rip, peanut

It’s an eye-opening and heartwarming experience to read some of the comments coming from Giants Nation about Jim Davenport, the former Southern Miss star who died on Thursday at age 82. Davenport, nicknamed “Peanut” or “Davvy,” played 13 years in the majors, all for San Francisco, and is arguably the most accomplished of the 16 USM alumni who have made it to the big leagues. (Brian Dozier is on a track to change that, but that’s yet to be seen.) In a San Francisco Chronicle piece, Felipe Alou called the diminutive Davenport “a big player” on a team filled with stars in the 1960s. “If he was a friend of yours, he’d fight for you,” said Willie Mays. Giants exec Brian Sabean said Davenport was the “old breed of baseball lifer,” which is a great compliment. Davenport, who briefly managed the Giants, was still working in the organization last year despite declining health. Davenport batted .258 for his career with 77 homers and 456 RBIs. He played mostly third base, and Orlando Cepeda called him a “human vacuum” at that position. Davenport’s best year may have been 1962, when he made the All-Star Game and helped the Giants reach the World Series. He hit .297 with 14 homers and 58 RBIs that season. An Alabama native, Davenport played football and baseball at then Mississippi Southern College from 1952-54 and was elected to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1983.