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  John Donovan

John Donovan

John Donovan is a senior writer at SI.com. Donovan joined CNN/Sports Illustrated Interactive in June 1997 as part of the team that launched the orignial CNNSI.com site.

Donovan's primary beat at SI.com is Major League Baseball. He writes Baseball Insiders, Viewpoints, features and his Monday afternoon column, The Payoff Pitch. In addition to his baseball duties, Donovan regularly contributes to the coverage of a number of other sports for the site.

Donovan started his career as a stringer for the now-defunct Phoenix Gazette. He has worked at Gannett papers in Guam (Pacific Daily News) and Pensacola, Fla. (the News-Journal) and spent more than six years at The Cincinnati Post. Along the way, he covered Florida State, Alabama and Auburn football, the Continental Basketball Association, Kentucky basketball and spent six seasons covering the Cincinnati Bengals and the NFL for The Post.

Donovan received his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Arizona State University. He now lives outside of Atlanta with his wife and son.

John Donovan's
Insider Archive:

John Donovan: After Cys, Big Unit and Zito struggling (8/18/03)
John Donovan: Where're the bats? (8/14/03)
Donovan: Palmeiro's decision to stay put helps no one (8/13/03)
John Donovan: Only Palmeiro understands his decision (8/13/03)
Payoff Pitch: Wild card provides baseball's best races (8/11/03)
Donovan: Prodding the Twins (8/8/03)
John Donovan: Teams still keep dealing through August (8/7/03)
Donovan: Smoltz, Gagne, Wagner may be best closing trio ever (8/6/03)
The Payoff Pitch: NL Central contenders bumble to title (8/4/03)
John Donovan: Royals are flush (7/16/03)
Donovan: All-Star Game still an exhibition (7/16/03)
Donovan: Baseball's new Classic (7/15/03)
Donovan: The line on Sheff (7/14/03)
The Payoff Pitch: Baseball's odd love affair with home run derby (7/14/03)
Donovan: Game's future looks plenty bright (7/13/03)
John Donovan: A new game face (7/11/03)
John Donovan: What's wrong with the Twins, White Sox and Phils? (7/10/03)
John Donovan: New manager report card (7/9/03)
John Donovan: Hurray for All-Star changes (7/7/03)
John Donovan: The Fourth and sports (7/4/03)
Donovan: Delgado, Wells drive in runs at historic pace (7/3/03)
John Donovan: It's been a wild and wacky season already (7/2/03)
The Payoff Pitch: Fans make some odd All-Star choices (6/30/03)
John Donovan: Oh, those no-trade contracts (6/27/03)
Donovan: Market shaping up for annual trading frenzy (6/26/03)
Donovan: D'backs find fountain of youth (6/25/03)
The Payoff Pitch: Cardinals' Pujols a triple threat (6/23/03)
John Donovan: Hitting streaks are something special (6/19/03)
The Payoff Pitch: Baseball takes center stage (6/16/03)
Donovan: M's back on top (6/13/03)
John Donovan: More thoughts on Sammy (6/9/03)
Donovan: Break up the Rangers (6/6/03)
Donovan: Pushing the game along (6/5/03)
Donovan: Overall No. 1 pick faces a hard road (6/4/03)
John Donovan: Interleague play's not all that bad (6/2/03)
Donovan: No worry in L.A. (5/29/03)
Donovan: Outfields power Braves, Reds (5/28/03)
Donovan: Clemens remains an intimidator (5/26/03)
Donovan: Glavine's rude ride home (5/24/03)
John Donovan: Nike puts the whole world in LeBron's hands (5/23/03)
John Donovan: Marketing baseball a tough task (5/22/03)
John Donovan: Sorentam wants to measure up (5/22/03)
John Donovan: Yankees fall back to Earth (5/19/03)
Donovan: Watch those Expos (5/16/03)
Donovan: Umps put the squeeze on strike zone (5/15/03)
John Donovan: Palmeiro headed to Cooperstown (5/12/03)
John Donovan: Having a closer is helpful but not necessary (5/8/03)
John Donovan: Mets' problems go way beyond GM Phillips (5/7/03)
Payoff Pitch: Home-field plan won't fix All-Star Game (5/5/03)
John Donovan: Fact or fiction? (5/1/03)
John Donovan: Tracking the terrible, toothless Tigers (4/28/03)
The Payoff Pitch: Fans, players start chippy season (4/21/03)
Donovan: Slap down these so-called fans (4/16/03)
Donovan: Thanks for not politicizing, HOF (4/14/03)
John Donovan: Mixed messages in Augusta (4/12/03)
John Donovan: Despite upheaval, Giants open strong (4/9/03)
John Donovan: Some guys have all the luck; then there's Griffey (4/7/03)
John Donovan: TBS' big gamble (4/4/03)
Donovan: Opening Day has lost its luster (3/31/03)
Donovan: What are the real stories this spring? (3/27/03)
Spring Training Buzz: White Sox have big plans for Crede (3/24/03)
Donovan: M's happy to have Colbrunn (3/20/03)
John Donovan: Baseball braces for wartime mentality (3/18/03)
Donovan: New labor agreement has brought little change (3/18/03)
Spring Training Buzz: Kim starting over again (3/17/03)
Spring Training Buzz: Lessons we have learned (3/13/03)
Donovan: Trammell ready for tall task ahead (3/12/03)
Buzz: Pedro ready to shoulder load for Red Sox (3/9/03)
Spring Training Buzz: Piniella has plenty to teach young Rays squad (3/6/03)
Donovan: What if ... Pete Rose returns to baseball? (3/5/03)
Donovan: Wells adds to hectic Yankee camp (3/4/03)
Donovan: Biggio takes another one for the team (3/4/03)
Spring Training Buzz: Who's on first for Red Sox? (3/2/03)
Donovan: Can hitters carry the Braves? (2/28/03)
Donovan: A kinder, gentler Bowa (2/27/03)
Spring Training Buzz: Matsui, front and center (2/27/03)
Donovan: Bucs dismantle tired, overmatched Raiders (1/27/03)
John Donovan: Soaring above it all (1/25/03)
Donovan: That's entertainment (1/24/03)
Donovan: The heart of the Super Bowl (1/24/03)
Donovan: Gruden's torn heart (1/22/03)
Donovan: Middleton's large opportunity (1/21/03)
John Donovan: Raiders-Bucs -- a sexy Super Bowl (1/19/03)
Donovan: Pennington meets his match (1/12/03)
Donovan: Move over, Duke, here comes McNair (1/12/03)
John Donovan: Those lovable 'Canes (1/2/03)
Donovan: Giants bending over backward (12/16/02)
Donovan: Braves work to rebuild pitching staff (12/14/02)
Donovan: Griffey, Expos spice up dull meetings (12/13/02)
Donovan: Spotlight on Expos at winter meetings (12/12/02)
Donovan: Time to get Rose back into baseball (12/10/02)
Donovan: Georgia good enough (12/7/02)
Donovan: Glavine gets the message (12/5/02)
Donovan: Talking the talk (12/4/02)
Donovan: Hampton's new home (11/20/02)
Donovan: Dusty swaps Giants for real problems (11/8/02)
Donovan: Yanks banking on Japanese slugger (11/7/02)
Donovan: Game 7 lacked fairy-tale ending (10/28/02)
Donovan: Who wants to count out the Angels? (10/27/02)
Donovan: Washburn suffrers classic fall (10/25/02)
Donovan: What we have here is a Series (10/24/02)
Donovan: Giants try to find a way (10/23/02)
Donovan: Pitching takes a holiday (10/21/02)
Donovan: Down 0-1, Angels in perfect position (10/20/02)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: World Series head scratcher (10/18/02)
Donovan: A California clash (10/15/02)
Donovan: Threat of Bonds burying Cardinals (10/14/02)
Donovan: Angels a different breed of champ (10/13/02)
Donovan: Racking up the runs (10/11/02)
Donovan: Aurilia adds to Giants sizzle (10/11/02)
Donovan: In this corner (10/10/02)
Donovan: A convention of underdogs (10/8/02)
Donovan: How can you not love the Twins? (10/6/02)
Donovan: Giambi KO'd in first again (10/5/02)
Donovan: Angels the team to beat (10/5/02)
Donovan: Angels do whatever it takes to win (10/3/02)
Donovan: The hammering Yanks (10/2/02)
Donovan: The mini-revenue marvels (10/1/02)
Donovan: Padres play spoilers (9/24/02)
Donovan: Managing the hard times (9/17/02)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Yeah, the Bengals are a joke (9/17/02)
Donovan: One year later, Mets try to carry on (9/11/02)
Donovan: Robinson's rocky ride (9/10/02)
Donovan: Sweet nineteen (9/3/02)
Donovan: Bud to the rescue (8/30/02)
Donovan: Decision day (8/29/02)
Donovan: Wells a creaking wonder (8/28/02)
Donovan: Quiet down, now (8/27/02)
Donovan: The Red Sox live (8/27/02)
Donovan: Angels make a race of it (8/25/02)
Donovan: Damon stalls, Red Sox fall (8/24/02)
Donovan: Hope lurks for Red Sox (8/23/02)
Donovan: A-Rod, MVP (8/21/02)
Donovan: Dollars and nonsense (8/20/02)
Donovan: Baseball hysteria (8/16/02)
Donovan: The latest, greatest threat (8/16/02)
Donovan: Opting out (8/13/02)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Steroids proposals a start (8/9/02)
Donovan: Baseball's gullible fans (8/8/02)
Donovan: Talking and hoping (8/6/02)
Users strike back: 25 more baseball problems (7/30/02)
Donovan: Baseball's other problems (7/16/02)
Donovan: It's not about winning (7/10/02)
Donovan: Calm before the storm (7/9/02)
Donovan: Hail to the homer (7/8/02)
Donovan: Baylor only tip of problem for Cubs (7/5/02)
Donovan: Don't hate the Yanks for spending (7/2/02)
Donovan: The promise of the Sox (6/18/02)
Donovan: Andruw, finally, coming of age (6/11/02)
Donovan: Wooing the public (6/4/02)
Donovan: Vidro's streak (5/29/02)
Donovan: Playing Griffey (5/24/02)
Donovan: The next great savior (5/23/02)
Donovan: Portland dreamers (5/21/02)
Donovan: Baseball strike looms (5/16/02)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Don't take me out to the ballgame (5/7/02)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: April can fool (5/2/02)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: The firing line (4/30/02)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Schilling's grand plan (4/25/02)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Maddux's back (4/23/02)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: The playoffs, just in time (4/18/02)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: The hardest job in baseball (4/16/02)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: The 'off' season (4/4/02)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: The Hoosier image (4/1/02)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Putting on a show (3/29/02)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Walking the line (3/24/02)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: A laborious process (3/5/02)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Back to basics (2/28/02)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: An eye toward spring (2/1/02)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: What to do with Tyson (1/29/02)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: The rough-and-ready Rams (1/27/02)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Steel D drops Curtain on Ravens (1/20/02)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Moving slowly ahead (1/17/02)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: A happy Sheffield (1/17/02)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: All they're quacked up to be (1/2/02)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: A title flap (12/31/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: True lies (12/14/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: A rookie gamble (12/11/01)
Users strike back: Baseball boneheads (12/11/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Who's really No. 2? (12/9/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Completely spent (12/6/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: A fool's dance (11/7/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: A classic Fall Classic (11/5/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Figuring on 7 (11/4/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Magic on their side (11/2/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Slipping away (11/1/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: True grit (10/31/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: A different Yankee Stadium (10/30/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Yanks brutal in Game 1 (10/28/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Just win, baby (10/23/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: No 'mo,' please (10/22/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Pinstripe magic (10/19/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Break out the dance (10/18/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: The woe of the Astros (10/12/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: History and disappointment (10/6/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: One-pitch wonder (10/5/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Rickey Record (10/4/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Wimping out on walks (10/4/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Come out and play (10/3/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Looking for a pitch (9/30/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Patience pays off (9/29/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: A Bonds pressure cooker (9/29/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Curse of the Cubs (9/23/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Moving on (9/18/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: No escape (9/14/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Sept. 11, 2001 (9/11/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: MVP Bonds (9/10/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Can Bonds catch McGwire? (9/6/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Uglyball (9/3/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Gwynn on hitting (8/27/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: In control all the way (8/8/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Pen pals (8/6/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: The long and short of it (8/2/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Going places (7/30/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: A swap meet (7/16/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: A genuine hero (7/11/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: A final bow for Gwynn, Ripken (7/2/01)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: An All-Star scrap (6/25/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Twins survive (6/20/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Manny the man (6/18/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Addition by contraction (6/11/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Interleague dodgeball (6/7/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Managing to stay alive (6/4/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Go left, young man (5/28/01)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: A show to remember (5/20/01)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Getting a grip (5/14/01)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Handle with care (5/7/01)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Texas heat (5/4/01)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Movie magic (4/30/01)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Looking for a savior (4/23/01)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: A typical L.A. story (4/19/01)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Ripken's swan song? (4/12/01)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Going at it again (4/9/01)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Ventura and the Mets (4/4/01)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Baseball takes its place (4/2/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Fixing the NBA (2/6/01)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Brace yourself for the XFL (2/1/01)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Cocky as they wanna be (1/29/01)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Your cheatin' horse (1/19/01)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: The Super Bowl stars (1/16/01)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: A flawed four (1/12/01)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Aint's no more (1/5/01)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Blood and elbows (1/2/01)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Pats' Johnson still kicking (12/20/00)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: A few million reasons (12/15/00)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Picking a winner (12/8/00)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: A mess from top to bottom (12/4/00)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: No more gamedays (12/1/00)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Miami gets the shaft (11/27/00)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: More salary stupidity (11/14/00)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: An election night to remember (11/8/00)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: That losing feeling (11/6/00)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Tailing Tiger (11/2/00)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Staying up is hard to do (10/30/00)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: The Yankees' cool (10/24/00)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: A Subway Series (10/16/00)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: No advantage here (10/13/00)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Where's the passion? (10/7/00)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Anyone can win -- kind of (10/3/00)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: The Untouchables (9/29/00)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Bengals lost in their losing ways (9/25/00)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: An owner's manual (9/22/00)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Maddux (yawn) wins again (9/19/00)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: Mets-Braves still has its points (9/18/00)
CNNSI.com's Donovan: The 100-yard carnage (9/15/00)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: A pressing September (9/11/00)
Donovan: Trying to get through (9/4/00)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: It's just a fantasy (9/1/00)
Colleges a passion play (8/24/00)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Taking the plunge (8/15/00)
Hard to do (8/11/00)
Talkin' 'bout an exhibition (8/8/00)
In search of a dynasty (8/4/00)
Users strike back: Bash the Tiger bashers (7/31/00)
Minors a major hit (7/28/00)
Tiger bashers miss the point (7/21/00)
Quit talking and fix the darn game (7/19/00)
What sports fans want (7/4/00)
Tennis in turmoil (6/30/00)
The trouble with being Patrick (6/1/00)
A sinking feeling (5/29/00)
Who needs a go-to guy? (5/26/00)
Users stike back on problems in the stands (5/25/00)
Baseball finally does something right (5/25/00)
What you won't see anytime soon (5/22/00)
Donovan: Ballparks a far cry from G-rated (5/19/00)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Get off the NBA's back already (5/12/00)
MAX a big -- really big -- Jordan lovefest (5/9/00)
A chance for the near-impossible (5/5/00)
A sports merchandising headache (5/1/00)
Clean up the games (4/28/00)
Users strike back on Rocker issue (4/26/00)
Hello? Is anyone there? (4/20/00)
Braves fans a forgiving bunch (4/19/00)
Anything can happen on Draft Day (4/14/00)
Making a mockery of the draft (4/13/00)
Here's to Izzy Ball (4/4/00)
Bennett wrestles with a heavy decision (4/2/00)
Wisconsin dreamin' (3/29/00)
Carolina in unfamiliar role as an underdog (3/14/00)
Hot hand could prove big for best of the best (3/8/00)
Donovan: The good and bad of Selection Sunday (3/7/00)
CNNSI.com's John Donovan: Lakers-Pacers offers sneak peak at possible NBA Finals (3/3/00)
A Super Bowl full of talk, talk, talk (1/28/00)
Taking a break from football (1/13/00)
Donovan: The coach's life (1/6/00)
Donovan: Speaking up has cost Jim Keady (12/21/99)
Users strike back: Minority coaches needed, but no quotas (12/9/99)
Users strike back: Rose still incites passions, on both sides (12/9/99)
Donovan: Along for the Rider (12/7/99)
Donovan: Minority coaches play waiting game in the NFL (12/1/99)
Donovan: Rose's sad story just won't go away (11/30/99)
Donovan: Thank you, and thank you not (11/24/99)
Donovan: Six billion is bad (11/23/99)
Donovan: Payton a true athletic hero (11/2/99)
Users strike back: Braves may still be Team of '90s (11/2/99)
Donovan: Braves a team of unfulfilled promise (10/28/99)
Donovan: It's no fun to be a Met these days (10/14/99)
Donovan: Millwood has a chance to be a hero (10/6/99)
Donovan: Mets and wild card a perfect match (9/28/99)
Donovan: Browns still searching for some answers (9/15/99)
Donovan: Are you ... you know ... ready? (9/10/99)
Donovan: The '99 race still a pretty good show (9/7/99)
Donovan: Tennis can be a smashing good time (8/31/99)
Donovan: Fan-based group tackles (8/25/99)
Donovan: The pain of being Barry's backup (8/17/99)
Donovan: The pain of being Barry's backup (8/17/99)
Donovan: Viva Van de Velde! (8/11/99)
Users sound off on NFL's holdouts (8/11/99)
Users sound off on NFL's holdouts (8/11/99)
Donovan: Holdouts gum up the NFL works (8/4/99)
Users sound off on Rose, Cone (8/4/99)
test (7/22/99)
CNN/SI's Donovan: Perfect game illustrates inequity of game (7/19/99)
Donovan: One man decides Rose debate (7/14/99)
Users have their say on soccer (7/13/99)
Donovan: Can women make soccer a hit in U.S.? (7/7/99)
CNN/SI's John Donovan: Putting a limit on the NBA Draft (6/29/99)
Donovan: NBA Finals still have their allure (6/25/99)
Making sports fun again is up to the parents (6/9/99)
Staying on track: Horse racing fights for its share (6/3/99)
To replay or not to replay? (6/1/99)
(5/31/99)
Racing double-dip no Sunday afternoon drive (5/28/99)
Put out the garbage (5/26/99)
The users strike back: Leave the 'Noles be (5/17/99)
What's in a nickname? More than you might think (5/4/99)
Calling it quits -- there's a right way and a wrong one (4/27/99)
xxxx (4/26/99)
Schott's wild era comes to a sad end in Cincinnati (4/21/99)
Draft Day can be a drag for many pro prospects (4/14/99)
At the bottom of the pool: The don'ts and don'ts of an NCAA Tournament month (3/30/99)
test (3/29/99)
CNN/SI's John Donovan: This Final Four should be something to watch (3/24/99)
Flaming mad: Fleeced boxing fans take to e-mail (3/16/99)
Little big shot: Pohlman shows size isn't all that matters (3/9/99)
Rodman no genius, just a -- yikes! -- professional (3/3/99)
When it comes to contracts, just give it to us straight (2/23/99)
Ahhh, to be young and slick in the NBA today (2/15/99)
After a too-long hiatus, we welcome back the NBA (2/3/99)
Allegiances aside, you gotta love the Atlanta Falcons (1/19/99)
Allegiances aside, you gotta love the Atlanta Falcons (1/19/99)
Allegiances aside, you gotta love the Atlanta Falcons (1/19/99)
Allegiances aside, you gotta love the Atlanta Falcons (1/18/99)

 


 
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