I remember Willie Davis when...

My favorite baseball team in the mid 1960s was the Dodgers.

I remember watching Maury Wills as he moved to his left and to his right, covering his shortstop position with ease. I remember Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale blanking every opponent in the National League with their blazing fastballs and timely breaking pitches. I remember Johnny Roseboro's quick throws to second and I remember him straddling the plate and then diving to tag out the runner at home.

But I'll never forget the man who in 1961 replaced my favorite Dodger, centerfielder Duke Snider. The man was quick and agile and could run down a deep fly ball in the gap with the best of them. His name was Willie Davis. Willie died Tuesday at his home in Burbank, California at the age of 69.

Davis retired from baseball in 1979. He spent 14 years with the Dodgers and still owns a half-a-dozen club records. He stole 398 bases in his career and had a lifetime batting average of .279. It's been well-documented that Davis led a troubled life since his retirement from baseball. I don't need to go there. Instead, I'll remember his play in center field as he helped the Dodgers roll to World Series titles in 1963 and 1965.

He will be missed.