All-Time MLB Players From Louisiana: Dave Davenport

There have been a number of individuals from Lafayette, and the Acadiana area, that have played in Major League Baseball over the years.

Obviously, the entire state of Louisiana has produced even more.

As a matter of fact, 246 people born in the state of Louisiana have appeared in a Major League Baseball game, beginning in 1874, with John Peters of New Orleans, who played 11 years, with the likes of the Chicago White Stockings, Milwaukee Grays, Providence Grays, Buffalo Bisons, and Pittsburgh Alleghenys.

All summer, we’ll preview a player from the state of Louisiana that appeared in Major League baseball, starting with players from Lafayette, before spotlighting players from the Acadiana area, and then a few from the state itself.

Yesterday, we spotlighted J. T. Chargois.

Today, we feature Dave Davenport.

Born in Alexandria in 1890, Davenport, a right-handed pitcher, played 6 seasons in Major League Baseball, with the Cincinnati Reds (1914), St. Louis Terriers (1914-1915), and the St. Louis Browns (1916-1919).

The 6-foot-6, 220-pound Davenport had his best year in 1915, winning 22 games, to go along with a 2.20 ERA., while throwing an incredible 392.2 innings.

Davenport also led the then Federal League in strikeouts in 1915, fanning a career-high 229 batters.

The brother of former major leaguer Claude Davenport, Dave Davenport had his career come to an end in 1919, after he was involved in a scuffle with Browns manager Jimmy Burke, after being absent from the team in early September. He was fined $100 and suspended without pay for the rest of the season.

In 6 MLB seasons, Davenport went 73-83, to go along with a 2.93 ERA. and 719 strikeouts in 1,537 innings pitched.

On the negative side, Davenport's .092 batting average in 2015 is the worst ever by a player with at least 140 plate appearances.