Pirates’ Davis No Stranger to Manatee County

It’s no stretch to say that Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Henry Davis knows his way around Manatee County better than most of his teammates.

With spring training camp opening on February 14 at Pirate City in Bradenton, pitchers, catchers, position players, and members of the coaching staff made their way to southwest Florida from all points across America and beyond.

Players and Pirates’ staff arrived at 27th Street East by car, airplane, and RV. However, there’s one player that has been enjoying a very brief daily commute.

Davis, the club’s first-round draft pick in 2021, has settled in Manatee County since that rookie season.

Naturally, with the Pirates’ training facility based in Bradenton, it would make sense, in the long term, to set roots down close to his work. After signing with the Pirates in 2021, Davis was dispatched to Pirate City and began his professional career with the club playing in the Florida Complex League.

Davis, who was MLB’s overall top draft selection in 2021, played his first two professional games with the Florida Coast League club. He began his first full season within the organization in 2022 by wearing his catching gear for one game with the FCL, followed by being in the Bradenton Marauders’ lineup for five games.

Living close to Pirate City does bring Davis a quicker commute this time of year. Aside from driving, the welcoming year-round warm weather, and all that the area offers, Davis was sold on putting down roots.

“I love it. Me and my soon-to-be wife moved here shortly after I was drafted,” Davis said of becoming a permanent resident of Manatee County. “There’s a ton to do here.”

Although Davis doesn’t endorse any specific restaurants or clothiers, he isn’t shy about praising the area's beaches. The time that he does have, from when the MLB season concludes to when spring training arrives, Davis tells of making good use of Bradenton and surrounding attractions.

Concentration is crucial for professional ballplayers to reach and remain at the top of their game. For Davis, as the Pirates switch the rest of their spring training program to LECOM Park as exhibition games begin this week, having the luxury of spending six weeks in his own bed can only be a positive factor in his overall quest to make the Opening Day roster.

The Pirates have a log jam in the catching position among their 40-man roster. Newly signed veteran Yasmani Grandal is expected to be behind the plate for most regular season games. Davis has had thus far, since making his MLB debut last June 19th at PNC Park, a very limited catching schedule in manager Derek Shelton’s lineup.

Clearly, with the Pirates making Davis the top draft pick in 2021, they have faith in his athletic abilities. Although he was positioned in right field for much of his duty as a rookie, Davis is being given every chance to be in the dugout on March 28th, in Miami, for the start of the National League season.

During Davis's welcoming to Bradenton in 2022, while catching one of the handful of games he appeared in with the Marauders, he was behind the plate for the club’s combined no-hitter versus Clearwater.

Before landing in Manatee County, Davis packed up his bats and catcher’s gear from his hometown – Bedford, New York.

Located an hour’s drive north of “The Big Apple” in Westchester County, Bedford has a history of attracting A-list celebrities in its neighborhoods. Chevy Chase, Mariah Carey, Ryan Reynolds, and Bruce Willis lead the arm’s length list of entertainment icons who, like the Davis family, have called Bedford home.

For Davis, 23, Bedford is all about being a “small town” 40 miles from New York City. He isn’t the least bit starstruck because of his family’s roots. In fact, Davis doesn’t say that he has ever seen any celebrities while making his way around the city of 17,000 residents.

“ It has a small-town feel,” says Davis”. “I grew up near a horse farm.”

While always working towards his goal of being on the Pirates’ 26-man roster, this training camp could be the most watched of his young career by the coaching staff. Speaking near his clubhouse stall in Locker Room A 245, Davis clearly is confident in his abilities and up for the challenge.

Whether you’re at Costco on Lighthouse Drive, the Ellenton Premium Outlets, or over at University Town Center, if you do a double take because you thought you saw Davis before or after MLB concludes all 2024 games, you probably did.