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Former Orioles first baseman Chris Davis joined Inside Access to discuss being elected to the Orioles Hall of Fame and his time spent in Baltimore.
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00:00Joining us now, though, Oriole Hall of Fame, August 1st, the inductees, former scout Jim Russo, Storm Davis, no relation,
00:08and our next guest, first baseman Chris Davis, spent 10 years here with the Orioles, had 253 home runs.
00:15And Chris, thank you so much for your time. We appreciate it. So I guess first and foremost, your reaction
00:20when you got the news, you're going in the Orioles Hall of Fame.
00:22Oh, man, I was relieved, honored, grateful, a whole bunch of things. But, you know, obviously, it's a huge deal
00:31to be recognized among the guys that are already in the hall and the guys that are going to join
00:36in the near future.
00:37Man, I was just fired up. Started calling people, just kind of letting them know what was going on. And,
00:46man, I was just extremely grateful to get that call.
00:48Chris, speaking of the guys, so in the time since the announcement has happened, we've had Adam Jones on the
00:54show, we've had Brad Brock on the show, we've had Zach Britton on the show, and we've had Buck Showalter
00:59on the show.
01:00They've all raved about you as a teammate, and for Buck, a guy he management. What's that mean to you
01:07that you were held in such high regard by the guys you played with?
01:11Oh, that means everything. I mean, obviously, what goes on on the field kind of speaks for itself.
01:16But I think the thing that you remember the most, once it's all said and done, is just the impression
01:21that you had on the guys around you.
01:23And that's the stuff that you miss, man, hanging out in the clubhouse, being around the guys, being a part
01:27of a team, just getting to do all those things that you enjoy day in and day out with the
01:33guys that you love.
01:33So, I mean, that means a ton to me that those guys think of me that way. I feel the
01:36same way about them.
01:38I think one of the things that's unique about that group, really, from 2012 to about 2016 was we were
01:46all kind of in the same spot in our career to where we were hungry.
01:49We wanted to have success. We really knew what it meant to compete at a high level, but we hadn't
01:55really proven anything as a group.
01:57And so I think being able to go through that together, to experience a lot of life challenges together, a
02:05lot of us had kids at the same time.
02:06A lot of us kind of were in the same spot in our lives. I think that really made that
02:10group really tight.
02:11So I can't wait to see those guys, and I'm excited to celebrate with them.
02:15Chris, let's go back to the beginning, man. You were traded here from Texas in the 2011 season.
02:20And then fast forward to 2012. This organization suffered 14 consecutive losing seasons, and then you guys were able to
02:29break that streak, make the playoffs, win the first wild card game, get to the ALDS.
02:35What was it like coming over from Texas to Baltimore and then in your first full season with the club
02:41to break that long, poor streak?
02:44Yeah, that was huge. I mean, being in Texas, being a Texas guy and growing up watching the Rangers, I
02:51thought I was going to be a part of that group that brought success to Texas.
02:55And while I was a part of some successful teams there, I really was excited about the opportunity when I
03:01was traded to Baltimore.
03:02We moved our family to Baltimore to do that same thing there.
03:06I had never really played for an organization that was as storied and had so much tradition as the Orioles.
03:12And so I didn't understand what it meant until I got up there.
03:15And then that was really our goal, not only individually, but as a group.
03:19It's like, hey, man, let's give these fans, you know, what they've been missing out, what they've been waiting for
03:23for so long.
03:24And I think that's really what kind of motivated that group and motivated me personally to try to be my
03:29best and bring, you know, that winning tradition back to the city of Baltimore.
03:34We're talking with Chris Davidson, side access here on the fan.
03:36Chris, let's go down memory lane to 2012.
03:38You're playing the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
03:40The game goes 1,000 innings.
03:42And so you run out of pitchers.
03:45And so you're like, OK, I'll pitch.
03:48Personally, as a lifetime Oriole fan, you should go in the Hall of Fame for this game.
03:52But, like, just take me back to, like, what do you remember about that?
03:57I remember being extremely pissed off that I was 0 for 8 with five punch outs.
04:02I think I was 0 for 7 with five punch outs at the time, being the DH.
04:05And, I mean, in all seriousness, my attitude as a baseball player has always been team first.
04:11I'm going to do whatever I can do for the team to help us win a game, whether that's, you
04:16know, catch, pitch, play outfield.
04:19Never got a chance to play shortstop in the big leagues.
04:21Still a little upset about that.
04:22But it was just an opportunity for me to contribute in a game where I knew it was meaningful.
04:29I mean, at that point in the season, I don't know if you guys remember, we really were kind of
04:33looking for a spark and looking for a way to get going.
04:36And that game kind of, you know, jolted our season in motion.
04:40And we ended up having an unbelievable season.
04:43But I'll never forget being in the dugout and Buck looking at me and Jim Johnson being on the mound.
04:48And he's like, hey, you're next.
04:49And I was like, okay, all right, let's do this.
04:51And I'm sure Weedy will echo this story, but I had a terrible slider.
04:56So I pitched in college.
04:57I had a little bit of a background, but that was six years before.
05:01And so it's been a while since I've been on the mound.
05:03And I was like, hey, I'm not going to â he comes to the mound after a warm-up.
05:06And he's like, hey, man, what do you got?
05:08And I was like, I'm not going to throw my slider.
05:11And he laughed in my face.
05:12And he was like, good.
05:13And he went back to the plate.
05:14And I'm like, all right, well, let's see how this goes.
05:16But, man, it was awesome.
05:18Not only getting the pitch, but getting the pitch at Fenway against the Red Sox,
05:22getting to beat them, and having a win on my record is a pretty cool thing for me.
05:28We're speaking to Oriole Hall of Fame inductee Chris Davis.
05:31It's inside access on the fan.
05:33Well, Chris, fast forward to 2013, and that was your best season in the majors.
05:37To start the year, man, first four games, nine for 15.
05:42Four home runs, two doubles, 16 RBIs.
05:47Yeah.
05:47Was it just like a beach ball coming down over the plate?
05:51Like, when did you know that you were in store for a special season in 13?
05:56Yeah, I mean, to say I was locked in, I think, would be an understatement.
06:00I had the previous few years in spring training, I had kind of, I don't want to know,
06:07I don't want to say lucked out, but my timing had just really kind of come together the last
06:11couple of weeks.
06:12And it was really the same thing in 13.
06:14I remember we played a spring training game at home against the Mets, and I hit a ball
06:19off of Hefner.
06:21I think he's the pitching coach for the Mets now.
06:23But I hit it out to left center, and it was just easy, it was smooth, and I felt like
06:29I
06:29was in control of the hole at bat.
06:31And that just kind of gave me the peace of mind.
06:33I was like, okay, I'm locked in.
06:34And then we started the series in Tampa, and I think early on, hitting the home run off
06:40a left-handed pitcher, Jake McGee, a guy who throws hard, it really just kind of, it kind
06:46of locked me in.
06:46It kind of settled me down.
06:47And then, obviously, going into the game against the Twins, where I hit the Grand Slam off another
06:53left-hander at home on opening day, that was really the moment where I was like, okay,
06:58let's go.
06:59I mean, it was the first time that I had ever had full-body chills on a baseball field
07:04rounding the bases.
07:06It's the first time I had heard that crowd yell that loud since the playoffs the year
07:11before, and it was just a special moment for me.
07:14And the funny thing is, I didn't really think a whole lot about it until I got to the All
07:19-Star
07:19break.
07:19And I think I was hitting a little over, like 315, but I already had like 37 home runs and
07:24like 94 RBIs, 93 RBIs.
07:26And in my head, I was like, man, I've had a really good season, and we're only halfway
07:31there.
07:32And so I think a lot of it was just taking pressure off of myself and allowing me to go
07:37out there and just play the game.
07:39And obviously, man, like Manny hit like 150 doubles that year.
07:44Jonesy was always on base.
07:45I mean, the team that we had was so good, and those guys were all, I felt like every time
07:50I came up, I had runners on second and third with less than two outs.
07:53And so as a power hitter, that's really what you want.
07:56Chris, you were competing with Miguel Cabrera for MVP for most of that season.
08:00Like, and talk to players all the time about how humbling the game can be.
08:06When you're on a run, and we have to talk about it, like the end of your career obviously
08:11didn't go the way you would have liked.
08:12But like, to have that run in 2013, to be like, Miguel Cabrera is a first ballot Hall
08:18of Famer.
08:18Like, what is that like?
08:21It was awesome.
08:22I mean, it was humbling because at the time of my career, I mean, if you guys remember,
08:29man, I struggled a lot with the Rangers.
08:30Like, I was up and down in the minor leagues doing really well, and they would come up to
08:34the big leagues and didn't, like, would have it for a couple of weeks and then would just
08:38go cold.
08:38And I mean, you guys know, like, when I went cold, it was ice cold.
08:42And so, it was an awesome season to have, but I think really the coolest part was at
08:49the end of the season, I remember we were at DO Days, and there was just a bunch of us
08:54kind of hanging out.
08:55And I remember sitting on his couch and thinking, like, we didn't make the playoffs.
08:59Like, I was kind of let down, but it was the first time that I took a deep breath and
09:04was like, okay, I did it.
09:05You know, like, I finished the season strong.
09:07Like, we didn't accomplish our goals as a team, but, you know, I had a really good year
09:12personally, and I did everything I could to put us in the best position to win.
09:15And I just remember how exhausted I was.
09:18And it was cool to go through that.
09:21And I always joke with Miggy, I'm like, you know, everybody wants to talk about you being
09:25the MVP and me robbing you from your second consecutive triple crown.
09:30And I was like, but to be honest with you, I had two-thirds of the triple crown.
09:33Like, you robbed me because you had 350 that year.
09:37So it's kind of a running joke with him.
09:40But, yeah, I mean, Miggy's no doubt a first bout of Hall of Famer.
09:42To be even in the same conversation with that guy is an honor.
09:46Chris, I know you touched on the clubhouse a little earlier, but I want to get even more
09:51of your thoughts on that group because Orioles fans really hold 12 through 16 into such high
09:57regard, making the playoffs three times.
09:59But you think of the characters in that clubhouse, you included, of course, but Adam Jones with
10:05the pies and Nick Marchakis and JJ Hardy and Nelson Cruz, who was only there for one season,
10:12Manny Machado, so on and so forth.
10:14Like, the close bond that you guys had and the big characters, do you guys still keep
10:19in touch?
10:19I know you came to Adam Jones when he got inducted into the Oriole Hall of Fame last year.
10:25Yeah, we do.
10:26We do.
10:26It was a tight group.
10:27I mean, you guys, I think that was probably one of the things about that team and that
10:31stretch that everybody really liked is I think we were just real and we were relatable.
10:37I mean, it was like watching a group of your buddies go out and, you know, dominate on the
10:41baseball field.
10:42And I think that's one of the reasons that we were so successful.
10:46And I think that's one of the reasons that teams are struggling nowadays is there's not a
10:50lot of chemistry.
10:50Guys don't hang out in the clubhouse like we used to.
10:53They don't pie each other on the field.
10:55I mean, we've got the dugout celebrations now, but like we truly enjoyed being around
10:59each other.
11:00I mean, we would go to concerts together on off days.
11:02We would hang out like we were a family in and outside of the clubhouse.
11:08So I think that was really what the people of Baltimore, what our fan base enjoyed about
11:15that group is, man, we were fun to watch.
11:16And I miss that, man.
11:18That's something that you can't get back.
11:20If I could talk to the guys in the clubhouse today, I would just say, man, enjoy.
11:23The game's so freaking hard.
11:25And there's so much exposure nowadays.
11:27You've got to find a way to break away and cut loose every now and then, or else you'll
11:32drive you nuts.
11:33We're talking with Chris Davidson, Inside Access here on the fan.
11:35Chris, we had mentioned we had Buck Showalter on a couple weeks ago, and we were talking
11:38about you getting the Hall of Fame.
11:40And I could hear the pain in his voice talking about the way it ended for you.
11:44And I just wonder, like, as we mentioned, 2013, you had 100 home runs between 2013 and 2015.
11:51And then at the end, just like, and I know it pains you.
11:55Like, just watching from afar, I know you wanted it to work.
11:59Like, when you look back at the end, what do you remember?
12:03Well, I try not to look at the end too much.
12:06But honestly, man, there's no blueprint for this thing.
12:10And I think that's really a message that I would give the guys.
12:14It's, look, I was always told this early on, and I never really understood it until I got
12:18later on in my career.
12:19It's your career.
12:20You dictate how it goes.
12:21But at the end of the day, very few guys get to leave the game on their own terms.
12:25And, man, I felt that.
12:26But I think one thing that I really try to remember is my goal was to be available as
12:32much as I could.
12:33Now, that didn't always look the way that I wanted it to.
12:36It didn't always look the way that the fans wanted it.
12:38But my goal was to be available.
12:40And I think one of the things that I struggled with the most was how I dealt with that.
12:47And I didn't cover the way that I wanted to or maybe the way that I should have.
12:55But I think one of the things that I try to remind myself is, was I, or ask myself, is
13:00was I consistent in the clubhouse with the guys?
13:03Was I a leader?
13:04Was I teaching?
13:05Was I contributing to the team in some capacity?
13:07And I think I was.
13:08It was really, really hard when we traded everybody.
13:12I remember being in New York.
13:13I remember taking the field after everybody was gone and looking out on the field and
13:18we're getting ready to take on the Yankees.
13:20And I'm like, oh, my goodness, what's going on?
13:22And so that was really a moment that was low for me.
13:26But at the same time, in your mind, you've got to still go out there and compete.
13:29So it was hard, man.
13:31But I think one of the things that it allowed me the opportunity to do is to talk about the
13:36struggle and to relate.
13:38Because you guys know, I mean, at some point in time, they're going to call our number and
13:42the game's going to be over.
13:43So I think if you can really just be open and honest about just the emotions that you
13:49experienced, what you would do differently, what you would try to do, maybe just on a
13:57different scale to a different degree, whatever that is with guys, I think that's really all
14:00you can do.
14:01Chris, we've seen so many dramatic role changes in MLB in recent years.
14:07And we've seen prohibiting the extreme shifts that you experienced a lot, especially later
14:13on in your career.
14:15How much of a factor do you think that played into the tough ending of your career?
14:20Oh, I think it was huge.
14:22And, you know, I really want to just thank Major League Baseball for waiting for me to
14:27retire to go back to the way it was supposed to be.
14:31But no, I mean, in all seriousness, I know there was a lot of questioning, why doesn't
14:37he just lay one down?
14:39One, I'm 6'3", 250 pounds, and I'm left-handed.
14:43So for me to lay a ball down the third baseline, I have to square my shoulders to third base
14:48and then turn my shoulders and my hips and try to sprint back down the first baseline.
14:53And I remember doing it a couple of times in my career and early when I could still run
14:59a little bit, and these like Porcello, Sonny Gray guys making like sliding plays and either
15:06throwing me out or making it super close.
15:08And so my thought was, am I going to try to sit here and get three-bunch singles or four
15:13-bunch
15:14singles and get on base and then just hope that the next guy hits a double or a home run
15:19because I didn't steal a lot of bases.
15:20I wasn't a great base, was not a great base stealer.
15:23But I think it just was one of those things where I realized that the organization was
15:29asking me to be a run producer and I just, I mean, I tried to go the other way.
15:35I tried to play against the ship, but it was just, I mean, it destroyed me.
15:40And Buck always had a good stat for me, my hits against the shift and the hits into the
15:47shift.
15:47And he's like, you know, if they didn't shift you, you'd be hitting like three.
15:49And I'm like, why do you even tell me this stuff?
15:51Like this is not helpful for anybody.
15:54But, but yeah, I'm glad to see the game has evolved.
15:58If you'd asked me before about the pitch clock, I would have said absolutely not.
16:02And I absolutely love it.
16:04I think it is great.
16:06I think the ABS stuff is awesome.
16:08I'm all for accountability.
16:11And, and yeah, I'm glad to see that they're trying to at least play a little bit more closely
16:15to the traditional game, the game that I learned with, in regards to the ship.
16:19Chris, before we let you go, I want to get a touch on your involvement in the community.
16:24I don't know if you know this.
16:24My wife's a director of development for the Children's Hospital at the University of Maryland.
16:28And I know that place is very special to you.
16:30And just for people who may not know, I can tell you you're revered down there.
16:35Well, thank you.
16:36I appreciate it.
16:37She actually reached out and, and asked about my schedule coming in.
16:41So I will, if she's listening or you can tell her, I will be getting back to her as
16:45soon as I figure out what that schedule looks like.
16:47It's obviously meant a ton to me and my family.
16:51We will, we will find some time to get down there.
16:55That was, that was, place was kind of a safe haven for me.
16:58When I was playing, it was a place that I could go to and, and just kind of connect with
17:03those families and those kids.
17:04And we, one of the things that I enjoyed most was being there and not having an Orioles
17:09jersey on because it gave us an opportunity to just kind of connect with people.
17:13Um, and I mean, it's an amazing place, you know, that firsthand, um, there's a, there
17:17are a lot of places that do things the right way, but they, they definitely hold a special
17:21place in our hearts.
17:22Chris Davis.
17:22This was awesome, man.
17:23Uh, thank you so much for your time.
17:25We appreciate it.
17:26And we look forward to catching up with you when you come in, uh, the end of July for
17:29August 1st and induction.
17:31I appreciate it guys.
17:32Looking forward to it.
17:33Thanks so much.
17:33That's Chris Davis, Oriole hall of famer getting inducted on August the 1st.
17:37When we come back.
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