Johnson City Cardinals hitter Tremayne Donald didn't hit home runs, but his speed made him "pure excitement" on the bases, The Johnson City Press wrote in July 1990.
"That's one of the things the Cardinals like, guys who can run," Donald told The Press then. "They like little guys who are fast and can hit the gaps. I've got God-given talent to run so I have to get on base as much as possible so I can use my speed."
Donald used his speed that year to steal 44 bases. He ended up stealing 122 over his career. But he could only use his speed to make four pro seasons. He topped out at high-A.
Donald's career began in 1989, taken by the Cardinals in the 24th round of the draft out of Paducah Tilghman High School in Kentucky.
Donald started with the Cardinals in the rookie Arizona League. He got into 34 games and hit .281. He also stole six bases.
He moved to rookie Johnson City for 1990. He got into 63 games, stole those 44 bases, but hit just .187.
Donald hit those numbers as the Cardinals tried to make him a switch-hitter early in the year, The Press wrote.
"We hope Donald can take to switch-hitting," Cardinals farm director Ted Simmons told The Press then. "He has good speed and is a good 'Whitey (Herzog)-type' player."
Donald moved to single-A Springfield for 1991. He saw 77 games and hit .250, while stealing 38. He then played 1992 at high-A St. Petersburg. He hit .229 there in 112 games, stealing 34. That season proved his last as a pro.
Donald soon turned to coaching. By 2019, he'd been coaching at various schools for 21 years. He was named then the head coach at his alma mater, Paducah Tilghman. He continued in that role in 2024, having taken the squad to region runner-up in 2023 with graduating seniors, The Paducah Sun wrote.
"This is the most inexperienced team I've had since being at Tilghman and the youngest team, but our expectations are not going to change," Donald told The Sun to start the 2024 campaign. "We're not going to make excuses that we're young and inexperienced; we're going to go out there and play in a way we know how and see what happens."
- Johnson City Press, June 22, 1990: Simmons likes Cards' farm system, Part 2
- Johnson City Press, July 11, 1990: Fleet-footed Donald makes things happen in Card-like fashion
- Paducah Sun, March 9, 2024: Paducah Tilghman Blue Tornado enters season with youthful roster
Made the Majors:1,423-32.1
Never Made Majors:3,009-67.9%-X
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