Donlin became the idol of Giants fans after coming to New York in 1904. A superb hitter, he topped .300 ten times in 12 ML seasons. He hit .356 and scored a league-high 124 runs in 1905, then paced the Giants with six hits in their World Series victory over the Athletics. A broken leg limited him to 37 games in 1906, and he was a season-long holdout the next year. After another strong season in 1908 (.334, 106 RBI), Donlin left baseball for a fling at a vaudeville and movie career. Donlin again announced his retirement when Pittsburgh sold him to the Phillies in 1912, but returned as a pinch hitter with the Giants in 1914.
