ATLANTA — New Braves third baseman Josh Donaldson had an interesting encounter with the Atlanta media on Monday, essentially his first day at the office (SunTrust Park).
While discussing the merits of signing with the Braves during the offseason – for a one-year sum of $23 million – 11Alive Sports anchor Wes Blankenship generally asked Donaldson what he brings to Atlanta, from a clubhouse perspective.
Perhaps not fully understanding the question, Donaldson deliberated for a moment before rhetorically asking, "I don't know. Have you ever looked at the back of my baseball card?"
The glib response elicited pockets of laughter from the assembled media. It also brought a wide smile to Donaldson's face.
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For those who haven't perused Donaldson's baseball card (or Baseball Reference page) in a while ...
Charting the five-year stretch of 2013-17 (with the Athletics and Blue Jays), Donaldson enjoyed strong annual averages of 33 homers, 98 RBI, 98 runs, six steals, a .282 batting average, .377 on-base percentage and .901 OPS.
Everything came up roses in 2015 (with Toronto), as Donaldson amassed 41 homers, 123 RBI, 122 runs and a .939 OPS – making him the runaway selection for American League MVP (beating out Mike Trout).
However, in 2018, an injury-plagued Donaldson mustered only eight homers for the Blue Jays and Indians (52 total games).
Donaldson's "baseball card" comment yielded a spectrum of thoughts on social media.
It might have unwittingly raised the bar of expectations with Braves fans, as well, given how the 33-year-old Donaldson implied that his Atlanta numbers might be closer to 2015 ... than 2018.
