John Wesley Donaldson
Newspaper Clippings about Southpaw Pitcher John Donaldson
April-July 1911 John Donaldson Games
Stories are placed in order of the date they appeared.
April 15, 1911
Novinger, MO
"We are in receipt of a letter from John Wesley Donaldson, Glasgow's crack amateur ball pitcher..."
April 29 & 30, 1911
Centerville, IA
"The base ball games Saturday and Sunday between the Tennessee Rats and Centerville resulted in an even break..."
May 2, 1911
Derby, IA
"The Tennessee Rats defeated Derby, 10 to 1, in a fast game of ball at Derby yesterday."
May 19 & 20, 1911
Redfield, IA
"A dark cloud descended upon Redfield last Friday, in the shape of Brown's minstrel troupe..."
May 22 & 23, 1911
Jefferson, IA
"On the base ball field they defeated Jefferson's new city team by a score of 2 to 1 on Monday, and 5 to 2 yesterday."
May 24 & 25, 1911
Grand Junction, IA
"On Wednesday of last week the Cubs played the Tennessee Rats..."
May 29 & 30, 1911
Coon Rapids, IA
"Brown's 'Tennessee Rats,' the colored baseball team which will be seen in Perry Friday and Saturday, continue to win all the games in sight..."
May 31 & June 1, 1911
Bayard, IA
"Butler struck out 1 and Donaldson 7."
June 2 & 3, 1911
Perry, IA
"Donaldson, the left handed colored man, had the Firemen at his mercy nearly all of the time and registered the phenomenal record of nineteen strikeouts."
June 7, 1911
Melbourne, IA
"Melbourne Wins From Colored Team. Brown's Tennessee Rats, a negro combined minstrel troupe and baseball aggregation, met defeat in two games of baseball at Melbourne, Wednesday and Thursday, the home team winning the first game 4 to 2..."
June 8, 1911
Melbourne, IA
"... and the second 2 to 0. The colored team is making a tour of the Milwaukee railroad, giving entertainments at night and playing ball in the afternoon. This is the first time on a trip that the team has lost two successive games to a single team."
June 9, 1911
Tama, IA
"The colored team played at Tama Friday, and are at Baxter for a game this afternoon and Sunday."
June 10 & 11, 1911
Baxter, IA
"Baxter lost two fast games to the Tennessee Rats here Saturday and Sunday."
June 11, 1911
Jefferson, SD
"The Jefferson Ball team crossed bats here Sunday with the Tennessee Rats from Sioux City. Our boys proved a little too fast for the colored gentlemen, and the score was 17 to 7 in our favor."
June 20, 1911
Lehigh, IA
"The game was a good one and the Rats display such ability that Lehigh people are planning to attend some of the Fort Dodge games."
June 21, 1911
Fort Dodge, IA
"Playing against a professional team of ball players, the K. C. team met defeat yesterday by a score of 9 to 3, at the K. C. park."
June 22, 1911
Fort Dodge, IA
"The scoring for the home team began in the last of the third. Bostick walked, went second on a wild pitch by (sic) Donaldson."
June 23, 1911
Fort Dodge, IA
"It was an interesting game as there was an immense lot of enthusiasm and the team from Lehigh put up a good fight."
June 24, 1911
Fort Dodge, IA
"By a score of ten to one the Tennessee Rats won the final game of the Rat series over the Gas Lights Saturday."
July 1, 1911
Indianapolis, IN
"Leading Baseball Clubs. - The Freeman Will publish Free a List of the Leading Baseball Clubs Each Week - Managers Get Busy. - Brown's Tennessee Rats - W.A. Brown manager enroute."
July 9, 1911
Graettinger, IA
"The Tennessee Rats, a colored base ball team, defeated Graettinger Sunday..."
July 12, 1911
Estherville, IA
"Another inning was played and the 'Rats' made the deciding score and the game was over in the tenth inning."
Estherville, IA
"Estherville Team Improves. - Special to Times-Republican. Estherville, July 17. - Estherville's baseball team played a ten inning game with the Tennessee Rats, a colored team, with the result, 3 to 2 in favor of the latter."
July 13, 1911
Armstrong, IA
"The Armstrong ball team defeated the 'Tennessee Rats' Thursday..."
July 16, 1911
Buffalo Center, IA
"Several automobile loads of people went to Buffalo Center Sunday and witnessed the ball game between Buffalo Center and the 'Tennessee Rats.' Score 11 to 8 for the 'Rats.'"
August-October 1911 John Donaldson Games
Stories are placed in order of the date they appeared.
August 23, 1911
Kensett, IA
"The ball game between the dandy and darky Tennessee Rats and Tenold Nine went 9 to 1 in favor of the darkies."
August 27, 1911
Charles City, IA
"For the Rats (sic) Donaldson, their star left-hander, officiated and he is one of the greatest pitchers in the bush today..."
August 29, 1911
Charles City, IA
"(sic) Donaldson Some Pitcher - Local Swatters Chop Air Getting Only Two Blows in Getaway Battle."
August 31, 1911
Eldora, IA
"Eldora Wins Championship. - Ball Team Takes Two of Three Games With Washington. - Special to Times-Republican. - Eldora, August 31. - The Eldora baseball team, in the series of games with the Washington, Iowa aggregation got away with the plum pudding, shutting out the southern Iowa enthusiasts in two of the three games played. The series was for the amateur championship of Iowa. The local team returns home today for a series of three games with the Tennessee Rats, a colored aggregation that has been responsible for the utter rout of many of the clubs in this section."
September 1, 1911
Eldora, IA
"Eldora Defeats Tennessee Rats. - Special to Times-Republican. - Eldora, September 2. - The Eldora baseball team yesterday afternoon took the Tennessee Rats, a colored aggregation, into camp by the score of 14 to 0. The same teams play on the home grounds again today."
September 2, 1911
Eldora, IA
"In the ball games here Saturday and Sunday between the Tennessee Rats and the local team, the locals were easy winners. Saturday's game was a shutout, 7 to 0..."
September 3, 1911
Eldora, IA
"... and on Sunday the home boys performed a similar act by the score of 6 to 0. In forty-five innings now the Eldora teams has not been scored against and the boys have not been playing amateurs, either."
Eldora, IA
"Result of Games Played. - Tennessee Rats - Lost 1, won 3, shutouts. In the last eighteen games with such clubs as Estherville, Washington, and the Tennessee rats our club piled up 119 scores to our opponents' thirty-one, shutting out the enemy in nine games."
September 4, 1911
Jewell, IA
"Earned runs, Jewell 2, Rats 4."
September 6, 1911
Clarion, IA
"Wright County Fair. - Good Speed Program and Other Attractive Features. - Special to Times-Republican. - Clarion, August 24. - The annual Wright County Fair will be held Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of next week, September 5 to 8. On Wednesday and Thursday one of the best speed programs ever given here will be on the track. The prizes are liberal. The Clarion concert band and the Brown's Tennessee minstrel band will furnish music. The Tennessee Rats, the colored baseball team which has defeated all the fastest teams in Iowa, will play Dows on two different days. The exhibits of the county schools, which in years past has been a great attraction, will be further increased.
September 7, 1911
Dakota City, NE
"Brown's Tennessee Minstrels gave a tent show here last Thursday evening which was fairly well attended. In the afternoon their baseball team, the Tennessee Rats, defeated the local ball team by a score of 2 to 0. They have 'some ball team,' from the way they took into camp the teams down the line, including the Homer, Allen, Winnebago, and Walt teams."
September 11, 1911
Humboldt, IA
"The fastest colored ball team in the United States will play the regular Humboldt Semi-Pro Team each afternoon of the Fair, September 12-13-14 - $300 Purse and Side Bets"
"Baseball fans will find much to please them in the three days' games at the fair. The Tennessee Rats have an enviable reputation and you all know the Humboldt team. The purse is $300 and there will be 'some ball playing.' Don't miss these games."
"Tuesday the Tennessee Rats defeated the Humboldt team who were largely pickups in a very slow game of ball by the score of 7 to 2."
September 12, 1911
Humboldt, IA
"Tuesday the Tennessee Rats defeated the Humboldt team..."
September 13, 1911
Humboldt, IA
"Wednesday more of the Humboldt team were on deck and the game was more interesting..."
September 14, 1911
Humboldt, IA
"The Rats worked their best man - the long left-hander."
September 15, 1911
Lehigh, IA
"The Lehigh Pipe and Tile company team defeated Brown's Tennessee Rats in an eleven inning game today by a score of 8 to 7."
September 16, 1911
Lehigh, IA
"Saturday's game was interesting from start to finish and it was in the latter part of the ninth inning that the winning score was made."
September 17, 1911
Lehigh, IA
"Sunday a record breaking crowd saw the Rats everlastingly beat the Lehigh team, and it was easy, too, Donaldson, the southpaw, did the twirling act and he had the best of them guessing."
September 20, 1911
Britt, IA
"Donaldson, the same pitcher that twirled for the colored aggregation when they played here, was on the mound for the Rats."
September 21, 1911
Britt, IA
"Donaldson was again on the mound for the Rats, and those who witnessed the game say he was as strong at the end of the twelfth inning as he was at the beginning of the game the day before."
September 24?, 1911
Northwood, IA
"County Fair Sports at Northwood. - Special to Times-Republican. - Northwood, September 27. - The Tennessee Rats won in a game of baseball with Glenville with a score of 9 to 1. The game was a fast, clean game and was played with as good spirit as any game played before this season."
September 29, 1911
Wells, MN
"Wells base ball team was defeated Friday afternoon by the Tennesee Rats."
October 5, 1911
Kensett, IA
"Dr. Gibbs' team gave the Tennessee Rats a hard fun for the ball game yesterday."
July-August 1911 John Donaldson Games
Stories are placed in order of the date they appeared.
July 17, 1911
Bancroft, IA
"The Tennessee Rats were too many for our ball boys Monday. They are a colored aggregation that travel and play every day and no unprofessional team can be expected to best them. Our boys were not in the best of trim and were defeated by a score of 8 to 3. This is the first defeat our boys have met this year."
July 18, 1911
Estherville, IA
"The Tennessee Rats (colored) defeated the Estherville boys..."
July 19, 1911
Burt, IA
"The Tennessee Rats were winners in a one-sided ball game here Wednesday with a score of 16 to 6."
"The Burt ball team played the Tennessee Rats, and of course Burt got skinned. Modesty forbids our publishing the score."
July 24, 1911
Wesley, IA
"The ball game Monday played between the Darkeys and Wesley was won by the former, 15 to 2."
July 26, 1911
Burt, IA
"The Tennessee Rats defeated the Burt boys Wednesday..."
July 30, 1911
Clear Lake, IA
"(sic) Donaldson for the colored aggregation, struck out twenty of the lakers batsmen..."
August 1 & 2, 1911
Clear Lake, IA
"Minstrel Troupe Baseball Team and Clear Lake Divide Games."
August 8, 1911
Webster City, IA
"The big game with the Tennessee Rats is on at the ball park this afternoon. The Tennessee Rats play here both today and tomorrow."
Webster City, IA
"The Tennessee Rats, a traveling colored baseball team, walloped Webster City this afternoon to the tune of 9 to 0."
August 9, 1911
Webster City, IA
"Double Plays - Donaldson to Wilson..."
August 12, 1911
Ackley, IA
"With Siebold working in fine form the Ackley White Sox held the fast colored team..."
August 13, 1911
Eldora, IA
"The pitcher for the Rats on Sunday appeared to be the whole team and the Eldora boys were unable to hit him at all."
Eldora, IA
"The Tennessee Rats handed a big lemon to the Eldora baseball club Sunday in the shape of a shut out, 2 to 0."
August 17, 1911
Thornton, IA
"3:00 p.m. - Baseball, purse $125. Tennessee Rats vs. either Clear Lake, Mason City, or Charles City."
Thornton, IA
"Struck out, by Welsh, 2; by Donaldson, 9."
Thornton, IA
"Four Thousand at Picnic. - Thornton's Annual Gala Day Proves Great Success. - Special to Times-Republican. - Thornton, Iowa, August 23. - Thornton's fourth merchants' and farmers' annual picnic was held as advertised and was more largely attended than ever before. The day was ideal, as was the crowd. Early in the morning the people began coming to town until the numbers were swelled to 4,000 or better. Brown's colored band gave a very entertaining concert in the park preceding the morning program which consisted of solos, songs by the colored male quartet and a number given by a chorus of local talent. After dinner the usual street sports were pulled off, and in order to give the people an opportunity to see the colored minstrels a short program was given between 2 and 3 o'clock. The Tennessee Rats played the Clear Lake team for $125, winners receiving 60 per cent, and the losers 40 per cent. The game was called at 3:30 and was witnessed by about 2,500 to 3,000 people, Clear Lake winning the game by a score of 5 to 1."
August 18 & 19, 1911
Sheffield, IA
"...but they probably would have won anyhow as Donaldson was in fine form and any team that beats him knows that there has been a ball game."
August 20, 1911
Clear Lake, IA
"Struck out, by Donaldson, 16."
August 21, 1911
Clear Lake, IA
"This will be followed by a game of ball between Clear Lake and the Tennessee Rats..."
Clear Lake, IA
"The Rats are a jolly good bunch of ball players and draw like a house afire."