 In 1943, the Birmingham Black Barons business manager Abe Saperstein hands Davis a contract. He signs him not just to play for the Black Barons, but to then moonlight for Saperstein's basketball team. Davis quickly becomes a fan favorite at Rickwood Field for the Black Barons. Fairfield native and future Black Baron Charles Coote Willis grows up watching Davis dominate across Rickwood's infield.