Sunday, April 14, 2019

Good guy finishes first

And now an update from the saga of poor Chris Davis, the veteran Baltimore Oriole mired in a  record hitless streak:

He is poor Chris Davis no more. Because he is hitless no more.

Against the Red Sox yesterday, Davis jumped on a Rick Porcello fastball in his first at-bat, roped it into right field and drove in two runs to break his epic 0-for-54 streak. Then he got two more hits and drove in two more runs to propel the Os to a 9-5 victory over the defending World Series champs,  who continue to drive their fan base crazy by continuing to inexplicably suck.

(And if you're saying "What do you mean by that catty remark, Mr. Blob?", the Blob would respond that it means the Red Sox are now 5-10 and tied for last in the AL East, six games adrift of first-place Tampa Bay. And a game behind the Orioles.)

But back to Davis.

His day, so long in coming, was a victory for perseverance and plain justice, given that the 33-year-old Davis' demeanor throughout his ordeal was exactly what you'd hope everyone's would be when facing adversity. Which is to say, he kept at it and didn't wallow in self-pity, even fretting how the spotlight turned on his struggles would affect his young teammates.

The young teammates noticed.

"He continued to show us how to be a professional," Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins said yesterday. "Going through the struggles that he has, he kept his chin up no matter what. To witness that in person, it'll help me maintain my composure when I go through the same thing."

In other words, Davis did what a veteran is supposed to do: Lead by example even when he wasn't leading on the field.

Raise a glass to him.

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