Dream come true to play in Boston want to wish my boys good luck the rest of the year! Much love to RSN! #ShowGoesOn
— Darnell McDonald (@MacDime54) June 30, 2012
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS HERE: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=150021
McDonald, 33: .214, 2 HRs, .678 on-base plus slugging percentage in 38 games.
* hit a game-tying pinch-hit homer, then notched a game-winning hit in his first game with the Red Sox on April 20, 2010.
* designated him for assignment late in 2010.
* returned in 2012 when Jacoby Ellsbury went on DL.
* In Sox career McDonald batted .252 with 17 homers, 67 RBI and a .735 OPS in 234 games.
PITCHING RECORD:
Sat, Aug 27, 2011
BOSTON — [NESN] The fans at Fenway Park came to life in the ninth inning Friday night, but not for the usual reasons. The Red Sox were trailing Oakland by 11 runs at the time.
No, it was the presence of outfielder Darnell McDonald — dreads, high socks and all — stepping to the mound to make his major league pitching debut. Although many thoughts were in his head, one stood out. “I would’ve felt bad if I reared back and hit somebody in the face,” McDonald said.
It went as one might expect. McDonald walked the first two men he faced and later gave up a two-run double, although that came on a fly to left that probably is a lazy out in another park. At the very least, it spared the bullpen one big inning in advance of an unorthodox doubleheader Saturday. “If I helped the team out by eating up an inning I’m more than willing,” he said. The 32-year-old outfielder became the 23rd Red Sox position player to pitch in a game and the first since Bill Hall did so last May 28 against Kansas City. McDonald hit as high as 90 on the gun, but threw just 11 of his 24 pitches for strikes. His first offering was several feet high. “Just trying to throw strikes. I was a little wild early on, couldn’t find my release point,” McDonald said. “A couple more bullpen sessions with [pitching coach Curt Young] and I’ll be ready for the playoffs.” Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia said the strategy with McDonald was simple. Just throw it over the plate and hope the A’s “get themselves out.” There was no need to mix up the pitches. “He threw one changeup in warm-ups that went about 30 feet,” Saltalamacchia joked. Just getting the fastball over took work. “That’s a lot harder than it looks,” McDonald said. “I give our pitchers credit.” The McDonald situation added levity to a difficult night.
“I’m official,” he joked. “I’m officially a pitcher.”
Read more at: http://www.nesn.com/2011/08/darnell-mcdonald-makes-pitching-debut-doesnt-hit-anybody-in-the-face.html
CAREER RECORD:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcdonda02.shtml
Topics: Cody Ross, Darnell McDonald, Jacoby Ellsbury, Josh Beckett
Baseball is my life: writing, coaching, announcing, umpiring, reading.
I am a registered member of the Red Sox Nation and enmeshed in the team on a daily level, on the internet, on the phone, and at the hardware store.
In 1963 I was a Sports reporter at the Syracuse Herald-Journal; I covered Syracuse University sports, HS football and basketball.
I was a reporter at the NY Journal-American (1964-65).
After 32 years on the English department faculty (1968-2000) I took early retirement to spend more time with the love of my life...BASEBALL ! [BTW, I served as play-by-play announcer for the games that were broadcast on Viacom cable.]
Since retiring and moving to Maine in 2000, I have coached, managed, umpired, run fantasy baseball teams, and posted often in websites and blogs. Currently I am the Pitching Coach at the local HS and I umpire at the lower age levels. [55 years of umpiring and counting!]
"Baseball is not a matter of life and death...it's more important than that."
Earl Nash
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