# Peanuts Davis > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Peanuts_Davis > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Peanuts_Davis.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanuts_Davis > Source revision: 1316498373 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Edward Arnett Davis** (August 26, 1917 – May 13, 1973), nicknamed "**Peanuts**", was an American [Negro league](/source/Negro_league) [pitcher](/source/Pitcher) in the late 1930s,[2] throughout the 1940s, and into the early 1950s.[3] He sometimes used the pseudonym "Peanuts Nyasses" when playing baseball for iterations of the Clowns in Miami, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis.[4] He was often called the "Clown Prince of Negro Baseball" by sportswriters who saw him play.[5] But the sportswriters also acknowledged that in addition to clowning, he was considered "one of the top pitchers in Negro baseball;" [6] in fact, many fans believed he was as talented as the much better-known [Satchel Paige](/source/Satchel_Paige).[7] Davis was also praised for his versatility. "He’s a brilliant hurler...and a standout also if stationed anywhere in the outfield or infield."[8] Little is known about Davis's childhood. He was a native of Jackson, Mississippi, and he supposedly got the nickname "Peanuts" from working as a vendor at local [minor league baseball](/source/Minor_League_Baseball) games, where he sold roasted peanuts "more rapidly than any of his boyhood rivals."[9] Another version of how he got the nickname states that his first job was bagging the peanuts, prior to their being sold at the ballpark.[10] He attended high school in Jackson, and maintained ties to the area: he later raised his own family there.[11] Davis played off-and-on for the various iterations of the Clowns, first in Miami, and later for the [Indianapolis–Cincinnati Clowns](/source/Indianapolis_Clowns) between 1939 and 1946, and again beginning in 1949.[12] His baseball career was interrupted by World War II, and he played for an Army team at Fort Benning, Georgia for three years,[13] while fulfilling his military service. He was discharged from the Army in early May 1946 and rejoined the Clowns.[14] In addition to his skill at being a comedian, he was known for having an impressive knuckle ball; he even defeated Satchel Paige on several occasions during his career.[15] But perhaps his most noteworthy pitching feat occurred during a 20-inning game against the [Chicago American](/source/Chicago_American) Giants. Both he and opposing pitcher [Gentry Jessup](/source/Gentry_Jessup) were locked in a pitching duel that was finally called because of darkness. Both men pitched all 20 innings.[16] At some point, he left the Clowns, and returned in the spring of 1949. The newspapers said he had "jumped" his club and pitched elsewhere, evidently in violation of his contract; he was reinstated in time for the 1949 season.[17] He returned to pitch some games for the Clowns in 1950, but in 1951, he got into a contract dispute with the team's ownership, and was suspended from the team.[18] He decided to retire,[19] but by late 1951, he had joined a semipro team in Jacksonville, Florida, the Jacksonville Eagles.[20] Little is known about his later years. He died on May 13, 1973, at age 55.[21] ## References 1. Alan J. Pollock, *Barnstorming to Heaven: Syd Pollock and his Great Black Teams* (University of Alabama Press, 2006), p.25. 1. "Clowns Here Tonight for Initial Clash," *(Madison, Wisc.) Capital Times*, May 28, 1939, p. 21. 1. "Undefeated Clowns Open in New Home," *(Oklahoma City) Black Dispatch*, May 19, 1951, p.6. 1. "Pitching Clown in Action Tomorrow Night at Stadium," *St. Joseph (Missouri) Gazette*, August 12, 1942, p. 9. 1. Everett Clay, "Spotlighting Sports," *Miami Herald*, August 17, 1943, p. 14. 1. "Star Performers to Be Here for Game Wednesday," *Belleville (Illinois) Daily Advocate*, September 14, 1943, p. 6. 1. "Third Shutout is Goal of Nyasses," *Cincinnati Enquirer*, August 17, 1941, p. 33. 1. “Ethiopian Clowns Open at Macon,” *Birmingham (Alabama) Weekly Review*, April 24, 1942, p. 7. 1. "Peanuts Nyasses, Baseball's Stepin Fetchit," *Chicago Daily News*, August 1, 1942, Pictorial Section, p. 8. 1. Alan J. Pollock, *Barnstorming to Heaven: Syd Pollock and his Great Black Teams* (University of Alabama Press, 2006), p. 25. 1. "Edward Arnett Davis Jr.," *Jackson (Mississippi) Clarion-Ledger*, November 3, 2016, p. A6. 1. "Eagles Defeat Clowns 5-2," *Cincinnati Enquirer*, July 19, 1949, p. 11. 1. "Black Barons to Play Fort Benning Or Stars in Game at Rickwood," *Birmingham (Alabama) News*, June 25, 1944, p. 18. 1. “On the Baseball Front,” *(Los Angeles) California Eagle*, May 2, 1946, p. 16. 1. Alan J. Pollock, *Barnstorming to Heaven: Syd Pollock and his Great Black Teams* (University of Alabama Press, 2006), p. 195. 1. "Clowns, Chicago Play 20-Inning 3-3 Tie," *Chicago Defender*, May 18, 1946, p. 11. 1. "Davis Will Pitch for Clowns Here," *Monroe (Louisiana) News-Star*, April 19, 1949, p. 11. 1. "Clowns Win in Six League Contest," *Macon (Georgia) Telegraph*, May 22, 1951, p. 2. 1. Alan J. Pollock, *Barnstorming to Heaven: Syd Pollock and his Great Black Teams* (University of Alabama Press, 2006), p. 258. 1. "All Stars, Eagles to Play Here," *Macon (Georgia) News*, November 6, 1951, p. 16. 1. Halper, Donna (January 20, 2023). ["Society for American Baseball Research"](https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/peanuts-davis/) ## Sources - [Peanuts Davis](https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/peanuts-davis/) at [SABR](/source/Society_for_American_Baseball_Research) (Baseball BioProject) ## External links and [Seamheads](https://www.seamheads.com/NegroLgs/player.php?playerID=davis01pea) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Peanuts Davis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanuts_Davis) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanuts_Davis?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.