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January 7, 2015Baseball is a sport where you sometimes remember utility players fondly. It happens in other sports too, but in baseball a guy like John McDonald can stick around for more than a decade. John McDonald is sticking around no more as he’s set to retire after 16 years in the majors.
Congrats to John McDonald on his retirement from baseball. Job well done to one of the game's all-time good guys. pic.twitter.com/9ha8whY4d8
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) January 7, 2015
John McDonald made his debut with the Indians in 1999, but didn’t pile up the plate appearances until 2002 when he appeared in 93 games. Johnny Mac was a super solid defensive player and was occasionally scrappy at the plate in stretches. Certainly if he’d had a better bat he’d have been more than a utility player. Just ask Casey Blake, right guys?
(Looks around for high fives. Puts hand down.)
McDonald was traded away from the Indians to the Blue Jays in 2004 for Tom Mastny, but made a brief re-appearance with the Indians in 2013. During that time he filled in for Asdrubal Cabrera before being designated for assignment after a few games.
I went back to look at McDonald’s first big season of contribution to the Tribe and I was reminded why I remember certain utility guys like him as opposed to starters they might have stood in for on occasion. Back in 2002 the Indians still had Omar Vizquel, but Ricky Gutierrez played 94 games as a second baseman. I wouldn’t have been able to remember that name if given a month, I don’t think.
Anyway, farewell to John McDonald. I could list a bunch of stats compiled with the Indians, but I’ll always remember him for the security he provided in the field. He was one of a few people who could fill in for someone like Omar Vizquel and not cause you to just roll your eyes and groan simultaneously.
1 Comment
Live for Johnny Mac. I was in the front row at Huntington Park watching the Clippers take on the Indianapolis Indians, for whom Johnny was playing in a rehab assignment. While he took swings in the batter’s box in front of me, I said “loved you with the Tribe, Johnny Mac!” He looked over and said, “Man, I loved it there, too.”
Solid player, solid guy. I wish him only the best.