Jumbo Davis, baseball player, 1884-1891

Jumbo Davis

Born: 9/5/1861 in New York, NY, USA

Died: 2/14/1921 in St. Louis, MO, USA

MLB Debut: 1884-07-27 | Final Game: 1891-05-22

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 195 lbs

Full name: James Joseph Davis

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Biography

Jumbo Davis, born in 1861, was a prominent position player in Major League Baseball during the late 19th century. His career spanned from 1884 until 1891, a period characterized by the transition from the deadball era to a more offensively driven game. Over the course of 453 games, Davis showcased his versatility and skill, amassing 468 hits and achieving a batting average of .272. Known for his power and speed, he contributed 14 home runs and 270 RBIs to his teams, while also stealing 151 bases, reflecting the aggressive base-running style of the era. Davis played in an era that laid the groundwork for modern baseball, where players began to adapt their strategies to increase offensive output. His ability to combine hitting prowess with speed on the bases made him a valuable asset to the teams he played for. While Jumbo Davis may not be a household name today, his contributions during a pivotal time in baseball history helped shape the game that would develop in the years following his retirement on May 22, 1891.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
453 1723 266 468 69 37 14 270 151 108 124 0.272 0.322 0.379 0.701 1726.0

Career AVG .272 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — +7.1% above league average.

Career OBP .322 vs. league average .315 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .379 vs. league average .343 across their career seasons — +10.5% above league average.

Career OPS 0.701 vs. league average 0.658 across their career seasons — +6.4% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1884 KCU UA 7 29 3 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.207 — — — — 0.0
1886 BL2 AA 60 216 23 42 5 2 1 20 12 11 0 0.194 .246 (-21%) .302 (-21%) .331 (-25%) .634 (-23%) -786.2
1887 BL2 AA 130 485 81 150 23 19 8 109 49 28 27 0.309 .270 (+14%) .331 (+7%) .373 (+30%) .705 (+19%) 1593.5
1888 KC2 AA 121 491 70 131 22 8 3 61 42 20 56 0.267 .238 (+12%) .290 (+4%) .319 (+13%) .610 (+9%) 657.3
1889 KC2 AA 62 241 40 64 4 3 0 30 25 17 35 0.266 .263 (+1%) .334 (-4%) .357 (-14%) .691 (-9%) -389.5
1889 SL4 AA 2 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0.000 — — — — -389.5
1890 SL4 AA 21 71 8 18 3 1 0 13 5 9 0 0.254 .260 (-3%) .336 (avg) .351 (-8%) .687 (-4%) -37.1
1890 BR4 AA 38 142 33 43 9 2 2 28 10 15 0 0.303 .260 (+16%) .336 (+14%) .351 (+24%) .687 (+19%) -37.1
1891 WS9 AA 12 44 7 14 3 2 0 9 8 7 5 0.318 — — — — 216.2

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1889 WS BR3 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
3B 400 0 517 963 317 67
OF 1 0 1 0 0 0
SS 52 0 70 159 46 5

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1884 KCU 3B 7 0 5 14 11 0
1886 BL2 3B 60 0 82 114 35 6
1887 BL2 3B 87 0 91 199 61 7
1887 BL2 SS 43 0 57 132 37 5
1888 KC2 3B 113 0 155 334 91 27
1888 KC2 SS 8 0 12 27 9 0
1889 KC2 3B 62 0 93 140 57 14
1889 SL4 OF 1 0 1 0 0 0
1889 SL4 SS 1 0 1 0 0 0
1890 SL4 3B 21 0 23 53 28 2
1890 BR4 3B 38 0 49 87 25 9
1891 WS9 3B 12 0 19 22 9 2

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Third Base 400
Shortstop 52
Left Field 1