Donnelly: Nearly forgotten to time, Negro Leagues pitcher Donaldson was a baseball star in Indianapolis
From Brenna Donnelly at WISH-TV on February 21, 2018, with mention of SABR members Geri Strecker and Peter Gorton:
One of the greatest baseball pitchers the world has ever seen may have been born in the wrong time and in the wrong color to get the attention he deserved.
John Wesley Donaldson was born in 1891 in Glasgow, Missouri. He picked up a baseball in 1908 and is credited with helping bring the game, and avid fans, to Indianapolis. But as an African-American trying to make a living playing ball in an era where the color of your skin was a key qualifier for Major League teams, John Donaldson’s legacy has been largely lost to the world.
Despite civil rights movements being still two generations away, Donaldson started to challenge the norm and play baseball as a professional, supporting his family.
Read the full article here: http://wishtv.com/2018/02/22/nearly-forgotten-to-time-negro-leagues-pitcher-was-a-baseball-star-in-indianapolis/
Originally published: February 22, 2018. Last Updated: February 22, 2018.