Khris Davis wants to get rid of the nickname that’s most associated with him on the baseball diamond.
The “Khrush” persona is one the A’s slugger is ready to put in the past.
“Honestly, I killed Khrush,” Davis told Sports Illustrated’s John Hickey. “I’m just excited to be a good teammate to my team. I’m glad I don’t have to be Khrush because Khrush is not who I wanted to be. It’s who someone else tagged me as.”
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Despite Davis' pleas, it's going to be reputation that could be difficult to shake.
From 2016-18, he hit at least 40 home runs per season. The 48 dingers he clobbered in ‘18 was an MLB-best.
He also earned another nickname, “Mr. .247,” as he hit with that average consistently from 2015-18. But that is another thing he wants to erase.
“If I could talk to the kid in me, which I do a lot, I would say, it’s all about playing the game that you love. It’s not about being Mr. .247, you know? It’s been a long time, and I’m excited to be someone new, or to just be me. I just want to be true to me and be true to my team. I don’t feel like I have to live up to certain expectations.”
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Davis spoke to NBC Sports California last month before we re-aired his three home-run night against the Texas Rangers from May 17, 2016. The last homer of the night would result in grand-slam, walk-off fashion.
The 32-year-old said he wanted to one day hit four in a game -- it’s on a career checklist of his.
[RELATED: Canha follows social media trend to work on hitting]
If he does check it off, those watching might feel forced to refer to him by the "Khrush" nickname for old-times sake. It’ll more than likely be printed on T-shirts and will appear in headlines across the Internet.
But it would be Khrush Khris Davis who hit them. That’s not a nickname.