Jim Davenport: 1933-2016

Jim Davenport, literally a legend among Giants, died last week. 

Davenport played third base for the Giants for his entire 13-year career and even managed the team briefly in 1985. He passed Thursday night from heart failure at age 82. That much you knew.

But this story, like so much of this page, is personal.  I’d met Davenport, albeit very briefly, but it was a moment that was etched into my memory and is much more poignant because of his passing.

You know all about the on-field abilities. He won a Gold Glove (1962) and had his best season at the plate (.297 AVG, 14HR), making his only all-star team. Those numbers, and host of accomplishments that don’t translate to numbers, made Davenport an inaugural member of the Giants' Wall of Fame in 2008.

Those are just numbers to me. My first year really following the game was 1971, the year after he retired. I remember Davenport’s playing days only from grainy film. My Jim Davenport managed AAA in both Phoenix and Fresno and had a forgettable partial 1985 season as the Big Club’s skipper before giving way to the Big Humm Baby, Roger Craig.

When he wasn’t managing, Davenport was a roving instructor in the Giants minor league system, and that’s where our paths crossed.

Some may recall that the Single-A California League once had multiple Giants affiliates. San Jose has been a staple of the organization but the Giants also had a second squad in Bakersfield, dubbed the Blaze. If you wanted to see prospects, a match-up between the two was an opportunity not to be missed. And so it was on a very hot summer night in the Central Valley (they’re all insanely hot in the summer).

I was with a group of friends, Strat-o-Matic Baseball enthusiasts all, who were taking in the game. One, an affable Giant, pointed out a distinguished-looking African American man sitting behind the plate. “That’s Bobby Bonds”, he noted. Bobby was my first “favorite” player and was then one of many roving instructors in the organization. I couldn’t pass up a chance to say hello.

I hurried to the concession stand, bought a baseball, and approached Bonds to request an autograph. He politely signed, engaged in some small talk, and mentioned that I might want the signature of the man sitting next to him.

It was Jim Davenport.

My two regrets: that I didn’t recognize him immediately and that I didn’t have a second baseball.

Both men signed the same ball, engaged in some polite conversation, and I tried not to overstay my welcome. It was a scant few minutes, memorable only to a fan and largely because of the grace both men showed. Davenport especially, who was content to remain out of the spotlight until Bonds shone it upon him.

And that’s the Jimmy Davenport I want to remember. He wasn’t legendary for being a character, for being truculent with the media, for carousing or Gronking it up on a party boat: you know, all of the things athletes think go with the role today. He was classy. He was recognized for being a solid ballplayer who knew his stuff, and for being a good guy.

I’d thought about having surgery done on the ball to separate the panels and stick them onto separate orbs. Then we lost Bobby and the token became that much more precious. Now Jimmy is gone, and it’s priceless. The ball might be worth more separated, but it wouldn’t be more valuable – not to me.

Davenport was 82 when he finally touched home on February 18. 

The Giants released the following  statement upon his passing:

"The Giants family was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Jim Davenport last night in Redwood City due to heart failure.
 

Davenport, 82, played all 13 seasons of his Major League career in a Giants uniform from 1958-1970. He was a member of the original 1958 San Francisco Giants and spent 51 seasons in the organization, having played, coached and managed at both the Major and minor league levels.

 The Siluria, Alabama native posted a .258 lifetime batting average in 1,501 Major League contests. He earned All-Star status and a Gold Glove in 1962 and was voted by the fans as the third baseman on the Giants’ 25th Anniversary Dream Team in 1982.

 "The passing of Jim Davenport brings great sadness to our organization," said Laurence Baer, Giants President & Chief Executive Officer. "Jim had a wonderful spirit and was a great Giant. We will always remember Davvy. We express our deepest condolences to his family and will have them in our thoughts and prayers."

Davenport is survived by his wife, Betty, daughter Cathy, sons Randy, Ken, Don and Gary .. and by fans who will never forget.