Dick Donovan
Born: 12/7/1927 in Boston, MA, USA
Died: 1/6/1997 in Weymouth, MA, USA
MLB Debut: 1950-04-24 | Final Game: 1965-06-12
Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 190 lbs
Full name: Richard Edward Donovan
Biography
Dick Donovan was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball who made his mark during the transformative years of the 1950s and early 1960s. Born in 1927, Donovan began his professional career in 1950 and played until June 12, 1965. Over the course of his career, he amassed a record of 122 wins and 99 losses, with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.67. Known for his consistency on the mound, he struck out 880 batters and recorded five saves, demonstrating both his ability to dominate hitters and his versatility as a pitcher.
Donovan was selected as an All-Star four times, highlighting his status as one of the top pitchers of his era. He played during a time marked by significant changes in baseball, including the integration of the sport and the evolution of pitching strategies. His contributions to the game are remembered not only for his statistical achievements but also for his competitive spirit and professionalism on the field. Donovan's legacy continues to resonate within the baseball community, serving as a reminder of the talent that flourished in the post-war era of the sport.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 122 | 99 | 345 | 273 | 101 | 25 | 5 | 2017.3 | 1988 | 822 | 198 | 495 | 880 | 3.67 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | BSN | NL | 0 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29.7 | 28 | 27 | 34 | 9 | 8.19 | -2248.1 |
| 1951 | BSN | NL | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13.7 | 17 | 8 | 11 | 4 | 5.27 | -92.1 |
| 1952 | BSN | NL | 0 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13.0 | 18 | 8 | 12 | 6 | 5.54 | -650.4 |
| 1954 | DET | AL | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 10.50 | 0.0 |
| 1955 | CHW | AL | 15 | 9 | 29 | 24 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 187.0 | 186 | 69 | 48 | 88 | 3.32 | - |
| 1956 | CHW | AL | 12 | 10 | 34 | 31 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 234.7 | 212 | 95 | 59 | 120 | 3.64 | - |
| 1957 | CHW | AL | 16 | 6 | 28 | 28 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 220.7 | 203 | 68 | 45 | 88 | 2.77 | - |
| 1958 | CHW | AL | 15 | 14 | 34 | 34 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 248.0 | 240 | 83 | 53 | 127 | 3.01 | - |
| 1959 | CHW | AL | 9 | 10 | 31 | 29 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 179.7 | 171 | 73 | 58 | 71 | 3.66 | - |
| 1960 | CHW | AL | 6 | 1 | 33 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 78.7 | 87 | 47 | 25 | 30 | 5.38 | - |
| 1961 | WS2 | AL | 10 | 10 | 23 | 22 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 168.7 | 138 | 45 | 35 | 62 | 2.40 | 3232.6 |
| 1962 | CLE | AL | 20 | 10 | 34 | 34 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 250.7 | 255 | 100 | 47 | 94 | 3.59 | 2035.1 |
| 1963 | CLE | AL | 11 | 13 | 30 | 30 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 206.0 | 211 | 97 | 28 | 84 | 4.24 | -2088.3 |
| 1964 | CLE | AL | 7 | 9 | 30 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 158.3 | 181 | 80 | 29 | 83 | 4.55 | -504.2 |
| 1965 | CLE | AL | 1 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22.7 | 32 | 15 | 6 | 12 | 5.96 | -1249.5 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 371 | 694 | 67 | 113 | 14 | 0 | 15 | 64 | 0 | 78 | 292 | 0.163 | 0.257 | 0.248 | 0.505 | -3038.3 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | BSN | NL | 10 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0.167 | 0.0 |
| 1951 | BSN | NL | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0.333 | 0.0 |
| 1952 | BSN | NL | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1954 | DET | AL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1955 | CHW | AL | 40 | 76 | 10 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 26 | 0.224 | -191.0 |
| 1956 | CHW | AL | 44 | 90 | 10 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 14 | 30 | 0.222 | -47.9 |
| 1957 | CHW | AL | 30 | 83 | 8 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 32 | 0.145 | -449.9 |
| 1958 | CHW | AL | 34 | 80 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 33 | 0.113 | -679.3 |
| 1959 | CHW | AL | 31 | 61 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 32 | 0.131 | -403.0 |
| 1960 | CHW | AL | 33 | 23 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 0.130 | 0.0 |
| 1961 | WS2 | AL | 24 | 56 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 23 | 0.179 | -275.1 |
| 1962 | CLE | AL | 34 | 89 | 8 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 32 | 0.180 | -288.6 |
| 1963 | CLE | AL | 31 | 69 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 31 | 0.130 | -549.5 |
| 1964 | CLE | AL | 31 | 48 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 27 | 0.146 | -154.1 |
| 1965 | CLE | AL | 12 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.333 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | WS | CHA | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.333 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8.3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5.40 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | WS | CHA | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8.3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5.40 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 345 | 266 | 144 | 336 | 20 | 25 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | BSN | P | 10 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 1951 | BSN | P | 8 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1952 | BSN | P | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 1954 | DET | P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1955 | CHA | P | 29 | 24 | 11 | 33 | 0 | 2 |
| 1956 | CHA | P | 34 | 31 | 11 | 46 | 1 | 4 |
| 1957 | CHA | P | 28 | 28 | 18 | 37 | 0 | 3 |
| 1958 | CHA | P | 34 | 34 | 16 | 34 | 2 | 3 |
| 1959 | CHA | P | 31 | 29 | 11 | 26 | 4 | 1 |
| 1960 | CHA | P | 33 | 8 | 6 | 19 | 1 | 0 |
| 1961 | WS2 | P | 23 | 22 | 15 | 26 | 4 | 1 |
| 1962 | CLE | P | 34 | 34 | 23 | 36 | 3 | 6 |
| 1963 | CLE | P | 30 | 30 | 20 | 29 | 2 | 1 |
| 1964 | CLE | P | 30 | 23 | 9 | 30 | 1 | 3 |
| 1965 | CLE | P | 12 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 345 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | TSN All-Star | P |
| 1962 | TSN Pitcher of the Year |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 5th | 64.0 | 280 | 0 |
| 1961 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 17th | 5.0 | 280 | 0 |
| 1958 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 25th | 1.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1957 | Cy Young Award | ML | 2nd | 1.0 | 16 | 1 |
| 1957 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 13th | 19.0 | 336 | 0 |