Eric Davis is ready to play baseball again.
Davis will complete his valiant return from colon cancer surgery when he starts in right field Monday afternoon for the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of a day-night doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians. It will be his first game since undergoing the operation June 13."I'm not selfish or trying to make a statement or anything on my own," Davis said Sunday. "I've been a baseball player for a long time. This is what I do. I just consider myself going back to work.
"I knew this day would come. I just didn't know when or where."
The timing aspect of his return was much more uncertain than location. From the moment he began working out with the Orioles on Aug. 22, Davis knew exactly where he wanted to make his triumphant return - at Camden Yards.
"I think for the organization, as well as the fans, they deserve it for the support they've given me all year," Davis said.
Davis, 35, received thousands of letters and phone calls since doctors removed a baseball-sized tumor from his colon. The outpouring of emotion was particularly gratifying and surprising to Davis because he had only been with the organization since December, having joined the Orioles as a free agent.
It's still uncertain how much of the game Davis can play, given that he hasn't gone full tilt in four months. Regardless, just having him in the lineup should prove inspirational for Baltimore. Several of the Orioles have written Davis' No. 24 on their caps.
"It's going to be a big day. Huge," infielder Jeff Reboulet said. "It's unbelievable what he's done. It's a big thing not just for our team but for everyone who's ever had to fight cancer. Obviously, people in all aspects of life are going to draw strength from this."
It means a lot to Baltimore manager Davey Johnson.
"My father died of cancer so what he's doing is special to me and a lot of people out there," he said.
Davis was put on the disabled list May 31. He last played on May 25, after hitting .302 with 10 doubles, seven home runs and 21 RBIs in 34 games. His slugging percentage of .543 is the best on the team.
If Davis can retain his strength, he will be a part of the Orioles' 25-man playoff roster. If not, he can live with it.
"I've already won. Just by putting the uniform on and being blessed to have the cancer removed from my body," he said. "If it doesn't pan out that I'm on the postseason roster, I'll be here cheering for the guys just like I was playing."
After undergoing the operation, Davis thought long and hard about whether to receive chemotherapy as follow-up treatment. He realized that the fatigue associated with such treatment could hamper his effort to return this season, but ultimately decided to play it safe and take the chemotherapy.
"I had to wait to see how I would react to it. I went into it with an open mind," he said. "I don't see how it would affect me to the point I can't come back."
Davis began working out with the Orioles on Aug. 22, and Thursday he practiced for the first time the day after receiving chemotherapy. He has undergone seven two-hour sessions, receiving the cancer-killing drugs through an intravenous tube.
He proved he could go through pregame drills in his current condition, and now Davis is ready to play in a game.
"I'm about as ready as I can be. You can only shag so much, hit off the tee and hit BP and in the cage," he said. "Right now this is the best time. We're at home, we're playing well, we're going for a division title - everything seems like it's right on time."