Crash Davis

Crash Davis
Crash Davis
	Second baseman
	Born: July 14, 1919; Canon, Georgia, U.S.
	Died: August 31, 2001 (aged 82); Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S.
	Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
	June 5, 1940, for the Philadelphia Athletics
Last MLB appearance
	September 20, 1942, for the Philadelphia Athletics
MLB statistics
Batting average	.230
Home runs	2
Runs batted in	43
	Stats at Baseball Reference
Teams
	Philadelphia Athletics (1940–1942);

Lawrence Columbus "Crash" Davis (July 14, 1919 – August 31, 2001) was an American professional baseball player whose name inspired that of the main character of the 1988 movie Bull Durham.

Early life and baseball career

Born in Canon, Georgia, and raised in Gastonia, North Carolina, Davis earned the nickname "Crash" at age 14, when he collided with a teammate when chasing down a fly ball.

In 1935, Davis was a member of the Gastonia Post 23 American Legion baseball team that won the American Legion national championship.^[1] As a member of Gastonia High School's baseball team, he helped them in winning the 1937 North Carolina Class A state title.^[2]^[3]

He played collegiate baseball at Duke University, where he excelled as a middle infielder and was captain of the baseball team. He was also a member of the Chi Phi fraternity.^{[citation needed]}

After graduating from Duke, Davis played three seasons for the Philadelphia Athletics, batting .230 in 148 games.

Later life

He was drafted into the United States Navy in 1942 amid World War II, and was assigned to Harvard University, where he helped run the NROTC program. Davis also coached Harvard's baseball and squash teams. His rate was Chief Petty Officer (Athletic Specialist). His main post was at the entrance to Eliot House.

When he was discharged from the Navy in 1946, Davis returned to Durham to begin graduate school at Duke and play for the Durham Bulls, then a part of the Carolina League. Davis would play in the minor leagues, with teams including the Reidsville Luckies and the Raleigh Capitals, until 1952.

After Bull Durham was released, Davis became a minor celebrity. He befriended the director of the film, Ron Shelton, and Shelton gave him a bit part in his movie Cobb about controversial baseball player Ty Cobb.

Sometime during the mid 1950s, Davis began working for the textile conglomerate Burlington Industries at their Gastonia Plant and advanced to become the Personnel Manager for the Domestics Division in Greensboro, North Carolina, until his retirement in the mid-1980s.

Death

Davis died on August 31, 2001, from complications of stomach cancer, at the age of 82.^[4]

References

^ "'Crash' Davis; Ballplayer Inspired 'Bull Durham'". Associated Press. September 4, 2001. Retrieved October 30, 2025 – via Los Angeles Times.
^ "Crash Davis, 'Fact and Fiction'" (PDF). Diamonds in the Dusk. October 27, 2019. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
^ "Baseball State Championships" (PDF). North Carolina High School Athletic Association. January 30, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
^ Goldstein, Richard (September 4, 2001). "Crash Davis, 82, 'Bull Durham' Model, Dies". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 4, 2024.

External links

Career statistics from MLB · ESPN · Baseball Reference · Fangraphs · Baseball Reference (Minors) · Retrosheet · Baseball Almanac
The Legend of the Real Crash Davis Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society
Remembering Crash Davis at Baseball America

[1] "'Crash' Davis; Ballplayer Inspired 'Bull Durham'". Associated Press. September 4, 2001. Retrieved October 30, 2025 – via Los Angeles Times.

[2] "Crash Davis, 'Fact and Fiction'" (PDF). Diamonds in the Dusk. October 27, 2019. Retrieved October 30, 2025.

[3] "Baseball State Championships" (PDF). North Carolina High School Athletic Association. January 30, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2025.

[4] Goldstein, Richard (September 4, 2001). "Crash Davis, 82, 'Bull Durham' Model, Dies". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 4, 2024.

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