BALTIMORE — Even earlier than he arrived at Camden Yards as a member of the street group, this discuss with used to be already other for Trey Mancini.
“I rode the bus for the first time ever here,” he stated. “Got dropped off down here, rather than parking in the parking lot.”
Mancini performed in Baltimore on Thursday evening for the primary time for the reason that Orioles despatched him to the Houston Astros an afternoon earlier than the Aug. 2 business cut-off date. Mancini won a status ovation in the second one inning when he got here to the plate for the primary time, then struck out having a look.
“The fans and I here have such a good relationship, and they’re always going to be a special part of my baseball experience,” Mancini stated earlier than the sport. “So I’m definitely looking forward to it.”
The warm response from the enthusiasts wasn’t a wonder. Mancini performed for the Orioles from 2016 till this August. When he neglected all of 2020 following a colon most cancers prognosis, then returned and gained Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2021, it used to be one in every of baseball’s heartwarming tales.
“That was my first time ever dealing with somebody being told they have cancer in my office, with parents there and loved ones, and listening to the doctors talk, and that was a day that I will never forget,” Orioles supervisor Brandon Hyde stated. “I just learned so much from him, honestly, during that time — somebody that’s gone through this insane adversity. A young guy, getting this cancer that’s so rare for somebody his age, and to deal with it the way he did was so inspiring.”
The ultimate time Mancini batted at Camden Yards as an Oriole used to be July 28. Fans gave him a large ovation, simply in case he used to be traded earlier than the group’s subsequent house sport, and he hit an inside-the-park house run.
Baltimore has remained in the postseason race even with out Mancini, even though the Orioles are working out of time. They entered Thursday 4 video games at the back of Seattle for the general wild card in the American League.
Mancini and the Astros have already clinched the AL West identify, environment him up to play in the postseason for the primary time. He made his main league debut in 2016 — the ultimate time Baltimore certified — however performed best 5 video games for the Orioles that 12 months and wasn’t a player after they misplaced at Toronto in the wild-card sport.
From then on, Mancini hit over 20 homers in each season he performed for Baltimore till he used to be traded this 12 months. On Thursday, he used to be again, however in the guests’ clubhouse this time.
“I didn’t really know where anything was in the locker room, where the kitchen was, anything like that,” he stated. “So it was a little strange being in such a familiar place but being so unfamiliar with part of it.”
Before the sport began, Mancini won a short lived tribute at the scoreboard and enthusiasts gave him a pleasing ovation. He doffed his cap and clapped his palms in reaction. Then got here the long reception earlier than his first at-bat.