John Donaldson (pitcher)
John Donaldson | |
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Chicago, Illinois, US | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
debut | |
1908, for the Glasgow, Missouri Hannaca Blues | |
Last appearance | |
1949, for the Lehigh, Iowa | |
Teams | |
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Career highlights and awards | |
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John Wesley Donaldson (February 20, 1891 – April 14, 1970) was an American baseball pitcher in Pre-Negro league and Negro league baseball. In a career that spanned over 30 years, he played for many different Negro league and semi-professional teams, including the All Nations team and the Kansas City Monarchs. Researchers so far have discovered 718 games in which Donaldson is known to have pitched.[32] Out of those games, Donaldson had over 420 wins[33] and 5,221 strikeouts[34] as a baseball pitcher. According to some sources, he was the greatest pitcher of his era.
Statistics
Researchers have documented most of his career, which stretched from 1908 to 1940. Published totals from local newspaper accounts covering his 30-plus year career provide a glimpse at his prowess on the diamond. Despite what has been found regarding Donaldson's career, over 170 games that Donaldson pitched in state no strikeout game totals, consequently his overall totals are under-reported.
Newspaper coverage of Donaldson games reveal 424 wins and 169 losses, 15 ties, and a winning percentage of .697. He also notched 5,221 strikeouts, an
Donaldson can be credited with 14 no-hitters, two perfect games, and dozens of one-hitters. He also has two 30 strikeout games, 11 games with more than 25 strikeouts (including two back-to-back 25 strikeout games), 30 games with more than 20 strikeouts, 109 games with more than 15 strikeouts, and a total of 203 double digit strikeout games. Donaldson could also hit well, batting .334 in over 1,800 at bats.
Early years
Donaldson's early career was spent in and around his hometown of Glasgow, Missouri. He played for the Missouri Black Tigers of nearby Higbee, in 1908, and subsequently for the Hannaca Blues, an all-black contingent from Glasgow during the 1909–1910 seasons.
Tennessee Rats
He pitched for
Donaldson established himself as a stellar pitcher, posting a reported record of 44–3. Known highlights of that season include an 18-inning 31 strikeout game,[22] a 27 strikeout performance and on at least four separate occasions, he whiffed 19.
All Nations
He contracted to pitch for the World's
During Donaldson's 1915 season, he struck out an average of 18 batters a game and fanned 30 in a marathon 18-inning contest. Donaldson not only struck out more than 500 batters that season, but did it three years straight. Most of his accomplishments were against semi-professional competition, but Donaldson also did very well in his relatively few contests against highest level professional baseball teams, and there were a number of first-person reports of his talent from such opposing managers and players.[citation needed]
Donaldson and his ball-clubs prior to the organization of the Negro National League in 1920 played ball all year round, both in the Midwest and venues as far west as Los Angeles[5] as far east as Palm Beach, Florida.[4]
In an interview in the Kansas City Call in 1948, J. L. Wilkinson said Donaldson was "one of the greatest pitchers that ever lived, white or black."[35] He also said Donaldson suggested the name "Monarchs" when Wilkinson was preparing a team for the Negro National League in 1920.[35]
Tumultuous times, 1918–1920
In 1917, 26-year-old Donaldson registered for the WWI Draft. He lists his current occupation as a baseball player for the Schmelzer's Arms Company of Kansas City, Missouri. He is listed as single, with his mother listed as a dependent.[36]
During the time of World War I, the
Kansas City Monarchs
After World War I,
Donaldson also played part-time with various semi-pro
Post-Negro league playing career
Perhaps most impressive, Donaldson played in towns in Minnesota,
Donaldson made a comfortable living traveling through rural America, even during the
Baseball historian Pete Gorton has said that Donaldson's charisma, composure and stellar character were a countermeasure to the deep-seated prejudices of the time, "But I don't want anyone to look at the career of John Donaldson and think 'Oh, here's another poor black ball player exploited by the "Man" or by the times he lived,'" the writer noted. "This is a story of a man who was covered by the media and adored by the fans and had an outstanding career on the baseball diamond."
A May 17, 1928, Letter to the Editor in Melrose, Minnesota tells of one fan's appreciation of watching Donaldson: "Two-thirds of the attendance at Melrose wanted to see Donaldson, the great. They did not come because they wanted to see the Melrose or Scobey ball teams, but they wanted to see Donaldson, the master of base ball."
Donaldson was playing mostly semi-pro ball in the mid- to late-1930s, and by the end of 1939 was asked by Satchel Paige to play again in the Upper Midwest as the star pitcher on the days when Paige wasn't pitching. Local papers reported the 39-year-old Donaldson lacked speed, but that he still had enough experience to "fool the batters."[20] Newspapers and ball players often lied about their age throughout their career, for birth, marriage, and other government records show Donaldson was about 48 years old at the time. Currently, the last known game Donaldson pitched in professionally, was in a 1940 game against the House of David baseball team.[21]
After more than 30 years as a player, Donaldson retired in 1941. Settling in
He made appearances on the mound in far less serious games, as late as 1949. However, by then Donaldson was in his late 50s.
Major League scout
Although Donaldson never gained the full recognition for his pitching skills during his lifetime and was never admitted into Major League Baseball during his career, he made history by becoming the first full-time black talent scout in the big leagues,[37] for the Chicago White Sox of the American League, in 1949, working into the 1950s.[38] He pursued Willie Mays and Ernie Banks for the team and is credited with the signing of several prominent Negro leaguers of the time, including Bob Boyd and Sam Hairston.
Anecdotes
Research also suggests that Satchel Paige owes much of his style and acumen to Donaldson, whose barnstorming efforts pre-dated Paige's by two decades.[20]
Elden Auker, a former major league pitcher, who had played against Donaldson, related this anecdote when he (Auker) was 95 years old, in 2006: "I played against Donaldson in 1929. I was in college and we played at an Arapaho Indian reservation in Kansas. I pitched against Paige and I won, 2–1. Donaldson played center field. Donaldson got out in center field and squatted like a catcher", Auker related. "The Monarchs had a catcher named Young, and he squatted behind home plate and they played catch from 300 feet. They threw the ball on a line. If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it."
Legacy
At age 60, Donaldson was voted a first-team member of the 1952 Pittsburgh Courier player-voted poll of the Negro leagues best players ever.[31]
Donaldson died of
Donaldson was nominated for a special ballot of pre-Negro leagues candidates for inclusion in the
Amateur film footage made on August 16, 1925, of Donaldson at a game in
On November 5, 2021, he was selected to the final ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame's Early Days Committee for consideration in the Class of 2022. He received eight of the necessary twelve votes.[41]
References
- ^ a b "Death Certificate for John Donaldson" (PDF).
- ^ a b ""A GOOD GAME"" (PDF). Bayard News Gazette, Bayard, Iowa, June 1, 1911
- ^ a b c ""All-Nations Beat Johnsons"" (PDF). Sioux City, Iowa May 19, 1912
- ^ a b "Palm Beach Daily News" (PDF)., Palm Beach, Florida, January 25, 1916
- ^ a b ""DONALDSON TO PITCH TODAY"" (PDF). Los Angeles Times, February 18, 1917
- ^ a b ""Cuban Stars Will Meet A.B.C.s in Two Games Today"" (PDF). The Indianapolis Freeman, Indianapolis, Indiana, Sunday, May 19, 1918, Part 4 Sports, Page 1, Column 5
- ^ a b "DONALDSON TO PITCH FOR ROYAL GIANTS" (PDF)., The New York Age, New York, June 29, 1918, Page 6, Column 3
- ^ a b ""Hilldale Team Wins"" (PDF). Philadelphia Inquirer, August 6, 1919, Page 12]
- ^ a b "Kansas City Star" (PDF)., Kansas City, Missouri, October 18, 1919 Page 14]
- ^ a b c ""Monarchs will play K. of C. This Afternoon"" (PDF). Kansas City Journal, Kansas City, Missouri, April 25, 1920
- ^ a b ""No-Hit Contest for Andy Graves"" (PDF). Omaha World Herald, Omaha, Nebraska, May 8, 1920, Page 5, Column 2
- ^ a b ""Murphy Did-Its Take Two from All-Nations"" (PDF). Omaha World Herald, Omaha, Nebraska, April 17, 1921, Page 7, Column 2
- ^ a b c ""Donaldson Hurls No-Hit Game for All Nations"" (PDF). Corning, Iowa July 1, 1922
- ^ a b c ""Struck out, by Bishop 1, by Donaldson 20."" (PDF). Bertha, Minnesota May 31, 1924
- ^ ""Merrill-Lismore Game, 11 Innings"" (PDF). LeMars Globe-Post, LeMars, Iowa, Monday, June 28, 1926, Page 8, Column 1 and 2
- ^ a b c ""no hits, no runs off Donaldson"" (PDF). Regina, Saskatchewan July 23, 1925
- ^ a b c ""Struck out: by Donaldson 9, by Lindblom 4."" (PDF). Fargo, North Dakota September 6, 1927
- ^ ""Slugging Monarchs Humble Rapids Club, 5 to 2"" (PDF). Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, Saturday, July 11, 1931, Page 7, Columns 2, 3, and 4
- ^ ""Hampton, Giants Into Semifinals"" (PDF). Omaha World-Herald, Evening Edition, Omaha, Nebraska, Saturday, September 24, 1932, Page 10, Column 2
- ^ a b c ""Famous Monarchs Play Copper Sox Tonight"" (PDF). Montana Standard, Butte, Montana, Saturday Morning, July 1, 1939, Page 8, Columns 1 and 3
- ^ a b ""Locals Tie Up Series by 5-2 and 3-2 Wins"" (PDF). Benton Harbor News Palladium, Benton Harbor, Michigan, Friday, July 5, 1940, Page 10, Column 3
- ^ a b ""Humboldt Loses Long Game"" (PDF). Humboldt, Iowa September 15, 1911
- ^ ""All Nations 8; Stumppullers 0"" (PDF). Centerville, Iowa May 18, 1914
- ^ ""Donaldson likewise pitched his most noteworthy game Sunday."" (PDF). Sioux Falls, South Dakota June 21, 1914
- ^ ""Austin Wins, 1 to 0, in Fine Slab Duel"" (PDF). Austin, Minnesota August 17, 1914
- ^ ""Schmelzers Beaten in No-Hit Game"" (PDF). Kansas City, Missouri May 3, 1915
- ^ ""Schmelzers Held Hitless 12 Innings by Donaldson"" (PDF). Kansas City, Missouri May 24, 1915
- ^ ""Julesburg, Colorado, July 16"" (PDF). Denver Post, Denver, Colorado, Monday, July 16, 1917, Page 8, Column 6
- ^ ""Donaldson Pitches No-Hit, No-Run Game and Beats Crosby"" (PDF). Ironton, Minnesota June 29, 1923
- ^ ""Donaldson Pitches Good Game of Ball"" (PDF). Boyd, Minnesota June 18, 1926
- ^ a b ""1952 Pittsburgh Courier Poll of Greatest Black Players"".
- ^ ""Website listing all of John Donaldson's 718 games as a pitcher."".
- ^ ""Website listing all of John Donaldson's 424 known wins as a pitcher."".
- ^ ""Website listing all of John Donaldson's 5,221 strikeouts as a pitcher."".
- ^ a b ""Sports Light"" (PDF). Kansas City Call, Kansas City, Missouri, May 28, 1948
- ^ ""WWI Draft Registration Card for John Donaldson" Glasgow, Howard County, Missouri, June 5, 1917" (PDF).
- ^ a b ""Negro Leagues project marks history"". 18 February 2011. ESPN's Outside the Lines, ESPN Network, Updated February 20, 2011
- ^ ""Major League Scouts to Watch East-West Game"" (PDF). The Plain Dealer, Kansas City, Kansas, Friday, July 27, 1951, Page 4, Columns 7 and 8
- ^ ""Visiting Negro League Greats at Burr Oak Cemetery"". Chicago Tribune. Chicago Tribune video, July 25, 2011
- ^ ""John Donaldson Colored Ball Player in Action"".
- ^ "Fowler, Hodges, Kaat, Miñoso, Oliva, O'Neil Elected to Hall of Fame". baseballhall.org. December 5, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball Reference and Baseball-Reference Black Baseball stats and Seamheads
- Negro League Baseball Players Association
- John Donaldson Ongoing Research Site
- "This guy wants turn-of-the-last-century Minnesota black pitcher in Hall of Fame," by Rubén Rosario, March 18, 2018, St. Paul Pioneer Press
- "This Great Black Baseball Player Still Isn't In the Hall of Fame" New York Times, July 29, 2020
- "Restoring the lost legacy of a baseball giant" Le Mars Daily Sentinel, February 15, 2006