| Ben McDonald | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1967-11-24)November 24, 1967 (age 57) Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 6, 1989, for the Baltimore Orioles | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 16, 1997, for the Milwaukee Brewers | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 78–70 |
| Earned run average | 3.91 |
| Strikeouts | 894 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the College | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 2008 |
Medals | |
Larry Benard "Ben"McDonald (born November 24, 1967) is an American formerMajor League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. The first overall pick in the1989 MLB Draft, he played for theBaltimore Orioles andMilwaukee Brewers from 1989 through 1997.
After graduating fromDenham Springs High School,[1] McDonald was the 670th selection in the 27th round by theAtlanta Braves in the1986 MLB draft. He elected not to sign despite the Braves' $75,000 offer which at the time was given to second-round draftees. He felt he was not ready for professional baseball and that he wanted to matriculate atLouisiana State University (LSU) instead.[2][3]
The 6'7" McDonald played two sports at LSU. He was a reserve forward with theDale Brown-coachedTigers, appearing in 32 matches with five starts as afreshman before his playing time diminished to six games exclusively off the bench during hissophomore year.[4]
He led the 1988US Olympic Team to agold medal for baseball, winning complete games against hostSouth Korea andPuerto Rico. During his three-year college career at LSU, McDonald twice helped his team reach theCollege World Series. He gave up a walk-off grand slam to Stanford's Paul Carey in the 1987 series.[5] His best collegiate season came in 1989, which he finished with a 14–4 record, a 3.49ERA, and a then-Southeastern Conference record 202strikeouts. That year, he was selected as a member of theAll-America team, and won theGolden Spikes Award. In 1989, he playedcollegiate summer baseball with theOrleans Cardinals of theCape Cod Baseball League,[6] recording one start.[7]
TheBaltimore Orioles made McDonald thefirst overall selection in the1989 June draft. He is the first of two LSU Tigers to have been drafted number one, joined by Paul Skenes in 2023.[8][9]
He signed with the Orioles on August 19, and on September 6, he made his major league debut. McDonald was the second member of his draft class to reach the majors, coming up three days after his Olympic teammateJohn Olerud.
In the finale of the1989 season, McDonald tossed one scoreless inning of relief versus the American League East champion Toronto Blue Jays, logging his first career win.[10] Of note, he would become the sixth player to make the majors in the same season that he was selected as the number one overall pick in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.[11]
McDonald joined the Orioles' starting rotation in 1990, and in his first major league start on July 21, he threw a complete-game shutout against theChicago White Sox. At the end of the season, he finished eighth inRookie of the Year voting, with the award going to catcherSandy Alomar Jr. McDonald would go on to spend seven seasons with the Orioles, before leaving as a free agent in 1996 to join theMilwaukee Brewers. He never led his league in a major category, but ranked among the top 10 at various times in categories such as complete games, wins, ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts. McDonald was the first #1 draft pick to win his first three starts in Major League history, a feat which has been equalled byGerrit Cole.[12]
While with the Brewers, McDonald began to encounter shoulder problems, missing part of the 1997 season. He was traded to theCleveland Indians that offseason, in a deal that broughtMarquis Grissom andJeff Juden to Milwaukee in exchange for him,Mike Fetters, andRon Villone. McDonald would never pitch for the Indians, though, as an operation to repair hisrotator cuff on February 26, 1998 proved unsuccessful. He was ultimately forced to retire, and the Brewers sentMark Watson to Cleveland to resolve their obligation in the matter.
McDonald ended his career with a 78–70 record, 894 strikeouts, and a 3.91 ERA in 1,2911⁄3innings pitched. He never pitched in the postseason.
In 2008, McDonald was elected to theCollege Baseball Hall of Fame.[13]
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McDonald is a color commentator for Orioles telecasts onMASN and on the radio for the Orioles Radio Network. He served as an assistant coach for theDenham Springs High School softball team inDenham Springs, Louisiana. He also is a color analyst for the NCAA Baseball Tournament on ESPN. McDonald and his wife Nicole have a son and a daughter. His son, Jase McDonald, pitched for LSU-Eunice.
