Donie Bush

Bush was born in 1887 in Indianapolis, Indiana. ==Playing career==

Career overview Bush was one of the best defensive shortstops of the dead-ball era. He collected more putouts, assists, and total chances than any other shortstop of the era, and his 1914 total of 425 putouts is still the Major League record for shortstops. His 1914 total of 969 chances is also still the American League record. He also led the American League in assists by a shortstop on five occasions: 1909 (567), 1911 (556), 1912 (547), 1914 (544), and 1915 (504). Bush also collected 337 sacrifice hits in his career, ranking him fifth on the all-time Major League leader list (behind Hall of Famers Eddie Collins and Willie Keeler). He led the league with 52 sacrifice hits in 1909 (fourth highest single season total in Major League history) and hit another 48 (seventh highest single season total in Major League history) in 1920. In 1920, Baseball Magazine rated Bush among the top ten players in Major League Baseball over the past decade in the categories of "waiters" (1st with an average of 88.4 bases on balls per year), "run-getters" (4th with an average of 90 runs per year), and "base-stealers" (7th with an average of 30.4 stolen bases per year). Bush was also one of the shortest players in the Major Leagues at five feet, six inches (1.7 meters) and weighed between 130 and 140 pounds. Bush's nickname, "Donie", was reportedly bestowed on him as a result of a comment by Detroit teammate Ed Killian in 1909. Bush explained, "One day after I had struck out, I asked Eddie Killian what kind of ball I swung at and missed. Killian said it was a donie ball. I never learned what a donie ball was, but the Tigers started calling me Donie and the name just stuck." He appeared in 58 games for Dayton, compiling a .158 batting average with 98 putouts and 156 assists. South Bend Greens In 1907, he played for the South Bend Greens in the Central League. Baseball Magazine noted that, while playing in South Bend, Bush earned "the reputation of being the fastest, best all-around shortstop the Central League had ever seen." Indianapolis Browns At the end of the 1907 season, after a good showing in South Bend, Bush was drafted by the Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers, and was awarded to the Tigers. He was sold by the Detroit team to play the 1908 season for the Indianapolis Browns of the American Association. He helped Indianapolis win the American Association pennant for 1908, Detroit Tigers 1908 season In late August 1908, Bush, then known as "Ownie", was sold by the Indianapolis club to the Detroit Tigers. He joined the Tigers in mid-September after Detroit's starting shortstop, Charley O'Leary, had been injured. Bush replaced O'Leary at shortstop for the team's final 20 regular season games. At the end of the 1908 season, Baseball Magazine wrote: This diminutive and youthful shortstop came to the rescue of the Detroit club and made it possible for them to win the American League pennant. . . . He helped to win the American Association pennant for the Hoosiers by his wonderful all around work, and then came on to Detroit in time to save Jennings' team from defeat. He is about as fast as Cobb on the bases, a great fielding shortstop and a good batsman, a man who hits right or left handed with equal efficiency. and he became the Tigers' starting shortstop for the next 13 seasons. He compiled a .273 batting average and a .380 on-base percentage in 1909 and led the American League with 676 plate appearances, 88 bases on balls, and 52 sacrifice hits. During the 1910 and 1911 seasons, Bush led the American League in bases on balls for the second and third consecutive seasons. His total of 49 stolen bases ranked third in the American League in 1910, and his 126 runs scored in 1911 ranked second in the league. Defensively, Bush's 1910 fielding percentage of .940 led American League shortstops, and his 1910 defensive Wins Above Replacement (WAR) rating of 2.0 ranked third among all American League players, regardless of position. In 1911, he led the American League's shortstops with 372 putouts, 556 assists, and 75 errors. His range factor of 6.19 in 1911 was a career-high and the second best among American League shortstops. 1912 season In 1912, Bush led the major leagues with 117 bases on balls. During the 1912 season, Bush also led all American League players (regardless of position) with 547 assists, and his 6.00 range factor was the highest among American League shortstops. He also ranked among the American League leaders with a defensive WAR of 1.8 (4th among players at all positions), 107 runs scored (7th), 37 stolen bases (8th), 317 putouts at shortstop (4th), a .929 fielding percentage (2nd among shortstops), and 66 errors (2nd). In its annual selection of an All-America Baseball Team, Baseball Magazine named Bush as the second best shortstop in the American League, calling him "one of the cleverest fielders in the game" and citing "his unsurpassed ability to get on bases and his great speed and nice judgment in run-getting once he earns standing room on first." 1914 season In 1914, Bush led the American League with 721 plate appearances and 112 bases on balls while also scoring 97 runs and compiling 35 stolen bases and a .373 on-base percentage. Bush again led all American League players with 703 plate appearances and 504 assists and was again among the league leaders with 118 bases on balls (2nd), 99 runs (6th), 35 stolen bases (8th), 340 putouts at shortstop (2nd), 61 double plays turned at shortstop (2nd), 5.45 range factor at shortstop (2nd), and 57 errors (2nd). In appreciation of Bush's efforts during the 1915 season, Detroit fans raised funds to allow Bush to purchase a new Paige automobile. The Detroit Free Press wrote: There never was a player who deserved a testimonial more than Donie deserves this one. The little infielder has been the mainstay of the Tigers' defense all season and has saved game after game by his sensational stunts. . . . Off the field he has never permitted his spirits to flag, declaring right up to the last minute that the Tigers were going to win the pennant. . . . Apart from baseball, Bush is a mighty fine fellow, good-natured, lively, generous, and the sort of man anyone would like to have for a friend. In January 1916, The Sporting Life reported that "Bush has been driving his new car most of the time since he left Detroit and is said to be only a few laps behind (Barney) Oldfleld as a speed merchant." 1916 season In 1916, Bush continued to rank among the American League leaders in multiple categories with 75 bases on balls (7th), 27 sacrifice hits (9th), 435 assists (5th among all players regardless of position), 278 putouts at shortstop (4th), and a .954 fielding percentage at shortstop (3rd). 1917 season In 1917, Bush led the American League with 112 runs scored, stole 34 bases, and compiled a career-high batting average of .281 with a .370 on-base percentage. 1918 season ) In 1918, Bush's batting average dropped 47 points from the prior season to .234. Despite the drop in average, Bush continued to rank among the American League's leaders with 594 plate appearances (1st), 79 bases on balls (2nd), 280 putouts at shortstop (2nd), 74 runs scored (4th), and 48 errors (3rd). 1919 season In 1919, Bush continued to perform well defensively. His 290 assists at shortstop led the American League, and his .943 fielding percentage was third best among the league's shortstops. Offensively, he continued to rank among the league's leaders with 75 bases on balls (5th), 22 stolen bases (7th), and 82 runs scored (10th). Bush argued that shortstop was the toughest position on the infield: You hear a lot of third baseman raving about the hard chances they get, but any time the shortstop is looking for a berth that is nice and quiet and restful in comparison to his own he casts longing glances at third. Look up the records and see what becomes of the shortstops who get too old to cover all the ground between second base and the foul line. A lot of them camp on third for a while. And why shouldn't they? A man can play third when he can't play short. That's a cinch. 1921 season In 1921, Ty Cobb took over from Hughie Jennings as manager of the Tigers. Bush became involved in repeated arguments with Cobb's "first lieutenant", Dan Howley. The Detroit Free Press wrote that Howley "never is quite so contented" as he is when arguing with Bush and added: "Bush would fight at the drop of a hat for Dan, yet the midget never gets nearly so mad at anyone as he does when Howley, with deliberate intent, corners Donie somewhere and starts a debate. . . . Often Donie becomes so enraged that he pulls his cap off his head and throwing it off the door of the hotel lobby or in the turf of the ball field, stamps on it in his hysteria." For the first half of the season, Bush continued as the Tigers' starting shortstop. Halfway through the season, however, Cobb moved Bush from his regular shortstop position to second base. In August 1921, Detroit owner Frank Navin placed Bush on waivers, ending his 13-year career with the Tigers. The Sporting News reported on Bush's departure from Detroit as follows: The passing of Bush removes one of the spectacular figures of Detroit baseball history. . . . Built low to the ground and extremely aggressive, Bush presented a spectacle that appealed to the heart of the gallery. He always did things in a sensational manner. His style made the hard ones look harder and the easy chances look hard. . . . Of Bush's fielding the outstanding feature always was his throwing. In that, more than in anything else, Bush stood apart. He had an uncanny ability to judge the speed of a runner on his way to first. He never seemed to hurry a throw, and he seemed never to throw with speed. Most of the time he apparently lobbed the ball but he always got his man, sometimes by a fraction of a step -- but he got him. This ability of Bush's was always a matter of amazement to spectators and they could never solve the riddle of it. Washington Senators In late August 1921, Bush was selected off waivers by the Washington Senators and became the team's starting shortstop for the final 33 games of the 1921 season. In January 1922, the Senators acquired shortstop Roger Peckinpaugh, relegating Bush to playing second and third base. Bush began the 1922 season on a hot streak at the plate. By mid-May, he was averaging a run every three at bats, a rate on par with Babe Ruth, leading The Sporting News to write that Bush was playing the best baseball of his life. Bush appeared in 41 games for the 1922 Senators and finished the season with a .342 on-base percentage and 21 bases on balls in 158 plate appearances. ==Managerial career==

Washington Senators Despite having a line-up that included Baseball Hall of Famers Walter Johnson, Goose Goslin, Sam Rice, and Bucky Harris, the 1922 Senators finished the season with a 69–85 record and in sixth place in the American League. In December 1922, Washington owner Clark Griffith hired Bush to replace Clyde Milan as player-manager for the 1923 season. The Sporting News opined that Bush had the characteristics to make a solid manager: "The same traits that made our friend Donie a great little ball player have been recognized when Clark Griffith appoints him manager. Brains, a good pair of hands, and a bulldog disposition made him a playing success against the handicap of being undersized and rather weak of arm. . . . He ought to make quite a manager; ought to put something into that Washington team that it lacked." On August 2, 1923, Bush noticed early in a game that Hank Severeid and Wally Gerber of the St. Louis Browns had switched spots in the batting order and batted out of turn. In the second, fifth and seventh innings both players made outs, and Bush said nothing. In the ninth inning, Gerber hit a single with two out and a runner on first base. Bush appealed to the umpire that Gerber had batted out of order. Gerber was declared out to end the game. Bush led the 1923 Senators to a fourth-place finish and a 75–78 record, two positions higher in the standings and seven fewer losses than the 1922 team. In October 1923, and despite the improved record, team owner Clark Griffith fired Bush as the team's manager. The shift drew criticism from the Washington press, and one newspaper even urged a boycott of the Senators over the firing of Bush. Griffith initially declined comment on his release of Bush, but as criticism intensified, Griffith said in a written statement that he found Bush "incompetent as a manager, failing to maintain discipline among the players, utter disregard of the development or use of young players, favoritism and indifference when the ball game was over as to ways or means of improving conditions." The Senators went on to win the 1924 World Series under new manager Bucky Harris. Indianapolis Indians After being released by the Senators, Bush returned to his hometown where he was hired as the manager of the Indianapolis Indians of the American Association. In July 1924, a "Bush Day" was held in Indianapolis with 10,000 fans showing up to honor Bush and present him with gifts. In his first year as manager of the Indians, Bush led the Indians to a second-place finish in the American Association, narrowly losing the pennant to St. Paul in the final series of the 1924 season. His team again finished in second place in 1925, losing the pennant to Louisville. In 1926, Bush developed appendicitis during a road trip and returned to Indianapolis to undergo surgery. After a period of convalescence, Bush returned to his role as manager and led the Indians to their third consecutive second-place finish. Pittsburgh Pirates In October 1926, Bush was hired to replace Bill McKechnie as manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates. In Bush's first year in Pittsburgh, he led the 1927 Pirates to a National League pennant with a 94–60 record. The Pirates were then swept by the soon-to-be famous New York Yankees in the World Series. During that season, Bush had a feud with Pirates star Kiki Cuyler. Cuyler was unhappy about being switched from third to second in the batting order, and he allegedly slackened his effort for a few games. Bush reacted by benching Cuyler in August and not playing him again for the rest of the season (using him sparingly for pinch hitting), even keeping him out of the World Series. Bush ignored chants from Pirate fans, "We want Cuyler! We want Cuyler", in the games at Pittsburgh. After the season, the Pirates traded the future hall of famer in Cuyler to the Cubs. Cuyler would make it to the World Series once more in his career while the Pirates would not contend again until 1960. Bush's Pirates finished in fourth place in 1928 and in second place in 1929. During the 1929 season, Bush complained to a Pittsburgh reporter about the new "lively ball", saying, "It's not a ball‚ it's a bullet. Somebody's going to get killed if they don't watch out. A pitcher who has to put the ball over hasn't a chance. All he can do is to pitch and duck." Chicago White Sox On September 30, 1929, Bush signed a two-year contract to serve as the manager of the Chicago White Sox starting with the 1930 season. He took over a team that had finished in seventh place with a 59–93 record in 1929. In 1930, the White Sox again finished in seventh place, improving only slightly to 64–90. By July 1931, a public debate was under way as to whether Bush or team owner Charles Comiskey was to blame for the White Sox' poor showing. Many in the press blamed Comiskey for the shortage of talent at Bush's command. During a July road trip to the East, the White Sox had only "five workable pitchers", a term The Sporting News defined as "those who could throw a ball." Bush complained about the lack of "cooperation" from Comiskey in acquiring players as his 1931 team compiled both the lowest batting average (.260) and the highest earned run average (5.04) in the American League and dropped to eighth place with a 56–97 record. Bush resigned at the end of the 1931 season. Minneapolis Millers In 1932, Bush managed the Minneapolis Millers in the American Association to a 100–68 record and a first-place finish. Cincinnati Reds On November 10, 1932, the Cincinnati Reds announced that they had two weeks earlier retained Bush as manager for the 1933 season. Upon his hiring, one newspaper reporter predicted: "No bed of roses awaits the new manager here. . . . He falls heir to a run-down team, with little financial backing and a quick-to-criticize public." The 1933 Reds finished in last place with a 58–94 record, compiled the lowest batting average (.246) in the National League, and lacked a pitcher who was able to muster more than 10 wins. Minneapolis Millers In December 1933, Bush was hired as the manager of the Minneapolis Millers, the team he had coached in 1932. He remained with the Millers from 1934 to 1938 and won pennants in 1934 and 1935. Managerial Record ==Team owner and executive==

Louisville Colonels In September 1938, Bush announced that he was resigning his position as manager of the Minneapolis Millers to become a co-owner, general manager and field manager of the Louisville Colonels of the American Association. Bush and two partners, Indiana banker Frank E. McKinney and Tom Yawkey (owner of the Boston Red Sox), purchased the club reportedly for $175,000 -- $100,000 for the plant (including a 14,500-seat park built in 1923 for $400,000) and $75,000 for the franchise and players. After taking over the Colonels, Bush lauded the team's shortstop, Pee Wee Reese, as "the best-looking shortstop prospect he's seen in his 30-odd years in baseball." In July 1939, Bush and McKinney recouped much of their investment by trading Reese to the Brooklyn Dodgers for $35,000 and three players. Co-owner Yawkey reportedly objected to the trade, but Bush and McKinney held a majority interest in the club. Indianapolis Indians Bush remained a resident of Indianapolis throughout his life. He lived on the 200 block of North Walcott Street in east Indianapolis from at least 1910 through 1940. In December 1941, after Bush recuperated from a lengthy illness, Bush and McKinney bought the Indianapolis Indians from Norman Perry. Bush, who became the team's president as well as a co-owner, said at the time, "It always was my ambition, since I was a kid, to have a share in the ownership of the Indianapolis club." Bush and McKinney hired Gabby Hartnett as the team's field manager for 1942. In November 1942, Bush announced that he would take over as field manager in 1943 while continuing as the club's president as well. Bush managed the team for the entire 1943 but was forced by ill health to give up his role as field manager in May 1944, hiring his long-time friend Mike Kelly to take over as the team's manager. On July 20, 1951, Bush and McKinney sold majority control of the Indianapolis baseball club to the Cleveland Indians. On February 25, 1952, Bush was replaced as the club's president after holding the position for nearly 10 years. Bush continued to hold a minority interest in the club and remained with the club as an executive without title. The Sporting News noted that the reorganization marked the first time since Bush's playing days that he had been without an official title. In November 1952, Bush and McKinney sold their remaining 25% interest in the Indianapolis club to the Cleveland Indians. For three years following his disassociation with the Indianapolis club, Bush worked as a scout for the Boston Red Sox. On February 1, 1969, Bush announced that he was resigning as the club's president after holding the position continuously since 1956. Bush, who was 81 years old, stated that he was quitting as the result of "a front-office squabble" with the club's chairman, Louis Hensley, and general manager, Max Schumacher. ==Later years and honors==

Bush remained affiliated with professional baseball for 65 years. He was given the title "King of Baseball" during Major League Baseball's 1963 winter meetings. In 1967, the stadium in which the Indianapolis Indians played was renamed from Victory Field to Bush Stadium in his honor. Bush was posthumously elected to the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979 and was known as "Mr. Baseball" in Indianapolis. ==See also==