TEXAS TRANSPLANT
For the first time in 20 years, Doug Davis won't have the opportunity to come home this summer.
After getting informed by the New York Yankees on Nov. 17 that they would not renew his contract for the 2023 season as manager of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Davis wasn't sure what was next for him. But with his three kids — Austin, Rachel and Cade — all grown and out of the house, he knew he didn't have to give up being a Minor League manager. Rather, he knew the next opportunity could stretch him well beyond Bloomsburg.
After making a few calls, and even accepting a position with the Atlanta Braves in mid-December, that opportunity has now landed him in Round Rock, Texas. Davis will assume duties as manager of the Express — the Texas Rangers' Triple-A affiliate.
"[Not getting the contract renewed] happens and has happened to me before. Most of the guys have one-year contracts that just get renewed every year, and very few get multi-year contracts in the minor leagues. It's not necessarily easy, but I've been dealing with it for 40 years." Davis said. "That's how this industry runs. I love doing what I'm doing, I've been doing this for a long time and I'm not ready to retire."
Good thing, too. Davis said the job search connected him with people he lost touch with over the years. It helped him when, assuming he had a role within the Braves' organization, two managers in the Rangers' organization unexpectedly resigned.
"The Rangers immediately started reaching out and my name was given to them. They had to call Atlanta and were given permission to interview me because I originally accepted a position with the Braves," Davis said. "... I was interested in this job, not only because it was Triple-A, but because I played for Texas. I had three years in Triple-A with them and was called up [in 1992]. It gave me a sense of going home because it was three years of really fun times."
After a week's worth of interviews to get the job, Davis has been consistently handling meetings with his staff over Zoom in anticipation of Spring Training. He'll get ahead of the team, arriving in Arizona next week while the Rangers have pitchers arriving in Surprise on Feb. 15 and hitters showing up on Feb. 20.
Davis has nothing but positive things to say about his early experiences with the Rangers — who boast six of the top 100 prospects — and looks forward to what life resembled 30 years ago.
"Texas is a franchise that takes pride in its history having the Nolan Ryans and Ivan Rodriguez's and people I was teammates with involved in the organization to this day," Davis said. "This will be the first time in 20 years, since I was a coach for the Florida Marlins, that I'll leave for Spring Training and not be home until the season is over. That's how it was as a player. My wife has been through that before, but my kids haven't, but they're grown and off doing their own things now.
"... I'm excited to go back to Spring Training in Arizona," Davis continued. "1995 was the last time I got to experience that out there and a lot has changed. The Rangers have gone out of their way to make me feel like I'm wanted. I'm excited for this opportunity to reconnect with people and be part of an organization that is up and coming and is close to making another push to make the playoffs and hopefully better than that. It was just a good fit for me. I am fortunate to get picked to manage the Round Rock team."
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