Josh Donaldson was just giving them a taste of their own medicine.

After the Toronto Blue Jays third baseman was seen whistling toward the Chicago White Sox dugout during his first home run trot of the season, he explained the action to reporters postgame.

"They have a particular coach over there that likes to blow an actual whistle when their team makes a good play," Donaldson said, according to Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com. "I was talking to former coaches I had in the minor leagues about it before the game. I guess he seems it to be appropriate, so I felt it would be appropriate to blow it back at him when I did make a play."

The White Sox coach is Daryl Boston, who said he started using the whistle a few years ago after his attempt to get an outfielder's attention fell short. He's had it with him ever since.

"I was informed that he was not particularly thrilled about the whistle, and he showed me that he was not," Boston said. "Kansas City gives me a hard time about it. They don't like it, in particular. I don't know if you all notice this, but sometimes when they score runs they'll blow "The Whistle Song." That's kind of directed at me as well."

Donaldson, meanwhile, said he was motivated to "return the favor" after he heard Boston blowing the whistle when he stepped up to the plate.

The teams will face off again Tuesday for the second of a three-game set, in a matchup that will ostensibly feature plenty more whistling.