Josh Donaldson doesn’t back down in first comments since umpire tirade

Twins third baseman Josh Donaldson isn’t apologizing for his dirt-kicking ejection.

If you thought Josh Donaldson was going to keep his head down after being ejected for kicking dirt on home plate, you’ve got another thing coming

On Saturday, in his first comments since the ejection, the Minnesota Twins‘ third baseman went all-in on criticism MLB umpires for their lack of accountability.

“I think I nailed it, actually,” Donaldson said on a Zoom call, according to Phil Miller of the Minnesota Star Tribune.

Donaldson said he heard one reporter received text messages from people who were embarrassed by the outburst, “Well, I’m not. This is my livelihood, this is what makes me the player that I am.”

Judd Zulgad of SKOR North expanded on Donaldson’s comments:

“There’s no reprimand, no accountability for the guys that are making the decisions. Matter of fact, they don’t care, they don’t care at all. Most of them. They just want to get the game over with for the most part and it’s pretty sad,” Donaldson said.

Josh Donaldson’s ejection was either really dumb or really worth it.

Depending on your perspective, Donaldson found the best or worst way to be ejected from an MLB game.

In case you missed the ejection, here it is in all its glory:

https://twitter.com/BaseballQuotes1/status/1306685819936219139?s=20

If another player has been ejected while trotting around the bases on a home run, it escapes memory.

The trouble for Donaldson is the context. He was ejected in the sixth inning against the White Sox with the division title still on the table. The Twins went on to lose and allowed Chicago to clinch.

For a lot of fans, Donaldson is a hero for highlighting the ridiculous sensitivity of some umpires in baseball. For others, the outburst was childish and ultimately hurt his team.

Everyone can take their side. For his part, Donaldson doesn’t seem to care.