Once a promising young starter for the Orioles (14-9, 3.12 as a 22-year-old in 1984),
Davis seemed washed up with the Padres in 1987. He rallied in Oakland to win the
AL Comeback Player of the Year award with a 16-7 record for the 1988 AL champions
and was 19-7 with a 4.36 ERA in 1989. The earthquake during the '89 World Series and the resulting
days off led manager Tony LaRussa skip Davis' turn.
A free agent after the season, Davis was close to signing with the Blue Jays when a madman gunned down 17 women in Montreal. His wife vetoed any move north of the border, and Davis signed with Kansas City instead. Over the rest of his career, he spent most of his time in the bullpen, drifting back to the Orioles and A's and finally to the Tigers.
Storm grew up with Astros slugger Glenn Davis, who was raised by Storm's parents and adopted the family name. His nickname reportedly came from his resemblance to Orioles' Cy Young (short for cyclone) Award-winning hurler Jim Palmer. (ME/AGL/JGR)
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FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
»June 26, 1983:
Baltimore's Storm Davis holds the Tigers hitless for eight innings, then needs help from reliever Tippy Martinez to complete a 3–1 victory. Pinch hitter Rick Leach, who had been in a 3-for-35 slump, breaks up the no-hit bid with his first home run of the year leading off the 9th.
»September 25, 1983: Baltimore clinches the American League East title with a 5–1 win over Milwaukee, as Storm Davis and Tippy Martinez combine on a 6-hitter.
»October 20, 1988: Series MVP Orel Hershiser ends his dream season with a 5–2 four-hitter over the A's in game five of the World Series. Mickey Hatcher starts the Dodger scoring with a 2-run home run in the 1st off Storm Davis, Hatcher's 2nd home run of the Series. The win gives the Dodgers their first World Championship since 1981. Los Angeles is the only team to win more than one World Series in the 1980s.
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