBasketUser]

Yes, he was born two years earlier than he'd claimed.

[u/lionheart4life → u/TheOneTrueChuck]

"tainted" B-12.

[u/HoraceBenbow → u/RIFofBDL]

At least Davis saved a guy’s life while he was suspended,

Never heard this. What happened?

[u/GeologicalOpera → u/HoraceBenbow]

You can see the write up here.

The TL;DR is that Davis was the first person to come upon an overturned truck where one of the occupants was pinned underneath. He flagged down other motorists to help free that person, at which point he went to check on the second victim (who was ejected from the truck) until EMTs arrived.

[u/dorsey442 → u/GeologicalOpera]

Oh wow. I totally forgot about this

[u/Prince_b1127 → u/squarerootofapplepie]

Yea. I would be as frustrated with him as everyone else but for people say he fell off without explanation is wrong

[u/squarerootofapplepie → u/Prince_b1127]

I’m glad the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association didn’t drug test me when I was playing baseball in high school if people can get suspended for taking prescribed medication for their mental health in the MLB.

[u/WhatAboutGarbage → u/squarerootofapplepie]

He was allowed to take it but I think the story was that his prescription lapsed, then tested positive and he wasn’t allowed to take it anymore, something crazy like that.

[u/squarerootofapplepie → u/WhatAboutGarbage]

That doesn’t make sense, if he has an ADHD test on file it shouldn’t matter whether he’s taking them or not, he should have a permanent pass.

[u/jackhole91 → u/squarerootofapplepie]

Davis himself said he said a therapeutic-use exemption in the past but didn't have one the year he got suspended (2014) https://www.mlb.com/news/orioles-chris-davis-suspended-25-games-for-amphetamines/c-94335720

Then the next year he got an exemption for a different medication https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-spring-training-0228-20150227-story.html

[u/WhatAboutGarbage → u/squarerootofapplepie]

Looking into it more, it looks like the reason why he couldn’t get the exemption for 2014 is still unknown, but he was basically forced to switch to Vyvanse after he couldn’t get the exemption for instant adderall.

[u/xixbia → u/WhatAboutGarbage]

Honestly, beyond anything else, that's medically irresponsible.

Even ignoring the fact that changing medication might change the effectiveness, considering the possibilities of side effects, forcing someone who is using medication that works for them without serious side effects is just absurd.

I'm currently taking Dexamphetamine (which is one of the components of Adderall) because when I used Methylphenidate (or Ritalin) I couldn't take an effective dose because it led to increased stress levels.

[u/HendogHendog → u/Basic_Bichette]

Even crazier as someone who’s been on Ritalin and felt like an absolute soulless piece of shit, and felt like a normal person on adderall, I totally understand how something like that could absolutely fuck you up. All of the meds are similar on paper, but can affect people extremely differently

[u/Fellatination]

I loved his peak. I hated his downfall. I stayed for the memes. I've always liked the man behind the player.

I wish him and his millions the best in retirement.

[u/PurpleBullets → u/Fellatination]

Coming from the enemy, I never disliked Chris Davis. Mostly I just felt bad for him. I was always rooting for him to get his groove back, even if it had to be at our expense, like when he broke that long hitless streak.

[u/TigerBasket → u/Fellatination]

May he never be boo'd again

[u/whaleball7]

I did not expect this

[u/TigerBasket → u/whaleball7]

I hope he isn't leaving money on the table, not like we're gonna spend any of it if he doesn't get it

[u/MrJ429 → u/TigerBasket]

Per the Atlantic, the Orioles will pay his remainder 2021 salary and his 2022 salary will be deferred: 3.5mil from 2023-2032 and then 1.5 mil through 2037.

[u/whaleball7 → u/MrJ429]

Can’t wait for Chris Davis day in 15 years

[u/PrinceOfPasta → u/MrJ429]

Was 2022 the last year of his contract?

If so that seems like a win-win really. Davis gets out with some dignity and the O’s shift some significant payroll.

[u/austinhannah]

I love all the 2012-2016 Orioles and Chris Davis is no exception. Thanks for the memories.

[u/TigerBasket → u/austinhannah]

See you in the Orioles hall of fame in a decade :)

[u/rdavis45]

It was a scary sight when this guy stepped in the box against us in his prime. Good luck in retirement Chris!

[u/RIFofBDL → u/rdavis45]

Or on the mound

[u/penguininanelevator → u/RIFofBDL]

Adrian Gonzalez is trembling.

[u/inhale-my-dong → u/RIFofBDL]

Somewhere out there is an alternative universe where Crush Davis reinvents himself as a high-leverage relief pitcher and brings new life to his career.

[u/DoseofDhillon → u/rdavis45]

There was a series against the jays where he was just fucking god it was just so dumb. Every pitcher from Estrada down to Buehrle, who Buehrle had the most perfect down and away fast ball that painted the corner on him, he just destroyed it. People remember his lows, they were really low lows, but during his short peak dear god he felt unstoppable

[u/ELEMENTALITYNES → u/DoseofDhillon]

The man was a freak of nature, I used to watch highlights of him just because of how entertaining he was at the plate. I remember him getting HBP and breaking the bat on the ground, and it literally terrified the shit out of the pitcher and catcher

E: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mZmRkLwAzHc

Look at the catcher, he wants to protect his pitcher but he’s also hiding a bit behind the umpire not sure where to go, and the pitcher apologizing while he’s on base

[u/Hurricane__]

Remembering the good times not the bad 🥲

[u/JorSimpson45]

his 2013 when he was going back and forth with miggy is one of the most insane years i can remember

[u/ZodiacKiller1968 → u/JorSimpson45]

That was eight seasons ago, time flies. 2013, Davis was still a dangerous hitter, Matt Harvey was still good, Jose Fernandez was dominating hitters as a rookie, Trout was still young and just continuing his dominance as a player, Felix was still good, etc. Great times!

[u/StreetReporter → u/ZodiacKiller1968]

Puigmania happened

[u/RZAxlash → u/ZodiacKiller1968]

Jeter, Mariano, Andy, Arod were still on the yankees.

[u/ThreeHourRiverMan → u/RZAxlash]

Verlander was washed.

Whoops

[u/Jordan901278 → u/RZAxlash]

fuck

[u/hardyos → u/ZodiacKiller1968]

Three of those guys were in the Orioles organization this year.

[u/7-car-pileup → u/hardyos]

Only a decade late :(

[u/JorSimpson45 → u/ZodiacKiller1968]

puig’s call up and the insane regular season run the dodgers went on is a personal highlight

[u/JamesWithaG → u/ZodiacKiller1968]

I wonder if seeing Matt Harvey get his swagger back recently (sorry if I'm baiting the baseball gods here) has anything to do with his retirement. Sure, there are much bigger factors at play. But they were in a similar place in their career arcs. Near-superstars long unable to taste their former greatness.

[u/Remarkable-Unit-3882 → u/ZodiacKiller1968]

happy times man :(

[u/Luchador-Malrico → u/ZodiacKiller1968]

That time when the Orioles, Tigers, and Pirates were among the best teams in MLB.

[u/Typical-Sauce]

Happy trails Chris! It didn't end the way we all wanted, but he was one of the most exciting players here during our playoff years. Hope retirement is great for him

[u/RIFofBDL → u/Typical-Sauce]

I could watch him hit opposite field homers all day

[u/YoYoMoMa → u/RIFofBDL]

He would hit what looked like shallow pop ups and then they would just...fly away.

[u/RIFofBDL → u/YoYoMoMa]

Didn’t even look like he was putting an effort into his swing either

[u/Catullus13 → u/Typical-Sauce]

Class act. Love me some Chris Davis.

This game is hard and he was on top of the world for awhile.

[u/ContinuumGuy]

Let's remember the good times, not the bad.

[u/hdjunkie]

I was at Fenway when he broke his 0-50 streak...even the Sox fans cheered for him lol

[u/AngryBird-svar → u/hdjunkie]

I watched that game and I knew he’d break the streak against us

NGL but the picture of him just staring blankly in the distance while getting a pitch is the funniest image I’ve seen in baseball

[u/throwaway2021232681 → u/AngryBird-svar]

Lmao link??

[u/reddit_beer_map]

Lots of emotions. I'm very glad for the good times, sad it ended like this, happy that he is moving on, hope he stays strong. Good luck in whatever comes next.

[u/YoYoMoMa → u/reddit_beer_map]

The thing is, I have seen tons of Oriole players suck. I have never seen an Oriole crush balls like he did for a few years. Wish him the best.

[u/coffeeMcbean → u/YoYoMoMa]

That's where I'm at too. I grew up in an era where we had Tejada for a short period but other than that we didn't have anything of note. As a kid it was tough to stay invested in a team that was bad year after year. And then Crush came along and lead the way to hope in the Buck era. He was one of the major reasons I got back into baseball, and for that, I thank him.

[u/BirdlandMan → u/coffeeMcbean]

The disrespect to Melvin Mora and Brian Roberts.

[u/AvatarLebowski → u/BirdlandMan]

God MelMo was my favorite as a kid

[u/nonsufficientfunds → u/YoYoMoMa]

I used to fear the 1-2 punch of him and Adam Jones at Rogers Center more than anyone else. They killed us

[u/iBleeedorange → u/reddit_beer_map]

I just wish it had worked out. He's such a good person.

[u/NevermoreSEA]

This is definitely a bit surprising, but I guess it makes sense given his struggles past few seasons. He certainly had a good run during the early to mid 2010s though.

[u/orioles0615]

Its Happening!!!!!

Chris is a good dude though, its a shame he fell apart. I really thought after 2020 spring training for 2 weeks he had figured something out

[u/DoucheyHowserMD]

Forget the HR dominance or the Ace performance

The best Chris Davis moment is him smirking and asking for the ball after breaking his 0-54 drought

[u/cooljammer00]

Ugh, people are gonna be rude about this.

[u/amatom27 → u/cooljammer00]

Of course, it's Twitter

Overall, it was a whirlwind of emotions. At the end of the day, I just feel bad for the guy and hope he can forget all of this and live a happy life

[u/cooljammer00 → u/amatom27]

I like how in his retirement message, he mentioned that he's still going to work with the charities he's been working with.

[u/Prince_b1127 → u/cooljammer00]

He’s done more for our community than almost anyone who’s come through Baltimore. His 5k races were always a ton of fun

[u/amatom27 → u/cooljammer00]

Yeah he's always been a classy guy, which I always appreciated. I truly think anyone else wouldn't have been able to handle this the way he did.

[u/Break_these_cuffs → u/amatom27]

Of course, it's Twitter

Saying that on reddit of all places is really funny.

[u/ZodiacKiller1968]

This might be funny but there was at point in time when Davis was battling with Miggy for the Triple Crown for the first few months of the regular season (2013). He had that dream season in 2013 but couldn’t quite get back to that level, although his 2015 season was still pretty good. There goes a potential new member of the 2,000 strikeout club (for hitters).

[u/DJHJR86]

I know that people have ragged on him for the last 4 years or so, but he was legitimately a good dude involved in a bunch of local charities and causes. And his 2013 season was one of the best individual seasons for an Orioles player. He's definitely an Orioles Hall of Famer.

[u/aresef → u/DJHJR86]

And he says he'll stay involved with the children's hospital. I mean, hell, you don't write UMMS a check that big and say have a nice life.

[u/notchandlerbing → u/DJHJR86]

He literally lifted up a truck at the site of an accident to help rescue an injured victim then just went about his day. Guy is genuinely a great dude

[u/cdbloosh → u/DJHJR86]

This is absolutely the correct take and any O's fan making negative comments about him right now can get fucked.

[u/Il_Exile_lI]

Chris Davis is one of about 30 guys to hit 50 HR in a season. He's also one of only a handful of guys to have -3 WAR in a season.

He is truly a man of rare accomplishments.

[u/PhotoNate]

He struggled as a player, and probably as a person due to the well publicized games MLB played with his legitimate medical condition, but he never struggled as a member of the Baltimore community.

I remember that when he was setting the record for hitless at bats he was still also active in the community and with charity.

For that I will always have a huge amount of respect and love for Chris Davis.

[u/JackeryA3]

End of an era

[u/jtrom93]

By far one of the most - if not the most - effortless looking swings of all time. Dude looked like he was lazily waving his bat at the ball and yet those hits would land in the seats. It was rough to watch how low things got for him.

I hope he gets some happiness back in his life. People will say "oh he's making gobs of money, I'd be the happiest guy on Earth to trade places with him". It ain't as emotionally easy as you think getting up in the morning, going on TV (sometimes national TV), and being a failure almost every time. That weighs and wears on you.

Happy retirement, Chris.

[u/Prince_b1127]

Master has given Dobby a sock! Dobby is free! All jokes aside, I’m still grateful for what he did for us in his prime and for the community here

[u/bangarrang16]

Hate the contract, not the man. He was massively involved in charities and did a lot of good work in Baltimore.

He still gets paid but deferring over a few years his last year under contract at least frees up some room for payroll and he was under no obligation to do that.

[u/ForYeWhoArtLiterate]

The last four years Davis has been worth a combined -5.7 bWAR, and has had a negative WAR all four of those years. I do not think we’re ever going to see another contract tank in value quite like his did.

I’m glad he’s retiring because I cannot imagine it’s healthy to show up and try to play through that every day for four years. However I will selfishly miss the experiment of seeing just how bad it could get.

[u/TRJF → u/ForYeWhoArtLiterate]

Chris Davis, 2013 and 2015: 12.0 bWAR, 12.5 fWAR.

Chris Davis, career (2008-2020): 11.7 bWAR, 12.0 fWAR.

[u/iBleeedorange]

I wish his contract had worked out.

[u/-KeyDirection-]

I’ll miss this guy being in the league. Watching him destroy baseballs in 2013 was super fun, I hope this is the final step for him in breaking down all the mental barriers he faced in the game. Good luck in retirement Chris.

[u/dk745]

Even though the last few seasons haven't been great, still appreciate all he did for the team and all the great years that made Orioles baseball so much fun again.
Good luck in retirement, Chris!

[u/idocrunches]

For a while everyone was a Chris Davis fan. How could you not root for him to break out

[u/KidFresh71]

People are giving Chris Davis shit for not walking away from the game sooner; but the guy left more than $20M on the table by retiring early. My wife would never let me do this! To me, Davis showed a lot of moxie. Maybe I'd feel differently if I was an Orioles fan.

As an outside observer (Giants fan), looks like a good dude who gave a lot back to the community, got massively overpaid, could never live up to that contract but tried his best. And instead of trying to eke every last million out of the deal, left 1.3 years early with some integrity in tact.

[u/normsy]

Wow, leaving $21 million on the table from next year, and whatever he's due for the remainder of this year.

[u/Constant_Gardner11 → u/normsy]

No he's still getting paid

[u/normsy → u/Constant_Gardner11]

So it's either insurance or not officially retiring, but in all actuality retiring.

[u/2thincoats → u/normsy]

Yeah I’m assuming it’s a “retirement” that’s basically just a handshake agreement the Orioles can stop pretending to find a roster spot for him and he can stop rehabbing. He has every right to force them to pay for his rehab, so this is a “win win”.

[u/AlexanderMackenzie → u/2thincoats]

Agreed. Guessing it's some under the table buy out.

[u/willofthemaster → u/Constant_Gardner11]

Is this the team doing him a solid, or does this go against the Orioles cap for 2022?

[u/coffeeMcbean → u/willofthemaster]

From what I'm gathering in the last 20 minutes the team must have basically agreed to pay out his salary next year if he retired and doesn't take up a roster spot.

[u/Tjagra → u/willofthemaster]

Does insurance pay at this point?

[u/i_am_thoms_meme → u/willofthemaster]

lol even counting his salary the O's are $132 million below the Luxury tax threshold.

[u/human_stuff → u/willofthemaster]

He’s getting his remaining contract spread out over the course of several years so it doesn’t break the Orioles bank the next couple of seasons.

[u/opiusmaximus2 → u/human_stuff]

Hes Bobby Bonilla Round 2

[u/human_stuff → u/opiusmaximus2]

Fun fact: Ken Griffey Jr. has been getting almost $4m a year from the reds every year since 2008.

[u/smiles134 → u/normsy]

Heyman says he's still getting paid: https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/1425828681755381760

[u/JeffMatz]

This just makes me feel sad about the great teams we had with Manny, Jones, CD, JJ, Markakis and just makes me think how much fun it was to watch the Os back then. CD retiring is the last thread of those teams so it makes me really sad. I hope he enjoys retirement!

[u/eekbarbaderkle]

In spite of everything, Chris Davis ends his career with an OPS+ above 100.

[u/caityb34]

Welpppp

[u/Matthew2818]

So is he owed his deferred money like Bobby Bonilla? He forfeits his $21m for next year but get his $1.4-3.5mil for the next 15 yrs?

[u/aresef → u/Matthew2818]

Heyman says he'll get his full contract amount and agreed to a restructuring. He'll be paid in full next year, $23M, and then the deferred kicks in.

[u/InvasionXX]

Guy was absolutely key in their early '10s run. Sports are tough to maintain your body.

[u/jizzle26]

End of an era. Those prime Crush years were something special.

[u/BradBellickFBI]

Re19pect