Atley Donald

Who was Atley Donald?

Richard Atley Donald was a Major League Baseball pitcher. A native of Morton, Mississippi, the right-hander played for the New York Yankees from 1938 to 1945. "Swampy", as he was nicknamed, stood 6 ft 1 in and weighed 186 lbs.

Donald was usually a fourth or fifth starter during his career, and sometimes used in relief. The Yankees won two American League pennants while he was on their staff, winning the 1941 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers.

He made his major league debut on April 21, 1938 in a start against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. The Yankees lost 3–2, as Bosox starting pitcher Johnny Marcum earned the win. He started in one more game for New York that season, then returned to the minor league Newark Bears.

Donald was back for good in 1939, and set a league record for consecutive wins by a rookie. On July 25 he defeated the St. Louis Browns 5–1, increasing his record to a perfect 12–0. He finished the season 13–3 with an earned run average of 3.71 and led the league in winning percentage.

He remained a consistent winner throughout the remainder of his career and never had a losing season after going 0–1 in 1938. He finished in the league's top ten twice more for winning percentage with records of 9–5 and 11–3, respectively. In two World Series appearances, however, he was 0–1 with a 7.71 ERA.