The Flyin' Hawaiian

Round after round passed by. With different names popping up with every pick, all South Bend Cubs second baseman Christian Donahue could hope was that his would appear in the 2017 MLB Draft. But as the names kept on rolling through, and after 1215 picks, Donahue was left on the board. 

It can be easy to pack it in at that point for a baseball player. Undrafted? Time for a new adventure. But not for Donahue. What was the response to not being drafted? 
Easy. Get back to work. 
A native of Mililani, Hawaii on the island of Oahu, Donahue comes from a family with past successful professional baseball history. His father, Tim Donahue played college baseball at the University of Washington and professionally in the Cleveland Indians minor league system alongside a young Manny Ramirez. 
"He's the one who has taught me everything I know," Donahue said. "From my hard work or my discipline, I learned everything from him about the game of baseball."
Knowing what it took to find extended success in the minor leagues, Tim got Christian back on the right track. 
"I was back home with my family trying to see if something would happen with a roster spot opening up," Donahue said. "We went and worked out everyday, taking ground balls and fly balls just to get ready if anything was going to happen." 
After an elongated summer of waiting for the phone call he had dreamed of, it finally happened for Donahue. With three weeks remaining in the Arizona League baseball season, the Chicago Cubs offered the Oregon State Beaver a contract. With his signature, Donahue inked his way into the Cubs organization as a non-drafted free agent. 
With just a short time remaining in the minor league baseball season, Donahue was not assigned to Eugene or South Bend to get game experience. That means between his final game with the Oregon State Beavers and his first game with the South Bend Cubs, he had to get all the preparation and extra work done on his own. With no live in-game at-bats for over a year, Donahue relied on his dad for getting ready for what was to come. 
Getting ready for his first professional Spring Training in Mesa, Arizona with the Cubs, Donahue stuck to the same offseason training regimen with his family in Hawaii. With everyday work being put in, it was time to head to Arizona. 
In Spring Training, roster spots across the board are up for grabs. The positive side for Donahue is that in professional baseball, once you hit the field, it doesn't matter if you are a first round pick or an undrafted player. Everyone is on the same level and gets judged on the same scale. 
Not knowing where he would land in 2018, Donahue used this to his advantage. With Opening Day in the Midwest League looming, he became a member of the South Bend Cubs opening day roster. 
"When the rosters came out I was honestly surprised that I was on the South Bend roster," Donahue said.
Despite arriving in South Bend with the entire team for Opening Day on April 5, Donahue did not see game action for the first time until on the road against the Dayton Dragons on April 17. With how hard he had worked to be in this position, Donahue did not miss his opportunity in his first professional game. 
In his debut at Dayton, Donahue picked up his first professional hit and RBI in the same series against the Dragons. In preparation for his chance with the South Bend Cubs, he described the waiting game as a way to get better. 
"It's a mental thing waiting to get your chance," Donahue said. "You have to get mentally ready by watching the games and the guys that are playing your positions. Seeing the game from the dugout, you have to watch when they make a play and if you would have made the same decision or play."
After playing in two series with the Cubs, Donahue kept on staying mentally prepared to play a crucial role at any moment. In the middle of May, it was time for him to show what he can really do. 
Donahue springboarded onto the Midwest League scene by becoming South Bend's everyday second baseman. This was ignited by a 13 game hitting streak from May 20 - June 1. During the streak, Donahue tried to simplify his approach and put the ball in play in every at-bat. He extended the hitting streak to its 11th game with his first professional home run on May 30 at Great Lakes. 
"The hitting streak was a mixture of all the hard work and also having a bit of luck," Donahue said. "Baseball is a game where you can hit four balls hard and they're all caught, or you can hit four off the end of the bat and they turn out being hits. That streak was a lot of fun."
Not only has the bat come alive for Donahue, but the glove at second base has helped solidify South Bend's middle infield. In 34 games played in the first half, Donahue made just four errors. If he is not working on his swing, he's out taking ground balls at second base. 
As a tireless worker, Donahue is determined every day to improve and advance his game. The bulldog mentality he possesses not only makes him one of the most humble players in the Cubs minor league system, but also one of the most hard nosed and tenacious.