Mike Donlin, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

    

Mike Donlin

American baseball player

Date of Birth: 30-May-1878

Place of Birth: Peoria, Illinois, United States

Date of Death: 24-Sep-1933

Profession: baseball player

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Gemini


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About Mike Donlin

  • Michael Joseph Donlin (May 30, 1878 – September 24, 1933) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder and actor.
  • As a professional baseball player, his MLB career spanned from 1899 to 1914 in which he played mainly in the National League for seven teams over 12 seasons.
  • His most notable time was with the New York Giants, where he starred in the outfield for John McGraw's 1904 pennant winners and 1905 World Series champions.
  • One of the finest hitters of the dead-ball era, his .333 career batting average ranks 28th all time and he finished in the top three in batting five times.
  • In each of those same seasons, he also finished in the top ten in the league in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and home runs. A controversial character – Donlin, also known as "Turkey Mike" for his unique strut – his entertaining personality, flamboyant style of dress, and prodigious talent as a hitter caused him to be lionized as "the baseball idol of Manhattan." However, alcoholism led to friction with club officials and incarceration.
  • Donlin attempted to leverage his popularity as an athlete to launch a career in Broadway theatre where he met and married Vaudeville comedian Mabel Hite in 1906.
  • Together, they performed in the baseball-themed play Stealing Home for about three years. Between the waning popularity of the play in 1911 and Hite's death the following year, Donlin attempted short-lived comebacks with the Giants, Boston Rustlers, and Pittsburgh Pirates.
  • His forays into acting cut short an undeniable talent that could have been a much more successful major league career; he reached 100 games in just five of his MLB seasons.
  • After convincing McGraw to sign him for the last time in 1914, Donlin endured a disappointing 35-game cameo with the Giants, leading him to devote his efforts to launch his acting career.
  • He migrated to Hollywood, where close friend John Barrymore helped him attain work.
  • Although he made at least 53 appearances on film, the prospects of stardom never materialized.
  • Donlin remained in Hollywood continuing in his acting career until his death in 1933.

Read more at Wikipedia

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