Patsy Donovan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Patsy Donovan
Donovan in 1910
Right fielder / Manager
Born: (1865-03-16)March 16, 1865 Queenstown, Ireland
Died: December 25, 1953(1953-12-25) (aged 88) Lawrence, Massachusetts, U.S.
Batted: Left Threw: Left
debut
April 19, 1890, for the Boston Beaneaters
Last appearance
October 5, 1907, for the Brooklyn Superbas
MLB statistics
Batting average	.301
Hits	2,256
Home runs	16
Runs batted in	738
Stolen bases	518
Managerial record	684–879
Teams
As player Boston Beaneaters (1890) Brooklyn Bridegrooms (1890) Louisville Colonels (1891) Washington Statesmen / Senators (NL) (1891–1892) Pittsburgh Pirates (1892–1899) St. Louis Cardinals (1900–1903) Washington Senators (AL) (1904) Brooklyn Superbas (1906–1907) As manager Pittsburgh Pirates (1897, 1899) St. Louis Cardinals (1901–1903) Washington Senators (1904) Brooklyn Superbas (1906–1908) Boston Red Sox (1910–1911)
Career highlights and awards
NL stolen base leader (1900)

Patrick Joseph Donovan (born March 16, 1865 – died December 25, 1953) was a famous baseball player and manager. He was born in Ireland and became a right fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for many teams from 1890 to 1907. He is best known for his time with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Donovan was a great hitter, with a lifetime batting average of .301. This means he got a hit about 3 out of every 10 times he tried. He also set a record for playing the most games in right field. He was among the top players in total games played, assists, and double plays as an outfielder. Patsy Donovan batted and threw with his left hand.

Early Life and Baseball Beginnings

Patsy Donovan was born in Queenstown, County Cork, Ireland. He became the most successful Irish-born player in Major League Baseball. He started playing organized baseball in 1886. His first team was in Lawrence, Massachusetts, in the New England League.

Minor League Adventures

In 1888 and 1889, Donovan played for the London Tecumsehs. This team was part of the International Association. They played at Tecumseh Park in London, Ontario, Canada. In his first year, 1888, he was an amazing hitter. He led the league with a .359 batting average. He also had 201 hits, scored 103 runs, and stole 80 bases! His second season was not as good because of a leg injury.

Playing in the Major Leagues

Donovan made his big league debut in 1890 with the Boston Beaneaters. This was in the National League (NL). He then moved to the Brooklyn Bridegrooms that same year. This was the only time in his career he played for a team that won the league championship.

In 1891, he played in the American Association (AA). He played for the Louisville Colonels and Washington Statesmen. He returned to the NL in 1892. He first played for the Senators (who used to be the Statesmen). Then he joined the Pirates for most of that year.

Star Player with the Pirates

Donovan was a star player for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1893 to 1899. He hit over .300 for six years in a row. He also served as a player-manager for the team in 1897 and 1899. This means he both played and managed the team.

Late in 1899, the team was sold. The league was also getting smaller, from twelve teams to eight. The new owner, Barney Dreyfuss, brought in Fred Clarke to be the manager. Donovan was then sent to the St. Louis Cardinals. He played for St. Louis from 1900 to 1903. In his first year, he shared the league lead in stolen bases with 45. He also managed the Cardinals for his last three seasons with them.

By the end of the 1903 season, he was among the top ten players in the NL for career hits and at bats. He also held a major league record for playing 1401 games in right field. However, Willie Keeler passed his record in 1906. Donovan finished his playing career with 1620 games in right field. In 1906, he became the manager of the Brooklyn Superbas. He played his last few games that year and one more in 1907.

In his 17-season playing career, Donovan had 2256 hits. He also scored 1321 runs, hit 16 home runs, and had 738 runs batted in in 1824 games. He also had 208 doubles and 75 triples. He stole 302 bases from 1890 to 1897. After the rules for stolen bases changed in 1898, he stole 216 more.

Life After Playing Baseball

After his playing days, Donovan joined the Boston Red Sox as a scout in 1909. A scout helps find new talented players. He then managed the Red Sox in 1910 and 1911. As a major league manager, he won 684 games and lost 879 games over 11 seasons.

Patsy Donovan also played a big part in bringing Babe Ruth to the Red Sox in 1914. He knew one of the coaches who worked with Ruth at an orphans' home in Baltimore. Later, Donovan managed teams in the International League. He led Buffalo to win championships in 1915 and 1916. He also managed Jersey City for several years.

In 1929 and 1930, Donovan managed the Orleans town team in the Cape Cod Baseball League. In 1930, one of his players was Red Rolfe, who later became a legend for the New York Yankees.

In 1930, at 65 years old, Donovan even got a pinch hit single in an old-timers' game in Boston. He finished his career coaching high school baseball at Phillips Academy in Andover. There, he coached George H. W. Bush, who would later become the 41st President of the United States. Patsy Donovan passed away at 88 years old on Christmas Day 1953, in Lawrence, Massachusetts. He is buried in St. Mary Cemetery in Lawrence.

Honors

In the Irish Baseball League, there is an award named after him. It is called "The Patsy Donovan Batting Champion Award" and is given to the best hitter each year.

Managerial Record

Here is a summary of Patsy Donovan's record as a manager in Major League Baseball:

See Also

• List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
• List of Major League Baseball annual stolen base leaders
• List of Major League Baseball player-managers
• List of players from Ireland in Major League Baseball