Chili Is Red Hot : Davis Leads Angels in 9 Categories, Takes Team to First

The three major league scouts sat behind home plate, watched the ball soar over the right-field wall for an opposite-field home run, then stared at one another in disbelief.

Hugh Alexander, who has been in this game for nearly 60 years and is acknowledged as perhaps baseball’s premier scout, finally broke the silence.

“I don’t know about you fellas, but I thought this guy was washed up four years ago,” he said. “I remembering writing on my report that he was finished. . . .

“I’ve seen a lot of things happen in this game in my lifetime, but I’m not sure if I ever misjudged someone like I did this guy.”

Charles Theodore Davis, the man the baseball world calls Chili, is having a season that no one envisioned, except possibly the man himself.

Davis, who hit a home run from each side of the plate Wednesday against Texas, for the seventh time in his career, is off to the finest start of his 13-year career. He is batting .357 with eight home runs and 29 RBIs. He leads the Angels in nine offensive categories.

“The man’s got to be getting a sore back by now, from the way he’s been carrying us,” left fielder Dwight Smith said. “It’s been a one-man show. We’re just going along for the ride until he tells us to stop.”

Davis’ season has been so spectacular that teammates often imitate reporters, pretending to put a microphone in front of his face, and ask his secret. It’s only for show. There’s not a soul in the clubhouse who is unaware of the driving force that has brought Davis to new heights.

Davis, his eyes narrowing to a squint, unsure whether he wants to reveal the thoughts and feelings that have been scratching to get out, finally relents.

“You see, I’ve got something to prove,” he says flatly. “Everyone said last year was a fluke. Everyone said it was a career year.

“After all I did, it wasn’t good enough. It was like I had to prove myself all over again.

“Well, here I am. Let’s see what happens this time.”

The Angels, who signed three players to multiyear contracts this spring, would not give Davis a one-year extension, even after he had hit 27 homers with 112 RBIs last season. They might have given him a contract if he had agreed to rip up his $2.4-million option in 1994, but that made no sense to Davis.

“It bothered me,” Davis said. “Some guys come in and need to prove themselves just once, and I just thought I deserved some consideration, that’s all.”

So Davis, 34, walked into spring training wondering whether he would have a job. The Angels had signed Bo Jackson and Smith in January to guaranteed contracts worth $1.7 million. They looked like a team that had three designated hitters.

“I didn’t consider it a threat, but it was certainly a challenge,” Davis said. “I think everyone knew my back was against the wall, and I had to prove I wasn’t done yet.”

Davis opened the season with two hits and three RBIs in his first two at-bats and has yet to stop. He already has 46 hits this season, a figure he didn’t reach last season until mid-June. He is batting .368 with none out and nobody on base, and .333 with runners in scoring position. A year ago, he batted .325 with runners in scoring position but only .135 with none out and nobody on base.

“We’re in first place because of Chili, and everyone in here knows it,” shortstop Gary DiSarcina said. “He’s been the difference. He’s the one guy in our lineup that pitchers fear.”

If Davis continues his performance, the looming question will be not whether the Angels want to keep Davis, but whether they can afford him.

Angel General Manager Bill Bavasi said that he has begun contract negotiations with agent Tom Reich in an attempt to sign Davis to an extension, but they still are in the preliminary stages.

“He’s definitely someone we want to keep around,” Bavasi said. “I can’t tell you how impressed I am with the guy. He’s a class act.”

The Angels not only want to retain Davis because they believe he is the finest designated hitter in baseball, but they recognize the value of his leadership. This is Davis’ team.

“I have no intention of being antagonistic or disrespectful toward Bo or Dwight, but nobody can replace this guy,” Bavasi said. “We didn’t sign Bo for his leadership. Chili has always been the guy.”

There’s no one else in the clubhouse who commands the respect of Davis.

“He’s done more for me than anyone will ever know,” right fielder Tim Salmon said. “I may have won the rookie-of-the-year award, but without him, it wouldn’t have been possible.”

Said rookie outfielder Jim Edmonds: “I respect him more than anybody in baseball. I can’t say enough for what he’s done for me. I mean, he was even throwing batting practice to us the other day. Can you imagine?”

Davis, who broke in with the San Francisco Giants in 1982, says he treats everyone with respect until he is given reason to act differently.

“I don’t think a rookie has to be treated like a second-class citizen,” Davis said. “Being a black man, I know what it feels like to be treated like a second-class citizen. Everyone should be treated with respect.

“That’s why I like playing here so much. Buck Rodgers might be the only manager I played for that has given me the respect of being a veteran player. From Day 1, he gave me that respect, and I appreciate that.”

Said Rodgers: “He’s earned the respect I’ve given him. He’s a true leader who has handled himself with class.”

The Angels say the only ones who really don’t appreciate Davis are the fans. He remains one of the game’s best-kept secrets.

“It’s funny, I went to lunch with Bo Jackson,” Davis said. “People stopped at our table and said, ‘Hi, Mr. Jackson,’ and acted like I wasn’t even there. They didn’t know who I was, or care to know.

“But to me, that’s fine. I’d rather have my peers and people in the game respect my abilities than anyone else. To me, that’s what it’s all about.”

Said Alexander, the longtime scout: “Well, let the young man know he’s certainly got mine. Believe me, does he ever.”