Is Josh Donaldson One of the All-Time Least Likeable Twins Player?

[chpettit19]

Give me a fiery, outspoken, emotional player like Donaldson over the calm, silent Mauer type any day. Not saying the Mauer types don't care or have passion, but (with no data to back this up) the teams that seem to show up in late October these days seem to have a great deal of personality and fiery guys. 

Give me a guy calling out cheaters over the guys calling out "you're trying too hard, unwritten rules" any day. I much prefer Donaldson calling out the "sticky stuff" cheaters, especially when he throws Giolito's spin rate numbers out there as evidence, to Dozier crying that the Orioles bunted during a no hitter when it was a close game. Donaldson is brash and not looking to win any popularity contests. His comments yesterday made me like him even more and switched me from "trade Donaldson to get out from under his deal" to "give him a Bobby Bonilla deal for life." 

It's unfortunate the team (*pitching) is performing the way it is this year and undercutting Donaldson's words, but it's about time we had an "I'm here to win, not cater to the other team's feelings" player around here. I have a far bigger problem with guys on the Twins crying about people swinging 3-0 against our 3rd string catcher in a blowout than I do with someone calling out cheaters and trying to pump his team up in their last-chance-to-save-the-season series.

[JW24]

In one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history, the highest paid player on the team shows up with fire every day. I would kill for an entire team of Josh Donaldsons. He is one of the most likeable Twins players in my lifetime (32 years).

[Brock Beauchamp]

Multiple Twins over the years have been accused and/or convicted of domestic violence so if Donaldson is anyone’s “least liked” Twin, perhaps it’s time to log off this baseball forum and perform some personal reflection on one’s life choices. 

[Edgcumbe Hockey]

I think Brock's got it. All JD's stuff is baseball related, no DUI's, arrests or atrocious social media comments (correct me if I'm wrong, but I haven't seen it). We're supposed the hate the White Sox and they're supposed to hate us. Baseball is better when there are heated rivalries. I want more JD antics. not less. Let's see if he can get the rest of the division to hate us and hope it lights a fire under the rest of the boys.

[Dodecahedron]

Donaldson is a pussycat compared to Pierzynski.  And of course, we can't forget Knoblauch.

Carlos Silva made some provocative hand gestures along with some choice words after his first career shutout.  I guess Silva is as bad as Donaldson, then?  And what about Eddie Guardado, who liked to make gun gestures at the opposing team after getting saves for a short time?  

I had not seen anything around here about Donaldson's likeability until this week.  What he did this week was nothing.  We are better off focusing on the eggs the Twins are laying on the field.

[Steve Lein]

No. I love the attitude.

Not even in the ballpark of least likeable Twins players, especially in an all-time sense. 

This is a massive overreaction.

Edited July 1, 2021 by Steve Lein

[Aggies7]

he confronted Giolito in the parking lot after the game? what a tool. not a single player in this disaster of a season has any room to mouth off or taunt anyone. 12 games under and have been totally embarrassed in just about every game played against the team we all expected to battle for the division. they should all be like church mice until the on-field results improve. whenever that is.

[farmerguychris]

I like him!  While he's not been as healthy as I wish he were (we knew that risk going in) his play at 3B is better than any other options we have and he has also shown the ability to back it up when he trash talks.  He costs a lot, but so would most other quality 3B options out there. 

[jgfellows]

Donaldson saw Giolito in the parking lot after the game. Not to fight but to have a direct conversation. I think that’s awesome.  He says what he means.  Why would that make someone unlikeable??  He’s trying to fire up a team that’s had the most disappointing season thus far and I hope it works!  I just like the guy more now.

[Minny505]

I came here to bang my keyboard loudly as I comment against this sentiment, but it seems about 30 of you beat me to it.

[SirLoin]

I have ZERO issues with Donaldson.    This team has needed someone to light a fire under their proverbial asses for some time....unfortunately, this particular team is a 9th Ward hoarder's house during Hurricane Katrina.

Delmon Young has to be near the top of any list of unlikeable Twins.  

[Craig Arko]

3 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

Is Twins Daily becoming a clickbait website before our very eyes? This is a bad take and it’s disappointing this was published. 

It appears that ship has already sailed. Too bad, but c'est la vie.

[mike8791]

It's been said by many others on this post, but I have to chip in.  I AM SO SICK OF MINNESOTA NICE!!  Why has this team consistently underperformed in the playoffs?  No heart, no fire, just roll over.  How can you criticize a player(the only one on the roster) who has called a player's meeting.  That is leadership - a trait so absent in recent Twin managers.  My two cents: Donaldson would make a great player manager.  Keep him until retirement.  We simply don't have anyone else like him.

[gunnarthor]

I've only disliked a handful of players - Herr, Slowey, Kepler, Young come to mind. Donaldson doesn't bug me. He seems to play hard and he's good.

[SkyBlueWaters]

10 hours ago, wsnydes said:

He's one of those guys that I'd love to have on my team but absolutely despise when he's not.  

Ha! Reminds me of the classic Ozzie Guillen line about AJ Pierzynski:

“If you play against him, you hate him. If you play with him, you hate him a little less.”

[GCTF]

Has anyone thrown batteries at him yet? 

Also the correct answer is Ron Davis and it's not close.

[RonCoomersOPS]

No. I can think of at least an entire lineup of players from the Gardyball Era that I dislike more than Donaldson. Probably at least a lineup full of players from the TK Era, too.

[old nurse]

11 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

Is Twins Daily becoming a clickbait website before our very eyes? This is a bad take and it’s disappointing this was published. 

As the Twins sink in underperformance, it would appear those that bloggers  do likewise. Carl Jung’s line was something like it is hard to think but easy to judge. 

[Twodogs]

Seems to me that Tatis, Acuna Jr. Etc.   Show boat of every bomb The hit??  So why pick on josh

 

[Fritzderkat]

Stupid article. If Donaldson is most unlikable, who among them is dearly loved?

I'd say La Tortuga has the inside track.

 

[scottyc35]

1. i remember when the Twins acquired Larry Milbourne from the Yankees mid season, around '82 or so. For a young impressionable Twins fan such as myself, damn what a dick...

2. Tom Herr? cried on the airplane, and didn't stop crying. Ever.... 

3. But this list has to begin and end with Ricky Nolasco. 

[mikedialect]

I was very uncertain about JD because of limited play last year and then immediate injury this year. It's easy to complain about salaries, but at the end of the day it isn't my money. Only in the last month have I really been warming up to JD. Also, I don't understand how using spider tack on the ball is less cheaty than banging on trash cans. Both are cheating. I teach and if I catch a student cheating just once in the semester it's still.... cheating. Sometimes I find out several have done it several times and the result is the same as the ones who cheat just once. You could argue the trashtro's cheating was more elaborate than using a hidden, engineered substance on the ball, sure. However, at a base level both are BS.

I was happy to see him call it out. You might disagree with the method of him doing so, but you can't hate the dude for saying what was happening is BS.

Also, at least he's got a bit of fire in him.

[nicksaviking]

If a tree showboats a HR in the woods, but nobody is around to see it, was it actually really unlikeable?

[ping3woodguy]

Least likable, why because he shows a pulse?  Who cares if he is likable, he is in-tradable with his contract and he should be here for the next 2 years.  He is still a very good player.  Besides the majority of the Twin’s problems this year are the garbage pitchers they signed this offseason along with extending Dobnak for no good reason. 

[Squirrel]

14 hours ago, Fritzderkat said:

Stupid article. If Donaldson is most unlikable, who among them is dearly loved?

I'd say La Tortuga has the inside track.

 

I'm glad you spelled unlikable correctly ...  

[Aerodeliria]

Actually, this is the very reason I want to keep Donaldson. He's frank about everything. These guys are getting paid unimaginably high salaries to do one thing--win. Let's be a bit realistic--this is not twiddly-winks, we need more players with this kind of grit. (PS-He hasn't played up to his capabilities this year, but he would be the first one in line to tell you the fact plainly without any euphemisms or excuses.)

[ashbury]

On 7/1/2021 at 5:13 PM, old nurse said:

As the Twins sink in underperformance, it would appear those that bloggers  do likewise. Carl Jung’s line was something like it is hard to think but easy to judge. 

His actual words were "it's hard to quote but easy to paraphrase."

[Nine of twelve]

On 7/1/2021 at 12:13 AM, mikelink45 said:

 What is our definition of worst?  

Here's my definition: Hal McRae. IMHO as a player and as a manager he was a total (caudal terminus of the GI tract).

There's this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIiYw53nGd0

There is the Brett/McRae/Brye/Mauch incident. There are numerous articles on line about that. Gene Mauch had to be restrained to be prevented from physically engaging with McRae.

There's this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kamDqL-AGzI Note one reporter's bloodied face.

And I couldn't find this picture but I remember it clearly. There was a play at the plate during a game between the Twins and the Royals in 1977 with Glenn Borgmann preparing to tag McRae, who was trying to score. There was a photo in the Minneapolis paper the following day showing McRae sliding with his foot planted exactly on the side of Borgmann's left knee. I am 100% certain that it was intent to injure.

[old nurse]

12 hours ago, ashbury said:

His actual words were "it's hard to quote but easy to paraphrase."

My quote was from the teachings led by a man of God, an educator, nurse and one heck of a person in addition to all of that. Who am I call the most honest person I know misquoting someone.

[Squirrel]

@ashbury and @old nurse ... I kindly suggest you continue your discussion in PMs as you are getting off topic here. Thank you.