James McDonald (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids James McDonald |
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McDonald with the Pittsburgh Pirates
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: October 19, 1984 Long Beach, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 17, 2008, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| May 1, 2013, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 32–30 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.20 | ||
| Strikeouts | 442 | ||
| Teams | |||
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James Zell McDonald, born on October 19, 1984, is a former American professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). McDonald played for two teams: the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Dodgers chose him in the 11th round of the 2002 MLB Draft. Before joining the pros, he played college baseball at Golden West College in California.
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Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
James McDonald went to Long Beach Poly High School. There, he played baseball, basketball, and football. In baseball, he played both in the infield and as a pitcher.
When the Dodgers drafted him in 2002, they were more interested in his skills as a first baseman. But his pitching improved a lot in junior college. Because of this, the Dodgers signed him as a pitcher.
Professional Baseball Career
James McDonald began his professional baseball career in 2003. He started pitching for the Gulf Coast Dodgers. He had a good start with a 3.33 ERA. An ERA, or Earned run average, shows how many earned runs a pitcher gives up per nine innings.
Unfortunately, tendinitis, which is swelling in a tendon, kept him from playing in 2004 and most of 2005. During this time, he tried playing in the outfield. He thought he could still work with trainers while playing left field. But his batting wasn't strong, so he decided to go back to pitching. He felt more competitive when he was pitching.
In 2006, McDonald returned to pitching full-time. He played for the Columbus Catfish. He led the team's pitchers with a 3.97 ERA. He also had 147 strikeouts in 143 innings.
In 2007, he started with the Inland Empire 66ers. Later, he moved up to the Double-A Jacksonville Suns. He was named the Dodgers' Minor League Pitcher of the Year for his great performance.
In August 2008, McDonald was promoted to the Dodgers' Triple-A team, the Las Vegas 51s. He pitched very well, striking out 20 batters in his first two starts.
Playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers
James McDonald was called up to the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 1, 2008. He made his first Major League Baseball (MLB) appearance on September 17, 2008. He pitched one scoreless inning in relief against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In February 2009, Baseball America magazine named McDonald the 56th best prospect in baseball. He earned a spot in the Dodgers' starting rotation for the 2009 season. His first MLB start was on April 10, 2009. He got his first career victory on April 25 against the Colorado Rockies.
After a few starts, he moved back to the bullpen. He pitched as a Relief pitcher for the rest of the season. In 2010, he started the year with the Albuquerque Isotopes. He was called back to the Dodgers in July to make a few starts and relief appearances.
Moving to the Pittsburgh Pirates
On July 31, 2010, James McDonald was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He joined the Pirates along with outfielder Andrew Lambo. In return, the Dodgers received pitcher Octavio Dotel.
McDonald had a fantastic debut with the Pirates. He pitched 6 innings without giving up any runs. He also set a new personal best with eight strikeouts. He said he was excited to be on the mound and start every five days.
He then pitched two games in a row where he didn't allow any runs. This was a streak of 20 straight scoreless innings. It was the longest streak by a Pirates pitcher since 2005. His strong performances led some experts to call him an "ace" for the Pirates. He finished 2010 with a 4–5 record and a 3.52 ERA for Pittsburgh.
2011 Season Highlights
In 2011, McDonald had a challenging start to the season. But he improved a lot by May, finishing the month with a 2.86 ERA. He allowed no more than three runs in any start during that time.
In July, he had two excellent starts where he allowed zero runs. He pitched well against the Cincinnati Reds and the Atlanta Braves. After beating the Braves, he talked about improving his control. He wanted to reduce the number of walks he gave up. This win helped the Pirates tie for first place in their division. McDonald ended the season with a 9–9 record and a 4.21 ERA. He had 142 strikeouts.
2012 Season Highlights
James McDonald started the 2012 season with several strong performances. He earned his first win on April 30 against Atlanta. In that game, he pitched almost eight innings and had 10 strikeouts.
On May 17, McDonald set a new career high with 11 strikeouts against the Washington Nationals. He also pitched into the sixth inning without allowing any hits. He had a great May, with a 3–1 record and a low 1.54 ERA. On June 21, McDonald pitched his first career complete game against the Minnesota Twins. He threw 120 pitches and allowed only one earned run. He had a very good ERA before the All-Star break, but it went up after the break.
2013 Season
In 2013, McDonald continued to pitch for the Pirates. On September 7, the Pirates removed him from their main roster. He became a free agent on September 13.
Chicago Cubs
On February 13, 2014, James McDonald signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs. However, he did not play in any games for the team due to an injury. He became a free agent again on October 29 after the season ended.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, James McDonald became a coach. In 2017, he joined the Southwest Nationals Baseball Organization. This organization was started by another former MLB pitcher, Scott Elbert.
Pitching Style
James McDonald used several different pitches when he played. His main pitch was a four-seam fastball. This pitch usually traveled between 91 and 94 miles per hour. He also threw a two-seam fastball, which had a similar speed.
He had two types of breaking balls:
- A slider, which was thrown around 79–82 mph.
- A knuckle curve, which was a bit slower, around 75–77 mph.
His final pitch was a changeup, which was in the low 80s. McDonald used his pitches in a similar way against both right-handed and left-handed batters. He threw his four-seam fastball about half the time. He often used his curveball when he was ahead in the count.
In early 2012, his slider was considered one of the best pitches in the National League. It had a very high "whiff rate," meaning batters often swung and missed it.
Personal Life and Family
James McDonald comes from a family of athletes. His father, also named James, played basketball at USC. He also played football for the Los Angeles Rams from 1983 to 1987.
His uncle, Ben McDonald, was a professional basketball player. He played for the Golden State Warriors. James McDonald also has cousins who played professional baseball. These include Darnell McDonald, a former outfielder for the Chicago Cubs, and Donzell McDonald, who played for the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals.
