OPINION |
In a game that in recent years has put an emphasis on metrics, with terms such as launch angle and exit velocity defining hitters as much as batting average and RBIs, Brendan Donovan is a throwback treat.
Veteran baseball observers like myself simply look at Donovan as a ballplayer. Donovan gets his uniform dirty, plays any position the manager sends him to and smacks the ball hard.
As Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith said in a recent visit to Springfield, you don’t need to know exit velocity to tell a home run is a home run.
Donovan returned to Springfield on Friday, where he once played for the Springfield Cardinals, as part of the annual Cardinals Caravan. While the temperature was bitter outside the indoor training center at Hammons Field, having Donovan and other Cardinals in town was a sure sign that warmer days aren’t that far away.
‘Super utilityman' is just about ready for spring training
Even better, Donovan is ready to roll after missing the second half of last season with a right elbow injury that required flexor tendon surgery. The 26-year-old super utilityman said he’s been working out in south Florida and is just about ready for spring training.
“I’m throwing at 150 feet,” Donovan said of his rehab regimen, which is in the home stretch with limits expected to be lifted by the start of spring training on Feb. 12. “I’m full-go hitting, ready to hit live pitching in the next week or so.
“I feel good. It’s been a learning experience. I learned about my body and how it’s supposed to perform. We have stressed it and tested (the elbow) in every different respect. The goal is to come in throwing harder than I was before, more accurately and more crisp and with more feel.”
Donovan said he’s tried to turn the injury rehab process into a positive by looking to benefit more than just his arm.
“It’s a holistic approach,” he said, noting workout and nutrition habits. “I’m not just rehabbing my elbow, I’m rehabbing my whole body. This taught me some things about how I can prevent future injuries.”
There are personal and team motivators for 2024 season
The 2023 Cardinals had plenty of problems, beyond Donovan’s injury, that contributed to their 71-91 record and first last-place finish in the National League Central in nearly three decades. But taking his bat and versatility out of the lineup didn’t help.
Donovan hit .284 in 95 games with, 11 home runs and 34 RBIs. That was after his rookie big-league season in 2022 when the left-handed hitter had a .281 average and .394 on-base percentage, but most importantly played everywhere except catcher, center field and pitcher. He earned the Rawlings Gold Glove as the top utility defender in the league while finishing third in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting.
Donovan said there’s plenty of personal motivation to make a successful return and team motivation to bounce back from the un-Cardinals-like season.
‘As long as I get my reps, I'm good to go'
As for where he plays, Donovan is like a kid in the schoolyard. He said it doesn’t matter, just point him in a direction and he will grab a glove.
“Last year, I didn’t play back-to-back positions except every once in a while,” Donovan said. “I was kind of all over the place. You kind of grow comfortable wherever you’re at. You hear the phrase ‘grow comfortable being uncomfortable.’ It’s one of those things. As long as I get my reps, I’m good to go.”
That can cause some complications, in terms of finding an equipment bag that’s big enough in which to fit all his gloves.
“But I used to carry a lot more than I do now,” he said, with a laugh. “I used to have a glove for third, another for first, one for second, one for short, one for the outfield. Now I have my first baseman’s mitt, an infielder’s glove I used for three spots and an outfielder’s glove. That’s about it.
“Yeah, my bag is getting a little heavy, but luckily Rawlings does an amazing job and they give me whatever I need.”
During spring training, Donovan said he will try to work defensively at two positions, minimum. While some might find spring training monotonous, Donovan said he can’t wait to get his work in when the Cardinals convene in a few weeks.
“Just get my feet in the dirt, move around, just feel like I’m playing baseball again,” he said. “Get reps, work angles, put myself in mental scenarios with things that may happen in games so when I get into that first game, I’m not in shock by anything.”
Scrappy playing style inspired by military brat childhood
Asked about his scrappy, blue-collar playing style that’s helped him achieve success in college at South Alabama and now in pro baseball, Donovan gives a lot of credit to his childhood as a military brat. He was born in Wurzburg, Germany, where his father, Jim, was stationed as a United States Army Combat Readiness Center Deputy Commander.
“My dad retired as a full bird Colonel,” Donovan said. “That’s how I grew up. It’s like show up, earn it, nothing’s given. You have to earn it on a daily basis and that’s how I try to go about it — not only baseball, but everything I do in life.”
Donovan excited by additions to pitching staff
Donovan said it’s been exciting to watch the Cardinals sign veteran free-agent pitchers Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson to boost the starting staff.
“I’ve heard great things about those guys. I’ve never met them in person but I’ll probably meet them in St. Louis on Sunday,” Donovan said of the Cardinals Winter Warmup Fan Festival in downtown St. Louis. “But they’ve been around for a long time and they’ve all had a lot of success.
“Obviously we’re very upset with how it went,” Donovan added of last season. “It’s a little extra fuel.”
