John Joseph McDonald (born September 24, 1974 in New
London, Connecticut) is a Major League Baseball
infielder for the Toronto Blue Jays, primarily known
for his defensive abilities. He was also a member of
one of the last baseball teams for Providence
College before the team was disbanded.
McDonald was drafted in the 12th round of the 1996
Major League Baseball Draft by the Cleveland
Indians. He made his MLB debut for Cleveland on July
4, 1999. On December 2, 2004, McDonald was traded
from Cleveland to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange
for future considerations (Thomas Mastny).
McDonald was primarily a backup for Russ Adams at
shortstop, putting up a .290 batting average and
.340 OBP in 93 at-bats for the Blue Jays to go along
with 5 stolen bases. He was traded from the Blue
Jays to the Detroit Tigers on July 22, 2005 for
future considerations. McDonald hit .260 with a .308
OBP for Detroit in 73 at-bats. He was traded from
the Detroit Tigers back to the Toronto Blue Jays on
November 10, 2005 for cash considerations.
During the 2006 season, he was the starting
shortstop for the Toronto Blue Jays due to the
defensive struggles of teammate Russ Adams. At a
point in the season, John McDonald was labeled the
"Emergency Back-up Catcher" for the Blue Jays behind
their starting catchers Bengie Molina and Gregg Zaun
as both played the role of Designated Hitter when
they were not defensive catchers.
On July 25, 2006, McDonald hit his first career
grand slam in a game against the Seattle Mariners.
McDonald started the 2007 season by sharing the
shortstop position with newcomer Royce Clayton. He
also played games at third base as Troy Glaus's
backup. Later in the season after showing his strong
defensive abilities, McDonald replaced Royce Clayton
as the everyday starting shortstop. Clayton was then
released and McDonald took his role as starting
shortstop, often contributing exceptional defensive
plays (in conjunction with fellow infielders Aaron
Hill and Lyle Overbay). He was considered by the
media as a contender to win a Gold Glove after
leading AL shortstops in fielding percentage (.986)
in 2007. Due in large part to his displays in the
field this season, he received a 2-year contract
extension from the Blue Jays - the deal is
reportedly worth 3.8 million US.
In a poll of the viewers of the Canadian sports
station Rogers Sportsnet, which broadcasts the
majority of the Blue Jays' games, John McDonald was
voted the most popular Blue Jay, narrowly edging out
Roy Halladay.
