Other than sharing a rookie card with Thurman Munson, I knew nothing about Dave McDonald. So I did a bit of research.
He was a patient hitter with power and had several good seasons at the plate in the minors. His best year came in 1969, when he hit .281 with a .540 slugging avg and 24 home runs for AAA Syracuse.
He had brief stints with the Yankees and Expos, hitting .145 in 62 career at bats. His only major league home run came off Rick Wise in a 4-2 Montreal win in July of 1971.
His father Les played football for the University of Nebraska and was drafted 8th overall by the Chicago Bears in 1937. Les also competed as an amateur boxer in the heavyweight division.
After his baseball career ended, Dave became a teacher. He also coached high school and college baseball.
