Larry Benard " Ben" McDonald (born November 24, 1967) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. The first overall pick in the 1989 MLB Draft, he played for the Baltimore Orioles and Milwaukee Brewers from 1989 through 1997.
Baseball career
Amateur
After graduating from Denham Springs High School,
[ Ben McDonald (profile) – Louisiana State University (LSU) Athletics. Retrieved October 12, 2023.] McDonald was the 670th selection in the 27th round by the
Atlanta Braves in the 1986 MLB draft. He elected not to sign despite the Braves' $75,000 offer ($218,350 in 2025) 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 at Louisiana State University (LSU) instead.
[ 1986 MLB Draft Pick Transactions, June 2 (Rounds 21–30) – Pro Sports Transactions. Retrieved October 12, 2023.][ Sayers, Tessa. "Keeping It Simple with Ben McDonald," MLB.com, Tuesday, December 7, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2023.]
The 6'7" McDonald played two sports at LSU. He was a reserve forward with the Dale Brown-coached Tigers basketball team, appearing in 32 games with five starts as a freshman before his playing time diminished to six games exclusively off the bench during his sophomore year.[ LSU Men's Basketball 2022–23 Record Book – Louisiana State University Athletics. Retrieved October 12, 2023.]
He led the 1988 US Olympic Team to a gold medal for baseball, winning complete games against host South Korea and Puerto Rico. During his three-year college career at LSU, McDonald twice helped his team reach the College World Series. He gave up a walk-off grand slam to Stanford's Paul Carey in the 1987 series.
Minor leagues
The Baltimore Orioles made McDonald the first overall selection in the 1989 June draft. He is the first of two LSU Tigers to have been drafted number one, joined by
Paul Skenes in 2023.
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 teammate John Olerud.
Baltimore Orioles
In the finale of the 1989 season, McDonald tossed one scoreless inning of relief versus the American League East champion Toronto Blue Jays, logging his first career win.
[100 Things Orioles Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Dan Connolly, Triumph Books, Chicago, 2015, ISBN 978-1-62937-041-5, p.207] 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.
[100 Things Orioles Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Dan Connolly, Triumph Books, Chicago, 2015, ISBN 978-1-62937-041-5, p.208]
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 the Chicago White Sox. At the end of the season, he finished eighth in Rookie of the Year voting, with the award going to catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. McDonald would go on to spend seven seasons with the Orioles, before leaving as a free agent in 1996 to join the Milwaukee 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 by Gerrit Cole.
Milwaukee Brewers
While with the Brewers, McDonald began to encounter shoulder problems, missing part of the 1997 season. He was traded to the Cleveland Indians that offseason, in a deal that brought
Marquis Grissom and
Jeff Juden to Milwaukee in exchange for him,
Mike Fetters, and
Ron Villone. McDonald would never pitch for the Indians, though, as an operation to repair his
rotator cuff on February 26, 1998 proved unsuccessful. He was ultimately forced to retire, and the Brewers sent Mark 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 1,291 innings pitched. He never pitched in the postseason.
In 2008, McDonald was elected to the College Baseball Hall of Fame.[ McDonald Elected to College Baseball HOF]
Post-baseball career
McDonald is a color commentator for Orioles telecasts on
MASN and on the radio for the Orioles Radio Network. He served as an assistant coach for the Denham Springs High School softball team in Denham 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.
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