Hyun-Soo Kim Refuses To Go To The Minors And The O's Gave Ryan Powell One Final Game In Front Of His Mother

It’s just about time for the season to start, thank the good lord. As spring training comes to a close, we need to look at what we know about this O’s team going forward. A somewhat surprise move came this week when Miguel Gonzalez was released, and like I wrote, even with how bad he has been, I think we all thought he would get a chance to fight through it and right this ship. The other big story this week was that of Hyun-Soo Kim.

Hyun-Soo Kim Playing Hardball With The Orioles

And there we have it, after struggling through his first spring training in the MLB and not getting a hit in his first 23 at-bats, Dan Duquette confirmed that Hyun-Soo Kim is not going to be on the 25 man roster to open the year. Is this a big deal? To us it wasn’t. To him it was. From the sounds of it, it seems like he wants to be on the 25 man roster, or be let free of his contract. Through his agency, he said he will not accept the AAA assignment. This could get ugly for the Orioles. Do they go back on their decision and put him on the team? Or go ahead with Nolan Reimold, and Joey Rickard in left field?

I fully understand why Kim would want to decline the Norfolk trip, but obviously he HAS to go there. If you want to make an impact on this team and achieve your dream of playing in the MLB, wouldn’t you do anything you could to make the team? Take any advice given to you? He hasn’t had enough at-bats entering this season, flat out. He should know this. He should go to Norfolk, take that nice paycheck and get as many at-bats as he can. Try and become accustomed to pitching here in the states, and we can revisit this in a couple of weeks.

Kim said he came to the US to play in the majors, so I can see why he is turned off to the idea of playing in the minors, but since the MLB spring training is about half the time of a Korean league spring training, maybe he isn’t physically where he needs to be to compete. Scouts say he has looked sluggish in the field, doesn’t get good jumps on balls, can’t catch up to pitches at the plate, and has shown a much weaker arm than was first reported. What was looked at as a bargain for the Birds, has turned into huge headache just days before the season opens. Rosters must be set by noon on Sunday. It is clear the Orioles want him on the team, they just want him to get more at-bats in, that isn’t asking for too much at all.

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Part of me hopes that he reconsiders his quotes and accepts his spot in Norfolk, but part of me thinks that if he isn’t willing to try and improve and listen to advice from others who are trying to help, then let him go. It’s easy for me to say they can eat the $7 million, it’s not my money. Heres to hoping he accepts the assignment to AAA, gets acclimated to the pitching over here and we forget all about this in July when he’s batting in the 2 hole for the Birds.

Kevin Gausman To The DL

Called it last week after Buck said it was likely he would be okay in time for Opening Day, guess I am smarter than the best manager in baseball. Gausman will be on the disabled list with right shoulder tendinitis until April 19th when he hopes to start against Toronto. While this is likely not a big deal, it sucks big time. Gausman is the guy we all have high hopes for this season. I fully expect him to take a major step forward and make a name for himself. That chance will have to wait a few weeks.

This makes the Miguel Gonzalez release that much more important, because that likely adds Tyler Wilson and Mike Wright or Vance Worley to the rotation until Gausman can come back. O’s are scrambling to find two additional starters instead of one, just days before the season starts. Also, what does that say about Miguel Gonzalez if he couldn’t make the team even when they knew Gausman was going on the DL. Hopefully this isn’t an injury that lingers on for Gausman and he can get rolling and be a star for the O’s this season.

Ryan Powell Gets In One Last Game For His Mother

Real quick, I wanted to spread this story. Ryan Powell, the head independent scout for the Orioles, got to play one final time in front of his mother who is suffering from brain cancer. Powell posted a video of him catching a throwing session that his friend was throwing, and that video spread quickly. It gained the attention of the Orioles, who reached out to Powell, signed him to a one-day minor league contract so his mother could watch him play ball one last time.

So on Tuesday, Ryan suited up for the Orioles minor league team and Wendy, decked out in Orioles gear got to see her son play a game for the Orioles. Powell lined a ball to center field, and even though it was caught, you have to think that was the best moment of Ryan’s life.

Wendy got the bat as a souvenir, and got to see her son play ball one last time. The guys at Baseball Essential blogged about it here and really did a great job with this story and helping to make this happen. Good for the O’s to let this dream come true for Ryan, Wendy, and the rest of the Powell family. There are some things bigger than sports, family is one of them. Hoping for the best for Ryan and his family, and as always with these types of stories, #FuckCancer.

Your boy will be back with the Orioles 2016 Season preview on Monday, and I will also be down at the game Monday afternoon. Shoot me a tweet and maybe I’ll let you buy me a beer.