Josh Donaldson Wins Intro Press Conference; “I Want to Leave an Impact on This Organization”

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Wow…. what a breath of fresh air, Josh Donaldson is. I’ve heard so much talk about free agents not wanting to be in Minnesota over the last few months, that I needed this presser to remind me that a lot of that shit is #FakeNews.

Donaldson seemed pumped up to be dawning a Twins uniform. Obviously, he just signed a $90 Million deal today so he probably should look happy. It wasn’t just the way Josh looked that got me excited during this introduction though, it was what he said.

Clearly, Josh likes playing at Target Field. His numbers show that and he expressed it today, talking about playing his first All-Star game here (Jeter’s last) and his high comfort level when hitting here.

Mike Max (WCCO) opened up the questions, asking what gives Donaldson his “edge”, when he plays. Who would’ve thought, that I’d fall for this guy before he finished answering his first question?

“I just…. I enjoy winning,” Josh continued, “It comes down to competing. I’ve enjoyed competing since I was a very small child. The other end of that… is I don’t enjoy losing.”

Alrighty, well I am sold on Josh Donaldson. What a perfect answer. I like winning too, Josh. We have so much in common already…

One question later, we found out that any rumors about Donaldson not wanting to play in Minnesota from the beginning of his free agency process, were bullshit. When asked about whether he saw the Twins as a good fit early on, the former Blue Jay and Brave said:

“At the beginning, there was a lot of interest being shown… and I remember the Minnesota Twins in there. I think it was probably about a week or two, I called my agent Dana and I said, ‘Hey, I want you to call the Twins and let them know that (tapping his chest) I want to be there. I think it’s a real opportunity for us.”

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So, just to recap thus far… we are two questions in, and Josh Donaldson has already won this press conference and my heart… but he’s not done yet. Yes, it gets better.

Asked about what he wanted to hear from Rocco and Thad, when they talked on the phone FOR 2.5 HOURS, back in December. Josh went over the call itself and how well it went, solidifying his excitement about the opportunity here, “Wow, I really enjoyed that conversation”, is what he told his girlfriend afterward.

From what we’ve learned about Rocco and Thad, that’s not surprising. Next, Donaldson went into what we can expect from him, and here is where things get good again.

“The message I tried to get across to them was, look, I don’t want to just impact your team on the field; I want to impact your entire organization.”

Well Josh, if you handle the rest of your time in Minnesota like you did this introduction press conference, then you are destined to smash homerun records and cure influenza state-wide.

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Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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