Darnell McDonald
Encyclopedia
Darnell Tyrone McDonald (born November 17, 1978 in Fort Collins, Colorado
) is an American professional baseball
outfielder
with the Boston Red Sox
of Major League Baseball
.
26th overall in the first round in the amateur entry draft. He began his professional career with Single-A Frederick
, but after four games and two stolen bases there, he moved to Single-A Delmarva
. In 134 games with Delmarva, he stole 35 bases and hit .261. His 35 stolen bases were a professional career high for him. He stayed with Single-A Frederick for the entire 1999 season, and in 130 games, he stole 26 bases and hit .266. He earned a promotion to Double-A Bowie
in 2000, with whom he hit .242 in 116 games, and stealing 11 bases.
In 2001, McDonald played in Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Rochester
, where he hit .238 and stole 13 bases in 104 games. He began the season with Bowie again and hit .292 and stole 9 bases in 37 games. He was again promoted to AAA Rochester, where he hit .289. In 2007, he was traded to the Minnesota Twins
and re-united with the Red Wings.
He spent his entire 2003 season with the Ottawa Lynx
, who were the Orioles Triple-A team. He played 40 games that year, and hit .296. McDonald's 2004 season was subpar, he hit only .234 with Ottawa. It led to a promotion to the Baltimore Orioles
, and while with them, McDonald hit .156 in 32 at bats (17 games).
On January 26, 2005, McDonald was signed by the Cleveland Indians
to a minor league contract. He played 26 games with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons
, and then went over to the Devil Rays Triple-A team, the Durham Bulls
.
On 5 June 2005, McDonald was suspended for violating the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
On June 24, 2007, McDonald was sent to the Minnesota Twins
by the Washington Nationals
in order for the Nationals to keep Rule 5 draft pick Levale Speigner
. Speigner was then outrighted to Triple A Columbus by the Nationals.
On July 20, 2007, McDonald was called up to the Twins when Michael Cuddyer
was placed on the disabled list. He became a free agent at the end of the season and signed with the Cincinnati Reds in December.
On April 6, 2009, he made the opening day roster for the Cincinnati Reds. On August 30, 2009, he hit his first major league home run against the Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw
.
In 2010, he joined the Boston Red Sox organization. In April, McDonald's contract was purchased by the major-league club from Triple-A Pawtucket after Jacoby Ellsbury
went on the disabled list
. On April 20, 2010, McDonald pinch hit in the bottom of the 8th inning with the Red Sox against the Texas Rangers
, and hit a game tying home run. He became the 9th player to hit a home run for the Red Sox in his first Red Sox at bat. He was only the third person ever to pinch hit for the Red Sox and have his first hit be a home run. His home run over the Green Monster
tied the game at 6-6 in the eighth, and in the bottom of the ninth, he added a game winning hit off the Green Monster to lead the Red Sox to a walk-off win against the Rangers, 7–6. He also became the first ever member of the Red Sox to collect a game-ending RBI in his debut with the club, according to the Elias Sports Bureau
. He also threw out a runner and hit his second home run as a Red Sox in only his second game.
Prior to joining Boston, McDonald had two home runs in 147 major league at-bats. He hit 9 homers in his first season with the Red Sox. McDonald made the opening day roster for the Red Sox in 2011, and served as utility outfielder.
and his cousin is Pittsburgh Pirates
pitcher James McDonald
.
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census...
) is an American professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
with the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
.
Professional career
In 1997, McDonald was drafted by the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
26th overall in the first round in the amateur entry draft. He began his professional career with Single-A Frederick
Frederick Keys
The Frederick Keys minor league baseball team is the "High-A" class A baseball affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. The Keys are based in Frederick, Maryland. The franchise is named for Star Spangled Banner poet Francis Scott Key, a native of Frederick County. The team mascot is a coyote known as...
, but after four games and two stolen bases there, he moved to Single-A Delmarva
Delmarva Shorebirds
The Delmarva Shorebirds are a minor league baseball team based in Salisbury, Maryland. They are one of three Single-A affiliates of the Baltimore Orioles and a member of the South Atlantic League. The Shorebirds play at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium.The "Shorebirds" name refers to the marine waterfowl...
. In 134 games with Delmarva, he stole 35 bases and hit .261. His 35 stolen bases were a professional career high for him. He stayed with Single-A Frederick for the entire 1999 season, and in 130 games, he stole 26 bases and hit .266. He earned a promotion to Double-A Bowie
Bowie Baysox
The Bowie Baysox are a minor league baseball team located in Bowie, Maryland. They are the class-AA affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, and play in the Eastern League...
in 2000, with whom he hit .242 in 116 games, and stealing 11 bases.
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
, where he hit .238 and stole 13 bases in 104 games. He began the season with Bowie again and hit .292 and stole 9 bases in 37 games. He was again promoted to AAA Rochester, where he hit .289. In 2007, he was traded to the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
and re-united with the Red Wings.
He spent his entire 2003 season with the Ottawa Lynx
Ottawa Lynx
The Ottawa Lynx were a minor league baseball team that formerly competed in the Triple-A International League from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field was Lynx Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. Over the team's 15 seasons, it was the Triple-A Minor League affiliate of the Montreal Expos , Baltimore...
, who were the Orioles Triple-A team. He played 40 games that year, and hit .296. McDonald's 2004 season was subpar, he hit only .234 with Ottawa. It led to a promotion to the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, and while with them, McDonald hit .156 in 32 at bats (17 games).
On January 26, 2005, McDonald was signed by the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
to a minor league contract. He played 26 games with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
, and then went over to the Devil Rays Triple-A team, the Durham Bulls
Durham Bulls
The Durham Bulls are a minor league baseball team that currently plays in the International League. The Bulls play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park located in the downtown area of Durham, North Carolina. Durham Bulls Athletic Park is often called the "DBAP" or "D-Bap". The Bulls are...
.
On 5 June 2005, McDonald was suspended for violating the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
On June 24, 2007, McDonald was sent to the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
by the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
in order for the Nationals to keep Rule 5 draft pick Levale Speigner
Levale Speigner
Jimmy Levale Speigner is an American Major League Baseball relief pitcher who is currently a free agent...
. Speigner was then outrighted to Triple A Columbus by the Nationals.
On July 20, 2007, McDonald was called up to the Twins when Michael Cuddyer
Michael Cuddyer
Michael Brent Cuddyer is a Major League Baseball right fielder who is currently a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed, and wore number 5 for Minnesota Twins.-High school:...
was placed on the disabled list. He became a free agent at the end of the season and signed with the Cincinnati Reds in December.
On April 6, 2009, he made the opening day roster for the Cincinnati Reds. On August 30, 2009, he hit his first major league home run against the Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw
Clayton Kershaw
Clayton Edward Kershaw is a left-handed pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball.In 2011, Kershaw won the Pitching Triple Crown and the National League Cy Young Award, becoming the youngest pitcher to accomplish either of these feats since Dwight Gooden in 1985...
.
In 2010, he joined the Boston Red Sox organization. In April, McDonald's contract was purchased by the major-league club from Triple-A Pawtucket after Jacoby Ellsbury
Jacoby Ellsbury
Jacoby McCabe Ellsbury ; born September 11, 1983) is an American professional baseball center fielder with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball....
went on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
. On April 20, 2010, McDonald pinch hit in the bottom of the 8th inning with the Red Sox against the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
, and hit a game tying home run. He became the 9th player to hit a home run for the Red Sox in his first Red Sox at bat. He was only the third person ever to pinch hit for the Red Sox and have his first hit be a home run. His home run over the Green Monster
Green Monster
The Green Monster is a popular nickname for the thirty-seven foot , two-inch high left field wall at Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox baseball team...
tied the game at 6-6 in the eighth, and in the bottom of the ninth, he added a game winning hit off the Green Monster to lead the Red Sox to a walk-off win against the Rangers, 7–6. He also became the first ever member of the Red Sox to collect a game-ending RBI in his debut with the club, according to the Elias Sports Bureau
Elias Sports Bureau
The Elias Sports Bureau is an American company that provides historical research and statistical services in the field of professional sports.In 1913, Al Munro Elias and his brother Walter established the Al Munro Elias Bureau in New York City...
. He also threw out a runner and hit his second home run as a Red Sox in only his second game.
Prior to joining Boston, McDonald had two home runs in 147 major league at-bats. He hit 9 homers in his first season with the Red Sox. McDonald made the opening day roster for the Red Sox in 2011, and served as utility outfielder.
Honors and awards
- In 1996, he was a First Team High School All-American.
- In 1997, he was a First Team High School All-American and the Baseball AmericaBaseball AmericaBaseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
High School Player of the Year. - In 2008, McDonald was selected to represent the International LeagueInternational LeagueThe International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
in the Triple-A All-Star GameTriple-A All-Star GameThe Triple-A All-Star Game is a single baseball game held between the two Triple-A leagues in minor league baseball—the International League and the Pacific Coast League...
.
Personal
His brother is former outfielder Donzell McDonaldDonzell McDonald
Donzell McDonald is a professional baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He has played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball in 2001-02. Donzell is the older brother of Darnell McDonald, who currently plays for the Boston Red Sox.- Early life :McDonald grew up in Fort Collins,...
and his cousin is Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
pitcher James McDonald
James McDonald (baseball)
James Zell McDonald is a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates.-Los Angeles Dodgers:...
.