Cleveland, OH

Josh Donaldson announces retirement from MLB, credits Oakland A’s fans

Published

2 years ago

March 4, 2024

Josh Donaldson announces retirement from MLB, credits Oakland A’s fans

Josh Donaldson, who broke out as an American League MVP candidate with the Oakland A’s, announced his retirement from baseball on Monday.

Donaldson announced his decision on the “Mayor’s Office” podcast with former big league Sean Casey.

“Today is a sad but happy day for me,” said the 38-year-old. “I am going to announce my retirement from the game I’ve dedicated my entire life to. It’s sad because I will not be able to go out and play the game I love anymore. It’s also a very happy time that I get to be around the family and take that next chapter in life.”

Donaldson struggled last year, hitting just .152 within a .667 OPS over 50 games between the New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers.

He said he considered returning for another season, but the right opportunity didn’t present itself.

Donaldson will finish his 13-year career with a .261 average, .847 OPS, 279 home runs, three All-Star nominations and the 2015 American League MVP award.

He was originally drafted No. 48 overall by the Chicago Cubs as a catcher/third baseman out of Auburn University in 2007, but was traded to the A’s the following year as part of the trade for Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin.

He didn’t make it to the big leagues until 2010, when he hit just .156 in 14 games before being sent back down. He was called up and sent back down five times until the middle of the 2012 season, when something clicked.

“I started making changes, seeing how guys were pitching me, understanding that there were some pitches that I wasn’t able to handle and I needed to figure out a way to do that,” he said on the podcast. “My approach was, if it’s over the plate, swing. Once I got sent down the last time I started honing my approach and thinking, ‘I have to dictate the at-bat.’”

He was recalled for the final time on Aug. 14, 2012, and hit .290 with an .844 OPS over his final 47 games while leading the A’s to their first postseason berth since 2006. They won their final six games, including a three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers, to win the A.L. West on the final day of the season.

The following year in 2013, Donaldson exploded while hitting .301 with an .883 OPS and 24 home runs, earning him a fourth-place finish in the MVP voting while again leading the A’s to the postseason.

After another big year in 2014, Donaldson was due for a big raise, but the A’s instead traded him to Toronto for Franklin Barreto, Kendall Graveman, Brett Lawrie and Sean Nolin.

It ended up being a poor deal for the A’s, who finished in last place the next three years.

Still, Donaldson said he remembers his time in Oakland fondly.

“First and foremost the fans there are pretty spectacular,” he said. “By the end of 2012, 2013, they started showing up more and more. The true fanbase there, they were like our team: they’re grinders. They were out there supporting us through the best of times and the worst of times…

“We were always overlooked and we over-performed as a team because we were grinders. We weren’t able to get to the World Series, which is the ultimate goal, but we were picked to finish fifth in the division every year and we won the division in 2012…That was a pretty special time in my career.”

Donaldson won the MVP his first year in Toronto and continued as one of the game’s premier third basemen until his age-36 season in 2022, when he was traded to the Yankees and struggled to perform.

“The last two years were tough for me,” he said. “It’s tough to play in New York when you’re not winning. It’s especially tough when you’re not playing well.”

Donaldson said he got married to his longtime partner this offseason. They have a 3-year-old and 7-year-old. He said he plans to golf a lot more in his retirement.

“If you would’ve asked me in 2010 if I would have the career I was able to accomplish, there’s 5% of me that would’ve said yes,” Donaldson said. “The other 95% of me would’ve been like, ‘you’re crazy.’”

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Cleveland, OH

Bodies of 2 young girls found in suitcases in Cleveland’s South Collinwood neighborhood

Published

6 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Bodies of 2 young girls found in suitcases in Cleveland’s South Collinwood neighborhood

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd on Tuesday confirmed the bodies of two young girls were found in suitcases on the city’s East Side Monday evening.

Cleveland police were called just after 6 p.m. to a field in the area of East 163rd and Midland Avenue for a suspected dead body.

According to police sources, a man was walking his dog in the area, for the first time in awhile due to the snow, and the dog hit on the scent.

The man immediately called 911.

“The officers responded out and located a deceased individual that was in a shallow grave inside of a suitcase,” said Chief Todd.

When officers and homicide detectives got to the scene, Todd said they found the second body nearby.

According to the chief, both suitcases were partially buried in shallow graves. She said the victims had been there quite some time.

“It is traumatic for everyone. It is traumatic for those who live in the area to know that this was right there at their door step,” said Todd.

Authorities said one victim is believed to be 8-and-a-half to 13 years old and the other is believed to be 10-and-a-half to 14 years old.

There is no indication at this time on their identities, according to police.

“locally we have no reports of missing children to match these identifications. We are checking statewide as well. We have assistance from our state federal and local partners,” said Todd.

Detectives are checking with state and federal partners as well.

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner has taken custody of the bodies and will conduct further examination to determine the cause of death.

This crime scene is located near Ginn Academy in the city’s South Collinwood neighborhood.

Police said the investigation remains in its very early stages and there is no indication of an ongoing threat to public safety.

If anyone has any information, they are asked to call the Cleveland Police Homicide Unit at 216-623-5464.

Tips can remain anonymous.

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Cleveland, OH

More than 30K FirstEnergy customers without power in Cuyahoga County

Published

18 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

More than 30K FirstEnergy customers without power in Cuyahoga County

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Thousands of FirstEnergy customers are without power in Cuyahoga County this Tuesday.

The total number reached 31,785 reported outages in Cuyahoga County at noon.

That number decreased to 16,486 as of 1:10 p.m.

There were just 2,751 still without power less than an hour later at 2 p.m.

FirstEnergy estimates power to be restored to most impacted customers between 2-4 p.m. Tuesday.

FirstEnergy spokesperson Brooke Conlan said this is due to small fires on poles.

According to Conlan, the misty rain combined with salt on the road can cause contamination on utility poles, which causes electricity to travel across the the pole and cause the fire.

Conlan added their crews are working as quickly as possible to restore power.

Due to the outages, the Parma Justice Center is closed, and all court proceedings are suspended for the remainder of Tuesday.

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Cleveland, OH

David Henry Obituary – Vermilion, OH

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

David Henry

OBITUARY

David G. Henry, 70, of Vermilion, passed away Sunday, March 1, 2026, at his home following a lengthy illness.He was born December 14, 1955, in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and had made Vermilion his home for the past 42 years, moving from Irwin, Pennsylvania.Dave began his career with Westinghouse in Pennsylvania before relocating to Ohio in 1983. He was employed at Elyria Foundry for 20 years and later worked as a machinist for 14 years at Betcher Industries, where he retired. He was known throughout his career for his strong work ethic and skilled craftsmanship.In his free time, Dave enjoyed woodworking, taking pride in the projects he created with his hands. Above all, he cherished the time he spent with his family, especially his children and grandchildren.He is survived by his daughter, Alicia Parsons of Vermilion; his sons, David (Fiona) Henry of Bloomington, Indiana and Jonathan (Joanna) Henry of Vermilion and Anthony (Ashley) Cico of Amherst; and 13 beloved grandchildren.He was preceded in death by his wife, Darlene (nee Eckenrode) Henry in 2017; his parents, Charles and Gloria (nee Krider) Henry; his brother, Howard Henry; and his son-in-law, Cliff Parsons.The family will receive friends on Friday, March 20, 2026 from 3:00 p.m. until the time of the memorial service at 5:00 p.m. at the Riddle Funeral Home, 5345 South Street, Vermilion, Ohio.Memorial contributions may be made to Friendship Animal Protective League of Lorain County, Inc. 8303 Murray Ridge Road, Elyria, OH 44035 or Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 95000 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195Online condolences may be made at www.riddlefuneralhome.com

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