Leo Abbott Macdonell (August 17, 1888 – October 6, 1957) was an American sportswriter at the Detroit Times for 33 years from 1924 to 1957. He served as the president of the Baseball Writers' Association of America in 1946. Early years Macdonell was born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin in August 1888. He was the son of Donald Macdonell (1861-1948) and Mary Harrett (Ermatinger) Macdonell (1868-1925). By 1900, the family had moved to Superior, Wisconsin, where Macdonell's father was employed as a storekeeper, and later in the life insurance business, and as a bookkeeper in a coal office. Reporter in Wisconsin By 1910, Macdonell was employed as a reporter for a newspaper in Superior, Wisconsin. At the time of World War I, Macdonnella was a newspaper reporter for the Superior Telegram. At the time of the 1920 United States Census, Macdonell was living in Superior, working as a journalist. He became the managing editor of the Superior Times and also worked as a boxing promoter. Detroit Times Macdonell came to Detroit, Michigan as a sportswriter for the Detroit Times, a position he held for 33 years. While with the Times, Macdonell covered the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings, and Michigan Wolverines. At the time of the 1930 United States Census, Macdonell was living at 3781 West Philadelphia Street in Detroit. He was employed as a newspaper reporter. Macdonell was the Detroit Times hockey and golf reporter in the early 1930s, but he was recruited to cover the Detroit Tigers for the 1934 World Series. In March 1937, Macdonell gave up the hockey beat at the Detroit Times to cover the Tigers on a full-time basis. By the late 1930s, he was also the sports editor at the Detroit Times. In 1939, Macdonell was added to the committee of 24 baseball writers responsible for selecting the American League's Most Valuable Player. The Detroit Times was part of the Hearst newspaper syndicate, and Macdonell's baseball writing was often published in other Hearst newspapers through the International News Service, Hearst's wire service. In July 1945, Macdonell's story about Hank Greenberg hitting a home run in his first game after returning from wartime military service was published in Hearst newspapers across the country and for military personnel in Stars and Stripes. In October 1945, Macdonell was elected as the vice president of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. He became the president of the Baseball