Pat Donahue started playing professional baseball in 1902. He enjoyed a 14-year pro career that included 119 big league games for the Red Sox, Athletics, and Indians.
After retiring as a player in 1917, Donahue became a minor league umpire and later a scout. By 1935 a 50-year old Donahue was umpiring semi-pro games in Des Moines, Iowa.
It was in this capacity that he first saw 16-year old Bob Feller. Born and raised in Van Meter, Iowa, Feller traveled the 20 miles to Des Moines with his team. Donahue watched the youngster strike out 18 batters in one game and 21 in the next.
Donahue alerted Indians scout Cy Slapnicka and Cleveland scouting director and Hall of Fame umpire Billy Evans. The Indians beat out a dozen other teams and signed Feller.
The fireballing right hander went on to a Hall of Fame career that included three no-hitters, 12 one-hitters, and 266 wins. The Tribe paid Donahue a measly $200 for the tip that changed their franchise.
In the collection is this letter on Philadelphia Athletics letterhead from Pat Donahue dated January 9, 1949. Three months earlier, Feller and the Indians won the the ’48 Fall Classic.
At the time the letter was written, Feller was a 7-time All Star with 177 wins to his credit. By ‘49 Rapid Robert topped the AL in strikeouts seven times.
Donahue writes, “Thank you for the honor. From that man who discovered Bob Feller and received a lousy $200 from big hearted Slapnicka. He has only made 50 grand off of Feller. I’ll laugh that off.” Donahue has signed the bottom of the correspondence.
Feller and Jackie Robinson were the first players elected on their first ballot since the first five in 1936.
In 1959 when I was 10 years old I had the honor of catching a ball thrown to me by Rapid Robert at an end of the year sports banquet for the West Akron Baseball League. Our team had won the division and I kept that ball many years before using it in a pickup game at Hardesty Park in West Akron…hey… I needed a ball to play a game!
Have a ball autographed by Feller, Koufax, and Ryan the 3 No Hit Leaders, one of my prized possessions