Willie Davis, Former Dodgers Player, Found Dead at Age 69

by Amy Judd | March 9, 2010 at 06:03 pm

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The Former Dodgers Player Found Dead in His Burbank Home

Willie Davis was found dead on Tuesday in his Burbank California home at the age of 69. Police do not believe that foul play is involved in his death, but they are not saying how he died at this time.

Willie Davis played 14 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers and he was fondly remembered by Dodgers owner Frank McCourt.

“He was beloved by generations of Dodger fans and remains one of
the most talented players ever to wear the Dodger uniform.
Having spent time with him over the past six years, I know how
proud he was to have been a Dodger. He will surely be missed and
our sincere thoughts are with his children during this difficult
time,” Dodgers owner Frank McCourt said in a statement.

Willie Davis was fondly remembered as stealing three bases in one inning in the 1965 World Series game, and fans remembered him falling and crawling to second base after he stumbled.

In 1973, Davis left the Dodgers and went to play for a number of teams including the Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, California Angels, Montreal Expos and San Diego Padres. He retired in 1979 with a record of 398 stolen bases and a .279 average according to the Bleacher Report.

In 1996, Davis was arrested when he allegedly threatened his parents with a samurai sword and apparently said he would burn their house down if they didn't give him $5,000. His parents ended up not filing charges however, but his mother stated it was not the first time the he had demanded money from them.

The Dodgers and former pitcher Don Newcombe wanted to help Davis with his money issues.

“But if you perceive that a person has some kind of problem, you
can’t give him money to enhance the problem,” Newcombe said.
“The Dodgers are too smart for that. We wish it was that easy,
but it doesn’t work that way. We would not give him money if we
thought that he was going to use it for something other than a
good use.”

There was speculation that Davis suffered from a substance abuse problem or was suffering from a medical problem, but he did not seek professional help. It was thought that in recent years he had put himself back on the right path however.

Hall of Famer Willie McCovey of the Giants said Tuesday: “There
was a time he kind of went off and I’m not sure what (he did).
He was living a weird existence for a while. But he had
straightened himself out. This is shocking. A lot of guys from
my era are passing on, let’s face it.”