Scott Davison : By the Time He Was 2, Father Knew Baseball Would Fit This Star to a Tee May 06, 1988|ROB FERNAS | Times Staff Writer Scott Davison says he was 2 years old when he first held a baseball bat. Not long after that, Ralf Davison knew his eldest son was destined to become an exceptional player. I started him on a plastic tee and he hit the (bleep) out of the ball, Ralf Davison recalled. He picked up a ball when he was 4 or 5 years old. You could tell he was going to have a good arm. He could just fire it. Hes excelled ever since he got into T-ball. From T-ball to youth leagues to high school, Scott Davison has been a dominant figure in the sport he hopes to make a living at someday. Nearly all of the teams he has played on have won championships and he has never been a member of a losing club. When he ends his four-year varsity career this spring, Davison will hold virtually every individual baseball record in Redondo High history. Records are also falling on a broader scale. The pitcher-shortstop set the CIF-Southern Section career record for runs batted in last Saturday, and he is three hits away from the all-time hit record. He is also among the career leaders in pitching wins, strikeouts, home runs, runs scored and doubles. As a complete player, hes the best Ive seen since Ive been coaching, said Harry Jenkins, in his 18th year as Redondos coach. Just his numbers alone prove that. Davisons numbers this season are a testimony to his versatility. The right-hander is 12-0 as a pitcher with 10 complete games and an ERA of 0.26. Perhaps most impressive are his strikeout-to-walk totals. He has fanned 150 batters while walking only 16 in 79 innings. As the teams No. 3 hitter, he is batting .424 (39 for 92) with six home runs and 36 RBIs. Davisons pitching, hitting and defense have helped Redondo to a 24-1 overall record, a 7-0 mark in the Pioneer League and the top ranking in the Southern Section 4-A Division heading into todays 3 p.m. game at Centennial of Compton. I think hes in a class by himself, said Miraleste Coach Ken Russell. He probably rates with (El Segundos Scott) McGregor of that era. Hes not only a good athlete, but, from all appearances, he has an awful lot of poise in tough situations. He dominates the game, not only on the mound but when hes at shortstop and with his bat. Hes a pleasure to watch, even when hes beating you. While his statistics are intimidating, Davison is not a physically imposing athlete. At 5-11 and 170 pounds, he is has a rather slight build. But Jenkins points out that his 17-year-old star can pack a wallop. I think hes a real sleeper as a potential long-ball hitter, he said. His bat speed is just tremendous. Hes a front-foot hitter like (Roberto) Clemente used to be, but his hands are back. Davison, selected one of the nations top 50 high school seniors before the season by Collegiate Baseball, is expected to be one of the first picks in the June draft. If the draft doesnt pan out, he has a college scholarship to fall back on. He signed a letter of intent on April 13 with USC. If he was on our staff right now, hed be one of our weekend starters, said USC pitching coach Frank Sanchez. Davison says he would like to play professional baseball as soon as possible. If I get drafted high enough and the moneys right, I definitely want to sign, Davison said. If the offer is not right, Ill enjoy going to USC. I have a lot of friends there. But Id much rather sign (a pro contract). Jenkins feels Davisons ability to play either middle infielder or pitcher increases his value. I think with his tools, he has a chance to play professionally, said Jenkins, who has had several former players drafted, including pitcher Wayne Wilson, a first-round pick of the Baltimore Orioles in 1983. The team that drafts him is getting a kid whos a professional prospect in two areas, which is unusual. I see him as a regular player (infielder) now, but I dont know. He keeps throwing harder every year. Some scouts have his breaking pitch rated right now as a major-league slider. Davisons fastball is consistently clocked between 84 and 87 m.p.h., using an accurate radar gun, Jenkins said. The dream to play major-league baseball is something that has thrived in the Davison family for many years, first with Ralf and now with Scott and his younger brother Brian, a sophomore who plays second base for Redondo. Ralf Davison was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 1969 after a brilliant career at now-defunct Lennox High, where he played the same positions as Scott does, pitcher and shortstop. In his senior year he was 14-1 and hit .397. Ralf Davison thought he was destined for the big leagues, but four months into his first pro season he was released from the Padres double-A team in Lodi. It was very disappointing, he said. I thought I was going to make it. I know Scott wants a shot at the bigs. He has a lot more talent than I had. I was a Punch-and-Judy hitter. Hes more of a long-ball threat.
Posted on: Wed, 22 Jan 2014 08:57:42 +0000
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