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2005 Any enthusiasm for Davis after he came over as a throw-in in the Garcia deal was born out of desperation. Not ordinary, it's-Saturday-night desperation, more along the lines of for-god's-sake-somebody-has-to-perpetuate-the-species necessity. Davis had all his limbs, and he knows how to catch. He's been reduced to the backup role that suits his skill set now that Pierzynski's been added. 2003 Davis is dogged by word that pitchers don’t like working with him, and that his work ethic sucks. However, he’s better defensively than Wilson, his game-calling seems fine, so if he’s goofing off with women or backgammon, it’s not anything that affects his performance. Still, he’s 26, and if this is as good as he gets, he’s not a long-term solution at the position. 2002 Prior to the All-Star break, Davis was the best catcher in the National League. Not even Miss Cleo could have predicted that. As the season progressed, he wore down and so did his production; Davis is a large man, especially for a catcher, and his endurance is something to keep an eye on. He's been traded to the Mariners, for whom he'll be the everyday catcher. 2001 Ben Davis is headed for a career with two or three solidly above-average years, and that’s certainly something. However, he’s still got enough of that shiny top-prospect sheen that he might bring more than he’s worth in trade, which is something the Padres should be and have been exploring. Davis has the inside track to start for the Padres in 2001. 2000 Davis made the majors to stay at age 22. Everyone knows he’s got all the tools to be an All-World defensive catcher, including Davis himself. He allowed quite a few more passed balls than a guy with his skills should, because he’s in love with the flashy glove stop. His swing looked pretty slow, and a good curveball abuses him, but the improving patience is a good sign. I wouldn’t trade him for Travis Lee. 1999 Davis looked like a blown pick at the start of his career, but had another year where he made progress. He still doesn't hit much and won't take a walk, but has good doubles power that should turn into home runs at peak age. Defensively awesome; everything from his arm to his footwork is top-notch. 1998 He’s not Jose Cruz, Jr. yet, but Davis made a huge leap forward at Rancho Cucamonga, hitting with plenty of power and continuing to excel defensively. He should arrive to stay in the majors by mid-2000 at the latest. Davis is certainly not a sure thing, but last year was a welcome glimpse of his enormous potential. 1997 Calcium deposits in his elbow ripped apart his season, killing his numbers and forcing him to DH for two months. Long-term this might be a blessing, saving him 500 or so innings behind the plate, but right now he needs those for his development. His defense is reportedly good, and the Padres remain very high on him, but he’s got a terribly long road ahead. High school catchers do not have good track records.
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