Davis climbing lists for longest hitless streaks

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde will post his lineup later today for the second home game of the 2019 season. Eyes will do a quick scan. From the media that passes it along and fans wanting to know whether Chris Davis is in it.

Where Davis is slotted no longer sparks the most criticism from fans and draws the majority of questions from the press. He's been hitting seventh. He's been removed twice for pinch-hitters Renato Núñez and Hanser Alberto, guys who aren't established in the majors and have hung on the waiver wire multiple times.

The intrigue with Davis is inclusion.

Hyde put him in the lineup for Thursday's home opener after sitting him against left-hander James Paxton in the Bronx. Davis played the following day against lefty J.A. Happ, who starts tonight for the Yankees.

Davis went hitless, which he's done in 21 plate appearances this season, and he's 4-for-27 with two doubles, two home runs and 12 strikeouts lifetime versus Happ.

Hyde could keep Davis at first base, with Dwight Smith Jr. in left field and Trey Mancini in right. He could put Davis on the bench and move Mancini to first. I also would have said Smith in left, Joey Rickard in right and Drew Jackson in center if Hyde's still sitting Cedric Mullins against left-handers. However, Jackson was designated for assignment yesterday.

I won't venture a guess because my average is the same as Davis' this year.

Davis hasn't collected a hit since his double in the second inning of a Sept. 14, 2018 game against the White Sox. His streak of 45 plate appearances and 38 at-bats without a hit are club records for non-pitchers and threaten the major league marks dating to 1974.

According to STATS, the Indians' Tony Bernazard holds the major league record for position players - again, going back as far as 1974 - with 57 hitless plate appearances in a row in 1984. Eugenio Vélez played for the Giants and Dodgers while setting the record for most consecutive at-bats with 46 from Sept. 14, 2010-Sept. 28, 2011.

I won't lie, I had to look up Vélez on Baseball-Reference.com after misspelling his first and last names. He was a switch-hitting second baseman and outfielder who didn't play in the majors after 2011 but has continued his career in Mexico.

The previous club record for consecutive hitless plate appearances belonged to infielder Omar Quintanilla at 38 during the 2012 season. The list also includes Brian Roberts (37, 2003-04), Cal Ripken Jr. (37, 2001), Rick Dempsey (36, 1981) and Billy Smith (36, 1977).

Infielder Ryan Flaherty held the at-bats record with 34 in 2015, followed by Ripken (33, 2001), Smith (32, 1977), Caleb Joseph (31, 2014-15), Quintanilla (31, 2012) and Mark Belanger (31, 1979).

If anyone is interested in a more comprehensive list of hitless plate appearances among non-pitchers, here you go:

Tony Bernazard, Indians, 57, 1984
Eugenio Vélez, Giants/Dodgers, 52, 2010-11
Justin Ruggiano, Marlins, 51, 2013
Robin Ventura, White Sox, 51, 1990
Craig Counsell, Brewers, 50, 2011
Todd Zeile, Orioles/Dodgers, 50, 1996-97
Dann Howitt, A's/Mariners, 50, 1992
Butch Wynegar, Twins, 49, 1978
Tim Naehring, Red Sox, 48, 1991
Joe Morgan, Phillies, 48, 1983
Mick Kelleher, Tigers/Angels, 47, 1981-82
Yasmani Grandal, Dodgers, 46, 2015
Coco Crisp, A's, 46, 2014-15
Cookie Rojas, Royals, 46, 1975
Chris Davis, Orioles, 45, 2018-19
Mark Smith, Pirates, 45, 1997-98

Here are the longest streaks of hitless at-bats:

Eugenio Vélez, Giants/Dodgers, 46, 2010-11
Craig Counsell, Brewers, 45, 2011
Todd Zeile, Orioles/Dodgers, 44, 1996-97
Tony Bernazard, Indians, 44, 1984
Dann Howitt, A's/Mariners, 43, 1992
Cookie Rojas, Royals, 43, 1975
Justin Ruggiano, Marlins, 42, 2013
Luke Scott, Rays, 41, 2012
Robin Ventura, White Sox, 41, 1990
Brad Ausmus, Astros, 40, 2006
Andy Fox, Expos/Rangers, 40, 2004
Jose Canseco, A's, 40, 1986
Pablo Sandoval, Giants, 39, 2017
Coco Crisp, A's, 39, 2014-15
Tim Naehring, Red Sox, 39, 1991
Butch Wynegar, Twins, 39, 1978
Chris Davis, Orioles, 38, 2018-19
Chad Kreuter, Royals, 38, 1999
Greg Vaughn, Brewers, 38, 1990
Chris James, Phillies/Padres, 38, 1989
Vince Coleman, Cardinals, 38, 1986
Dan Meyer, A's, 38, 1983
Ozzie Smith, Padres, 38, 1978-79

Davis owns the only active streaks. And records aren't consuming him. He isn't checking his placement on the lists. He just wants to get some results, contribute to the team beyond his work defensively and be cheered again at home.

Shameless plug alert: I'm appearing on "Wall to Wall Baseball" from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on MASN.