Gary Davenport

Gary will be the High Wheelers Bench Coach in 2024. Including being Billy Horton’s right-hand man in the dugout, he will oversee the team’s defensive positioning, individual defense for the infielders, base running, and help implement the team’s offensive philosophy by working with the hitters.

His background in professional baseball is extremely impressive and spans over five decades. This year will be his 34th season as a coach and he also played for 9 years.

His professional coaching career began in 1986 when he was asked to step in as the hitting coach for the San Francisco Giants Single-A affiliate in Fresno, CA. This happened in the middle of his professional playing career in Italy, and he went back after the season ended. Gary went into full-time coaching in 1992 with the Nettuno Baseball Club in Italy. He coached with them for two different stints from 1992-1997 and 2002-2004. Sandwiched in-between that was his time coaching Italy’s Olympic Team from 1998-2001.

Gary went back to coach with the Giants in 2004 and was with the organization for 18 years until 2022. He was a Hitting Coach for the Class-A San Jose Giants (2004-2005, 2008-2011) and AA Connecticut Defenders (2006-2007), Manager of the Short Season-A Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in Oregon (2012-2013), Roving Instructor and Infield Coordinator (2014-2016), and Fundamentals Coach at their AA affiliate in Richmond, VA (2017-2022). He has been a part of 4 Minor League Championships (2005, 2009, 2010, 2015) and 3 of the Giants World Series titles (2010, 2012, 2014). Many of the players on those World Series teams were developed in the minor leagues on teams that Davenport coached.

He attended Santa Clara University from 1978-1981. Following his final season there in 1981, he was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 27th Round. From 1981-1984 Gary played for the Giants and spent time at their Class-A and AA affiliates in Great Falls (MT), Fresno (CA), and Shreveport (LA). He went on to play professionally in Cape Town, South Africa (1984) and Nettuno, Italy (1985, 1988-1991). He was an infielder during his career and played shortstop, second base, and third base.

Gary’s father Jim is a San Francisco Giants Hall of Fame third baseman. He played 13 years in the Major Leagues for the Giants and spent more than 40 years with them as a player, manager, coach, and front office executive. Gary and his wife Nancy live in Roseville, CA. They have 6 children and 9 grandchildren.