About Willie Davis (baseball)
William Henry Davis (April 15, 1940 – March 9, 2010) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball and the Nippon Professional Baseball league as a center fielder from 1960 through 1979, most prominently as an integral member of the Los Angeles Dodgers teams that won three National League pennants and two World Series titles between 1963 and 1966. Known for his speed and agility as an outfielder as well as a base runner, Davis was a three-time Gold Glove Award winner and a two-time National League (NL) All-Star player during his tenure with the Dodgers. He ranks fifth among center fielders in Major League Baseball history in career putouts. He also played for the Montreal Expos, Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, and the San Diego Padres before spending two seasons in the Nippon Professional Baseball league with the Chunichi Dragons and the Crown Lighter Lions. After his stint in Japan, Davis returned to Major League Baseball where he played one final season with the California Angels in 1979. At the time of his retirement in 1979, Davis had accumulated 2,561 hits over his 18-year playing career. He ranked seventh in major league history in putouts (5,449) and total chances (5,719) in the outfield, and third in games in center field (2,237). He was ninth in National League history in total outfield games (2,274). He had 13 seasons of 20 or more stolen bases, led the NL in triples twice, and retired with the fourth most triples (138) by any major leaguer since 1945. He holds Los Angeles club records (1958–present) for career hits (2,091), runs (1,004), triples (110), at bats (7,495), total bases (3,094) and extra base hits (585). His 31-game hitting streak in 1969 remains as the Dodgers team record more than 50 years after his retirement. He once ran a 9.5-second 100-yard dash, and set a city record in the long jump of 25 feet 5 inches (7.75 m). Discovered by the Dodgers scout, Kenny Myers, Davis signed with the ballclub upon graduating from Roosevelt in 1958.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.