Pretty Neat: Donaldson and Estrada



Many have complained that Anthopoulos didn't do enough to address team deficiencies and I will always point to Martin and Donaldson. And now I'll point at Estrada, too. Estrada has taken a no-hitter into the eighth inning for the second start in a row. Everyone is pointing to the change up as the key to his success. That's great because it's my favorite pitch. 

Preserving the perfect game in the eighth for a few extra moments was Josh Donaldson,  who continues to be the greatest.


John  Lott of National Post wrote about Donaldson ' s All Star bid and it features several choice quotes.

“How I approached coming to a new team before when I was younger was kind of being quiet,” he said. “I think at some point that can be good. But there were some guys that I already knew in the clubhouse. I just wanted to let everybody know they could be comfortable with me, and that I was going to be comfortable toward them. I thought that was important to get that out of the way right away so they could see who I was and I could see who they were."



USA Today also had a piece on Donaldson, which includes several great quotes from the Jays about Donaldson.
"Never underestimate a motivated individual,'' Blue Jays manager John Gibbonssaid. "I see a guy that whatever he's doing, he's got that attitude that he wants to be the best. He's got that drive.

"He's a carefree, fun-loving guy, but when the game starts, he's as focused as anybody I've ever seen."

"That's natural, right, to play with a chip on my shoulder?'' Donaldson told USA TODAY Sports. "I don't feel I have a need to prove Billy wrong. I just want to be myself. I just want to show that, this is who I am. This is what I mean to a team. That's it.''


"He brings some toughness to the team I don't think we had here,'' Gibbons said. "The guy comes to play, and he's not afraid to fail. He wants to be that guy in the big opportunity.

"Shoot, we were lucky to get him.

"Damn lucky.''

Gibby was a roommate of Billy Beane's while with the Mets. Gibby seems to have had a lot roommates. 

A's lost the wild card game last season and it continues to haunt Josh.

"I can't forget,'' Donaldson says, sitting in the lobby of the Blue Jays team hotel. "I know I'm supposed to kind of move on, but I haven't gotten over it.

"I try not to think about it. I know I've thought about it way too much. But I just can't stop. Really, I don't know if I'll ever get over it."

Donaldson locked himself in his Alabama house after the wild-card loss. He found solace with his teammates, sending text messages back and forth, trying to boost their spirits.

"I was in contact with all of the guys that first month, group-messaging, and all of that stuff,'' Donaldson said. "My thing was, "We need to start believing now so we can be World Series champs. That was the consensus around the players, that we can win. We felt we were going to be stronger than ever because we went through all of the highs and the lowest of lows.

Now I'm imagining how happy he'll be if they actually pull this off.

"He's unbelievable,'' Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes said. "He comes with that energy every single day. He goes all-out in everything he does.''


"It's funny, Josh and Brett Lawrie have different personalities,'' Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista said, "but they both have that same intensity. Josh is just more methodical, and a student of the game. Brett is younger, and still trying to figure that out.

"I don't know why Oakland always seems to trade their position players, but will pay their pitchers, but he's sure been great for us.''

More from the National Post.

“He’s always talking about hitting, always trying to help get other guys better,” Dickey said.

Donaldson agrees that his palpable devotion might be uncommon among modern players, but for him it is no big deal.

“I just enjoy playing baseball,” he said. “I enjoy talking about it, and about how to do something different to help win a game.”

“What is pressure? Pressure is only what you put on yourself,” he said. “I don’t understand the whole pressure thing. Either you get the job done or you don’t. If you’re worried about the results, you’re probably going to fail. So why would you be worried about it? ” 


Gibby sees something different about this team.


“I’m proud of the guys, but that’s what they’re made of. This is a more character team than we’ve had in the past,” Gibbons said.
Had the catch  been a part of a perfect game, it would be immortal. No matter. It probably one of the best catches we will ever see.


Donaldson dove a couple of rows into the stands to catch David DeJesus’ foul pop leading off the eighth.
Another angle, this time with a smile.
The smile is the best part. He's just so damn proud.

“I thought it was pretty neat,” Donaldson said. “I was just trying to do anything I can to help get outs at that time.”