RetroSimba

(Updated June 4, 2020)

Unable or unwilling to manage his personal finances, outfielder Willie Davis left the Cardinals during a pennant drive in an effort to protect his wages from being claimed by his ex-wife.

On Aug. 15, 1975, Davis, the Cardinals’ right fielder, was placed on the club’s disqualified list after informing management he was quitting because of financial problems.

The incident added another twist to a bizarre year in which Davis served a stint in jail, got into a shouting match with a manager, staged a protest during a game and got traded twice.

Trouble in Texas

Davis was the center fielder for the Dodgers throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. He appeared in three World Series for them, twice was named an all-star and twice led the National League in triples. He produced a 31-game hitting streak in 1969.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Dodgers shortstop Maury Wills said of Davis, “He was so talented. God really blessed him with some great tools _ for any sport, really _ speed, strength, agility _ everything an athlete needs in order to make the big time.”

Asked about Davis, Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax told ESPN’s Roy Firestone, “There might have been guys who were quicker, but I don’t think anybody was faster going from first to third.”

The Dodgers traded Davis to the Expos in December 1973 and 12 months later the Expos dealt him to the Rangers. Soon after, on Feb. 13, 1975, Davis was released from the Los Angeles County jail after serving two days of a five-day sentence for failure to make child support payments, The Sporting News reported. Davis’ attorney arranged for the release by promising that the Rangers would withhold some of Davis’ salary for alimony and child support payments. Davis agreed to pay about $12,000 in back payments, the Associated Press reported.

Calm before storm

At spring training with the Rangers in 1975, Davis told columnist Melvin Durslag he was at peace because he had become a member of Nichiren Shoshu, a Buddhist religious order based on the teachings of a 13th-century Japanese monk. Davis said he spent one to four hours a day chanting. Believers say chanting enables a person to change bad karma and achieve enlightenment.

“I consider myself better adjusted than anyone else in this game,” Davis said. “That’s because nothing can make me unhappy.”

Two months later, on May 7, 1975, Davis and Rangers manager Billy Martin got into a shouting match after Davis interrupted Martin while the manager was berating the team during a locked-door clubhouse meeting.

“I just can’t play for anybody who wants to keep his foot on my neck,” Davis said, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Three weeks later, Davis staged a protest by petulantly squatting in center field, his glove under his arm, throughout an inning because teammate Steve Hargan didn’t hit a batter with a pitch after a Red Sox pitcher threw at Davis.

Soon after, when the Rangers wouldn’t give Davis a salary advance for the third time, he refused to go with the team on a road trip to Baltimore.

Feeling bad karma, the Rangers looked to trade Davis.

“We’ve been exceedingly lenient with the guy since last winter on all matters pertaining to his financial affairs,” Rangers general manager Dan O’Brien told the Star-Telegram, “but at some point you’ve got to draw the line.”

Cardinals roll dice

The 1975 Cardinals were in the market for a hitter because their rookie first baseman, Keith Hernandez, was overmatched by big-league pitching.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, O’Brien called Cardinals general manager Bing Devine and said, “We’ve got to get rid of Willie Davis. You wouldn’t want him, would you?”

Devine said no, but changed his mind three days later after talks with manager Red Schoendienst and others.

On June 4, 1975, the Cardinals traded shortstop Ed Brinkman and pitcher Tommy Moore to the Rangers for Davis. Hernandez, batting .203, was sent to the minors. The Cardinals switched Reggie Smith from right field to first base and Davis, 35, joined an outfield with Lou Brock in left and Bake McBride in center.

“The Cards took a good gamble with Willie Davis, only if they can get him to stop spending money faster than he runs,” wrote columnist Dick Young.

Devine and Davis said they believed Schoendienst would be key to making the deal successful.

“We take chances on players other teams might not want because of Red Schoendienst’s philosophy,” Devine said. “All Red looks for is a guy’s ability and how he can fit into our picture. Then, when we get a guy, Red leaves him alone.”

Davis said Schoendienst is “a lot like Walter Alston when I was with the Dodgers. Both of them leave you alone and let you enjoy playing this game.”

Schoendienst gave Davis the honor of taking the lineup card to the umpires before his first game with his new team. “With the Cardinals, I know I can play baseball without being suppressed,” Davis said. “I can be loose again.”

Unexpected departure

A left-handed batter, Davis hit .382 for the Cardinals in July.

In early August, Schoendienst was asked why he didn’t fine Davis after the outfielder made a blunder against the Padres. “How can I?” Schoendienst replied. “He doesn’t have any money.”

Davis again had fallen behind in alimony and child support payments. His ex-wife indicated she would seek a court order to have the Cardinals withhold his pay and send the money to her.

Davis said he was quitting rather than having his salary withheld. “I’m going back home and look into starting a new career,” he told the Post-Dispatch. “If I stayed, I’d be playing two months for nothing. That will never take place.”

The Cardinals placed him on the disqualified list and provided attorneys to help Davis resolve the issue, the Associated Press reported.

Regarding Davis’ absence, Brock said, “With him, we had a chance for the pennant. Without, it’s going to be tough.”

Davis’ yearly salary was $110,000. He was due about $30,000 for the remainder of the season, according to United Press International.

After missing five games, Davis and his ex-wife reached an agreement to split his remaining salary in 1975. Davis said she would receive $17,000.

“She’s satisfied and I’m satisfied,” Davis said.

Welcome back

The Cardinals were within 4.5 games of the first-place Pirates when Davis left the club and he was hitting .308.

When he returned, Davis told reporters Buddhism helped him deal with his financial problem. He delivered a few sample chants before dropping a bombshell. “I want a contract for five years and a million dollars,” Davis said. “St. Louis will have the first shot at me, but I won’t care where I go.”

In his first game back from the disqualified list, Davis started in right field, received an ovation from the fans at Busch Stadium and went 4-for-4 with a triple, double and two singles against the Reds’ Gary Nolan. Boxscore

“I felt like I was reborn,” Davis said.

Davis hit .368 in August and his Cardinals batting average entering September was .335. The Cardinals were 20-11 in August and were 72-63 overall, four games out of first place.

Reggie Smith said Davis is “the difference between winning and losing.”

Tough times

In September 1975, Davis swooned and so did the Cardinals. He hit .141 in September. The Cardinals were 10-17 for the month and finished at 82-80 _ 10.5 games behind first-place Pittsburgh.

Davis hit .291 with the 1975 Cardinals, with 50 RBI and 10 stolen bases. His batting average versus right-handed pitching was .329.

The Cardinals sought to trade him and found little interest until Padres president Buzzie Bavasi, who’d been Dodgers general manager when Davis played for them, made an offer.

On Oct. 20, 1975, the Cardinals dealt Davis to the Padres for outfielder Dick Sharon.

After his playing career, Davis “had a very difficult time … living life away from the game,” said Tommy Hawkins, a Dodgers executive.

In 1996, Davis was arrested and charged with threatening to kill his parents and burn down their house unless they gave him $5,000, the Los Angeles Times reported. He was armed with a set of throwing knives and a samurai sword.

Said Bavasi: “There was nothing more exciting than to watch Willie run out a triple. He could have been a Hall of Famer, but he had million-dollar legs and a 10-cent head.”