Donald Glenn August (born July 3, 1963) is an
American former
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...
pitcher who played for the
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. The Brewers are named for the city's association wi ...
from to . He lived in
Mission Viejo, California and graduated from
Capistrano Valley High School.
Minor pro career
August attended
Chapman University
Chapman University is a private research university in Orange, California. It encompasses ten schools and colleges, including Fowler School of Engineering, Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Fowler School of Law, and Schmid College of Scie ...
, where he was a Division II All-American. After competing for the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
at the
1984 Summer Olympics in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
, he was drafted 17th overall by the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
. He spent a year in the Astros' minor league system before being traded along with fellow pitcher
Mark Knudson to the Brewers on August 15, 1986 in exchange for
Danny Darwin
Danny Wayne Darwin (born October 25, 1955), known as the "Bonham Bullet" and "Dr. Death", is an American professional baseball pitcher and coach, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, ...
.
Milwaukee Brewers
After beginning 1988 with a 4–1 record and a 3.52
ERA for the Denver Zephyrs (now the
New Orleans Zephyrs
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...
) of the
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Bas ...
, August was called up to the Brewers. He continued his success at the Major League level, going 13–7 with a 3.09 ERA and ranking ninth in the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
in winning percentage. He finished fourth in the voting for AL
Rookie of the Year;
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The t ...
shortstop
Walt Weiss won the award.
August suffered a case of the
sophomore jinx
A sophomore slump or sophomore jinx or sophomore jitters refers to an instance in which a second, or sophomore, effort fails to live up to the relatively high standards of the first effort.
It is commonly used to refer to the apathy of students ...
in 1989, slipping to 12–12 with a 5.31 ERA. He was sent back down to Denver for some time, where he garnered a 1–1 record with a 4.94 ERA. A notable moment came on June 5, when he was the
winning pitcher
Winning may refer to:
* Victory
Film
* ''Winning'' (film), a 1969 movie starring Paul Newman
* '' Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman'', a 2015 documentary by Adam Carolla and Nate Adams
Music
* ''Winning'', an album by Ten Foot Pole, 202 ...
in the inaugural MLB game played at the SkyDome (now
Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre (originally SkyDome) is a multi-purpose stadium, multi-purpose retractable roof stadium in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated at the base of the CN Tower near the northern shore of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989 on the fo ...
) in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...
, a 5–3 Brewers victory over the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
.
In 1990, he pitched five games, and had a record of 0–3. He started 23 games during the
1991 season, and had a 9–8 record in his final season.
References
External links
Baseball Almanac: Don August
{{DEFAULTSORT:August, Don
1963 births
Living people
American expatriate baseball players in Canada
Baseball players at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Baseball players from Inglewood, California
Calgary Cannons players
Chapman Panthers baseball players
Charlotte Knights players
Columbus Astros players
Denver Zephyrs players
London Tigers players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Milwaukee Brewers players
Olympic silver medalists for the United States in baseball
Toledo Mud Hens players
Tucson Toros players
Vancouver Canadians players
Wichita Wranglers players
American expatriate baseball players in Taiwan
American expatriate baseball players in Italy
Jungo Bears players
American expatriate baseball players in Mexico
Pericos de Puebla players
Piratas de Campeche players
Rimini Baseball Club players
Sinon Bulls players
Rakuten Monkeys players
Anchorage Bucs players