Prior to his professional career, Davis played baseball at
Newark High School and
Duke University and served in the
United States Marine Corps. His pro career began in the Pittsburgh organization in 1951, when he
batted a composite .313 across three lower levels of
minor league baseball. He then spent 55 games in the majors for the
1952 Pirates, a team that would lose 112 games. He drew a
base on balls in his initial big-league appearance as a
pinch hitter on April 15; then, the following day, he started in
right field and collected two
hits in four
at bats against left-hander
Cliff Chambers of the
St. Louis Cardinals. But Davis struggled at the plate thereafter; overall he hit only .179 and spent part of the year with Class B
Waco. In , he spent much of the year in the minor leagues before his recall in September for his final trial with the Pirates. But that resulted in only a .205 average in 39 at bats. Davis' 25 career MLB hits included three
doubles and one
triple. He batted .187 lifetime with three runs batted in. But he showed speed on the base paths,
stealing nine bases during his 55-game 1952 stint with the Pirates. His obituary, noting his offensive struggles, observed: "He was forced from the league after it was discovered he could not successfully steal first base." ==Longtime scout==