Ted Davidson

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Ted Davidson

|position=Pitcher

|image=Ted Davidson.JPG

|bats=Right

|throws=Left

|birth_date={{Birth date|1939|10|4}}

|birth_place=Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.

|death_date={{death date and age|2006|9|1|1939|10|4}}

|death_place=Bullhead City, Arizona, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate= July 24

|debutyear= 1965

|debutteam= Cincinnati Reds

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=July 28

|finalyear=1968

|finalteam=Atlanta Braves

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Win–loss record

|stat1value=11–7

|stat2label=Earned run average

|stat2value=3.69

|stat3label=Strikeouts

|stat3value=124

|teams=

Cincinnati Reds ({{baseball year|1965}}–{{baseball year|1968}})
Atlanta Braves ({{baseball year|1968}})

}}

Thomas Eugene Davidson (October 4, 1939 – September 1, 2006) was an American professional baseball player. He was a left-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher from 1965 to 1968 for the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves. He was called "Ted" after the initials of his first, middle, and last names.Spink, C.C. Johnson, ed., The 1965 Official Baseball Register. St. Louis: The Sporting News, 1965, p. 210

After attending Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, California, he was signed by the Reds as an amateur free agent in 1960 and made his Major League debut at age 25 on July 24, 1965. In a 4–2 Reds loss to the Houston Astros at the Astrodome, Davidson relieved Reds pitcher Jim Duffalo with two outs and immediately induced future Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Morgan to ground into a double play. In his first game, Davidson pitched 2{{fraction|2|3}} innings, giving up no runs and striking out four batters.{{cite web|title=Ted Davidson Statistics and History|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/davidte01.shtml|website=baseball-reference.com|publisher=sports-reference.com|accessdate=September 4, 2015}}{{cite web|title=Jul 24, 1965, Reds at Astros Play by Play and Box Score|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU196507241.shtml|website=baseball-reference.com|publisher=sports-reference.com|accessdate=September 4, 2015|date=July 24, 1965}}

Apart from one start during his rookie 1965 season, Davidson was used as a left-handed relief specialist.

After a solid 1966 season, Davidson nearly lost his life in March 1967 after his estranged wife confronted him in a bar and shot him three times with a small-caliber pistol, once in the left abdomen and twice in the right chest.{{cite web|url=http://1965topps.blogspot.com/2010/05/243-reds-rookie-stars-ted-davidson-and.html|title=The Great 1965 Topps Project: #243 Reds Rookie Stars: Ted Davidson and Tommy Helms|first1=Kevin|last1=Brotz|work=1965topps.blogspot.com|date=May 3, 2010|accessdate=September 4, 2015}} At the time, it was reported that Davidson's wife was to be charged with assault to commit murder.{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19670324&id=DnRQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qVoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4875,1962481|title=Ted Davidson Leaves Hospital|agency=United Press International (UPI)|work=St. Petersburg Times|location=St. Petersburg, Florida|date=March 24, 1967|page=3-C|accessdate=September 4, 2015}} However, the charge was dismissed when Ted Davidson failed to appear in court on two occasions, the last time being April 25, 1967 (at which time both Mary Ruth Davidson and her attorney did appear).{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19670426&id=y2hQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kFoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4403,3759646|title=Davidson Charge Dismissed In Tampa|work=St. Petersburg Times|location=St. Petersburg, Florida|date=April 26, 1967|page=3-C|accessdate=September 4, 2015}} Davidson recovered from his wounds and was back playing by June of the same year but his effectiveness was not the same as it was prior to the shooting.

He was traded along with Milt Pappas and Bob Johnson by the Reds to the Atlanta Braves for Tony Cloninger, Clay Carroll and Woody Woodward on June 11, 1968.[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28272634/the-cincinnati-enquirer/ "Pappas Traded in Big Deal for Atlanta Pitcher," The Cincinnati Enquirer, Wednesday, June 12, 1968.] Retrieved April 30, 2020

In 34 career plate appearances, Davidson failed to register a hit, striking out 19 times.

He died at age 66 on September 1, 2006, in Bullhead City, Arizona.