The Greatest Baseball Town in America: Donora, PA!?
Everybody is from somewhere. And when someone accomplishes something impressive, that place rightfully likes to celebrate. Well, the town of Donora in Washington County has A LOT to celebrate, especially in the world of Major League Baseball. Most small towns dream of producing one big sports star, but Donora produced three, and not just any three…
✨ Stan Musial ✨ Ken Griffey Sr. ✨ Ken Griffey Jr.✨
For a Monongahela River town with a peak population of about 14,000 in 1920, that’s basically striking lightning in the same place three times!
Stan “The Man” Musial: Donora’s First Baseball Icon
Stan Musial, nicknamed “Stan the Man,” was born in Donora on November 21, 1920. The son of a Polish immigrant father and Czech-American mother, Musial grew up playing ball in the same working-class neighborhoods that defined western Pennsylvania industrial towns.
Scouted by the St. Louis Cardinals at the age of 17, he went on to spend his entire major league career with the team from 1941-1963, except during his enlistment in the US Navy between January 1945 and March 1946. He was one of the most consistent hitters in baseball history.
A few numbers that are still astonishing:
- 3,630 career hits (#4 in MLB history)
- .331 lifetime batting average (#57 overall)
- 24 All-Star selections (tied for second with Willie Mays)
- 3 National League MVP awards in 1943, 1946, and 1948
Fun trivia: Musial had 1,815 hits at home and 1,815 hits on the road. Perfect symmetry.
He was honored with a statue at Busch Stadium in St. Louis in 1968 (don’t worry – they moved the statue to the new stadium in 2006). Musial was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969, which was his first year of eligibility, and was on 93% of the ballots. In 2011, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. At the ceremony, President Obama said Musial was “an icon untarnished, a beloved pillar of the community, a gentleman you’d want your kids to emulate.” Musial passed in 2013 and is buried in Missouri.
Next time you are in Donora, you can try your batting skills at the Stan Musial Baseball Field, you can drive across the Monongahela River on the Stan “The Man” Musial Bridge, and you can visit the PA State Historical Marker dedicated to Musial at the intersection of Sixth and Meldon avenues.
Ken Griffey Sr.: The Second Generation Star
Fast-forward a few decades and Donora struck baseball gold again.
Ken Griffey Sr. was born in Donora on April 10, 1950. Griffey, Sr. excelled in many sports in high school. He and many others thought football was his best sport and that he would pursue that professionally.
Fate, however, had other designs. The Cincinnati Reds chose Griffey in the 1969 MLB draft! After a few years in the minor leagues, he made his major league debut with the Reds in 1973. He contributed to the Reds “Big Red Machine” team, winning the World Series in 1975 and 1976.
He remained in the MLB until 1991, playing for the NY Yankees, Atlanta Braves, and Seattle Mariners after the Reds.
You can also catch a game at the Ken Griffey Baseball Field behind the former Donora High School.
Fun trivia: Griffey’s father was a high school teammate of Stan Musial.
Career highlights:
- 3-time All-Star
- Over 2,100 career hits
- Inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2004
Ken Griffey, Sr. contributed to baseball history in another unique way…
Ken Griffey Jr.: The Kid Who Made Donora Famous Again
Ken Griffey Jr. was born on November 21, 1969, in Donora just as his father was beginning his major league career. When Ken Griffey, Sr. joined the Reds in 1973, the family left Donora for Cincinnati where “The Kid” grew up. Like his father, he was drafted immediately after high school; this time by the Seattle Mariners.
He made his MLB debut in 1989 and remained with the Mariners for the next 10 seasons. During the 1990 and 1991 seasons, the Griffeys were teammates! In 1990 they made history by being the first father-son duo to hit back-to-back home runs in the same game.
In 2000, Griffey signed with the Cincinnati Reds, his dad’s old team. He finished his MLB playing career with the Mariners in 2010.
And what a career it was! Griffey combined power, defense, and swagger in a way few players ever have. Just some highlights from 22 seasons in the MLB:
- 630 career home runs (7th in MLB history)
- 13 All-Star selections
- 10 Gold Gloves
- Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame with one of the highest vote percentages ever
Fun trivia: Ken Griffey, Jr. and Stan Musial share birthdays.
These are all of the champions of Donora, right?
No. Sometimes, the right combination of talent, mentorship, and opportunity produces someone extraordinary. Donora has seemingly captured this magic. Beyond the legends of Musial, Griffey, and Griffey, several other notable athletes hail from Donora, rightfully earning the town’s nickname, “Home of Champions.”
Steve Filipowicz (1921 – 1975) was born in Donora. He played major league football AND baseball for the New York Giants. Only he and Jim Thorpe can make this unique claim!
Arnold Galiffa (1927 – 1978) was a successful high school athlete in Donora. After attending West Point and serving in the U.S. Army, he played in the NFL for the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers. He then played a couple of seasons in the Canadian Football League. By 1957, he returned to Donora and served on borough council.
Dan “Deacon” Towler (1928 – 2001) played numerous sports while he attended Donora High School. He then attended Washington & Jefferson College where he continued to play football while earning a degree. His theology studies earned him the nickname “Deacon.” He played six seasons for the Los Angeles Rams. Towler continued his theological studies, became a pastor, a chaplain, founder of the Dan Towler Education Foundation, and eventually served six terms as president of LA County Board of Education.
What to know more about this special town? Visit the Donora Historical Society and Smog Museum and check out their upcoming events.