Tony McDonald

Manuel Placido McDonald

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 176 lb.

• Born October 10, 1959 in Santo Domingo D.R.

BR Minors page

Tony McDonald led a rookie league in average 8 years after he turned pro.

Phillies farmhand

McDonald hit .244/.277/.272 with the 1977 Auburn Phillies; he had 119 assists to lead New York-Penn League third baseman. In '78, he batted .268/.297/.339 for the Spartanburg Phillies. He led Western Carolinas League third basemen in assists (242), double plays (32) and fielding percentage (.936). The Dominican was at .275/.300/.335 for the 1979 Peninsula Pilots; moving to shortstop, he continued his defensive dominance, pacing the Carolina League's shortstops in assists (399), putouts (194) and fielding (.947). He was named to the league's All-Star team, splitting the shortstop spot with Ron Gardenhire.

Moving up to the AA Reading Phillies in 1980, Tony hit .309/.336/.369 with 20 steals in 32 tries while being used in a utility role. He was 5th in the Eastern League in average, one point behind teammates Ryne Sandberg and Jose Castro at #3 and #4. Tony got to AAA with the 1981 Oklahoma City 89ers and put up a .256/.305/.326 line with 12 steals in 16 tries. Playing primarily third base, he was stuck behind Mike Schmidt on the Philadelphia Phillies depth chart, while Sandberg was coming up alongside him at shortstop. He split 1982 between Reading (.263/.333/.379 in 25 G) and Oklahoma City (.225/.262/.282 in 83 G) to end his climb in the Phillies system.

Dominican Summer League

When the Dominican Summer League became part of Organized Baseball in 1985, it was not a young prospect who dominated the new Rookie class league, but rather McDonald. Tony won the batting title (.350) and led in RBI (56). In 69 games, he scored 59 runs, drew 47 walks and stole 25 bases.

Mexico

McDonald's great 1985 campaign drew notice from the Mexican League. He signed with the Rieleros de Aguascalientes just as the league was on the verge of its biggest offensive season ever. McDonald did his share, hitting .380/.426/.524 with 31 doubles, 94 runs and 101 RBI. He was 8th in the LMB in average, between Jack Pierce and Jimmie Collins. The only Latin America native to finish with a better average was Orlando Sanchez. In 1987, Tony hit .347/.409/.452 with 105 runs and 27 doubles for the Rieleros. On July 2, he had five assists from left field, a league record. At age 27, it was his last season in Organized Baseball.

Sources

• 1978-1982 Baseball Guides
• 1986-1987 Baseball America Statistics Reports
• The Mexican League: Comprehensive Player Statistics by Pedro Treto Cisneros