Step Back in Time: Dodgers Welcome Eric Davis and…

On Nov. 27, 1991, the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired two-time All-Star Eric Davis and Kip Gross from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Tim Belcher and John Wetteland.

Davis was coming off somewhat of a down year as he hit .235/.353/.386 with 10 doubles, 11 home runs, 33 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 89 games during an injury-shortened 1991 season.

The 1992 campaign was more of the same for Davis, who missed a significant amount of time due to a separated left shoulder. He batted just .228/.325/.322 with 14 extra-base hits, 32 RBI and 19 stolen bases in 76 games.

Davis managed to stay healthier in 1993 but continued to struggle at the plate. With the Dodgers going through a youth movement, he was traded to the Detroit Tigers for a player to be named later on the last day of August.

Minor League pitcher John DeSilva was sent to the Dodgers one week later to complete the deal.

Davis experienced a bounce-back with the Tigers to close out the 1993 season and was expected to be their everyday center fielder the following year. However, a neck injury limited him to just 37 games, and he announced his retirement after the strike-shortened 1994 campaign.

After taking a full year off, Davis resumed his career with the Reds in 1996. He enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career and turned that success into a contract with the Baltimore Orioles.

Davis would play two seasons with the Orioles and also had brief stints with the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants before retiring for good after the 2001 season.

Kip Gross career with Dodgers

Gross went 1-1 with a 4.18 ERA, 3.42 FIP and 1.78 WHIP in 23.2 innings pitched across 16 appearances (one start) for the Dodgers during the 1992 season. The right-hander allowed just one run in 15 innings of work at the Major League level the following year.

Gross began the 1994 season with the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate before having his contract purchased by the Nippon Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

Gross would play the next five years in Japan, leading the NPB in wins during the 1995 and 1996 seasons. He returned to MLB in 1999 with the Boston Red Sox and also saw time with the Houston Astros the following year.

Gross later spent time with the Dodgers and Colorado Rockies’ Triple-A affiliates in 2001, but did not pitch at the Major League level that year. He retired at the end of the season.