Chris Davis honored for exemplary sportsmanship at Musial Awards

Orioles infielder Chris Davis was recognized during the annual Musial Awards on Saturday, November 23, at the historic Stifel Theatre in St. Louis. The award honors individuals who have best embodied class, character, and sportsmanship throughout the year.

Davis attended the ceremony to present the Musial Award to diehard Red Sox fan Henry Frasca during "the most inspiring night in sports." Frasca, 10, heard about Davis' struggles at the plate during the start of the season and decided to write the big leaguer a heartfelt and inspiring letter of support. While attending an Orioles game at Fenway Park on April 13, Frasca went to great lengths to make sure Davis received his encouraging words.

Davis received the letter shortly before first pitch and kept Frasca's words tucked in his back pocket for the entire game. That afternoon, he snapped his 0-for-54 hitless streak by recording three hits and driving in four runs, propelling the Orioles to a 9-4 victory. Davis kept the letter with him for the entirety of the season, and was finally able to meet and thank Frasca on August 16 at Fenway Park. The two spent the afternoon together, and Frasca received a special tour of the Orioles clubhouse and shagged balls with the team during batting practice.

After presenting the award to Frasca, Davis was surprised to learn he was also receiving the honor for his exemplary sportsmanship, perseverance, and character throughout the 2019 campaign. Frasca presented the award to Davis after receiving it himself.

"From his extraordinary charitable efforts to the way he handled and persevered through a challenging stretch in his career, Chris Davis has proven to be a class act and a good sport," said Marc Schreiber, Executive Producer of the Musial Awards. "And on top of all that, he took the time to come to St. Louis in his offseason to personally show his appreciation to Henry. This is a guy that deserves a Musial Award."

The duo joined 11 other honorees, with stories ranging from professional sports, collegiate athletes, high school students, and youth league participants, to be recognized for their remarkable acts of kindness, character, selflessness, perseverance, and integrity in sports.

The Musial Awards are produced by the National Sportsmanship Foundation, a nonprofit organization managed by the St. Louis Sports Commission, which aims to empower people to lead healthier, happier lives through the value of sportsmanship. Formerly the National Sportsmanship Awards, the event was renamed the Musial Awards in 2012 in honor of the beloved St. Louis sports icon and National Baseball Hall of Famer Stan Musial, who embodied the characteristics the awards strive to recognize. This ceremony is packaged into a one-hour special that will air nationally on December 21 on CBS at 2:00 p.m. ET.

Off the field, Davis and his wife, Jill, are heavily involved in many charitable efforts in the Baltimore community. The couple became ambassadors for the University of Maryland Children's Hospital (UMCH) in 2016, and have been dedicated to using their platform to help raise awareness for childhood illnesses and UMCH's role as a leader in patient care. Earlier this month, the Davis' gifted $3 million to UMCH to fund construction of a state-of-the-art Pediatric Catheterization Lab and Operating Room that will allow the hospital to provide the most technologically advanced care to pediatric patients from Baltimore and children across the nation. Davis was named the Orioles' 2019 nominee for Major League Baseball's prestigious Roberto Clemente Award for the third-straight year. As the league's most prominent individual player award, Roberto Clemente Award nominees represent the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions.