>>>
>>> A
>>> A MINNEAPOLIS MAN WORKING TO RESTORE THE LEGACY OF A
BASEBALL GREAT HAS HAD QUITE A
SUMMER.
SUMMER.
SUMMER. JOHN DONALDSON'S INDUCTION INTO
THE BASTE BASEBALL HALL OF
FAME.
FAME.
FAME. FRIDAY, MORE ON THAT.
FIRST A LOOK BACK AT A STORY WE
SHARED TWO YEARS AGO ABOUT A
MINNESOTA TAN RIGHTING A WRONG.
>> Reporter: IF WORDS WERE CAST
IN BRONZE AND BRASS, YOU WOULD
ALREADY KNOW THIS STORY.
BUT THESE WORDS HAVE FADED LIKE
THE GREATNESS OF THE MAN THEY
ONCE DESCRIBED.
ONCE DESCRIBED. INTO THE ABSECURETY OF A
NORTHEAST MINNEAPOLIS BASEMENT.
>> THIS IS WHERE JOHN
DONALDSON'S LEGACY RESIDES TO
DAY.
DAY.
DAY. I
DAY. I STUDY THIS ALL THE TIME AND
THINK ABOUT THIS ALL THE TIME.
>> Reporter: AND THE LEGACY OF
THE GREATEST BASEBALL PLAYER
YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF.
20 YEARS BEFORE JACKIE ROBINSON
BROKE THE MAJOR LEAGUE COLOR
BARRIER, JOHN DONALDSON WAS
BREAKING IT IN BERTHA.
DENIED ACCESS TO THE MAJOR
LEAGUES AFTER TWO SOLID YEARS
IN THE NEGRO LEAGUES, HE WAS
LURED AWAY TO SMALL TOWN
MINNESOTA.
MINNESOTA. >> IN 1924 HE MAKES MORE THAN
ALL THE PLAYERS ON THE TEAMS.
HE FILLED THE STANDS EVERY
SINGLE TIME.
SINGLE TIME. IF YOU HAVE HIM ON YOUR TEAM,
IT WAS GUARANTEED TO BE TALKED
ABOUT STATEWIDE.
ABOUT STATEWIDE. >> Reporter: BERTHA, MELROSE,
ST. CLOUD AND FAIRMONT, EACH
SIGNED ON DONALDSON FOR A
SEASON OR MORE.
BARN STORMING EXHIBITIONS AND
TOOK DONALDSON TO 550 NORTH
AMERICAN CITY.
AMERICAN CITY. >> IF HE HAD BEEN WHITE HE
WOULD HAVE A PROFOUND MAJOR
LEAGUE CAREER AND BE A
HOUSEHOLD NAME RIGHT NOW.
>> Reporter: BUT NO ONE ERECTS
BRONZE STATUTES EVEN FOR
DOMINANT PITCHERS IF YOU SPENT
YOUR CAREER TOWN HOPPING.
>> THIS IS JUST ONE OF THE FILE
BOXES I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON
THIS EVERY DAY FOR OVER 18
YEARS.
YEARS.
YEARS. >>
YEARS. >> Reporter: 18 YEARS.
>> HERE'S FREMONT NEBRASKA.
>> Reporter: SCOURING SMALL
TOWN PAPERS AND MUSEUMS.
>> NORTH DAKOTA.
>> Reporter: UNEARTHING BITS
AND PIECES OF HIS 33 YEAR
CAREER.
CAREER.
CAREER. >> HERE'S A PERFECT GAME HE
THROWS IN MONTANA.
UP TO NOW WE FOUND 15 NO-
HITTERS, 540 WINS.
5039 VERIFIED STRIKEOUTS.
>> Reporter: FROM THE FALLS, 39
SECONDS OF PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN
FILM OF HIM PITCHING.
>> HE STRIKES OUT 18 GUYS THAT
DAY.
DAY.
DAY. 1924
DAY. 1924 SELFIES.
1924 SELFIES. >> Reporter: PICTURES FROM
FAMILY ALBUMS.
FAMILY ALBUMS. >> PEOPLE JUST DON'T KNOW WHO
THAT BLACK GUY IS IN THE
PICTURE WITH GREAT GRAND PAW.
>> Reporter: BUT THE GUY WITH
DONALDSON ON HIS UNIFORM WON'T
BE DONE UNTIL EVERYONE KNOWS.
>> SO HIS LEGACY IS BURIED
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. LEFT-HANDED PITCHER, GREATEST
BLACK PITCHER OF ALL TIME.
HE WAS B OBVIOUSLY A MAJOR
LEAGUER NOT IN THE MAJOR
LEAGUES AND NOT IN THE MAJOR
LEAGUES BECAUSE OF HIS SKIN
COLOR AND THAT IS PART OF THE
LEGACY WE NEED TO RESTORE.
>> Reporter: A CENTURY AFTER
DONALDSON'S STORY WAS WRITTEN,
PETE GORDON IS RIGHTING A
WRONG.
WRONG.
WRONG. >>
WRONG. >> HOW CAN WE CLOSE THE LID ON
HIM AGAIN?
HIM AGAIN? >> Reporter: KARE 11 NEWS
MINNEAPOLIS.
MINNEAPOLIS. >> PETE GORDON'S WORK ON BEHALF
OF JOHN DONALDSON IS CONTINUING
TO GAIN TRACTION.
ON FRIDAY A BRONZE STATUTE WAS
DEDICATED IN DONALDSON'S
HOMETOWN IN GLASGOW MISSOURI.
GORDON WHO ATTENDED THE
CEREMONY CALLED IT AN ACT OF
LEGACIES LEFT BEHIND.
NEXT YEAR THEY WILL MEET TO
CONSIDER OMISSIONS OF THE
COMMITTEE.
COMMITTEE. >>> WOW, WHAT A FIND AND HOW
SOME FOLKS GET LOST IN THE
ANNALS OF HISTORY AND WE HOPE
THAT HIS GREATNESS WILL SHOW UP
SOME DAY.
SOME DAY.
SOME DAY. >> YEAH, THAT'S A LOT