Donald Martin Kolloway (August 4, 1918 – June 30, 1994), was a
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), ...
player who played 12 years as an infielder for the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
(1940–1943, 1946–1949),
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
(1949–1952) and
Philadelphia Athletics
The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oaklan ...
(1953).
Kolloway's family moved to Blue Island when he was two years old, and he continued to live there for the rest of his life. He began his baseball career in
Longview, Texas
Longview is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, and county seat of Gregg County, Texas, Gregg County; a small part of Longview extends into the western portion of neighboring Harrison County, Texas, Harrison County. Longview is located in East Tex ...
in 1938 and moved up to
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
in the
Texas League
The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
the following year, where his batting average was .302. He debuted with the White Sox in 1940. Kolloway was a line drive hitter with good speed, who seldom walked and struck-out infrequently. While playing for the White Sox in 1942, he led the league with 40 doubles and was among the AL leaders in stolen bases (16), caught stealing (14), and at bats (601).
On June 28, 1941, Kolloway led the White Sox to a win over the Indians, as he hit two home runs, and stole four bases, including stealing second, third, and home in the ninth inning. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II from 1943 to 1946.
In May 1949, the White Sox traded Kolloway to Detroit for
Earl Rapp
Earl Wellington Rapp (May 20, 1921 – February 13, 1992) was an American professional baseball outfielder and scout (sport), scout. In Major League Baseball, he played in and from to for the Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, New York Giants ...
. In 1950, Kolloway hit .289 and had a career-high 62 RBIs for the Tigers.
[
After his baseball career ended, he owned and operated a tavern called Kolloway's in Blue Island from 1956 to 1969.]
See also
* List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders
In baseball, a doubles is recorded when the ball is hit so that the batter is able to advance to second base without an error by a defensive player. In Major League Baseball (MLB), the leader in each league (American League and National League) ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kolloway, Don
1918 births
1994 deaths
Major League Baseball second basemen
Major League Baseball first basemen
Baseball players from Illinois
Chicago White Sox players
Detroit Tigers players
Philadelphia Athletics players
Oklahoma City Indians players
Charleston Senators players
Portland Beavers players
Sportspeople from Cook County, Illinois
People from Blue Island, Illinois