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Davis, who singled and scored a run Monday in Lake County's 9-2 victory over Hickory at Classic Park, played against LaPorta when they were Florida high-school standouts in Fort Myers and Port Charlotte, respectively.
In August 2003, both accepted scholarships at the University of Florida. Over the next three years, Davis set school records for hitting by a second baseman while LaPorta, then playing first base, proved to be one of the more accomplished sluggers in UF history.
When he learned Sunday that the Indians and Brewers had agreed on the deal that also brought Class A pitcher Rob Bryson, Class AAA pitcher Zach Jackson and a player to be named later to the Indians, Davis sent a text message to his former UF teammate.
"I told him, 'Welcome to the Indians. You're going to like it here,' " Davis replied when asked for the specifics of the message he sent to the 6-foot-2, 212-pound LaPorta.
The Indians selected Davis in the third round of the June 2006 draft. At 23, he's in his third pro season.
LaPorta, also 23, is in his second pro season. The Brewers took him with seventh pick overall in the first round of the June 2007 draft. This season, at Class AA Huntsville in the Southern League, LaPorta was batting .288 with a league-high 20 home runs and 66 RBI in 84 games.
"Matt is a good, smart baseball player who knows what he wants to do and is willing to put in the work to attain his goal of playing in the big leagues. He's a great guy, too," Davis said of La Porta.
For as long as he's known LaPorta, Davis said, the solidly built left-handed batter has had great power to all fields.
"It's no secret that there isn't a lot of power now in the (Indians' minor-league) system. Matt brings a lot of that to the table," Davis said.
The Indians assigned LaPorta to Class AA Akron. He's scheduled to make his debut for the Aeros at 7:05 tonight when they host the Bowie BaySox.
Better form
Prior to the opener of an eight-game homestand, Captains manager Aaron Holbert said his team needed "to get it in gear" at home in the second half of the season. Lake County was 20-24 at Classic Park going into the game.
Against the visitors from North Carolina on Monday, the Captains did exactly that. They scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and five in the bottom of the sixth to put plenty of distance between themselves and the Crawdads.
Shortstop Mark Thompson slugged a two-run home run, his fourth of the season, in the sixth inning. Starting pitcher and eventual winner Kelvin De La Cruz (7-3, 1.74 ERA) held the Crawdads scoreless on four hits through five innings. The 19-year-old southpaw notched seven strikeouts and did not yield a walk.
"I was pleased with the all-around effort and especially pleased that we played well at home," Holbert said.
The Captains, first-half champions of the South Atlantic League's Northern Division, improved to 9-9 in the second half. Hickory slipped to 6-12 with the loss.
Coming
Holbert said Bryson is slated to join the Captains today. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound right-hander is changing teams but not leagues, having spent this season with the SAL's West Virginia Power. He is 3-2 with a 4.25 ERA in 22 appearances, five of them starts.
Two of those starts were against the Captains. Bryson was 0-1 with a 3.60 ERA in 10 innings against Lake County. Holbert said he will work out of the bullpen. With an above-average fastball and slider (73 strikeouts in 55 innings this season), Bryson was one of Milwaukee's better-regarded pitching prospects. Going into the 2008 campaign, Baseball America projected him to be the Brewers' closer in 2011.
Sidelined
Captains right-handed reliever Dallas Cawiezell is on the disabled list with inflammation in his right shoulder. The SAL All-Star is 2-6 with a 3.82 ERA in 28 appearances.
