Evening journal., 1918-11-06

Winchell Smith and John L. Golden
picked 1874 hitter for their play when
they selected Michael ]. Donlin for
a role, the Giants former captain being
one OF the few pastimers who not
only was able 10 act on the diamond,
but "a able 10 act on the stage. DOnlin
has been trying his hand at tn. theairi-
cal game. on and on. since 1907. and Is
probably In It ior soOd now, having
dealt the dope that ball players cannot
act terrible Jolt.
Charles II. HOyt thought Pop Arson
could act and did NOT learn his mistake
until after he had put the venerated
veteran IN piece which opened IN Syr-
acuse and which closed very close TO
Salt Lake City. w. Arlington Latham,
who had big following on the dla,
mond and who Is now IN France umplr-
ing. was starred In a play by X. Grat-
tan Donnelly. snd the losses Of the per-
son who starred the Dude would have
bought many Liberty Bonds Donlln Is
not starred. he merely acts one OF the
principal parts in the play. and he Is
getting about the same amount OF ap-
plause as he used 10 when he was
breaking up games for the Browns,
Orioles. Reds and Giants. Mike broke
up very few for the Pirates and Braves.
Actor Donlin certainly got his share
Of safeties while he was playing on the
major league circuits, procuring i,2s7
In 1859 times at bat and running up an
average OF .33&. lie played when the
scoring was less lenient than Il now IS,
too. There were only two years, during
the dozen Michael ]. put in fast com
pany that he didn't qualify for mem
bership In the Society OF the Three
Hundred. those being 1902, when his
percentage was .29i. and 1914, when his
percentage was i6i. DOnlln's last Job
was with the Giants and then he was
used extensively for pinch-hittlng pur-
poses.
One OF the days when Donlin deliver
I'd for John McGraw was May 26. 1914,
when, batting for Arthur Fromme in
the eighth against James Sanford Law
ender, OF the Cubs, he knocked out a
homer and broke up the controversy.
That was not the Thespian's first four
bagger as an emergency swatter. He
took "Rube" Marquards place at the
the Reds and hit for the circuit.
Donlin's greatest day with the stick !
was when he was working for John Nc !
Graw in Baltimore In 1901. On June "a ]
OF that year the orioles picked Roscoe |
Miller, Of the Tigers, for 25 wallops li9 |
singles, 3 doubles and 3 triples), Dom |
lin getting almost a fourth Of them. He
singled twice, doubled twice and trlpled |
twice.
Donlln, who was born in Erie, Pa,
learned how TO hit out on the coast. He
was with the Santa Cruz club, OF the
California State League in 1899 and
burnt up that organization, binging for
.40i and averaging almost two hits TO
the game. He then doubled In pitching,
one OF the men who faced him who still
Is Identified with the pastime that was
declared nOn-essential during the period
of the Kaiser being George Hlldebrand.
Donlln played just 29 games in the
California State League OF almost 20
years ago before advancing TO fast COM
pany. The way he advanced was this:
The editor Of a baseball paper In st.
Louis noticed the way Donlin was pes
tering pitchers out on the coast and
handed the information TO Pat Tebeau,
then boss Of the Mound City outfit. Te-
beau wired Donlln transportation and
he came on east, being a flivver as a
pitcher in the National, but great sue
cess as a hitter.
Mike was never able 20 tear OF six
safeties In a National League contest
like he did In an American League
game, the greatest number OF clouts he
accumulated In one fray on the senior
circuit being five. On June 2, 1900. he
jumped on Boston pitchers for three
singles, triple and homo run-a total
Of 10 bases.
Donlin's great feat Of June 2l, 1901,
in the American, when his six drives
totaled ~ bases, already has been al
luded to.
On August IS, 1908, Michael ]. pro-
cured two doubles and one home run of
Joe McGlnnity, OF the Giants, who then
was at his best, and on September %,
1903, he got next to Fred Mitchell, OF
philadelphia (the same Fred Mitchell {