Starting his softball career at 14, J.D. McDonald ultimately became one of the slickest fielding shortstops in the United States between 1955-1979 playing for the McAdenville, NC Reds. McDonald played in 22 national championships, and earned All-America honors 10 times as the Reds won six Major Industrial Slow Pitch national titles. Although the 5-foot-7, 147-pound McDonald was better known for his stellar defense, he could also handle himself at-bat and was a consistent .500 plus hitter. In the 1974 national championship he batted .636. As the first player from North Carolina elected to the Hall of Fame, McDonald played in an era when slow pitch was suited for smaller players who could run, field, hit and throw. The bats were wooden, the balls weren’t as lively as they are today and 15 to 20 runs per game was the norm. And the teams didn’t hit home runs by the dozen, so speed and defense were stressed. In his Hall of Fame acceptance speech, McDonald give credit to his sponsor and to his former teammates. “ If it hadn’t been for Mr. Pharr, I wouldn’t have had the exposure of having played in all parts of the country. We had some great teams that won many national championships. But I was one member of those teams. I had some great teammates during all the years of playing softball and I want them to know that they share a part of this honor with me.” In December of 1986, McDonald died at age 50.
