DUNEDIN, Fla. – Josh Donaldson’s first spring training with the Toronto Blue Jays was spent feeling his way around a new team and a new environment. His just completed second camp was much different, and not only because the all-star third baseman helped lead his team an American League East title while also winning the AL MVP award.
Donaldson sat down with sportsnet.ca just before camp broke to discuss the 2016 season, evolving as a player, competitive windows and a whole lot more. Here’s part 1 of the interview…
CLOSER TO HOME: Watch Stephen Brunt’s TV special Roberto Osuna: Sinaloa to the Show on Sportsnet, April 2 at 4 p.m., following Red Sox vs. Blue Jays in Montreal
What’s different for you as you prepare to open this season in comparison to last year?
“It’s a huge change, honestly. I knew a few guys in the clubhouse but there weren’t many guys I knew or played with, and we didn’t play against the Blue Jays a lot in Oakland. So I was trying to come in last year, be pretty open with who I am, but at the same time really get to know everybody that’s here, the staff, the players and see where everything was. I didn’t know if our team was good, or if it was bad. I knew we had some good hitters.”
People outside the clubhouse might not understand why the bond you developed matters, although this team always says how important the comfort you developed with another is. How does that bond and camaraderie translate onto the field?
“When you understand your teammates, and your teammates understand their roles instead of not really knowing and just going out there and playing – you can have the best team on paper, but if everybody doesn’t know what’s expected of them, then they don’t really know what they’re supposed to do.
“Last year, the casual fan doesn’t get to see it because they’re not with us every day, our team at the beginning of the season, to two weeks in to when we had everybody that was going to be on our team after the trades, it was a totally different feel, a totally different vibe in the clubhouse. What those trades did, not only did they bring in guys that are great people that are winners, but they brought in guys that were going to solidify roles for everybody. And that’s what’s important, when people understand what’s expected of them, then it takes pressure off them to feel like they have to perform in other areas.”
Over the course of your MVP campaign, how did you evolve as a player?
“There were a few things that factored into it. Being able to play the majority of my games in Toronto helped, versus playing in Oakland, which is one of the worst hitters’ parks in the game. Having the freedom to know that if I square a ball up, it’s probably going to be a homer or at least an extra-base hit allowed me some freedom mentally, and baseball is a very big mental game, as we all know.
“Two, because of the guys who were surrounding me, (Jose) Bautista, Edwin (Encarnacion), pitchers were more prone to throw me strikes. From how spring training has gone, I might end up walking 200 times this year, but we’ll see. I don’t know how long they’re going to want to walk me to get to those guys. I joke about it, but as far as spring went, I don’t feel like I need to take a bat up there half the time, I’m being walked 50 per cent of the time.”
How do you handle that challenge during the season?
“It is a challenge because I want to swing. But the past three seasons I’ve averaged 70-plus walks a year, and so I’ve worked at-bats and I’ve always said I don’t go up there looking for walks, the reason I walk is because guys end up not wanting to throw me strikes, or they get a little tentative. From what I’ve judged in the spring, guys don’t want to throw me strikes. But when it starts meaning something and counting, we’ll see how it goes.”
Do you believe protection in a batting lineup comes more from who’s hitting behind you, or having guys get on base in front of you?
“Having guys get on base helps. There were several times throughout the course of last year where, if I was in Oakland I’d know for sure I’d see four fingers out, walk, and they came at me because now I have Bautista behind me. I was the fourth MVP award winner to not be intentionally walked the entire season. That says a lot for the guy behind me, it wasn’t because I was having a bad year, it was because they were scared to death of that guy behind me.”
Right now you’re expecting not to see a lot of strikes based on spring training, so you have a plan going into the season. What’s your process of adjustment like?
“The game of baseball is filled with adjustments you have to make all throughout the season. Last year I had to make an adjustment early on because in Oakland it was more like how guys are pitching me this spring – 2-1 sliders, 2-1 changeups, 3-2 breaking ball.
“Last year, especially early on, I was more thinking 3-2 I’m going to get a breaking ball, and they were being more aggressive with the heater. It took me time to get adjusted to guys being aggressive with me. When I started hitting well, it started changing back. It’s going to happen this season where pitchers are going to adjust to me, and I’m going to have to adjust to their plan, and they’re going to adjust to my plan. It’s a chess match.”
