John Harbaugh: A different kind of coach.
Check out this really sweet and thoughtful piece about Coach Harbaugh by ESPN’s Kevin Van Valkenburg. While most coaches see their teams as a business, Van Valkenburg writes, Harbaugh sees his team as a family. To wit, here’s a clip of Harbaugh’s warm and heartfelt eulogy of cornerback Tray Walker, who died in a motorcycle accident on March 18.
O’s release Miguel Gonzalez.
This makes us nervous. Gonzalez was one of those pitchers—a bit like Jake Arrieta and we all know what happened with him—who showed glimmers of greatness but could never quite pull it together on a consistent basis. In 2012—arguably his best year—he went 9 and 4 with a 3.25 ERA and started Game 3 of the ALDS, departing in the 7th inning with a 2-1 lead. In 2014, he pitched a complete game shutout against the Reds. And last year, despite being plagued by injuries all season, he struck out a career-high 10 batters against the Yankees. But injuries, as well as his $5.1 million salary were a factor, and the Os have put him on release waivers. We’ll miss you, Gonzo. Now just don’t go to the Cubs
Hyun-soo Kim not rising yet.
When the O’s acquired Hyun-soo Kim in the off-season, expectations were pretty high for the Korean slugger who last year hit a career-high 28 home runs with a .326 average in the Korean Baseball Organization. But it’s hard sometimes to anticipate how a player might make the transition to the MLB and Kim has struggled in Spring Training, batting .182 after having gone hitless in his first 24 at-bats. (Meanwhile, Rule 5 draft player Joey Rickard has thrived, batting an eye-popping .390 in the Grapefruit League, and is expected to take Kim’s spot on the roster.) Orioles haven’t given up on Kim yet, thinking that maybe he just needs a little seasoning in the minor leagues. The question is, will the Korean star accept the demotion?
Excited about Opening Day on Monday? Us too!
Here’s a little something from Spring Training to whet your appetite:
It’s just beautiful.https://t.co/pPEbSZ1Odt
— MLB (@MLB) March 31, 2016