The annual “is Chris Davis going to change his approach next season” thread

[Roll Tide]

On 11/23/2020 at 1:31 PM, Frobby said:

Yes, I know, it doesn’t matter at all what Chris Davis does or doesn’t change.   He’s done as a productive major leaguer.   But for your amusement, I present this:

Executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias has repeatedly said that Davis is under contract and the organization takes that seriously. Davis does, too, and that’s why, in the coming weeks, he’ll begin exploring mechanical changes to simplify his batting approach in hopes of producing in 2021.

“I think it’s just time for that,” Davis told The Baltimore Sun. “I was reluctant to really change mechanically because of the troubles that I went through in Texas [with the Rangers], and that was a big emphasis, ‘Let’s do this,’ and I didn’t want to tinker. Plus, I’d had success with my prior mechanics, but it’s to the point now where I realize that, I’m not getting any quicker, I’m not getting any faster. But 
 

“I think all of the movement that I have pre-pitch and even pre-swing, it’s killing me, and it’s not allowing me to have success, and it’s not allowing me to have sustained success, so I think if I can just clean that up a little bit and simplify it, it’ll be hopefully a lot better than it has been.”

https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-chris-davis-mechanics-20201123-zsvww6lnhjgyfcrx4ndfwsecsi-story.html?outputType=amp&__twitter_impression=true

Also, after losing a bunch of weight two years ago and then adding it back on last offseason, he’s going back the other way this offseason.

As recently as last year, Davis has been against the idea of changing mechanically, pointing to how deep he is into his career and noting that he’s had success with those mechanics in the past; in his first four full seasons with the Orioles from 2012 to 2015, he averaged nearly 40 home runs a year and led the majors twice. But he’s open to changes now that he believes will make him more “consistent” and “efficient,” adding he also needs to shed some of the added weight he put on last offseason.

“I think it was a good thing, but I think it came with a price,” Davis said. “Obviously, I haven’t carried that much weight in several years, and I think my body kind of let me know about that.

“I wouldn’t say I’m taking it easier, but I can’t hit it as hard as I did last offseason. That was the first thing that was relayed to me. It’s not a secret. Everybody knows it. I’m getting older, and age takes a toll on guys in a lot of different ways.”

The only possible change would be Davis' retirement. He's more done than a week old Thanksgiving turkey. Hopefully struggles and his pride will allow to walk away.

[Philip]

10 hours ago, El_Duderino said:

Omg we are doing this again?

It’s an annual tradition. And aren’t those fun??

[drjohnnyfeva]

23 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:

Yep.

But to further my point, if he was taking any kind of PEDs, why stop after signing that contract?  And why continue to be absolutely miserable for years now, especially if the easy fix is PEDs?  

While there's a risk to take them as Robinson Cano just found out, the dopers are usually ahead of the testing that's out there.  

It's like Brady Anderson said, if his 50 homer season was due to taking steroids, wouldn't he just keep taking them?  It'd behoove everyone if he did.  Same applies to Davis.

Getting caught another time would put him out for a year...  Wait, what did I just say?!   Dose at will!

 

[Oriole1940]

As I remember. Chris was taking a LEGAL substance during his monster years.  All of a sudden that particular substance was deemed illegal, and Chris was left high and dry.  If that is not generally the way it was, I apologize, for remembering it wrong.  Does anyone think that had  it been a Yankee in his shoes, that the substance would have still been banned, or continued to be allowed. I vote it would have been allowed, but we will never know.   

[Can_of_corn]

9 minutes ago, Oriole1940 said:

As I remember. Chris was taking a LEGAL substance during his monster years.  All of a sudden that particular substance was deemed illegal, and Chris was left high and dry.  If that is not generally the way it was, I apologize, for remembering it wrong.  Does anyone think that had  it been a Yankee in his shoes, that the substance would have still been banned, or continued to be allowed. I vote it would have been allowed, but we will never know.   

The substance was banned but Davis had a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for it.  He lost the TUE and continued use.  When he received a new TUE it was for a different, but related, drug.

[wildcard]

Could have been the TUE but he chewed tobacco as a simulant in his good years.  He would come to the plate looking wired.  They banned the tobacco about the time he stopped  hitting.    He does not look wired any more and has not for a long time.   The TUE was to help him focus.  I think the tobacco enhanced that.  Also age has eroded the reflexes at this point.   Its a shame what has happened to him.  I think he is a really good person. As far as him retiring and walking away from the money.  Would you?

[Can_of_corn]

1 hour ago, wildcard said:

Could have been the TUE but he chewed tobacco as a simulant in his good years.  He would come to the plate looking wired.  They banned the tobacco about the time he stopped  hitting.    He does not look wired any more and has not for a long time.   The TUE was to help him focus.  I think the tobacco enhanced that.  Also age has eroded the reflexes at this point.   Its a shame what has happened to him.  I think he is a really good person. As far as him retiring and walking away from the money.  Would you?

I don't think this is correct.  The agreement only banned new players from using smokeless tabacco.

Now it is true that at least half the stadiums ban it.

[foxfield]

2037 While sitting out on my back porch...

 

Kid:   Grandpa, tell us about your favorite Oriole Davis holiday.  

Me:  Well, back in my day, Brooksie, we had this thing called the internets and we used something called tapatalk to chat with "friends" about Chris Davis.  Back then we had the best time talking about how Chris Davis was stealing so much money from the Orioles and it was so funny.  Sometimes, we realized that he was paid more than all the other Oriole employees....combined.  Sometimes, we fondly spoke of him because he was a good dude and he and his lovely wife gave money to help kids.  The best part of all, kids, was that every year, Chris Davis was a worse baseball player than the year before!!!

There were always people who said signing Chris Davis was the reason the Orioles were bad, but Manny Machado was never going to stay and all those millions of dollars had to go to someone.  It might as well have been Chris Davis.  

Kid:  You mean...Manny Machado was an Oriole?  

Me:  Well yes, the Orioles were even in the playoffs. Why they even won the Division back in '14 but lost to the Red hot Royals that year.  It was the high point, but the GM got all peacocky and the owner decided to show him and everyone sort of went spiteful on each other until we actually lost our last playoff game ever...in a game that went 117 innings.  We pitched every pitcher in the organization, and two fans from the stands, but we refused to use the best reliever in the game because of the save rule. So we lost and we celebrate that era because Chris Davis is the only one left who is still with the Organization.  

Kid:  Is Chris Davis the oldest player in baseball.   

Me:  He has been for 30 years!  I mean he doesn't really bat any more.  It's pretty much the same thing as the early years...They just put him in the batters box and they let the pitchers throw to him.  Walk or K. Been that way since the second year of his contract.  The Orioles are just too proud to cut him and eat that money.  We thought after the first new GM came in, he might be released, but lo and behold,  somehow he became the worst player in the history of the game and somehow it became a tradition to see if he could bat lower than last year.  

Kid:  But why keep him?  Wouldn't that take someone else's spot?

Me:  Well yes, the Orioles made Trey Mancini play outfield and they kept Ryan Mountcastle in the minor leagues until he was 37.  But the Black Plague of 2020 created roster spots and they finally let Mountcastle play...but he had to play left field too. The Orioles had so many first basemen and DH's they had to release Renato Nunez because they couldn't afford his 1.8 million salary.  And of course as you all know, he later signed with the MF Yankees and they have won the World Series every single year since and they play in that big new stadium called the "House that Nunez Built"...

Kid:  That's a great story, grandpa...tell me the one about the roar!

Me:  It was the bottom of the 8th, and the Orioles were down 6-3...to the Tigers, and the Orioles got a bunch of hits and a run while loading the bases...bringing up Delmon Young...Well, let's go inside...I'll tell the one about the roar tomorrow. 

 

[wildcard]

3 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

I don't think this is correct.  The agreement only banned new players from using smokeless tabacco.

Now it is true that at least half the stadiums ban it.

While you may be right that chewing and dipping tobacco has not been completely banned in MLB, I think it is true that Davis quit using it about the time that he stopped being a productive player.  Maybe a bigger factor in him stopping was having children and wanting to be healthier for them.

[Can_of_corn]

Or guys with his skill set have a history of steep and sudden decline.

[Tony-OH]

On 11/23/2020 at 3:46 PM, oriole said:

Sounds like excuses but I won’t fault Davis, I’m sure he’s trying. It’s the organizations fault for offering such an astoundingly stupid contract. We all knew it would end like this. 

No, it was Peter Angelos' fault that he listened to Buck Showalter who wanted Davis back. Angelos then got played badly by Scott Boros, who should have been cited for elder abuse after getting Angelos to agree to this ridiculous contract, when there was no team even close to the inflated number of years that Davis got. 

Davis' contract was the final awful act of Peter Angelos' ownership and showed the dysfunction of how this organization was run. 

This organization can never fully turn that page until Davis is out of the organization. 

[drjohnnyfeva]

Nicorette is available.  How about we all chip in and send him a case...  He can chew 10 at a time then.  He'll back to his old self in no time!

[Frobby]

6 hours ago, wildcard said:

Could have been the TUE but he chewed tobacco as a simulant in his good years.  He would come to the plate looking wired.  They banned the tobacco about the time he stopped  hitting.    He does not look wired any more and has not for a long time.   The TUE was to help him focus.  I think the tobacco enhanced that.  Also age has eroded the reflexes at this point.   Its a shame what has happened to him.  I think he is a really good person. As far as him retiring and walking away from the money.  Would you?

I don’t think anyone really knows what we would do if we were in that situation, because we’ve never been in a situation remotely like that.    The numbers involved are inconceivable to us mere mortals.   

I don’t know if Davis deep down knows that he’s no longer capable of playing at a major league level, or whether the money has warped his objectivity and he believes he can still do it if he just figures out the right training regimen and approach.   Players are pretty capable of self-delusion even without 23 mm reasons to delude themselves each year.   
 

 

[jamalshw]

I really hope that come Spring (or May or whenever) when it becomes apparent he is once again not able to contribute that he and the Orioles brass get together and see if they can negotiate a buy-out of sorts. Give him an advisor title and a portion of the money and allow Davis to bow out without enduring years more of embarrassment for the sake of money.

I understand he looked better last spring and then things tanked for him in the shortened season, but I'm not convinced that was anything meaningful as opposed to a nice short showing against lesser competition (aka Jake Fox syndrome).

I like Davis. I appreciate what he did in the good years. It's almost impossible to watch now. I change the channel for his ABs at this point. At this point, I cannot imagine it's a fun experience for him. For a guy that's made the money he's made, it's got to be worth walking away from some money. I understand walking away from 46 million isn't happening. But would the Orioles bite on a buy out if they could save $10M of that? At this point, it's got to be worth it to save even a couple million, particularly when/if it becomes clear that a full 162 game season will be played next year? Would Davis be willing to give up the delusion that there is a way back to contributing for him? Would that $10M be worth it to escape what has turned into a nightmare?

[Roll Tide]

20 hours ago, drjohnnyfeva said:

Getting caught another time would put him out for a year...  Wait, what did I just say?!   Dose at will!

 

His violation was his ADD meds and I'm pretty sure he currently has the exemption.