MLB

Son of former Yankee has shot to follow father’s footsteps to the big leagues

When Ron Davis’ major league career came to an end at age 32, he thought it was the worst thing that could have happened to him.

Turns out, it was the best move, because he walked away from baseball and into his life.

“It was the greatest thing in my life when I got out of baseball,” Davis said from his home in Arizona. “I wasn’t ready to give up the game, but I’m glad the game gave up on me. You were a little bit hurt by not getting to play, but looking back 20 years later, it ended up being the best result.”

THE ROAD TO TITLE 27

KERNAN ON TWITTER

The ex-Yankees reliever has five children, two from a previous marriage. The youngest is Ike Davis, who figures to be playing first base at Citi Field for the Mets soon. Father and son just returned from dove hunting in the desert.

“We got quite a few doves,” Ron said with pride.

Ike has a good eye, which is good news for the Mets. He starred at Arizona State University, where he also was the ace pitcher his freshman year. He was the Mets first-round pick in 2008. He is coming off a strong showing at Double-A Binghamton and the Arizona Fall League (.341) and, according to Ron, who knows about major league talent, could start for the Mets now.

“I believe he’ll play 10-15 years in the big leagues without a problem,” Ron said of his son. “I know he’s a great defensive first baseman, has a lot of power and I know he’ll keep his average up. Most guys are going for stats, but he’ll do things to sacrifice for the team. The Mets definitely got a winner.”

In October, Ron took a travel team to the Perfect Game World Wood Bat Championship in Florida. He didn’t have any kids on the team, but he just loves to coach.

Ron runs bass fishing trips into Mexico and Brazil, something he has been doing for the last 18 years.

“We go down there after the peacock bass in the winter, and in the summer, I try to go watch Ike play,” he said.

His passion is family. The five kids, Ron and his wife leave this weekend for a trip to Ireland.

“I got the chance to make the kids their breakfast, experience their schoolwork, coach them, get to go tailgating, the family experience was phenomenal,” Davis said. “I know there are 400 ex-major leaguers who live here in Arizona in the valley. A lot of them are coaches in the big leagues and minor leagues, and they never got to experience any of that. I’m glad I never became a coach.”

Ike, at 6-foot-5 and 195 pounds, throws and bats left-handed. He is a gifted athlete who could have been a major league pitcher.

“His heart is into hitting,” Ron said. “Ike can stand flat-footed and throw a football 65-70 yards. We get out in the front yard and start playing and I’m two blocks over catching stuff. The neighbors come out and watch, it’s like, ‘Wow.’ ”

As any parent will tell you, though, it’s about the person the child grows up to be that is most important. Ike was put to the test in the most difficult of ways last month. Michael Lio, a close friend who played second base alongside Ike in travel ball and at Chaparral High School — where the team won three straight state championships — battled Ewing’s sarcoma, a deadly cancer. Michael, 22, died Oct. 29.

“Ike was there for him, and so were other guys, rallying around Mike,” Ron said. “Ike was playing in the Arizona Fall League, and as soon as the game was over he would go back to the hospice and sit with Michael, spend the night with him and leave at 9 the next morning, go drive out and play a ballgame, and then do the same thing. So, he went about four or five nights, when it got real bad, without even sleeping.

“That the Lio family and probably about 20 other parents came up to me and said, ‘You have the greatest kid ever for what he did here,’ was real rewarding to me.”

kevin.kernan@nypost.com