Researching Jim Mcdonald

In the major leagues, McDonald worked a spot starter and filled various roles coming out of the bullpen as a middle reliever and set-up man. He debuted in the midst of the season with the Boston Red Sox, then joined the St. Louis Browns (1951), New York Yankees (1952–1954), Baltimore Orioles (1955) and Chicago White Sox (1956–1958). He went 3–4 with a 3.50 ERA in 26 appearances for the Yankees champions, including five starts, but did not pitch during the 1952 World Series. In, he posted career-highs in wins (9), complete games (6), shutouts (2), and innings pitched . He also was the starter and winning pitcher in Game 5 of the 1953 World Series over the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. In that game, McDonald allowed only two runs, both earned, over his first seven innings pitched, as the Yankees built a 10–2 advantage. McDonald faltered somewhat in the eighth, permitting four runs (three of them on a home run by Billy Cox) before he was relieved by left-hander Bob Kuzava. But the Yankees prevailed, 11–7, and won the Series in six games the following day. In a nine-season MLB career, McDonald posted a 24–27 record with a 4.37 ERA in 136 games, including 55 starts, 15 complete games, three shutouts, 30 games finished, and one save. He allowed 489 hits and 231 bases on balls, with 158 strikeouts, in 468 career innings pitched.

McDonald is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology and of the Institute of Physics. He has co-authored over 600 papers and three books. He was knighted in the 2012 Birthday Honours for services to education, engineering and the economy.

On 15 February 2019 the Royal Academy of Engineering announced that its Trustee Board had nominated Professor McDonald as its presidential candidate for election by Fellows at the September 2019 AGM. Following his election, Sir Jim will serve a term of five years and has become the Academy's first Scottish President.

On 2 October 2021 Sir Jim McDonald delivered his first TEDx Talk at the Resilience Reignited 2021 TEDxUniversityofStrathclyde Annual Ideas Conference.