GRAB - Explore Big Sky

26 June 14-27, 2013 sports
the rise of Chris davis
BY BRAnDOn nILES
Big Sky Weekly SportS ColuMniSt
There’s a buzz in baltimore right now, as the Orioles
are keeping pace in the American League East division
and first baseman Chris Davis is leading the charge
with 21 home runs through 65 games.
Davis is more than just a slugger. The 27-year-old
product from Longview, Texas was also batting .335
as of June 12, second only to Detroit third baseman
and seven-time All-Star Miguel Cabrera. Davis has
reignited a baltimore fan base that had been dormant
for more than a decade; last season was only the second
year since 1998 the team made the playoffs.
I was sitting at David’s 1 st and 10 Sports bar in baltimore
over Memorial Day weekend, and while it was
early afternoon, people were already filtering in to
watch the Orioles.
As I was enjoying a drink, I noticed the fervor
surrounding me. People of all ages had their eyes
glued to the 35 screens throughout the bar that
were mostly showing the Orioles game. I’d only
seen this kind of excitement once before in baltimore,
at a pre-game party for the Ravens in 2007.
Such interest in the Orioles is rare, however.
Though they lost in the ninth inning that day,
there was obvious optimism in the bar.
Davis is a big part of the heightened interest in
the Orioles in baltimore. Adam Jones and Manny
Machado are also playing well, both batting over
.300, and closer Jim Johnson is third in the league
with 19 saves. However, the vast improvement in
his eighth season is quickly making Davis the face
of a new era in Oriole baseball.
Davis began his career with the Rangers in
2008, posting respectable numbers his first two
seasons before a rocky couple of years when he
went back and forth to Triple-A. In 2011, he
was traded to the Orioles and hit a modest five
home runs and batted .266 in baltimore.
but last season Davis broke out. He hit 33
home runs and appeared in 139 games, both
career highs. He batted .270 and finished with
139 hits, more than 40 over his previous best.
He was a big reason why the Orioles made the
playoffs last year, and this season he’s showing
fans that it wasn’t a fluke. He’s currently
on pace for his best season, and if he continues
explorebigsky.com
www.NorthAmericanAuctionCompany.com
Big Sky Weekly
on this pace, it will be his first year batting over
.300.
Davis is also gaining fame in baltimore with notable,
and sometimes bizarre, feats. He set a major
league record this season with 16 RbIs in his first
four games, and he became one of only four players
to ever start the season with a home run in
each of his first four games, joining Nelson Cruz,
Mark McGwire and willie Mays.
On the bizarre side, Davis finished a game as the
winning pitcher last season against the Red Sox.
In a game that lasted 17 innings, the Orioles exhausted
their entire bullpen and turned to Davis,
who became the first position player to pitch for
the Orioles since 1996.
The Orioles are on their way up, and Chris Davis
is the catalyst. As a part-time baltimore fan I’ll be
eager to see if they can sneak back into the playoffs,
and if they can finally give fans the excitement
they’ve been waiting for since Cal Ripken
left Camden Yards 12 years ago.
Brandon Niles has done online freelance writing
about sports since 2007, and co-hosts the 2 Guys
Podcast. With a Masters in Communication Studies
from the University of North Carolina Greensboro,
Niles is also an avid Miami Dolphins fan, which
has led to his becoming an avid Scotch whisky fan
over the past decade.
Western native american
& antique auction
Polar Bear rug, sWord collection,
knife collection, silver sPurs,
Black Bear rug, antique furniture,
native american antiques, Western
antiques, triBal art and more!
live auction saturday June 22nd
doors oPen at 8am
auction starts at 10am
PrevieW friday 10-5, located at
78 Wildcat Way Bozeman, mt
or vieW & Bid online
for more information call mark &
tucker markovich 800-686-4216