• Donaldson was raised by his mother. His parents were divorced when he was just a toddler. His father, Levon, was later arrested and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Despite his Dad being incarcerated, his mother permitted Josh to see his father and never let anyone speak badly of his father to him.

  "Mom was on top of all of it," Donaldson says, "working day and night jobs, making sure I was making grades and making sure I was accounted for."

  His mother, Lisa French, worked at their family bar and kept Josh out of trouble. Josh also credits his uncle, Chuck Pyritz, with filling the father-figure void.

•  Baseball is endless childhood. Grown men who never quite leave their boy selves behind. But that implies childhood as a place of gentle delights, of innocence, of sentimentally burnished memories. For Josh Donaldson, it wasn't like that. His early years were drenched in violence that no little one should ever have to witness.

  "I'm not going to get too colorful with it. But it wasn't pretty. The best way I can describe it is I can still remember things from when I was from three to five years old that are very vivid in my mind to this day. And it's not something I would want anybody else to go through. It not only affects the two people who are involved, but it affects the children. It definitely has had an effect on me throughout my life."

  Those two people: Mom and Dad. Josh was the only youngster in the household. Late one night, Levon Donaldson — at that point separated from Lisa — broke into the home and, in a fit of rage, viciously attacked his wife. It was not the first time he'd raised his fists to her.

  "There was no way I could help. It's a tough situation for everybody to be a part of."

  Levon Donaldson would serve 15 years in prison on a slew of charges—sexual battery, false imprisonment, aggravated assault, drug offences; crimes committed against his spouse and others. His young son made semi-annual visits to the Florida penitentiary to see his dad. The older Donaldson's waywardness and conflict with the law had been chronic. A brother had preceded him to jail. As Josh recalled to a San Francisco Chronicle journalist:

  "At one point, the cops were looking for him and he asked me: 'Who do you want to go with, me or your mom? I was four years old. I obviously picked my mom."

  Their relationship — mother and son — was extremely close, bound to each other by love and mutual dependence. Lisa French, a struggling divorcee, worked day and night at the family bar, leaning on her own brother to provide the boy with a sturdy male influence. She put Josh in sports for the stability that organized activities offered. At a mere 18 months, he'd already appeared on local TV, hitting drives with a picture perfect golf swing (which his dad had taught him). 

  "The one positive that came out of this situation is my mom and I became inseparable, really. We both kind of lived for one another."

• Donaldson doesn't dwell on the upheaval. He's speaking about it on this day because a reporter has asked for his views on the Major League Baseball domestic violence policy instituted last summer. With the players' union, baseball reached a landmark joint agreement on domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. The commissioner's office pledged to investigate all allegations, independent of criminal probes, with the individual involved, whether player or a staff member, placed on paid administrative leave while the review is conducted. Discipline can be imposed even if there's no criminal conviction.

  Yankee pitcher Aroldis Chapman became the first MLB player held to that policy. He agreed to a 30-game suspension that will begin on Opening Day. Chapman, one of the game's premier relievers, is alleged to have placed his hands around his girlfriend's neck during an argument in October 2015, and of having fired a gun eight times. In a statement issued after the penalty was announced, Chapman continues to maintain he didn't "in any way" harm his girlfriend. "However, I should have exercised better judgment with respect to my actions, and for that I am sorry."

  He chose not to appeal the suspension. That avoids putting the union, which assisted the league in developing its policy, in the awkward position of having to defend one of its players accused of domestic assault. (Police declined to press charges.)

  "It's one of those things that we're still feeling out," says Donaldson. "But I know that the players want to get this right, MLB wants to get it right. Personally, to have grown up in that lifestyle myself, it makes me very sensitive to the matter. The fact is, it happens too often in society. That's the biggest issue.''

  He motions towards the ballpark where his team has just played, and says, "These are grown men on the field here. Domestic violence is a numbers game, right? There's going to be one or two people, just by pure numbers, who are involved in that kind of thing. It's everywhere, in every profession. The more that we can get ahead of this, the more educated people will be and hopefully that makes everyone think.

  "I feel that Major League Baseball and the union are doing a great job of making people aware — hey, if this happens you're going to get a chance to be proven innocent or guilty, and if you're guilty then ultimately you're going to end up losing money and probably losing credibility for a lot of fans. It's a very serious issue, not just in baseball but in society." (Hamilton Spectator - Rosie DiManno - March 2016)

• When he was 12, he'd hit into an 8-foot-by-8-foot net in his backyard, taking 300 hacks lefthanded and 300 hacks righthanded. At Faith Academy, he would play in a football game (he was a star cornerback) and afterward meet his baseball coach to get some work in.

  When he'd go through hitting slumps at Auburn, he'd have his girlfriend feed a pitching machine for him during weekends.

  FAITH ACADEMY

• Donaldson's childhood playing career was influenced by the father of righthander P.J. Walters, who started coaching him at the age of 7. Donaldson and P.J. later went to play for the same state championship team at Faith Academy in Mobile, Ala.

• Josh was bullied in his first high school and then transferred to Faith Academy. He forged a notable competitive streak early on.

  "Josh was a very active child," Lisa said. "I don't think he played anything that wasn't competitive, even Nintendo. I don't know how many controllers I bought because he'd lose a game and throw them at the TV and break them."

  Sports helped him corral that out-of-bounds attitude. But it took longer to eliminate a brashness that sometimes rubbed his opponents the wrong way. Some perceived him as egotistical, Donaldson says. He put it this way: "I developed quickly as far as sports were concerned, and I was a very confident kid."

• In 2004, Josh graduated from Faith Academy in Mobile, Alabama. He was named Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior after hitting .515 with 21 doubles, six triples, four home runs, and 54 RBI. Joshua also played football for two years as a wide receiver, defensive back (making a school-record 11 interceptions), and punter. And he was a point guard in basketball.

  He was named the Best Christian Leader Award in 2003 and 2004.  "As someone who wasn't the biggest and strongest, I've always thought that I had to outwork everyone else," Josh said.

• Upon graduation from high school, Josh accepted a baseball scholarship to Auburn University. He was a third baseman until his junior year, when he moved behind the plate. 
• In the summer of 2006, Donaldson was an all-star catcher in the Cape Cod League. He hit .302 for the Harwich Mariners, driving in 21 runs with a team-best 4 homers and 11 doubles.
• His first season of pro ball, Josh was recognized as the Northwest League's leader in on-base percentage (.470) and he would have ranked first in slugging percentage (.605) if he hadn't fallen three plate appearances short of officially qualifying.

• In 2008, Baseball America rated Donaldson as the 7th-best prospect in the Cubs' organization.

  Moved to the A's organization, the Baseball America Prospect Handbook rated Josh as the 13th-best prospect in their farm system. And he was at #14 in the spring of 2010. They had him at #12 in the spring of 2011. But he was down at #20 in the winter before 2012 spring training.

  9 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT JOSH

• May 2013:  

  1. He can't believe any of this is happening. "I do remember telling my teachers growing up, 'Hey, save my signature, because it's gonna be worth something someday,'" Donaldson said during a visit to the MLB Fan Cave. "But I didn't really believe it. Like, I was just messing around with them."

  2. "The Donaldson" requires trimming every 10 days. And careful with the rat tail, please. That curly wisp of hair is key to Donaldson's Mohawk.  "You've got to have the rat tail," Donaldson said of his suddenly (in the spring of 2013) signature coif. 

  3. His girlfriend Jillian Rose had absolutely no idea he was going to do that to his head when she dropped him off at the ballpark early this season.

  "He looked like he always did," she said. "Then I was sitting in the stands with the girls. When he first got it done, his hair was so short and one of the girls said, 'I think his head is shiny.' I was like, 'What happened? I just dropped him off!' Then he takes off his helmet and we saw it.

  "After the game, I'm like, 'Babe, what happened?' I said, 'Who did this?' He said, 'Well, I was doing it myself, and then I started having trouble so [Grant] Balfour helped me out.' So then I saw Balfour's wife, Angie, and I said, 'Hey, we need to talk about doing this before.' It was funny."  

  4. As a boy, Donaldson was a Braves fan and his favorite player was Ron Gant. Donaldson once saved up three bucks of lunch money to get Gant's rookie card at Big Hit Sports Cards in Spanish River, Ala., right by I-10 near his elementary school outside Mobile. Discovering that a Gant was up to $10, young Josh begged his Mom to spring for the other $7.  "That Ron Gant card I have saved and wrapped up in bubble wrap. This was my prized possession."  

  5. He still loves trading cards so much that when given the option of spending a day off shopping Fifth Avenue with Jillian or going with teammate Pat Neshek to open dozens of Topps Heritage boxes at the MLB Players Association headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, Jillian wound up hanging out with a best friend. Baseball always rules. "This is your thing," she said. 

  6. He has a nine-pound, tri-color Cavalier King Charles Spaniel toy named Lucy, and loves her.  "People are surprised when they see him with this toy dog," Rose said. "He's a big sweetheart. He is. He's a really good guy. He would do anything for any of his friends. He's that guy."  

  7. He credits Greg Sparks, hitting coach of Oakland's Triple-A Sacramento River Cats affiliate, with the most important lesson he has learned, even when he persistently refused to be taught.  "I feel like I am being more consistent every day, as far as [putting the] barrel on balls," Donaldson said. "Oakland can somewhat play as a big ballpark. In the past, I've tried to swing harder. Right now, I'm just trying to focus on barreling the ball up and I'm hitting a lot of doubles. During the course of the year, the home runs will come. It's just something over the course of time you learn a little bit."  

  8. His girlfriend Jillian Rose is from Cincinnati and is still a devout Reds fan. Shortly after they had met, she was wearing a Joey Votto MVP shirt and came to visit Donaldson one day in Salt Lake City, where she was living. With all due respect, there are no more Reds garments in this relationship.  "He was like, 'Babe, what are you doing? You're going to have to cover that up,'" Rose recalled. She told him Votto was a first baseman and he was a catcher (at the time), but he shook his head. "I haven't worn my Cincinnati gear since," she said.  

  9. Josh was surprised to by voted to the 2013 All-Star Team.  "I would never have thought someone would vote me into the All-Star Game," Donaldson said. "You've got some guys over at that position who have a lot of clout in the game of baseball. Those guys (Cabrera, Machado) are very good. I've been pretty fortunate to get off to a decent start, and I'm just thankful to be here."  (Newman - mlb.com-5/03/13)

• To this day, Donaldson is obsessed with baseball cards and memorabilia. Back home in Mobile, Josh has thousands of them, many kept in a safe, including several vintage Mantles. In 2015 he spent a few grand on the complete Topps sets from 1972 through '79.

  The collecting began when he was a boy; his mom once drove him six hours to Atlanta to for David Justice's autograph. Josh waited near the Braves' parking lot after the game only to watch Justice zoom by in his car.

  Even now Donaldson remains a signature-seeking fan-boy. Prominently displayed in his den is a framed Miguel Cabrera jersey, signed by the Tigers' star before a game in 2014.

  "The card I want is the '51 Mantle," Josh said in 2015. "That's his rookie card, and depending on the condition, it can be over a million dollars."

  In a baseball card store, Donaldson is a geek who turns as giddy as a 14-year-old by at a One Direction concert. (Albert Chen - Sports Illustrated - 7/27/15)

• The story has been told countless times in his family circle, and even more times outside it. But Josh never tires of hearing Uncle Chuck recount it over and over and over again.  Neither does his mother, Lisa.

  "My brother took Josh into the backyard," Lisa said. "He had never picked up a baseball bat in his life. I had gotten him one of those yellow bats and white little balls." Josh was 4 years old at the time.

  "My uncle said he was throwing it softly the first couple of times; didn't think I would hit it," Josh said. "Throws it, and whack! Hit it right by his head." Luck, perhaps? That's what Uncle Chuck thought, so he tried it again.

  Whack! "He hit it even farther," said Lisa, with a smile heard even over the phone. "It's been going on ever since." She pauses, before adding, "Praise the Lord on that one."

  Through it all, starting when he was drafted by the Cubs in 2007 out of Auburn University, every one of Josh's moves through the chain has been met with speculation as to whether his bat can keep up. Lisa, vocal and outspoken much like her son, pays no mind to this, saying, "I've always felt like I had to stick up for him."

  Because, at home, no one else really could. Josh's father, Levon, went to prison when Josh was just 5, remaining there for the next 16 years, while Lisa played the role of a single Mom. She thrived on it, managing the books and taxes for her mother's bar in Florida during the days, bringing home some extra money by bartending late nights, and making ends meet.

  Josh did have an abundance of father figures growing up, a crowd that not only includes Uncle Chuck, but Walters' father, as well as Faith Academy's high school coach Lloyd Skoda, "who taught him not only how to play baseball," Lisa said, "but how to be a man."  (Lee - mlb.com - 5/10/13)

• Boxing is another one of Josh's hobbies.

• Perhaps because he was 6-0, 190 pounds in high school, his prospects in other sports weren't great.

  So in his junior year, his mother, French, packed up the house in Pensacola, Fla., and moved to Daphne, Ala., where Donaldson would be able to play at Faith Academy, a private school with a good baseball program.

  "Josh had wanted to go to Faith Academy for a while," French said. "But he couldn't make up his mind. But he'd been coming home from school not very happy for a while. So I put the house up for sale, sold it in two weeks, and within a month we'd moved to Daphne."

  Why the change?  "I'd come to the conclusion that baseball was probably going to be my road to success," Donaldson said. "And I felt like if I transferred to this school, which one of my buddies, P.J. Walters (of the Minnesota Twins), did the year before, it would be beneficial. P.J. told me how much he loved it and told me how much better he felt he was getting."

  In his senior year, a week before the football season started, Donaldson dropped by practice to see one of his buddies on the team. Just like that, he decided to play football one last time.

  He set a school single-season record with 11 interceptions as a senior and was invited to play in the state All-Star football game as a receiver. He wound up being named the game's MVP. 

  Then the Cubs drafted him as a catcher, and the A's acquired him at the position. But his heart was at third base.

  "I guess if I could, I would tell that younger Josh Donaldson to stay at third base," Donaldson said. "But I felt at the time that scouts would be more intrigued with me as a catcher."  (John Hickey- July 11, 2013)

• In July 2013, Donaldson was honored as the A's recipient of the Heart and Hustle Award. The distinction, awarded to a member of each MLB team, is voted on by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association and given to active players "who demonstrate a passion for the game of baseball and best embody the values, spirit, and tradition of the game."

  "That's Josh Donaldson," said Ray Fosse, who was a member of the 1973 and 1974 Oakland A's World Series teams and presented the award to Donaldson. "He's a student of the game. He's out here all the time. He plays hard, and he plays the game the right way."

  "You have to look at what he does on the field and realize that he's a special talent, but he's more than that," Fosse said. "He's the ultimate gamer. He's here all the time. He's like a stadium rat, where he spends a lot of time out here trying to get better. That's a credit to him."

  "There's a lot of former players who come around here, not only who played for the A's but in other organizations, and they say they enjoy watching me play and enjoy the way I play the game," Donaldson said. That's the biggest honor, when an ex-player comes up to you and gives you that token of appreciation."

• Donaldson says he would have loved to have seen Mickey Mantle play. As for today, Josh says he'd pay to watch the Mets Matt Harvey pitch.

• In 2013, Josh drove a Chevrolet Avalanche.

• Donaldson's favorite actor/actress: Denzel Washington and Jessica Biel.

  TV show: Pawn Stars

  Music: Rap and Rhythm & Blues

  Food: Southern food

  Sports team (other than baseball): Indianapolis Colts.

• Josh says if he was not a baseball player: "I got my degree in exercise science. So it would probably be something involved with that; maybe coaching.

• Josh is one of the more approachable players in the game. And he is quick to share credit and praise with his teammates.

• Three people Donaldson would like to invite to dinner: Kevin Costner, Mickey Mantle, and Robert E. Lee.

• Golf is one of Josh's favorite hobbies.

  "My Dad got me into it real early," Donaldson said. "I actually started playing when I was about 18 months old."

  Josh was even shown on TV as a toddler practicing his picture-perfect swing. But when his father left, so did golf—until he got to the Majors. Now he plays often in the offseason.

• On May 1, 2010, on the first pitch by Dana Eveland, Donaldson got his first Major League hit, a two-run home run.

• Josh was a revelation in 2013. His advanced offensive numbers were second at his particular position only to some guy named Miguel Cabrera. Between that performance at the plate and his defense and baserunning skills, he was an indispensable piece on an American League West-winning A's club known for mixing and matching in the lineup. He finished fourth in the AL MVP vote.  (Castrovince - mlb.com - 3/14/14)

• Josh is the poster boy for a 2014 A's team that is often overlooked in terms of national publicity but doesn't seem to care. Donaldson?

  He's the one-time catcher who was part of a package the A's got from the Chicago Cubs in the July 2008 deal that sent Chad Gaudin and Rich Harden to the Windy City. He made a big league cameo in 2010, spent all of '11 in the Minors, and then in '12, when he was being converted full time to third base and was in the midst of his second demotion of the year to Triple-A Sacramento, he accepted the challenge of A's player personnel director Billy Owen to play as well in the big leagues as he did in the Minors.

  Asked to fill the hole at third base in August that season when Brandon Inge went on the disabled list, he contributed to the end of the season run that allowed the A's to edge the Rangers by one game for the division title.

  In his first full big league season, he was the A's MVP in 2013, finishing fourth in the A.L. MVP voting. (Ringolsby - mlb.com - 5/28/14)

• Donaldson was named the starting third baseman for the 2014 All-Star Game on July 14, 2015: Donaldson is not only headed to the All-Star Game as the starting third baseman for the American League, but he also shattered the all-time record for most fan votes.

  Donaldson's vote total (14,090,188) surpassed the previous record, owned by Josh Hamilton (11,073,744). Toronto's slugging infielder also joins Jose Bautista as the only two players in franchise history to lead the league in voting.

• Josh says it all fits together—the win-at-all-costs hothead, the stickler obsessed with his craft, and the nerd with a wealth of obscure baseball tales.

  "He just eats, sleeps, breathes, and dreams baseball," says friend and former teammate, Jonny Gomes. "He's a nut, and a rat, all rolled into one."  

• August 21, 2015: They have developed a bond of mutual appreciation as former AL West rivals and All-Star Game teammates, but it's unlikely Donaldson and Trout will ever be buddies. These guys are simply too old school for that to happen.  

  "At the end of the day," Donaldson said, "we're out there competing against each other. I want to beat him and his team, and he wants to beat me and my team. When you're competing like that, you can get that mutual respect. But you know that guy's doing everything he can to beat you.  

  "We've talked a little bit in the All-Star Games we've played together in, and we saw a lot of each other playing in the same division. It wasn't like a huge connection, but what it did was give me huge respect for him and his game."  

  The fiery Donaldson and easygoing, smiling Trout appear on the surface to be personal studies in contrast. But Donaldson believes he and Trout share a common competitive gene. "I've always been very passionate about the game and my competition," Donaldson said. "Sometimes that brings out the emotional side of me, my intensity. He's all about attacking today's game with total focus, which is what Trout admires about him as much as his bat, glove, arm and instincts.  

  "Josh is a great player," Trout said. "He plays the game the right way. I had a ton of respect for him when he was in Oakland, and I feel the same way now."  

  Earlier in his career, Donaldson said, "Family members and friends would get on me for not swinging at good first-pitch strikes. I used to feel like I needed to see a pitch or two to get comfortable. I've learned that if I get something I can drive on the first pitch, I'm going after it. It's not easy hitting behind in the count at this level."  (L Spencer - MLB.com - August 23, 2015)  

• September 4, 2015: Donaldson grew up mostly without his father and turned to coaches, teachers, family friends and others to stay on the right track.  Now he wants to do for others what was done for him. Donaldson raised over $80,000 for the Jays Care Foundation and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto on Sunday with his inaugural BaseBowl charity event. Toronto's right fielder started the Bautista Family Education Fund, and has been offering college scholarships to student-athletes for four years now, with 30 currently enrolled in his program.  

  "If you would have told me that I would be what I am today when I was 18, just because [of] a scholarship, I would have called you a liar," Bautista said. "I don't know what the path is going to end up for any of these kids. All I know is I'm bringing them an opportunity that if our help in both guidance and financial aid wouldn't be there, they might not even explore.

  "That's more of what the purpose of my foundation is, giving kids an opportunity, and in some cases maybe even a choice, because a lot of times kids don't have any other choice. Some do, and this would be another choice, but at least they [get] to make one now to know how they're going to move forward in life."

  Donaldson didn't have a choice at just 5 years old when his father Levon went to prison, where he remained for the next 16 years. The native of Mobile, Ala., felt limitations because of his situation, but was steered down the road that eventually led him to athletic stardom because of some exceptional people in his life. He hopes his charitable efforts will help children across Canada in a similar fashion.

  "I grew up in a single-parent home, and it's something where, as a child I realized there are restraints when that's going on," Donaldson said. "Now I've been able to be put in a position to where I can give back to the community, and give back to children who are in need. BBBST is a very well-run organization, and it's important to give back.  (Brudnicki - mlb.com - 9/4/15)

• In 2015, Donaldson was named the MLB Player of the Year by The Sporting News.

• In 2015, Donaldson earned the Hank Aaron Award, representing the best offensive season in the American League. And Mr. Aaron handed Josh the award at home plate before Game 4 of the 2015 World Series at CitiField in Queens.

• October 30, 2015: Josh took a break from the baseball stuff to answer a question on, of all things, the origin of his Twitter handle, @BringerOfRain20. He says he gleaned it from a TV series titled "Spartacus: Blood and Rain."

• December 2015: It was announced that Donaldson will grace the cover of Playstation’s MLB 16: The Show. This marks the first time a Toronto player has landed on the front of the United States release. Jose Bautista, Russell Martin and former Blue Jay Brett Lawrie have all been pictured on Canadian covers of the game in the past.

• December 20, 2015: The hardware continues to roll in for Josh, who was named the Blue Jays' Most Outstanding Player by the Toronto chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

  Donaldson was a unanimous winner in the latest of what became a long list of awards. Toronto's third baseman previously won the BBWAA's American League Most Valuable Player Award, the Hank Aaron Award, a Silver Slugger, an Esurance Award for defense and the MLBPA's Outstanding Player.

• January 20, 2016: Donaldson has gone from AL MVP to pillaging Viking.

  The Blue Jays third baseman had previously said he was growing out his hair like the characters on the History Channel series "Vikings," and now he will have a guest spot on the show.  (Gabrielle McMillen/Omnisport/2016)

• January 23, 2016: In the eyes of Josh Donaldson, his blossoming Major League success can be traced back to one player in particular—former A's and Giants pitcher Barry Zito.

  "I looked up at the scoreboard in 2012, and he was hitting about 40 points higher than I was, and it made me realize I needed to change a few things," Donaldson said. "I've got to thank Barry for showing up that year and bringing the stick."

  And with that nudge, Donaldson has since emerged as one of the game's elite players, earning the American League Most Valuable Player Award in 2015. The trophy presentations were held at a private ceremony for players and families after the dinner had to be scaled down due to the severe weather on the East Coast.

  "It's very special to be in this room, because it's not only great athletes, but there's a lot of great people here," Donaldson said. "I think that's what's most important about this event and for us to be able to be here and receive this. My teammates were probably the most important part of this. They fed off me every day, I was able to feed off them every day. One hundred and sixty-two games is a grueling season. To be a part of it with these guys, I really appreciated going through the grind." (C Thornburg - MLB.com - January 24, 2016).

• It was a made-for-Hollywood moment that couldn't have been scripted any better. Prior to the Blue Jays' game on April 24, 2016, Lisa French had the opportunity to throw out the first pitch to her son, Josh Donaldson, on his bobblehead day, creating a moment the two of them will never forget.

  To say Mother's Day came early "would be an understatement," said French, who raised Josh as a single mother.  French admitted that there were times when her son was growing up that the mere thought of a moment like this was exactly that -- a thought -- and many years later, those dark times are now a fragment of the past. Instead, the two had a chance to share a memory that will last a lifetime in front of a sold-out and energized Rogers Centre crowd.  

  "It's surreal," French said as she reflected on the moment and all the accolades her son has earned. "It's really unbelievable when you think about it, to see him go through what he went through and work hard the way he did. It's so special as a mom to see him live out the dreams that he worked for every day. I could not ask for anything better, and to top it all off, they're winning the game."

  Donaldson was presented with his American League Silver Slugger Award, Players Choice Award and AL Outstanding Player Award before the game, and he was given the chance to choose whomever he wanted to throw out the first pitch on the afternoon. French said she found out about the invite on a phone call from her son about a week prior to the game, and that she actually had a dream about it before it happened.

  "Probably four days before I got called," French said about the dream. "I was just in the kitchen, acting like I was throwing out the first pitch. Four days later, I get the call telling me the news. I was like, 'This is crazy.' Nobody is ever going to believe this story, but I was more than thrilled."  (Ravjiani - MLB.com - 5/4/16)

• Since Donaldson first picked up a baseball at the age of 4, he would work on his game with his mother's brother, Chuck Pyritz. Even as a kid, Donaldson would work at his craft for hours on end, with his mother, Lisa French, having to convince her young baseball star to come back inside, eat his dinner and do his homework. After receiving the news from her son that she was going to throw out the first pitch, it was French's turn to get some lessons from her brother.

  "I went over to his house to practice and threw like 100 pitches," French said. "I felt good, but then after, I had to 'IcyHot' my arm. It was sore for three days. I didn't want to pull anything, and I definitely didn't want to bounce that ball."

  French was on target with her pitch, and the two embraced in a warm hug in front of the mound. Although Donaldson is as laser-focused as a ballplayer can be, Toronto's third baseman and the 2015 AL Most Valuable Player Award winner couldn't help but express his emotion about the moment, and his gratitude toward the woman he describes as his "rock" and "best friend."

  "I know how proud she is of me," Donaldson said. "Before the game, I could see how happy she was. It was a neat moment, and it's tough because you want to be dialed in before the game, but it's a special moment for me, a special moment for her and I won't forget it.  "We have a great relationship. To be able to share that, that's a memory that will last a lifetime."

  "Every day to me, when I'm with him, is Mother's Day," French said. "There's a lot of special moments between us that have carried throughout time, and they don't necessarily fall on that specific day. He'll do things for me like send me flowers or call me unexpectedly, and it will always remind me, that's my little boy."  (Ravjiani - MLB.com - 5/4/16)

• Josh took to MLB Network's Studio 42 to break down the mechanics behind his majestic swing, with its large leg kick and sweeping one-handed follow-through. While doing so, Donaldson took the opportunity to debunk some older strategies of hitting, and dish out advice on how to drive the ball like he does.

  "I'll tell you, if you're 10 years old, and your coach says get on top of the ball, tell him no," Donaldson said, pointing to the camera. "Because in the big leagues, these things they call ground balls are outs. They don't pay [me] for ground balls. They pay [me] for doubles, they pay [me] for homers." (Adler - MLB.com - 10/3/16)

• Donaldson is a big fan of the History Channel show "Vikings" -- it was the inspiration for his braided mohawk -- and he even got to make a cameo as a Viking himself in Season 4.

  Donaldson tweeted out photos of himself in the show's Viking garb, and in a short video on the History Channel's Twitter account, he addressed his fans: "Hey, what's up. I'm excited to be a part of the 'Vikings' series. I've been working on this beard and this hair for months. Let's raid."  (Adler - MLB.com - 10/3/16)

• 2016 off-season:  Josh is not one to slow down. After spending the 2016 season slugging 37 home runs, leading the Blue Jays to the ALCS for the second consecutive year, and collecting two giant bags full of hats rained down upon him in tribute, Donaldson has decided to relax in the offseason by … becoming an MMA fighter, apparently.

  Donaldson spent December 10  working out with UFC's Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson, learning all of Thompson's moves. (MLB/Cut4)

• January 2017: Last winter, Josh Donaldson appeared on an episode of the History Channel series "Vikings" -- both showing off Donaldson's natural charisma and putting to rest any questions about the infamous braid/mohawk hybrid.

  And 2017 has been a pretty busy offseason for the Bringer of Rain -- but lovers of dingers and Nordic history have no reason to fear: When "Vikings" returns for its fifth season in January, Donaldson's character will make a second appearance.

• March 18, 2017: When Donaldson is asked about his statistics or personal goals, he almost always steers the conversation back to one thing.

  "I'm very proud of this organization and our team," he said. "But there's still unfinished business. I want a ring. Plain and simple."

  That's pretty much the last unchecked box after two seasons in which Donaldson has established himself as one of baseball's best players. In the end, though, it's about finishing the deal.

  "That's what it comes down to," Donaldson said. "You get measured by championships. I'm lacking that right now. Selfishly, I want that. But for this team and this organization, I think it deserves it."

  Donaldson's 16.3 Wins Above Replacement are second in baseball during his two Toronto seasons, trailing only Mike Trout (18.3). He has made the American League All-Star team for three consecutive years, and he has averaged 35 doubles, 33 home runs and an .893 OPS over the past four.

  Donaldson played in pain -- hips, shoulders and body -- down the stretch last season. He kept playing and declined to even discuss his condition.

  "If I'm out there, there's no need to discuss," he said. "It would sound like an excuse." But that pain spurred Donaldson to a long offseason of work on his core strength and flexibility. He arrived at this camp looking like a guy ready to win another MVP, if not a World Series. "I feel great," he said. "I feel stronger than ever right now. I feel very close."

  Donaldson tweaked a calf muscle early in Spring Training and is still a couple of days from playing in a Grapefruit League game. But he's taking round after round of batting practice, and he launched one moon ball home run that had teammates buzzing.

  "He's the ultimate gamer," Gibbons said. "He's a different cat. He keeps the guys loose. But when the game starts, he's all business. I've never seen anybody that can turn that switch like that [snaps fingers] when it's game time. He really turns into a different animal; very focused, very intense." (R Justice - MLB.com - March 18, 2017)

             TRANSACTIONS

• June 2007: The Cubs chose him in the first round of the supplemental draft, out of Auburn University. He signed with scout Bob Rossi for a bonus of $652,500.

• July 8, 2008: The A's sent pitchers Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin to the Cubs; acquiring Donaldson, P Sean Gallagher, OF Matt Murton, and INF Eric Patterson.

• November 29, 2014: The Blue Jays sent INF Brett Lawrie, LHP Sean Nolin, RHP Kendall Graveman, and SS Franklin Barreto to the A's; acquiring Donaldson. (Editor's note: In 2015, his first season with the Jays, Josh won the AL MVP.)

• February 13, 2015: Donaldson lost to the Blue Jays in salary arbitration, getting $4.3 million instead of the $5.8 million he sought.

• February 10, 2016: Donaldson and the Blue Jays avoided arbitration, agreeing to a two-year contract worth $28.7 million.

• Jan 12, 2018: Donaldson and the Blue Jays avoided arbitration by agreeing to a record-setting pre-arbitration one-year deal worth $23 million (all figures in U.S. dollars). The one-year deal surpasses the previous arbitration record, which was set in 2017 by Bryce Harper's $21.6 million contract for the 2018 season. 

• Donaldson has very good righthanded pull power, but is able to use the whole field, adjusting when he falls behind in the count and hitting the ball to the opposite field using a shorter, less aggressive stroke. He has strong hands and above average bat speed.

  His bat is strong. In 2015, he averaged an exit velocity of 98.7 mph on fastballs he nailed.

• Josh squares up the barrel of the bat on the ball very well.

• Donaldson is an aggressive hitter. But he controls the strike zone well.

• Josh has good plate discipline. He has a good feel for the strike zone, and for hitting, and uses the whole field.

• In 2012, Donaldson said that Sacramento manager Darren Bush and hitting coach Greg Sparks helped resuscitate his career.

  "I just think everything came back into perspective,” Donaldson said. “I learned to relax a little bit more. The two biggest adjustments I’ve made are continuing to relax at the plate and cutting the plate in half. I always tried to hit any ball over the plate, whether inside or outside. Now I do a little bit better job of trying to cover my half rather than the entire plate. It has helped tremendously.”

  Donaldson says he will choose a half of the plate to cover, then use that half before getting to two strikes.

• In 2013, A's hitting coach Chili Davis said of Donaldson, "When his approach is calm, he has better pitch recognition. He gets pitches to drive, and he drives them. In hitter's counts, he's aggressive. In two-strike counts, he uses the whole field. He's starting to understand what makes Josh Donaldson a better hitter."

• May 26, 2015: Donaldson became the first player in Toronto franchise history to have at least four hits, four RBIs, and four runs scored in the same game.

• 2015 Home Run Derby: For Bobby Tewksbary, the road to the Home Run Derby started in Worcester, Mass., where he and Chris Colabello were teammates in the independent Can-Am League in 2006 and 2007.

  Tewskbary lasted just those two years in the league and was done at 23. He was not much of a hitter, but he loved to study hitting, and when he started his own business—teaching hitting—Colabello was one of his first pro pupils. Colabello soon became an avid disciple.

  Another early student was Josh Donaldson, before Donaldson became an all-star in Oakland, before, as Donaldson puts it, “I became good.”

  The all-star third baseman had an invitation for his personal hitting instructor: come to Cincinnati and be my pitcher in the Home Run Derby.

  For Tewksbary, the summons was a stunner. For Donaldson, it was a thank you to an anonymous instructor who says his teaching goes “very much against conventional wisdom.”

  “It’s a very cool opportunity,” Tewksbary said. “I’m very appreciative and thankful to Josh for thinking of me.” ( John Lott | July 12, 2015 More from John Lott | @LottOnBaseball )

• July 10, 2016: Donaldson cranked his 23rd home run of the season, becoming just the sixth player in AL history to record 20 home runs and 80 runs scored before the break. The 30-year-old joined an elite class which includes Lou Gehrig (1936), Ted Williams (1946), Reggie Jackson (1969), Frank Thomas (1994), and Alex Rodriguez (2000).

• October 3, 2016: "As much as I don't appreciate the antics and attitude, Josh is one of the best players in the American League. He's up there to do damage. You can't make mistakes to a guy like that, because he's going to punish you. We try to pound those guys in - everybody on that team. They try to own the plate. If you can throw a strike with authority, you've got them beat. Donaldson's got a pretty good knowledge of the strike zone. He's the toughest at-bat in that Blue Jays lineup."  -- AL catcher

• Donaldson has been one of the most clutch players in baseball over the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Since the beginning of 2015, 44 of Donaldson's 77 home runs have either tied the game or given the Blue Jays the lead -- more such homers than anyone else in baseball over that time span. He also has the third-highest Win Probability Added, behind only Mike Trout and Anthony Rizzo, and has the third-highest wRC+ in high-leverage situations, behind only Carlos Gonzalez and Trout.  (Adler - MLB.com - 10/3/16)

• As of the start of the 2018 season, Donaldson had a .277 career batting average with 174 home runs and 528 RBI in 3,105 at-bats in the Majors.

• Donaldson grew up in Pensacola, Florida, before his family moved to Mobile, Alabama to begin his junior year in high school. He played mostly shortstop through high school, then played short and third his freshman year at Auburn. For his sophomore year, the Tigers turned to Donaldson in order to fill a much needed void.

  "I was kind of playing around at catching, and the coaches brought me in and asked me if I wanted to catch a little," he said.

  Josh had quick feet and a strong arm behind the plate. He has decent catch-and-throw skills. He is more athletic than most catchers.

• Experience is giving Josh time to improve his receiving skills. He has good hands. 
• Josh has solid instincts for the game. He plays baseball the right way. He was an aggressive catcher. He has some agility and had a good feel for catching.

• Donaldson has a strong arm and a good, clean and quick release. But he could stand to improve the transfer on his throws.

  THROWING OUT BASE-STEALERS

• In 2007, Josh threw out 40 percent of Northwest League runners who tried to steal a base on him.

  In 2008, Donaldson threw out 37 percent of base-stealers in the Midwest and California Leagues, combined.

  In 2009, he nailed 40 percent of Texas League base thieves.

  In 2010, he erased 39 percent of Pacific Coast League base-stealers.

• Donaldson has a lot of intangibles and is a hard worker and a team leader. He is a vocal guy.

  CONVERTED TO THIRD BASEMAN

• In 2011, Josh saw a lot of action at third base.

• In the offseason before 2013 spring training, Donaldson trained ferociously for full-time duty at third base. He turned himself into not just a competent infielder, but a superb one, according to A's manager Bob Melvin.

  "I worked on being explosive and getting my agility back," Josh said. "I did a lot of heavy lifting—box jumps—anything that had to do with explosion and power. I feel as strong as every now. And my quickness is pretty good." (Editor's note: All told, Josh went from an infielder to a catcher . . . and back to an infielder.)

  GLOVE STORY

• Donaldson, like most infielders, is especially particular about his mitt. Once he's found one he's comfortable with, he protects it like a treasure.

  "I have my gamer from 2013 that I'm still using now, and I won't play catch with it or practice with it because it's good right now," Josh said.

  Donaldson prefers Rawlings gloves because he feels the leather on their models is more durable. The breaking-in process for his backup glove, the one he plays catch and practices with, has been ongoing since spring.

• In 2014, Donaldson was named the best third baseman in baseball, winning the annual Fielding Bible award.

• In 2014, Donaldson finished the month of May with a Major League-leading 48 runs scored, the most at that point in the season in the history of A's baseball.

• August 5–early September 2010: Donaldson was on the D.L. with a sprained right knee that he incurred on a slide into second base. An MRI showed a sprained medial collateral ligament.

• Feb 17, 2017: Donaldson has a right calf strain and will be evaluated daily throughout Spring Training. He is expected to be ready to start the season. He was injured while doing sprinting drills and said he "felt something" in his calf. He was scheduled to undergo an MRI.

  Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said the injury is not related to the calf strain that Donaldson had last April. (C Long - MLB.com - Feb 18, 2017)

• April 14-May 26, 2017: Josh was on the 10-day DL because of his right calf strain.

• April 11, 2018: Josh was on the DL with right shoulder inflammation.