Royals Legendary Reliever Wade Davis Retires From MLB
When the Kansas City Royals signed Wade Davis for the 2021 season, it was unknown how much longer he'd pitch after that. That very question was answered when the team announced his retirement on Wednesday.
In Davis's 13-year career in MLB, he managed to reach the highest of highs. The former third-round pick in the 2004 MLB Draft was a three-time All-Star (two of those being with the Royals) and a World Series champion. For a few years, he was one of the most dominant players in all of baseball.
After pitching his first four seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays, Davis was shipped to the Royals in 2013 and walked the tightrope between being a starter and coming out of the bullpen during that season. Over the next three campaigns, he had one of the greatest runs in the history of the sport. From 2014-2016, Davis posted a 19-4 record with a 1.18 ERA and 234 strikeouts in 182.2 innings. He also recorded 47 saves over the course of that stretch.
Davis became a member of the Chicago Cubs ahead of the 2017 season and in 59 games with the club, his sparkling 2.30 ERA was enough for him to be named to his third and final All-Star team. After that, he had a three-year stint in Colorado with the Rockies before returning to Kansas City for this past season.
In 2021, Davis appeared in 40 games with the Royals. In those contests, he struck out 38 hitters in 42.2 innings while posting a 6.75 ERA. It wasn't the storybook finish to a career that many had hoped for, but the memories Davis made as a Royal will never be forgotten.
Now stepping away from the game, Davis will forever be remembered as a third of the famous "H-D-H" bullpen trio featuring himself, Kelvin Herrera and Greg Holland. Davis was a key piece in the Royals' pursuit and clinching of a title, and that will live on in franchise history forever. Inside the Royals wishes Davis nothing but the best in his future endeavors.
