Highlighted Year: Bill Donovan, 1903

Pitcher, Detroit Tigers

Age:  26

1^st season with Tigers

Bats – Both, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 190 

Prior to 1903:

A native of Lawrence, Massachusetts, Donovan began playing baseball in his youth in Lawrence and Waverly, New York. Signed by the Washington Senators of the NL in 1898, he was unsuccessful as both a pitcher and outfielder. His pitching record was 1-6 in 17 games with a 4.30 ERA. In 1899 he produced a 17-4 tally with the Richmond Bluebirds of the Class A Atlantic League along with 71 strikeouts and 128 walks over 200 innings. He appeared in five games with Brooklyn and had a 1-2 tally. In 1900 he again split time between the minors and Brooklyn, pitching for Hartford of the Eastern League and again seeing scant action with the Superbas. Known as “Wild Bill” and “Chowder Bill” for his rowdy participation in Hartford’s chowder parties, as opposed to his propensity for walking batters, his pitching career appeared to be on the ropes, but Brooklyn manager Ned Hanlon decided to stick with him. With his outstanding fastball and curve, Donovan rewarded Hanlon’s confidence with a breakout season in 1901 in which he led the NL in wins with his 25-15 record, and in walks issued (152). He also tied for the league lead in games pitched (45). In addition he recorded 226 strikeouts over 351 innings and compiled 36 complete games. Donovan followed up with another solid season in 1902, posting a 17-15 record and 2.78 ERA with 30 complete games, 4 shutouts, and 170 strikeouts with 111 walks. In the offseason, and just prior to the peace agreement between the National and American Leagues, Donovan jumped to the AL’s Tigers.

1903 Season Summary

Appeared in 40 games

P – 35, SS – 2, PH – 2, 2B – 1, CF – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 35 [14]

Games Started – 34 [8, tied with four others]

Complete Games – 34 [1, tied with Rube Waddell & Cy Young]

Wins – 17 [11, tied with Doc White & Chief Bender]

Losses – 16 [6, tied with five others]

PCT - .515 [18, tied with Doc White]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 4 [6, tied with Rube Waddell, Red Donahue & Jack Powell]

Innings Pitched – 307 [6]

Hits – 247 [18]

Runs – 104

Earned Runs – 78 [17]

Home Runs – 3

Bases on Balls – 95 [2]

Strikeouts – 187 [2]

ERA – 2.29 [9]

Hit Batters – 5

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 7 [5, tied with Doc White, John Townsend & Al Orth] 

Midseason Snapshot: 12-5, ERA – 2.08, SO - 107 in 155.2 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 10 (in 9 IP) vs. Cleveland 9/2, (in 11 IP) at Bos. Americans 9/25

10+ strikeout games – 2

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 3 (in 9 IP) vs. Washington 5/23, (in 9 IP) vs. Phila. A’s 6/27, (in 9 IP) at Bos. Americans 7/17, (in 9 IP) vs. St. Louis Browns 9/30

Batting

PA – 138, AB – 124, R – 11, H – 30, 2B – 3, 3B – 2, HR – 0, RBI – 12, BB – 4, SO – 34, SB – 3, CS – N/A, AVG - .242, GDP – N/A, HBP – 0, SH – 9, SF – N/A

Fielding (P)

Chances – 96

Put Outs – 25

Assists – 65

Errors – 6

DP – 2

Pct. - .938

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The Tigers went 65-71 to finish fifth in the AL, 25 games behind the pennant-winning Boston Americans. The Tigers broke out fast with a 5-1 start before fading in May and never rising above fourth place the rest of the way. As during the previous year, it was effective pitching, including Donovan, that fueled any success the club had as, other than outfielders Jimmy Barrett, Billy Lush, and Sam Crawford, the offensive production was lacking.

Aftermath of 1903:

Detroit dropped to seventh in 1904 and “Wild Bill” remained part of an effective pitching staff as he posted a 16-16 record and 2.46 ERA along with 137 strikeouts over 293 innings that included 30 complete games. The Tigers showed improvement in 1905 and Donovan contributed an 18-15 tally, 2.60 ERA, and 135 strikeouts along with 101 walks while pitching 280.2 innings. Hindered by a sore arm in 1906, Donovan slumped to 9-15 and a 3.15 ERA with 22 complete games and 85 strikeouts over 211.2 innings. Back in good form in 1907 with the pennant-winning Tigers, he produced a 25-4 record and 2.19 ERA with 27 complete games, 3 shutouts, and 123 strikeouts over 271 innings. He lost his only decision in the World Series against the Chicago Cubs. Dubbed “Smiling Bill” by sportswriters, the personable Donovan was popular with the fans but could be temperamental on the field, frequently drawing the ire of umpires. At a point when the Tigers were a successful team, he was known for his clutch performances in big games. Detroit topped the AL again in 1908, and Donovan’s tally was 18-7 with a 2.08 ERA, 25 complete games, and 141 strikeouts while compiling 242.2 innings. His two-hit shutout of the White Sox in the season’s last game clinched the pennant although he lost twice in the World Series as Detroit again fell to the Cubs. Once again dealing with a sore arm in 1909, “Wild Bill” only appeared in 21 games while posting an 8-7 record with a 2.31 ERA and 76 strikeouts over 140.1 innings. The Tigers won a third straight pennant but lost to Pittsburgh in the World Series. Donovan won Game 2 with a complete game but took the loss in the decisive seventh game. Arm trouble behind him in 1910, he had a 17-7 tally and 2.44 ERA with 107 strikeouts over 206.2 innings. In 1911 his record dropped to 10-9 with a 3.31 ERA and 81 strikeouts over 168.1 innings pitched. Donovan appeared in only three games, one of them a start, in 1912 and became a scout for the Tigers. Sent to the Providence Grays of the International League to gain managerial experience, the player/manager pitched occasionally, which was again the case in 1914. Named manager of the New York Yankees in 1915, he made 9 pitching appearances for the fifth-place club. They rose to fourth in 1916 while Donovan made only one mound appearance. Following one more season managing the Yankees in 1917, in which the club slipped to sixth and he was replaced by Miller Huggins, Donovan returned to the Tigers as a coach in 1918 and made his last two pitching appearances. For his major league career, “Wild Bill” produced a 185-139 record and a 2.69 ERA with 289 complete games, 35 shutouts, 8 saves, and 1552 strikeouts over 2964.2 innings pitched. With the Tigers his record was 140-96 with a 2.49 ERA, 213 complete games, 29 shutouts, 3 saves, and 1079 strikeouts over 2137.1 innings. Appearing in 6 World Series games, all with Detroit, his record was 1-4 with a 2.70 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 50 innings. Following his playing career, Donovan managed the Jersey City Skeeters of the International League in 1919 and ’20, the Philadelphia Phillies in 1921, and Hartford of the Eastern League in 1922 and ’23. Donovan was killed in a train wreck in Forsyth, New York in December of 1923 at age 47 while enroute to the baseball winter meetings in Chicago. His major league managerial record was 220-239.

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Highlighted Years feature players who led a major league in one of the following categories: batting average, home runs (with a minimum of 10), runs batted in, or stolen bases (with a minimum of 20); or pitchers who led a major league in wins, strikeouts, earned run average, or saves (with a minimum of 10). Also included are participants in annual All-Star Games between the National and American Leagues since 1933. This category also includes Misc. players who received award votes, were contributors to teams that reached the postseason, or had notable seasons in non-award years.