Former Blue Jays Legend Josh Donaldson Shows Up in Unexpected Place
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If your local softball team needs an offensive boost, you could certainly do worse than adding a former AL MVP to your lineup.
Eleven years after he became the second Blue Jay in franchise history to earn league MVP honors (George Bell was the 1987 AL MVP), Josh Donaldson donned his familiar No. 20 Toronto jersey to join the Newmarket, Ontario-based Toronto Brew Jays men's softball team for their game on Monday night.
How Josh Donaldson Became a Brew Jay
Brew Jays team member Devon Martin had half-jokingly DM'ed the Donaldson in hopes that the now-retired 13-year MLB star would be willing to help the 0-3 team break out of an early season funk. Not missing a beat, Donaldson soon replied with "where do you play and when?" before making arrangements on a fun, unexpected guest appearance.
Donaldson and fellow Toronto legend Russell Martin had been in town to do some promotional work in support of Jose Bautista's charity and record a live episode of their "Get It Done League" podcast alongside veteran broadcaster Arash Madani. They also signed autographs for Blue Jays fans outside of Rogers Centre following the team's 6-4 comeback victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.
Donaldson wasn't there to be a spectator, either. After signing a tongue-in-cheek one-day contract that also honored him as a "Brew Jay For Life" and arriving to plenty of fanfare, the "Bringer of Rain" got to work.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the 40-year-old Donaldson didn't have much of a problem mashing at the softball beer league level. He went 4-4 in the game, crushing two home runs and adding a double and a single at the ball diamond at Art Ferguson Park.
Sadly, Donaldson's offensive boost was still not enough for the Brew Jays, who fell 12-9 to the rival Blue Fins and dropped to 0-4 on the season.
Donaldson's softball game appearance only serves to enhance his popularity as a Toronto sports icon. While the three-time All-Star only spent three and a half seasons playing in the city, he delivered 116 home runs (including 41 in his MVP campaign), 316 RBI and a .931 OPS over 462 games. He played a critical role in the club's 2015 and 2016 playoff runs.
Although a full-time foray into softball may not be in Donaldson's future plans, he still remains active in retirement as a skilled amateur golfer. When he's not on the links or working on his podcast, he's been busy spending family time with his wife and five-year-old daughter.
That being said, if Donaldson ever had the itch to get back on the diamond, the Brew Jays (and every other local softball team) would surely be happy to find a spot for him.
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Ben Fisher is a long-time sportswriter and baseball lover, dating back to 2008, when he was a member of the media relations team for the Toronto Blue Jays. He has covered a wide range of sports for a seemingly endless array of publications, including The Canadian Press, Fansided and The Hockey Writers. When he isn't writing about sports, he can be found coaching his equally baseball-obsessed sons' Little League teams.