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Leo Macdonell

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Leo Macdonell
BornAugust 17, 1888[1]
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
DiedOctober 6, 1957(1957-10-06) (aged 69)
Northridge, Los Angeles, California
NationalityAmerican
OccupationSportswriter
EmployerDetroit Times (1924-1957)
Known forPresident, Baseball Writers' Association of America, 1946
SpouseMary (Schibret) Macdonell

Leo Abbott Macdonell (August 17, 1888 – October 6, 1957) was an American sportswriter at the Detroit Times for 33 years from 1924 to 1957. He served as the president of the Baseball Writers' Association of America in 1946.

Early years

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Macdonell was born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin in August 1888.[2] He was the son of Donald Macdonell (1861-1948) and Mary Harrett (Ermatinger) Macdonell (1868-1925). By 1900, the family had moved to Superior, Wisconsin, where Macdonell's father was employed as a storekeeper,[3] and later in the life insurance business,[4] and as a bookkeeper in a coal office.[5]

Reporter in Wisconsin

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By 1910, Macdonell was employed as a reporter for a newspaper in Superior, Wisconsin.[5] At the time of World War I, Macdonnella was a newspaper reporter for the Superior Telegram.[2] At the time of the 1920 United States Census, Macdonell was living in Superior, working as a journalist.[6] He became the managing editor of the Superior Times and also worked as a boxing promoter.[7]

Detroit Times

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Macdonell came to Detroit, Michigan as a sportswriter for the Detroit Times, a position he held for 33 years.[8] While with the Times, Macdonell covered the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings, and Michigan Wolverines. At the time of the 1930 United States Census, Macdonell was living at 3781 West Philadelphia Street in Detroit. He was employed as a newspaper reporter.[9]

Macdonell was the Detroit Times hockey and golf reporter in the early 1930s, but he was recruited to cover the Detroit Tigers for the 1934 World Series.[10] In March 1937, Macdonell gave up the hockey beat at the Detroit Times to cover the Tigers on a full-time basis.[11] By the late 1930s, he was also the sports editor at the Detroit Times.[12][13]

In 1939, Macdonell was added to the committee of 24 baseball writers responsible for selecting the American League's Most Valuable Player.[14]

The Detroit Times was part of the Hearst newspaper syndicate, and Macdonell's baseball writing was often published in other Hearst newspapers through the International News Service, Hearst's wire service. In July 1945, Macdonell's story about Hank Greenberg hitting a home run in his first game after returning from wartime military service was published in Hearst newspapers across the country and for military personnel in Stars and Stripes.[15][16]

In October 1945, Macdonell was elected as the vice president of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.[17] He became the president of the Baseball Writers' Association of America in 1946.[18] He was also selected to serve on the Association's board of directors in October 1947.[19]

Macdonell also served as official scorer at the 1946 World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox.[20]

Macdonell insisted to his fellow reporters that "the toughest decision for a sports writer to make was the one that would take him off his beat."[21] Explaining his love for sports writing, Macdonell once asked and answered this question while interviewing Hank Greenberg: "When millionaires retire what do they do? They go to big golf tournaments, visit Florida baseball camps, attend big prize fights and watch Davis Cup matches at Forest Hills. It is their idea of paradise, the ideal existence. A sports writer is even closer to the fun than an ordinary spectator. Why should he give up all that if his health is OK?"[21]

Later years and death

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Macdonell was married to Mary (Schibret) Macdonell. They had two sons Robert (1921-1994) and Donald (1924-1956) and a daughter, Mrs. Daniel Sheahan.[7][9]

Macdonell suffered from Parkinson's disease during the last several years of his life.[7] He retired in the summer of 1957 and moved to Northridge, Los Angeles, California. He died there in October 1957 at age 69.[7]

After Macdonell died, the Baseball Writers' Association of America established the Leon Macdonell Trophy for the "most co-operative American League player to the press."[22] Tigers' shortstop Harvey Kuenn was the first recipient of the trophy.[22]

Selected articles by Macdonell

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References

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  1. ^ Birth record for Leo A. Macdonell, born August 17, 1888, Chippewa County, Wisconsin. Ancestry.com. Wisconsin Births, 1820-1907 [database on-line].
  2. ^ a b Draft registration card for Leo Abbott Macdonell, born August 17, 1889, at Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, employed as a newspaper reporter for the Superior Telegram. Ancestry.com. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Registration Location: Douglas County, Wisconsin; Roll: 1674993; Draft Board: 1.
  3. ^ Census entry for D. Macdonell, Mary H. Macdonell, and L.A. Macdonell. Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Year: 1900; Census Place: Superior Ward 5, Douglas, Wisconsin; Roll: T623_1786; Page: 19B; Enumeration District: 73.
  4. ^ 1905 Wisconsin Census entry for Donald Macdonell, Mary H. Macdonell, and Leo A. Macdonell. Ancestry.com. Wisconsin State Censuses, 1895 and 1905 [database on-line].
  5. ^ a b Census entry for D. Macdonell, Mary Macdonell, and Leo A. Macdonell. Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Census Place: Superior Ward 6, Douglas, Wisconsin; Roll: T624_1707; Page: 15A; Enumeration District: 0099; Image: 1127; FHL Number: 1375720.
  6. ^ Census entry for Donald Macdonell and family. Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Census Place: Superior Ward 7, Douglas, Wisconsin; Roll: T625_1985; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 83; Image: 225.
  7. ^ a b c d "Obituary". The Sporting News. October 16, 1957. p. 34.
  8. ^ "Ex-Times Writer, Macdonell Dies". The Windsor Daily Star. October 7, 1957.
  9. ^ a b Census entry for Leo MacDonell and family. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Census Place: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan; Roll: 1049; Page: 25B; Enumeration District: 435; Image: 773.0.
  10. ^ Vern Degeer (October 24, 1934). "Sports Gossip". The Border Cities Star.
  11. ^ "In the Press Box". The Sporting News. March 11, 1937. p. 9.
  12. ^ "Trout's pitching record Given Recognition". The Sporting News. June 22, 1939. p. 4.
  13. ^ "Former Detroit Sports Editor Dies". Traverse City Record-Eagle (UP story). October 7, 1957.
  14. ^ "Yanks' Star Wins With 280 Pints: DiMaggio Heads 14 Ballots in Annual Poll of 24 American League Baseball Writers" (PDF). The New York Times. October 25, 1939.
  15. ^ Leo Macdonell (July 4, 1945). "Sunday Homer Greatest Thrill for Greenberg". Stars and Stripes.
  16. ^ Leo Macdonell (July 5, 1945). "Greenberg Homers in New Uniform". Stars and Stripes.
  17. ^ Arch Ward (October 6, 1945). "In the Wake of the News". Chicago Daily Tribune. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012.
  18. ^ "Holmes Is Named Writers' Prexy". The Toledo Blade. October 11, 1946.
  19. ^ "Baseball Writers Elect" (PDF). The New York Times. October 3, 1947.
  20. ^ "Happy Announces Series Officials". The Lewiston Daily Sun (AP story). October 5, 1946.
  21. ^ a b Jimmy Powers (October 14, 1957). "The Powerhouse". Newport Daily News (Newport, Rhode Island).
  22. ^ a b "Kuenn May Get Try in Center". Traverse City Record Eagle (Traverse City, Michigan). December 18, 1957.
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