Josh Donaldson started hitting the baseball in 2013 while a member of the Oakland A's and hasn't stopped since. An offseason trade with the Toronto Blue Jays brought the slugger and his bat to Canada where they have continued their reign of terror. Right now, the Blue Jays hold a wild card spot for the playoffs and, with Donaldson leading the charge, they are looking for much more.
There was a low point in Donaldson's career, however. It was before an interleague game against the San Francisco Giants, when he was a member of the rival Oakland A's. He saw his paltry .082 batting average. He began to doubt his ability because the opposing pitcher, Barry Zito, was hitting .133. In an article on Mercury News, Donaldson noted, "And I was thinking, 'I don't know if this baseball thing is going to work out.'"
He has since turned his career around. He has made the All-Star game the past two years in a row and stands an adequate chance at the American League MVP. Though he's still hitting home runs, Toronto's star player Jose Bautista' s batting average has hovered below .250 most of the season. The funny thing is Donaldson's turn around was helped by his Toronto teammate. From Fox Sports, Donaldson relates how he was helped by Bautista, "I've watched unlimited hours of Jose Bautista on film. What led me to leg kicking was him. I was always in between - doing a leg kick, toe tap, getting my foot down. When I saw that, I said, 'I feel like I can do that every day.' So I've stuck to it."
Bautista's example may just benefit Toronto this year. They are closing in on the New York Yankees and are giving them a run for their money.
It certainly has benefitted Josh Donaldson.
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