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The section of the article about Donaldson reads: DAY ATTRACTS VETS OF PAST May I indicate a few of the stars of yesteryear who have been contacted with news of the initial effort to honor the developer of modern colored baseball. Steel Arm Johnny Taylor, a member of Foster's 1907 team, and one of his mainstay pitchers, has for a number of years been operating a Turkish bath house in Peoria, Ill. Taylor, old times will remember, made some unusual records on the mound. In the season of 1909, he won 37 and lost 6, his work at all times featuring a cannonball delivery. More than likely this speed ball artist will start in the box for the colored old timers. Many another old timer has been reached and to a man they have accepted the opportunity of turning back the pages of time and to recant on the diamond and in the club house their deeds and the deeds of the man whose memory they are honoring on August 2. May we give you a brief resume of some of those whom you will likely see cavorting again on the same field they used to write baseball history: Bobby Winston, one of the greatest outfielders of all time, and a member of the 10, 11 and 12 teams, will again don the spangles and will show his speed in the outer garden. Leroy Grant, who most old timers remember as one of the greatest first basemen of all time, will journey in from Michigan City, Ind., to once again pull his hidden ball tricks at the initial sack. This year's American Giants manager, Bingo DeMoss, considered one of the greatest second basemen of all time, and at present demonstrating his teaching ability of the many things learned from Rube Foster, in his brilliant success with his 1936 American Giants Colts, will appear at the keystone sack and have as a double play partner that former American Giant manager and stellar third sacker, on the last great teams turned out by Rube Foster, that prince of good fellows, Dave Malarcher. Genial Dave will fill in at shortstop in the absence of Bobby Williams, who has indicated that the press of business will not allow him to be present. However, Dave's old position at third base will be capably covered by the star he displaced, that little man who could do so much with hot grounders, the never-to-be-forgotten Francois. I can still see his long arms swing down and pull in those line drives heading down the left field line and by a marvelous throw catching the runner by a step. The battery will be well taken care of as there is a host of material. Behind the bat two of Rube's greatest catchers will perform - Jim Brown, that quick-thinking ready-to-fight star of the closing years of Rube's era, and probably the greatest catcher of all times; Bruce Petway, who time hasn't handled severely. Petway, initially reluctant to appera, couldn't resist the lure of sitting on a bench with many of his former teammates. In the pitching mound a real array of talent is available. Those two stelar southpaws, Pat Dougherty and John Donaldson, would be sufficient, but add those two great right handers, Walter Bell and Tom Williams, and you will be looing at a group that in its prime would have dominated American baseball. Donaldson to this day holds the record of having pitched three consecutive and complete no hit no run games. Ripley featured him in this feat, as well as some of the other unusual marks this left-handed star created in his many years' dominanace on the mound. Other players who will likely fill in particularly in the outfield are Jimmy Lyons, Jelly Gardner and Joe Green, should he be able to place his own semi-pro team in capable hands for the day. It has been difficult to reach every former member of the American Giant teams. If you are in this category, your former teammates would like to see you on hand. |
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