Once Upon A Summer 10/6/1918: John Donaldson Hurls a Gem; Brooklyn Royal Giants Sweep Twin Bill From Long Island City at Recreation Park

From the desk: DEM BARNSTORMERS & THE DONALDSON NETWORK

The Standard Union (Brooklyn, NY), 

Tuesday, October 8, 1918

On Sunday, October 6, 1918, the Brooklyn Royal Giants sweep a doubleheader against the Long Island City club at Recreation Park, Queens.

GAME ONE - Midwestern star John Donaldson hurls a gem, limiting Long Island City to just four hits and one walk with six strikeouts in a complete-game shutout effort.  Donaldson also helps his cause with two assists in the field and at the plate with the game's only extra-base hits, both a double and triple.  Brooklyn bunches three runs in the third and two more in the fifth en route to a 5-0 final score.  Shortstop John Henry Lloyd tops the Royal Giants with three hits, and third baseman Oliver Marcell leads with two runs scored.

"Donaldson was in magnificent form, holding the locals at his mercy at all times in the first game."

The Standard Union (Brooklyn, NY), Tuesday, October 8, 1918

GAME TWO - Brooklyn exacts a measure of revenge against Long Island City hurler Chad See, who defeated John Donaldson and the Royal Giants back on August 24 while pitching for Morse Dry Dock of Bay Ridge Brooklyn.  The Giants overcome a 2-1 deficit with pairs of runs in the fifth and sixth innings for a 5-2 victory and twin bill sweep over Long Island City.  Royal Giant pitchers Irvin Brooks and right-hander Phil "Fish" Cockrell join together in holding their Queens hosts to just three hits and three walks with five strikeouts, four by Cockrell.  Oliver Marcell and John Henry Lloyd wield extra-base hits.  Phil Cockrell helps the cause with two hits and a run scored.  First baseman Bill Pettus also goes for two hits, including a double, and posts a game-high 13 putouts, including two double-plays with assists from Joe Hewitt and Pop Lloyd.

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BROOKLYN ROYAL GIANTS

ONCE UPON A SUMMER 1918: JOHN DONALDSON'S LONE SEASON WITH THE BROOKLYN ROYAL GIANTS

• 6/28 - Brooklyn Royal Giants Acquire Midwest Pitching Great, John Donaldson
• 6/30 - John Donaldson Loses Brooklyn Royal Giants Debut To New York Lincoln Giants
• 7/3 - John Donaldson Poised To Make Brooklyn/Queens Debut At Dexter Park
• 7/4 - John Donaldson Twirls Shutout Over Cuban Stars In Dexter Park Debut
• 7/7 - Joe Williams Wins Second Straight Decision Over John Donaldson; Lincoln Giants and Royal Giants Split Twin Bill
• 7/13 - Brooklyn Royal Giants Defeat Glendale at Farmer's Oval, Queens
• 7/14 - John Donaldson Defeats Bushwick; Royal Giants Split Twin Bill At Dexter Park
• 7/15 - Brooklyn Royal Giants Take Series Opener From Atlantic City Bacharach Giants
• 7/16 - Brooklyn Royal Giants Take Game Two from Bacharach Giants; John Donaldson Earns The Victory
• 7/17 - Brooklyn Royal Giants Wrap Up Series With Bacharach Giants at Atlantic City
• 7/18 - N.Y. Ship League Team Defeat Brooklyn Royal Giants at Camden, New Jersey
• 7/21 - Cuban Stars Double-Up Brooklyn Royal Giants; John Donaldson Takes Loss at Dexter Park
• 7/24 - Brooklyn Royal Giants Bow To Stan Baumgartner and Bethlehem Steel at Allentown, PA
• 7/27 - Brooklyn Royal Giants Defeat Camp Dix Soldiers*
• 7/28 - Silk Sox Clout John Donaldson's Offerings; Brooklyn Royal Giants Fall at Doherty's Oval
• 8/3 - Brooklyn Royal Giants Defeat Prospect Heights at Hackensack*
• 8/4 - Brooklyn Royal Giants Forfeit Game To Glendale at Farmer's Oval
• 8/7 - Bethlehem Steel Team Hosts a Scoreless Tie Against Brooklyn Royal Giants
• 8/11 - New York Lincoln Giants and Royal Giants Split Twin Bill at Olympic Field; Joe "Cyclone" Williams Wins Opener, John Donaldson Wins Game Two
• 8/17 - New York Ship Wins Second Contest Against Brooklyn Royal Giants at Camden, N.J.
• 8/18 - The Tietjen & Lang Shipyard Nine Defeat John Donaldson and the Brooklyn Royal Giants, North Bergen, N.J.
• 8/24 - Morse Dry Dock BBC Defeat Royal Giants in John Donaldson's True Brooklyn Debut
• 8/25 - Irvin Brooks Twirls Shutout; Brooklyn Royal Giants Defeat Glendale at Farmer Oval, Queens
• 9/1 - New York Lincoln Giants Sweep Twin Bill From Royal Giants at Olympic Field; Joe "Cyclone" Williams Earns Dual Victory, John Donaldson Suffers Loss in Second Tilt
• 9/2 - Brooklyn Royal Giants and Cuban Stars Split Games of a Doubleheader at Dexter Park
• 9/4 - Southpaw John Donaldson Hands Camp Mills Their First Loss This Season; Brooklyn Royal Giants Win, 7 to 6
• 9/8 - John Donaldson's Return Match Against Morse Dry Dock Along Brooklyn Waterfront Likely Rained Out
• 9/12 - Brooklyn Royal Giants Defeat Glendale in Eleven Innings at Farmer's Oval, Queens
• 9/14 - Brooklyn Royal Giants Defeat Tietjen and Lang Club; John Donaldson and the Backdrop of WWI
• 9/15 - Bushwick Sweeps Both Ends of Doubleheader Against Brooklyn Royal Giants at Dexter Park
• 9/22 - Brooklyn Royal Giants Stage Doubleheader Against New York Giants Players at Jersey City
• 9/29 - Smokey Joe Williams Outlasts Irvin Brooks and John Donaldson in Lincoln Giants Decisive Series Win Over Brooklyn Royal Giants

LHP - JOHN DONALDSON'S PITCHING RECORD w/ BROOKLYN:

1. 6/30/1918 - (L) 9 innings, 2 runs, 7 hits, 2 W, 2 K (Lincoln Giants; Olympic Field)
2. 7/4/1918 - (W) 9 innings, 0 RUNS, 5 hits, 1 W, 6 K (Cuban Stars; Dexter Park)
3. 7/7/1918 - (L) 9 innings, 3 runs, 9 hits, 2 W, 2 K (Lincoln Giants; Olympic Field)
4. 7/14/1918 - (W) 9 innings, 1 run, 7 hits, 1 W, 5 K (Bushwick; Dexter Park)
5. 7/16/1918 - (W) 9 innings, 4 runs, 14 hits, (?) W, 6 K (Atlantic City; Bacharach Park, N.J.)
6. 7/21/1918 - (L) 9 innings, 6 runs, 10 hits, 4 W, 1 K (Cuban Stars; Dexter Park)
7. 7/28/1918 - (L) 9 innings, 9 runs, 16 hits, 2 W, 3 K (Silk Sox; Doherty's Oval, N.J.)
8. 8/11/1918 - (W) 9 innings, 2 runs, 13 hits, (?) W, (?) K (Lincoln Giants; Olympic Field)
9. 8/18/1918 - (L) 9 innings, 5 runs, 5 hits, (?) W, 4 K (Tietjen & Lang; Nurge's Field, N.J.)
10. 8/24/1918 - (L) 9 innings, 8 runs, 19 hits, 1 W, 2 K (Morse Dry Dock; Brooklyn)
11. 9/1/1918 - (L) 9 innings, 4 runs, 14 hits, (?) W, (?) K (Lincoln Giants; Olympic Field)
12. 9/2/1918 - (L) 2 innings, 1 run, 2 hits, 0 W, 1 K (Cuban Stars; Dexter Park)
13. 9/4/1918 - (W) 9 innings, 6 runs, 7 hits, (?) W, (?) K (Camp Mills, Garden City, N.Y.)
14. 9/14/1918 - (W) No game account vs. Tietjen and Lang Ship Club (Nurge's Field, N.J.)
15. 9/22/1918 - (L) 9 innings, 7 runs, 10 hits, (?) W, (?) K (New York Giants, Jersey City)
16. 9/29/1918 - (ND) 4 innings, 3 runs, 6 hits, 1 W, 5 K (Lincoln Giants, Olympic Field)
17. 10/6/1918 - (W) 9 innings, 0 RUNS, 4 hits, 1 walk, 6 K (Long Island City, Recreation Park)

• LINE: 132 innings, 61 runs, 148 hits, 15 walks, 42 strikeouts, 4.15 ERA

BEDFORD & SULLIVAN PODCAST:

Restoring Baseball Great John Donaldson's Lost Legacy With Negro Leagues Historian and Founder of The Donaldson Network, Peter Gorton.

Minnesota native Peter Gorton leads a group of historians dedicated to discovering the lost legacy of John Wesley Donaldson.  In this episode, we discuss the man, baseball career, and life of one of the more incredible and inspiring athletes to ever play the game, and how his amazing legacy became lost to a nation, most particularly Baseball's Hall of Fame.  

original airdate: March 13, 2021