On the blog today,
we have a career-capping “not so missing” 1971 card for former long-time
San Francisco Giant Jim Davenport, who called it a career after 13
years:
Davenport played all
of his career with the Giants, coming up in 1958, the first year the
franchise relocated to San Francisco following a storied history in New
York.
Over that time
Davenport gave the team a solid glove at third base, with time also
spend at shortstop and second base, with occasional “pop” in his bat.
In his final season
of 1970, he appeared in only 22 games, hitting .243 with nine hits over
37 at-bats, and finished up with 1501 games played, which is STILL
fourth most in team history believe it or not,
with his 1130 games at third place still the most ever at that position
for the team.
Known more for his
fielding, he led the National league in fielding at third base three
years in a row: 1959-1961, winning a Gold Glove in 1962, and set a
record at that time with 97 straight games without
an error from July 1966 to April 1968.
He’d finish his
career with a .258 batting average, along with 77 homers and 456 runs
batted in over 4427 at-bats, before moving on to coaching, and even a
managerial stint with the team in 1985.
