Former Reds great Eric Davis, now a Giants outfielder, is retiring after this season. He recently spent some time with Enquirer reporter John Erardi.

TOP MOMENTS

Eric Davis' Favorite Moments as a Red:   Team: Game 1, 1990 World Series. “Nobody gave us a chance. We had five or six All-Stars, but they (Oakland) had the Bash Brothers.”   Individual: Hitting for the cycle. (Single, double, triple, home run in one game.) “It hadn't been done for almost 30 years by a Red. The last time was by Frank Robinson.”   Catch: Two above-the-wall, home-run robberies of Jack Clark in the same spot on back-to-back nights at Riverfront Stadium. “He mentions it whenever I see him.”   Baserunning: In San Francisco, scored from first base on an attempted pickoff. “The pitcher threw it past Will Clark and I scored — standing up.”   Teammates: Ken Griffey Sr., Dave Parker. “They taught me so much about the game, preparation, what to look for. Great players, great people.”

        Q. A few years ago, Major League Baseball started a program called “Revitalizing Baseball in the Inner City,” partly because so many great inner-city athletes were being lost to basketball and football — and still are. What sports did you play as a kid and how'd you wind up in baseball?

        A. I played football, basketball and I ran track. I played baseball in the park and recreation league. There wasn't Little League in the inner-city (in Los Angeles). We had traveling teams, all that. In the summertime, sometimes we'd play three games in one day. The Reds drafted me. I could either go to college and play basketball or sign a professional baseball contract. I realized I might never get to sign another pro contract, so I chose baseball. I gave myself two years. If I wasn't making progress, I'd go play basketball. In two years, I was in big-league camp. I was an All-Star in A-ball and I could see some light at the end of the tunnel. That's when I really started to take it seriously.

        Q. We've seen a growing impact of Latin Americans in the major leagues, but so many great black athletes from this country aren't choosing baseball. How does that get changed?

        A. Programs like RBI are important. Opportunity to play is critical. Getting people involved is key. What do we preach to our youth today more than ever before? Education. Less than 1 percent of the athletes in Division I baseball programs are African-American, and a lot of that is at the (black) schools, Southern and Grambling. If your kid is an athlete and you want to get him to college, the way to do it is not through baseball. Kids are shooting for basketball and football scholarships. Kids aren't playing multiple sports. They're playing one sport. They're putting all their eggs in one basket. We have to get them out of that one basket, get them playing baseball, too. Once we do that, these Division I coaches have to come into the inner-city and recruit them and say, "Yes, I can give you a scholarship to play baseball.' Until you do that, not enough (black youth) are going to play baseball. The chances of getting drafted are slim. Don't concentrate on getting drafted, concentrate on getting into school.

        Q. You're close to (Reds shortstop) Barry Larkin. What's that relationship like?

        A. It's a great relationship, like being his big brother. Hopefully, he'll finish his career here, and get his number retired and put up on that wall. He's meant that much to the city. I don't think he's given the city as much as I felt he should have — as far as himself and his time — but as far as the game itself? He's given this city everything he's had. Everything.

        Q. His time and himself?

        A. Yes. I think that's what the city has missed about him. He's so bright; he has so much to offer. I've always seen Barry as the signature of not only this team, but of this city. After Pete Rose and Johnny Bench left, this city was open to be grabbed. (With) Barry growing up here like he did, coming up through the Reds organization, being one of the best players in Reds' history, I don't think he really took advantage of that. If he wanted to run for mayor, he could have been mayor. Becoming a politician would have made him a stable part of this whole city for years and years to come. I would have loved to have seen that happen. As always, we see people and we want them to do more than they probably can do. Whatever his reasons (for not inserting himself more deeply into the city's life, beyond baseball), I'm sure he has his reasons. Maybe the opportunity never presented itself in the way he wanted it to. He's a great person, a great player. He's a Hall of Famer. And I love him.

        Q. What's your favorite thing about playing baseball?

        A. Being able to compete in a failure sport. Trying to get to perfection when you know you can't. That's the beauty of it. I'm going to miss that.

Friday's story: Davis moved by Reds' farewell

Reds 7, Rockies 3 Graves might be starter next year Young producing in sixth spot Reese misses fourth game to illness Reds honor Super Mario Rijo pitches for Louisville today Forged autographs cost collectors dearly Bobbleheads a hit with sports fans, collectors Janszen: Here's my story on Pete Rose Five Questions with Eric Davis Fan's eye view of the Reds Reds box, runs

Bengals QBs need more help from line
Rafter vs. ??? in final
Rafter in third straight final
Will Rafter take advantage or vacation?
Hewitt misses mark again
Indian doubles team beats top seeds
Five Questions with Gustavo Kuerten
IRL polesitter hopes to change his luck
Kentucky Speedway Notebook
Auto racing insider
Best and worst of the week in sports
Bonds hits No. 50
TV stations focus on prep football
High school Insider

• Return to Reds front page...