Donaldson appreciated A's fans' reception upon return to Oakland
Josh Donaldson's anticipated return to O.co Coliseum came on Tuesday night, when his Toronto Blue Jays beat the Oakland Athletics by a score of 7-1.
It was an emotional return for Donaldson, jettisoned out of Oakland in a shocking offseason trade that netted the A's Brett Lawrie, Kendall Graveman and a host of minor leaguers.
In his first at-bat on Tuesday night, A's fans gave him a rousing applause and reception, showing their appreciation of his services in Oakland over the past few years.
Before the game, he told Susan Slusser of the SF Chronicle that he couldn't really look back on his time in Oakland through a negative lens: "When you have as much success as we had in the three years I was here, it’s hard to think of anything negative. I just really appreciated my time here and the support continues to be humbling."
Of that first at-bat reception by the A's faithful, Donaldson later told Slusser that, "We have a lot of great memories, the fans and myself — and a lot of success. It was nice to feel appreciated again.”
#BoMel catching up with an old friend. pic.twitter.com/93prJ5nid0
— Oakland Athletics (@Athletics) July 22, 2015
The most interesting takeaway from Donaldson's comments on Tuesday may be that he's still 'kind of pulling' for the green and gold. As he told Slusser: "I watch them a lot, any time I get a chance to. I still care about a lot of the guys, including the coaching staff. I’m still kind of pulling for some of these guys. ... I want them to do well. Just not this week.”
By all accounts, Donaldson seems to have thoroughly enjoyed his time in Oakland - after all, it was with the A's that he became the All-Star he is today.
