Davis talks about suspension on radio station, another minor league signing

Orioles first baseman Chris Davis declined to speak with reporters following Game 4 of the American League Championship Series in Kansas City, a loss that completed the Royals' sweep. However, he spoke about his 25-game suspension this week during an appearance on a Baltimore radio station.

Interviewed on WRBS-FM, a contemporary Christian music station also known as 95.1 SHINE-FM, Davis expressed regret over his suspension for using Adderall without a therapeutic use exemption.

davis-black-deep-thought-helmet-off-sidebar.jpg"I haven't really talked a lot about it," Davis said. "I didn't want to take the focus off what the team was doing, but eventually I knew that I was going to have to address it and I wanted to. I think the fans deserve an explanation. I think they want to know what happened.

"Basically, in a moment of weakness I made a decision that cost me greatly. And it just goes to show that no matter how successful you've been in the past, no matter how much stuff you have, no matter how strong you are in your faith, the devil is going to continue to come after you.

"Looking back on it, it was probably the best thing that could have happened at the time, but it was definitely one of the hardest things that I've ever had to go through. The first few days after the suspension came out, I was really down, I was really depressed because I felt I had let so many people down and had really just scarred my reputation to the point where everything that I had done wasn't really going to count for anything, and God just kind of reached down and put his arm around me at that time and let me know it's OK to stumble as long as you continue to get up and move forward and learn from your mistakes.

"I'm at a point right now where I don't wish to ever go through that again, but I appreciate the process and where it has brought me spiritually."

You can listen to the entire interview here.

A second positive test led to Davis' suspension. He has one game remaining on it and won't be available on opening day. The Orioles can add him to the 40-man roster before their second game.

Davis led the majors with 53 home runs, drove in 138 runs and placed third in American League Most Valuable Player voting in 2013, leading to a pay increase from $3.3 million to $10.35 million. He batted .196/.300/.404 this year with 26 home runs and 72 RBIs in 127 games.

Davis is arbitration-eligible again before he can test free agency following the 2015 season and I've heard that the Orioles will tender him a contract.

Meanwhile, you can add right-hander Terry Doyle to the list of Orioles minor league signings. His name should be included in the next wave of announcements.

Doyle, 29, went 4-4 with a 5.93 ERA in eight starts at Double-A Birmingham of the White Sox's organization, 1-0 with a 2.79 ERA in five relief appearances at Double-A Mississippi and 4-4 with a 2.93 ERA in 23 games (seven starts) at Triple-A Gwinnett of the Braves' organization.

Doyle, selected by the White Sox out of Boston College in the 37th round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, is 47-46 with a 3.47 ERA in seven minor league seasons. He pitched in the Red Sox's organization in 2013, splitting his season between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket.




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