Donlin was married to Mabel Hite, a vaudeville and Broadway actress. Tragedy struck early in the season, however, as he broke his ankle sliding into second base and was lost for the remainder of the season. Cocky and brash as ever, Donlin demanded his same salary for the 1907 season as well as a $600 bonus incentive for staying sober throughout the year. When Giants owner John T. Brush refused, Donlin retired and sat out the entire season. Donlin spent the time traveling with his wife and became interested in the theater and the high-society lifestyle that came with it. Donlin returned to the Giants for the season without showing any effects from a year-long layoff as he hit .334 and finished 2nd in the league in hitting for the 3rd time in his career. In his first home game back, he hit a game-winning 2-run home run in the bottom of the 9th inning. He was also near the league leaders in virtually every other offensive category and turned in an adequate job defensively for the first time. Comeback In , Donlin returned to his old team and manager, John McGraw, after a two-year break for acting. Donlin's talents had declined and was no longer worth the problems he created and was sold to the Boston Rustlers, having only played 12 games for his former New York team. Boston immediately inserted him into their starting line-up and Donlin responded by hitting .315 for them. Unwilling to negotiate with a hard-bargaining, poor defensive outfielder on a poor team, Boston traded him to Pittsburgh, where he played the season as a reserve for the Pirates, batting .316. In the fall of 1912, Hite was diagnosed with cancer and died in October. In December Pittsburgh placed Donlin on waivers and he was claimed by the Philadelphia Phillies. Donlin refused to go to the Phillies and instead retired, once again, from baseball. He had a change of heart and attempted a comeback late in 1913 with the minor league Jersey City Skeeters and convinced his old friend, John McGraw, to select him to a traveling team that barnstormed in Europe, Asia and Africa in the winter of 1913. Encouraged by his hitting, McGraw gave Donlin a roster spot on the Giants but the magic in his bat was gone. Hitting only .161 in 35 games, Donlin called it quits, this time for good.