In December 2019, Josh Donaldson, the former MLB third baseman, pulled off a surprise for his mother, Lisa French. After successfully kicking the smoking habit and staying smoke-free for two years, Lisa found herself the proud owner of a brand new Maserati Quattroporte, courtesy of her son.
Donaldson documented the emotional moment and shared it on his Instagram account. The thoughtful gift was part of a deal between them – if she quit smoking, he’d deliver the ultimate reward in the form of a sleek Maserati.
Check out Lisa French’s joy!
Josh Donaldson getting his mom a Maserati after she quit smoking will always be awesome pic.twitter.com/6bhA0uIZq4
— Baseball Quotes (@BaseballQuotes1) March 4, 2024
Lisa, a strong and resilient woman, raised Josh as a single parent after his father was incarcerated for 15 years on drug-related and domestic violence charges.
Back in December 2019, the Maserati Quattroporte had a $100,000 plus retail value.
Fast forward to January 2020, Josh Donaldson signed a lucrative four-year, $92 million contract with the Minnesota Twins. Four years back, it was the richest free-agent deal in the Twins’ history at that time.
Josh Donaldson, after 13 seasons on the field, hung up his cleats on Monday. The news came via an interview on the podcast “The Mayor’s Office with Sean Casey.”
Josh Donaldson, drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 2007 MLB draft from Auburn University, began his MLB career with the Oakland Athletics in 2010 as a catcher before transitioning to third base and earning an All-Star spot in 2014. Traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2014, he had a standout season, clinching the 2015 AL MVP, and Silver Slugger Award, and leading in RBIs and runs.
Subsequent stops with the Cleveland Indians and a one-year contract with the Atlanta Braves in 2019 preceded Donaldson’s four-year deal with the Minnesota Twins. In 2022, he moved to the New York Yankees but was released in August 2023 due to injury. Joining the Milwaukee Brewers on a minor league contract, Donaldson concluded his playing career, retiring in March 2024 after completing the 2023 season with the Brewers.
