San Diego Padres Davis was a first-round pick, second overall, in the
1995 Major League Baseball draft, by the San Diego Padres, out of Malvern Preparatory School.
USA Today called him the best high school catcher since
Dale Murphy, in . Davis was named to the
Pioneer League All-Star team, in his first professional season, with the Advanced-Rookie
Idaho Falls Braves, in . In , Davis was limited to
designated hitter duties, for the first month of the season, with the
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, due to a sore right elbow. He threw out 25 of 98 attempted base-stealers. Davis also spent the season at Rancho Cucamonga, throwing out 59 of 159 attempted base-stealers. The Padres purchased Davis' contract from the
Double-A Mobile BayBears on September 19, 1998. He made his Major League debut, as a defensive replacement, on September 25, against the
Arizona Diamondbacks. Davis reached on an error, in his first and only at-bat of the season. He was named to the
Southern League All-Star team, that season, his first with Mobile. Davis threw out 47 of 83 attempted base-stealers. Davis spent the majority of the season with the Padres. He started 71 of 93 games for San Diego, after being recalled, on June 23. Davis collected his first major league hit, on June 26, against the
Colorado Rockies, a single off
Mark Brownson. He posted his first career four-hit game, on September 15, against the
Atlanta Braves, including a solo home run off
John Smoltz. Davis split the season between the
Triple-A Las Vegas 51s and San Diego. He began the season with the Padres, appearing in seven games, before being optioned to Las Vegas, on April 20. Davis was recalled, on July 8. He was placed on the disabled list, in August, with a strained left oblique muscle. In a game against the
Arizona Diamondbacks on May 26, 2001,
starting pitcher Curt Schilling took a
perfect game into the eighth inning against the Padres, when, with one out and the Diamondbacks leading by a score of 2–0, Davis laid down a successful
drag bunt single, to
second baseman Jay Bell. After Davis reached base, many of the Diamondbacks' players shouted obscenities at him for supposedly breaking baseball's
unwritten rules. After the game, Diamondbacks manager
Bob Brenly called Davis's play "chickenshit".
Seattle Mariners In December , Davis was traded, along with
Wascar Serrano and
Alex Arias, to the Seattle Mariners, in exchange for
Brett Tomko,
Tom Lampkin, and
Ramón Vázquez. Davis had a .998 fielding percentage, in 77 games behind the plate, and threw out 44 percent of would be base-stealers, in . He batted .300 with runners in scoring position, and was 6-for-11, with two home runs, with the bases loaded. Davis also hit .294, with six home runs, on the road, as opposed to .216, with one home run, at home. He batted .294, in the second half of the season, raising his average from .216, at the break, to .259, at the end of the season. All seven of Davis' home runs came from the left side of the plate. He hit his first
American League (AL) home run, and first homer of the season, May 4, against the
New York Yankees, at
Yankee Stadium. Davis had a nine-game hitting streak, from May 17 to June 6, going 13-for-29, during that span. He hit his first triple of season, on August 4, against the
Cleveland Indians. Davis spent his second season with the Mariners in a
platoon with fellow backstop
Dan Wilson, in . Davis appeared in 80 games, hitting .236, with six home runs, and 42 RBIs. He hit a go-ahead home run off
Ricardo Rincón, to lead off the 11th inning, April 3, against the
Oakland Athletics. Davis also tied a club record, with three doubles, on June 21, against his former team, the Padres.
Chicago White Sox On June 27, 2004, Davis was once again traded, this time from the Mariners to the Chicago White Sox with
Freddy García, in exchange for catcher
Miguel Olivo,
Mike Morse, and
Jeremy Reed. Davis appeared in just ten games with the Triple-A
Charlotte Knights, before being placed on the disabled list, with a fractured finger, on his right hand. He also fought through a right elbow injury and missed the remainder of the season, after undergoing
Tommy John surgery. Davis had batted .242, with one home run, and three RBIs, before the injury. He was released after the season.
New York Yankees For the season, after signing with the
New York Yankees, Davis played for the
Columbus Clippers, their Triple-A affiliate and the Class-A Advanced
Tampa Yankees. He went 3-for-16, with a double, home run, and two RBIs, for Tampa. Davis played in 48 games, with Columbus, hitting .222, with six doubles, four home runs, and 20 RBIs. On January 12, 2007, he was re-signed by the Yankees, and was invited to spring training.
Los Angeles Dodgers Davis was released by the Yankees, on April 1, 2007. In May , he joined the independent
Camden Riversharks and played well enough that he was signed to a minor league contract by the
Los Angeles Dodgers, in June. Davis was assigned to their Triple-A Las Vegas 51s, the team he had previously played for when they were San Diego's affiliate. He hit .331, with six doubles, three triples, three home runs, and 19 RBIs, in 36 games with Camden and played in 36 games with Las Vegas, batting .218, with four doubles, a home run, and 11 RBIs.
Baltimore Orioles In January , Davis was signed by the
Baltimore Orioles, to a minor league contract, with an invitation to spring training. He did not make the team coming out of spring training and was assigned to the Double-A
Bowie Baysox. Davis received a mid-season promotion to the Triple-A
Norfolk Tides. In 24 games with Bowie, he hit .227, with six doubles, a triple, two home runs, and 13 RBIs; with Norfolk, Davis hit .172, with two doubles, a home run, and two RBIs, in 20 games. He was released, on June 14.
Cincinnati Reds After being released by Baltimore, Davis returned to the River Sharks, as a pitcher, in an attempt to make a comeback that might once again result in a Major League hitch. In November 2008, he signed a minor league contract with the
Cincinnati Reds, as a pitcher. Davis made his Reds' organization pitching debut on April 23, against the
Charlotte Stone Crabs, tossing a scoreless inning, allowing no hits, and striking out one. He injured himself on May 17, and did not return that season. Davis' statistical totals for the season included a
win-loss record of 0-1, with a 3.09 ERA, and four saves, in nine games.
Camden Riversharks Davis pitched for the Camden Riversharks in , going 5-11, with a 4.61 ERA, and 28 game appearances, 23 of which were games started. He announced his retirement from professional baseball, on April 16, 2011. ==Media career==