Classic card of the week

Storm Davis, 1989 Topps

The idea of a young Storm Davis growing up to be a major league pitcher seemed as unlikely as a young Donnie Baseball growing up to be a Channel 7 weatherman. Nevertheless, it happened, and the world is a better place because of it, if you don't count all the storms. But before we get into any of his career accomplishments, I would first like to set the record straight on the sibling situation of Storm Davis. Back of the card:



Storm and Astros’ Glenn Davis (no relation) played high school football and baseball for Storm’s father at University Christian HS, Jacksonville, Florida.

Okay, I’m glad that’s cleared up. Because for a second there I was thinking, “Storm Davis and Glenn Davis have the same last name, which is Davis. I sincerely wonder if they are related in some fashion.” Turns out: No, they are not. But it remains a strange coincidence that they DO share a long and storied history, both playing for Storm’s dad -– Stormy David Davis VI –- in high school. Anyway, to reiterate, the two are not related. We should move on.

So as I was say-…Wait. Wait a second. I’m getting a call from the accurate and reliable folks over at Wikipedia. They have a message for me:

Davis’ parents are also the adoptive parents of Glenn Davis, also a former Major League baseball player.

Shut down the Internet. I need at least twenty minutes to recuperate from this conflicting information. Is somebody trying to tell me that Stormy David Davis VI and his wife, Casandra Appleton (she kept her last name), decided to adopt their son’s high school teammate, who was already named Davis? ??? Or did they name him Davis after adoption, as his given birth name was Hurricane Glenn Glennnerson? Or did they adopt him at all? Because the card states the two were not related? Or is the card saying that, technically, the two men are not blood related, in which case: Why would the card not state instead that they are adoptive brothers, because that is a 10-times more interesting tidbit than the fact that they played baseball in high school.

I am leaning towards Wikipedia on this one based on their reputation for truth, as evidenced by the tidbit before the aforementioned other tidbit:

According to Davis’ 1987 Topps baseball card, his nickname was derived from a character in a book his mother was reading while pregnant.

I enjoy how this particular tidbit of information is taken from the back of a baseball card, while the tidbit that immediately follows it is in direct contradiction to the tidbit on the back of different baseball card. Also: One should not read Danielle Steele novels whilst preggers.

In conclusion: Storm Davis had a 3.26 ERA in 1987. He may or may not have a sister.

Did you know?
Davis' many groupies were dubbed "Storm chasers."