Dave Danforth

{{Short description|American baseball player (1890–1970)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Dave Danforth

|image=Dave Danforth 1922.jpg

|caption=1922 baseball card of Danforth

|position=Pitcher

|bats=Left

|throws=Left

|birth_date={{birth date|1890|3|7}}

|birth_place=Granger, Texas, U.S.

|death_date={{death date and age|1970|9|19|1890|3|7}}

|death_place=Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate= August 1

|debutyear= 1911

|debutteam= Philadelphia Athletics

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=October 1

|finalyear=1925

|finalteam=St. Louis Browns

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Win–loss record

|stat1value=71–66

|stat2label=Earned run average

|stat2value=3.89

|stat3label=Strikeouts

|stat3value=484

|teams=

• Philadelphia Athletics ({{mlby|1911}}–{{mlby|1912}})
• Chicago White Sox ({{mlby|1916}}–{{mlby|1919}})
• St. Louis Browns ({{mlby|1922}}–{{mlby|1925}})

|highlights=

• 2× World Series champion ({{wsy|1911}}, {{wsy|1917}})

}}

David Charles "Dauntless Dave" Danforth (March 7, 1890 – September 19, 1970) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for ten seasons (1911–1912, 1916–1919, 1922–1925) with the Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Sox, and St. Louis Browns. For his career, he compiled a 71–66 record in 286 appearances, with a 3.89 earned run average and 484 strikeouts. Danforth played on two World Series championship teams, the 1911 Athletics and the 1917 White Sox. He appeared in one World Series game (in 1917), pitching one inning, giving up two runs and striking out two.

Danforth was an alumnus of Baylor University.{{cite book|title=1912 Reach Guide|page=82|year=1912}} He pitched two seasons at Baylor and pitched two no-hitters as a collegiate. In 1911 he led Baylor to the Texas championship with a 10-0 win–loss record. He had agreed to join the Athletics for the 1911 season over the winter of 1910–11, but held off signing his professional contract until graduating from Baylor, joining the Athletics in July. The 1912 Reach Guide described him as a "clever young pitcher" and said that the Athletics were "fortunate" in his "gradual development" in their pursuit of the 1911 league championship.{{cite book|title=1912 Reach Guide|chapter=The American League 1911 Teams|year=1912}}

He was known for adulterating baseballs and throwing "shiners". A 1920 rule change banned this practice and Danforth's career suffered following the rule change. After retiring from baseball, he worked as a dentist.{{cite web|title=1917 World Series Championship Medallion|url=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/appraisals/1917-world-series-championship-medallion/|website=Antiques Roadshow|publisher=PBS|access-date=May 1, 2018}}

He was born in Granger, Texas and died in Baltimore, Maryland at the age of 80. He is buried in Loudon Park Cemetery[https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/playerpost.php?p=danfoda01&ps=ws Baseball Almanac] in Baltimore.