Portal:Indianapolis/Selected biography/3
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Donie Bush (October 8, 1887 - March 28, 1972) was a Major League Baseball shortstop in the American League for the Detroit Tigers (1908-1921) and the Washington Senators (1921-1923). In fourteen seasons in the major leagues, Bush displayed a keen eye and a talent for drawing bases on balls, drawing more walks during the decade from 1910-1919 than any other player in Major League Baseball. He was also an excellent contact hitter who was consistently among the league leaders in sacrifice hits, runs scored, and stolen bases. Bush is also remembered as one of the best fielding shortstops of the Dead-ball era. He holds the Major League records for most triple plays (9) and most putouts in a season by a shortstop with 425. Despite mediocre batting averages (he hit .250 for his career), Bush's talent for drawing walks pushed him into the Top 10 in On Base Percentage four times. His 1909 On Base Percentage of .380 was third in the American League behind teammate Ty Cobb and Eddie Collins.
Bush was one of the shortest players in the major leagues at 5 foot, 6 inches, and 130 pounds. He once said, "I used to tell 'em it ain't how big you are, it's how good you are. But whenever another team had an uncommonly small player, I'd slip up and compare heights. Always turned out he was an inch taller than me."
Bush was elected to the Indiana Baseball hall of fame and was known as "Mr. Baseball" in Indianapolis. At baseball's 1963 winter meetings, major league executives named him "King of Baseball."
