LBS- As Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune explained, White Sox first base coach Daryl Boston decided to purchase a whistle when he was having a tough time getting outfielders’ attention to reposition them during games. Boston has since started using the whistle when the White Sox make a big defensive play and between innings.
Boston also caught wind that Donaldson isn’t a big fan of the whistle, so he decided to blow it before the Blue Jays star stepped to the plate in the sixth. Donaldson responded by belting a homer, and he mimicked blowing a whistle toward the White Sox dugout to celebrate.
“I guess he (deems) it to be appropriate, so I felt it would be appropriate if I blew it back at him when they didn’t make the play,” Donaldson told reporters after Toronto’s 4-2 victory. “As soon as I stepped into the box, he started blowing it before anything even happened. So I felt like I’d return the favor.” To their credit, the White Sox handled it well. Players could be seen laughing in the dugout, and Boston took the blame for the homer. “My reaction was he got us,” Boston said. “I was informed he wasn’t particularly thrilled about the whistle, and he showed me he was not. … So you can pin that homer on me.” -------- What's funny is that the home run that ensued after the White Sox first base coach tried to get under the skin on an opponent with an objectively infuriating sound isn't even the most tell-tale sign that acting like a little brother whose sole purpose in life is to agitate isn't the best way to interact with professional athletes. Rather, it's the fact that one of their own was mocked and Chicago's dugout couldn't help but laugh at him. Rarely, if ever, does a baseball player stray from the traditionally robotic trot around the bases and not get deemed guilty of showing an excessive amount of emotion/personality. Therefore, the fact that not only did no one facing him want Josh Donaldson tarred and feathered the next time he stepped into the batter's box, but rather went as far as finding the humor in his retaliation speaks volumes about the general consensus on the practice of whistle blowing. I can't say I blame them, seeing as being tweeted at incessantly is good way to make even the most strong-minded of man lose his marbles, but for both teams playing the most repressive of sports to be in agreement that a celebratory and sarcastic impersonation was completely justified? For a solo shot that basically screamed "shut the fuck up" to be appreciated by all, regardless of competitive affiliation? Well, that takes a attention-seeking mechanism whose ability to annoy is both unforeseen and unwelcome on the baseball diamond.
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