Marcus: Negro Leagues star John Donaldson is the best pitcher you’ve never heard of
From Steven Marcus at Newsday on February 8, 2018, with mention of SABR member Peter Gorton:
Who was John Wesley Donaldson and why is there a network of 500 baseball researchers bent on getting him a plaque in the Baseball Hall of Fame?
According to baseballreference.com, Donaldson pitched in the Negro Leagues from 1916-21 and compiled a 23-20 record. The website acknowledges that his career numbers are incomplete.
In reality, Donaldson — who played for the Brooklyn Royal Giants in 1918 — won more than 400 games in a barnstorming career that began before the creation of organized Negro League baseball. Like Negro League legend Satchel Paige, Donaldson was still pitching — and winning — well beyond what modern-day players call their prime. Unlike Paige, Donaldson has yet to be enshrined in Cooperstown.
Read the full article here: https://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/john-donaldson-negro-leagues-black-history-month-1.16618164
Originally published: February 9, 2018. Last Updated: February 9, 2018.