One More Eulogy For Willie Davis, "The Coolest Ballplayer Ever"

Got a lead on an old but still good article by the SF Comical's Bruce Jenkins, eulogizing Willie Davis as "the coolest ballplayer [he] ever saw".

Willie Davis might have been the coolest ballplayer I ever saw. He exuded style, a sense of the pure aesthetic, and he could have excelled at any sport. His choice of baseball was a blessing to the game, and among those of us who watched him up close at Dodger Stadium in the early 1960s, there was no question he was the fastest man alive. In a race from first to third with a running start, I'm not sure even Bob Hayes could have caught him.

Davis was found dead Tuesday at the age of 69 (authorities believe there was no foul play), leaving behind a legacy of unique, unforgettable talent. He made two All-Star teams, racked up 2,561 hits, had a 31-game hitting streak, won three consecutive Gold Glove awards, but he wasn't an elite outfielder in the National League. With the likes of Willie Mays, Henry Aaron, Frank Robinson and Roberto Clemente in the mix, that just wasn't possible.

What none of those players had - few that I can recall in any era - was Davis' combination of urban cool and blazing speed. He addressed the world at a slow, measured pace, never in a rush. He basically let life come to him. Even as he approached home plate with a bat in his hands, he struck the impression of a man wearing shades at the far corner table of a jazz club.

There was lightning inside him. He turned it loose at the crack of the bat. Like so many good left-handed hitters, he crushed the low fastball, drilling it up the alleys on a laser path. That's when Willie Davis struck fear in the hearts of every opponent, because that would be a triple.

Pretty nice to see this piece from a San Francisco newspaper columnist. RIP, Willie Davis.

Injury Train Keeps on A-Rollin'

The Dodgers held a memorial service for Willie Davis at Dodger Stadium yesterday.

• Anotherpitcherarminyosling. Wade to miss at least three months (Ken Gurnick, Dodgers.com)
• Tony Jackson's great, great piece on Jaime Jarrin. Face Of The Franchise (ESPNLosAngeles.com)
• Classic Tommy. Tommy Lasorda Speech Highlights (Dear (Tommy) John Letters)
• Nomo, Kuroda. Kuroda, Nomo. Hiroki Kuroda is hoping for a full, healthy season (Dylan Hernandez, LA Times)
• Kudos, Mr. Dilbeck. Alert the media: It's Steve Dilbeck for President (Steve Dilbeck, Dodgers Blog)

photo by Reed Saxon/AP

Willie Davis Remembered

• Center fielder Willie Davis found dead in his home (AP/Yahoo! Sports)
• Dodgers' Davis, who hit in 31 straight, dies (Dodgers.com)
• Farewell, Willie Davis (1940-2010) (Dodger Thoughts)
• Dodgers greats remember Davis (Tony Jackson, ESPNLosAngeles.com)
• Willie Davis slides into heaven (True Blue LA)
• Few players were more exciting than Willie Davis (Jerry Crowe, LA Times)

UPDATE:

• A fine story on Davis by Buster Olney. (Insider, but the relevant portion is before the jump.) Willie Davis was a signature star (ESPN.com)

Breaking Bad News

Former Dodger Willie Davis found dead in Burbank home (L.A. Now/LA Times)

Steve Garvey Meets Jackie Robinson

From "Dodgers take time to remember Jackie: Caravan takes players to place where Robinson started" at Dodgers.com:

PASADENA -- The Dodgers Community Caravan is designed to focus fan attention on the present and future, but the stop at Pasadena City College on Tuesday had historic overtones.

The campus is where the legendary Jackie Robinson launched a career that ultimately broke Major League Baseball's color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers and forever changed American society. Major League Baseball celebrates the 60th anniversary of Robinson's Major League debut this year.

On this first day of a two-day tour through the Southland, young Dodgers Russell Martin and Andre Ethier were joined by new Dodgers Luis Gonzalez and Randy Wolf and manager Grady Little. But to fully appreciate the significance of the link, it was up to former Dodgers Willie Davis, Lou Johnson and Steve Garvey.

When the Dodgers were greeted by the current PCC baseball team in uniform, Davis and Johnson made their way to the school's athletic Hall of Fame and literally kissed the stone bust of Robinson.

"If it weren't for Jackie Robinson," said Johnson, hero of the Dodgers' 1965 World Series champs, "I wouldn't be standing here today. He was my idol."

"I met Jackie Robinson in another life," said a choked-up Davis. "To me, he is baseball."

"I met Jackie Robinson in 1956 when I was a batboy in Spring Training," said Garvey, whose father drove team buses in Florida. "I remember the dignity of the man. This is where the content of his character began."

And to think that this isn't the first meeting of Steve Garvey and Jackie Robinson.