Orioles’ Davis looks to bounce back
Davis enters fourth season of seven-year, $161 million contract
is getting back to the player that I the last couple of years behind me of, OK, now we have to exhaust all was in 2013, 2012, 2015, years I was and just move forward.” options and take a step back and productive. Just being a threat in As a concession to his age, Davis make an adjustment. the lineup, a guy who produces cut back on his weightlifting “I made a lot of changes this runs, who his teammates can during the offseason and stayed on offseason. I was talking to a lot of count on.” a strict diet. people, people that I hadn’t seen
Davis had 33 homers and “Everybody keeps telling me I in a decade but knew me at a 85 RBI with Baltimore in 2012, look skinny, so I guess that’s a younger age when I was in the then led the majors in 2013 with 53 compliment,” he said. “I feel more Rangers’ minor-league system. I Few players in major-league long balls and 138 RBI. He slipped ready this time than I did last year. feel like it just kind of opened me history delivered lessup.”bangfortheabitthefollowingseasonbutagerBrandonHydesaid.“YoujustThat’ssayingalot,becauseIfelt big bucks than Chris Davis in 2018. rebounded in 2015 with don’t have the years he’s had by like I was going to have a really Davis hopes his work with
The two-time home run cham47 home runs and 117 RBI. chance. There’s something there good year last year going into Long will help him succeed pion batted .168 with 192 strikeThat earned him the biggest you tap into. I know that he’s spring training. I’m ready to put against the shift. By vacating the outs for the Baltimore Orioles contract in franchise history, but hungry and ready to start the last year behind me and start this left side of the infield and putting a before being benched in Septemhis power numbers have dwinyear.” season.” fielder in short-right field, oppober following a 1-for-37 skid. His 16 dled in each of the past three Davis went hitless in his first He also worked on getting back nents have denied the left-handed homers and 49 RBI were his seasons. He hit bottom last year four at-bats this spring, striking the confidence and swagger he pull hitter countless potential hits. fewest since 2011, and his .296 with the worst batting average by out three times, before going deep carried during his finest seasons in “It’s definitely taken a toll on slugging percentage ranked last a qualifier in major-league history. against Tampa Bay on Tuesday — the big leagues. me,” Davis said. “It’s killing me as among 141 qualifiers. The rebuilding Orioles almost his first home run since Aug. 24. “I was searching for a certain far as my average is concerned.”
Entering the fourth season of a certainly can’t trade the 32-yearWorking with new hitting coach feeling, a feeling I’ve had my No shift can handle a ball hit $161 million, seven-year contract, old Davis because he’s making too Don Long, Davis feels like he’s whole life that I for some reason over the fence, and Davis is Davis knows there likely is nomuch money. So they can only getting a fresh start. have lost touch with it over the convinced he will return to form. where to go but up. hope he gets his stroke back. “I think it’s a positive, to be past couple years,” he said. “Going “I still feel like I’m at the top of
“Anything above what I did last “I want to give him every honest with you,” he said. “I think through last season, going my game,” he said. “I’m looking year, I guess would be considered opportunity to have the years that it’s a good chance for me to reset through that stretch of failure day forward to a chance to redeem successful,” he said. “But the goal he had in the past,” rookie man- and kind of regroup and put really in and day out, got me to the point myself.”
Next exhibition game