Ike Davis is the son of 1981 LAD World Series hero Ron Davis?

Phil Gurnee ♦ August 15, 2017 ♦ Leave a comment

Ike Davis is getting some play today because of the news from Bill Shaikin that Ike is transitioning from a 1st baseman to a pitcher while in the Dodger organization.  For months I’ve been asking why is Ike Davis in the Dodger organization?  His days as a slugging 1st baseman were long gone, and the Dodgers had a plethora of 1st base types in the system. Now I know why?

“Ike has been a tremendous teammate,” Dodgers minor league director Gabe Kapler said. “He’s demonstrated humility and flexibility by taking this first step. We’re watching his mound progress very carefully. Before we take further action, we want to ensure he stays healthy. He has our enthusiastic support in this journey.”

This is a huge longshot but you never know. Either I had forgotten when Ike was a slugging 1st baseman with the Mets or simply never knew but Ike is the son of ex NYY and Dodger Ron Davis.

Most of you are saying who cares. As a Dodger Ron Davis was at the end of his career. However, in his own way, he still did as much as anyone when it came to the Dodgers winning the 1981 World Series.

WAT? you say

Ron Davis was the premiere setup man for the NYY in 1981, setting everything up for Goose Gossage.  He was an all-star, he finished 22 of the 43 games he pitched in giving the Yankees a sweet one/two punch of Goose and Davis.  He even had a great postseason for the NYY.  Coming into the World Series, Davis had been in six games and thrown thirteen innings while allowing only one run. He was a big reason why the Dodgers were facing the Yankees in the World Series.

By all accounts, Ron Davis had, had a premiere season in 1981.

Until the World Series

The NYY won game one, but Ron Davis didn’t record an out giving up two runs on two hits and two walks.

In game four with the NYY leading two games to one, they had a 4 – 2 lead in the bottom of the fifth. A Ron Cey single narrowed the lead to 4 – 3 but Ron Davis came in and struck out the last two hitters to end the inning and looked like a hero. In the bottom of the sixth, the NYY were now leading 6 – 3 when Davis took the mound.  At this time the Dodgers executed one of their greatest World Series comebacks. Jay Johnstone hit a two run home run off of Ron Davis to cut the lead to 6 – 4. Lopes got on an error, promptly stole second, and Mr Reliable Bill Russel tied the game with a single. That was it for Ron Davis but it was all the Dodgers needed.  From the bottom of the 6th in game four the Dodgers would outscore the NYY 16 – 4 and win the series in six games.

Relief pitcher George Frazier rightly gets singled out for helping the Dodgers win the 81 World Series because of how bad he was, but Ron Davis can stand right next to him.

The NYY had a killer bullpen in 1981 of Frazier / Ron Davis / Goose Gossage.  The Dodgers cut them all down, one by one until they had won four straight games after being down two games to zero.  It was the greatest four game stretch by any Dodger team since 1963 when they swept the NYY.