This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: pwgortonmb1 Surnames: Classification: lookup Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.missouri.counties.randolph/887/mb.ashx Message Board Post: My name is Pete Gorton and I am leading an effort to shed a past due light on a great American baseball player. John Donaldson a native of Glasgow, Missouri was known in the early Twentieth Century as the "Greatest Colored Pitcher In The World." We have been tracking his playing career for several years and more information is available at: www.johndonaldson.bravehost.com We are looking for a couple of very specific instances when Donaldson played in Randolph county. We have references that mention Donaldson playing in Higbee, Moberly and Clark, Missouri. On August 27, 1908, while playing with the Hannaca Blues, John Donaldson played a game in Higbee, Missouri. We need to check local papers for accounts of this game. We would like to check the local Higbee newspaper if one exists, or a Randolph county newspaper. Later that season on September 13, 1908, Donaldson and the Hannaca Blues squared off with the Moberly, Missouri ball club. We are looking for local Moberly reports on this game. The next spring on April 25, 1909, Donaldson played with Higbee against Fayette, Missouri. We are seeking local reports of this game, if they exist. 22 years later Donaldson was still playing baseball. On August 6, 1933, Donaldson's All Stars played against a team from Clark, Missouri. We are looking to find reports on this game from a Clark newspaper, if one exists. Donaldson traveled throughout the Midwest during his near 40 year baseball playing career. Some say he would have been the best pitcher in the Major Leagues in his prime of 1910 to 1917. Any help you could give would be greatly appreciated. If you are interested in the Donaldson effort, we can send you some background on Donaldson's many exploits in other parts of Missouri and the Midwest. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.
Pete, I'm glad to find out about Donaldson. We will be looking out for him while we are continuing to search for information on Randolph County's great Negro League players. Big Bill Gatewood (a contemporary of John Donaldson) played and managed from 1905-1928 when he came back to Moberly to form Gatewood's Browns. Jimmie Crutchfield and Leroy Matlock played for the Brown's in Moberly and both went on to have long careers in the Negro Leagues. We'll be glad to share as time goes along. An interesting aside is the name of what was the black baseball park in Moberly for many years. Lockwood Field comes from the last syllable in each of their names - Mat lock, Gate wood and Crutch field. All of the papers that you mention, including the Clark Chronicle, are on microfilm at the State Historical Society in Columbia. The Little Dixie library in Moberly has the Higbee News and we have the Moberly Monitor and some of the Huntsville Herald at the History Center in Moberly. Later, Karl Rice, Randolph County Historical Society At 03:17 PM 10/17/2007, gc-gateway@rootsweb.com wrote: >This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. > >Author: pwgortonmb1 >Surnames: >Classification: lookup > >Message Board URL: > >http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.missouri.counties.randolph/887/mb.ashx > >Message Board Post: > >My name is Pete Gorton and I am leading an effort to shed a past due >light on a great American baseball player. John Donaldson a native >of Glasgow, Missouri was known in the early Twentieth Century as >the "Greatest Colored Pitcher In The World." We have been tracking >his playing career for several years and more information is available at: > >www.johndonaldson.bravehost.com > >We are looking for a couple of very specific instances when >Donaldson played in Randolph county. We have references that >mention Donaldson playing in Higbee, Moberly and Clark, Missouri. >On August 27, 1908, while playing w
Pete, I'm glad to find out about Donaldson. We will be looking out for him while we are continuing to search for information on Randolph County's great Negro League players. Big Bill Gatewood (a contemporary of John Donaldson) played and managed from 1905-1928 when he came back to Moberly to form Gatewood's Browns. Jimmie Crutchfield and Leroy Matlock played for the Brown's in Moberly and both went on to have long careers in the Negro Leagues. We'll be glad to share as time goes along. An interesting aside is the name of what was the black baseball park in Moberly for many years. Lockwood Field comes from the last syllable in each of their names - Mat lock, Gate wood and Crutch field. All of the papers that you mention, including the Clark Chronicle, are on microfilm at the State Historical Society in Columbia. The Little Dixie library in Moberly has the Higbee News and we have the Moberly Monitor and some of the Huntsville Herald at the History Center in Moberly. Later, Karl Rice, Randolph County Historical Society At 03:17 PM 10/17/2007, gc-gateway@rootsweb.com wrote: >This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. > >Author: pwgortonmb1 >Surnames: >Classification: lookup > >Message Board URL: > >http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.missouri.counties.randolph/887/mb.ashx > >Message Board Post: > >My name is Pete Gorton and I am leading an effort to shed a past due >light on a great American baseball player. John Donaldson a native >of Glasgow, Missouri was known in the early Twentieth Century as >the "Greatest Colored Pitcher In The World." We have been tracking >his playing career for several years and more information is available at: > >www.johndonaldson.bravehost.com > >We are looking for a couple of very specific instances when >Donaldson played in Randolph county. We have references that >mention Donaldson playing in Higbee, Moberly and Clark, Missouri. >On August 27, 1908, while playing w
Karl: I found this item in my book material -- it doesn't match up with the gentleman's date of a game in Higbee. If there had been one earlier than this September item I'm thinking I would have used it instead, but at any rate: "Higbee's colored ball team, known as the Black Tigers, won what those who witnessed it say was one of the best ball games ever played here, when they defeated the Little Devils of Moberly by a score of 2-1. A Glasgow negro who caught for the Tigers had his right hand badly split and a finger broken by a pitched ball." Since this is all in quotes I apparently entered the item in its entirety to use the editor's words instead of paraphrasing, as I have done, to save space. Just thought this might help...See you Saturday probably.