# Piper Davis
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{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Piper Davis
|image=Piper Davis.jpg
|position=[First baseman](/source/First_baseman)/[Second baseman](/source/Second_baseman)/[Shortstop](/source/Shortstop)
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1917|7|3|mf=y}}
[Piper, Alabama](/source/Piper%2C_Alabama), U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1997|5|21|1917|7|3|mf=y}}
[Birmingham, Alabama](/source/Birmingham%2C_Alabama), U.S.
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|debutteam=[Birmingham Black Barons](/source/Birmingham_Black_Barons)
1942
|finalteam=[Birmingham Black Barons](/source/Birmingham_Black_Barons)
1950
|teams=
*[Birmingham Black Barons](/source/Birmingham_Black_Barons) (1942–1944, 1945–1948)
*[Homestead Grays](/source/Homestead_Grays) (1944)
|stat1label=[Batting average](/source/Batting_average)
|stat1value=.309
|stat2label=Hits
|stat2value=159
|stat3label=Managerial record
|stat3value=51–27–1
|highlights=
*3× [Negro American League](/source/Negro_American_League) pennant (1943, 1944, 1948)
}}
'''Lorenzo "Piper" Davis''' (July 3, 1917 – May 21, 1997) was an American professional [baseball](/source/baseball) player who played in the [Negro American League](/source/Negro_American_League) from 1942 to 1950 for the [Birmingham Black Barons](/source/Birmingham_Black_Barons).[{{cite book|title=The ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia|year=2007|publisher=Sterling Publishing|isbn=978-1-4027-4771-7|pages=1699}}][{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?city=Birmingham&state=AL&country=US|title=Birmingham, Alabama Encyclopedia|work=Baseball-Reference|accessdate=March 16, 2020}}] His nickname was the name of the mining town he was from.[Mays, p. 23]
==Career==
Davis was the manager of the Black Barons in the late 1940s, including 1948, when they played in the last [Negro World Series](/source/Negro_World_Series) ever played, losing to the [Homestead Grays](/source/Homestead_Grays).[Mays, p. 23, 40]
On multiple occasions, Davis came close to being acquired by a [major league](/source/Major_League_Baseball) team. In July 1947, his option was bought for 30 days by the [St. Louis Browns](/source/Baltimore_Orioles), but the club failed to exercise the option.[{{cite news |author1=Jim Van Hoose |title=Versatile Piper Davis Hopes For One Chance in Majors |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93623870/versatile-piper-davis-hopes-for-one/ |access-date=27 January 2022 |work=[The Birmingham News](/source/The_Birmingham_News) |date=10 July 1949 |page=41}}] In 1949, the [New York Giants](/source/San_Francisco_Giants) attempted to purchase his contract, but Birmingham owner [Tom Hayes](/source/Tom_Hayes_(baseball)) blocked the deal, believing Davis was too valuable to his team.[Mays, pp. 24, 26, 30] Mays credited Davis for teaching him two important lessons about how to play baseball. Davis encouraged Mays to charge balls hit through the infield, to better position himself to prevent runners from advancing.[Mays, p. 26] To help Mays hit the curveball, Davis told him to stand straighter and face the pitcher more in his stance.[Mays, p. 28] When the principal of Mays's high school objected to Mays playing professionally, Davis assured him that playing would not take away from Mays's schoolwork—he refused to let Mays make road trips during the school year.[Mays, pp. 31-32] Since Mays was so young, Davis also made sure a player looked after him on road trips.[Mays, p. 39] "He was a warm man, fatherly, and all the players respected him," said Mays.