Tommy Milone Signed A Minor League Deal In February, Barely Expected To Make The Team And Is Now The Orioles Opening Day Starter

[Source] - Tommy Milone didn’t sign a minor league contract with the Orioles in February, a late arrival to their spring training camp in Sarasota, with the idea that he’d make the opening day start.

He just wanted to make the club.

“I don’t probably (know) the last time a non-roster invitee made an opening day start, so I don’t know if that’s going to be something that’s in the record books or what that’s about,” Milone said this afternoon in a Zoom conference call with the media.

Fuck it, these are my Orioles in 2020. I love this story. Oh the Yankees went out and got Gerit Cole? Cool. Oh, the Dodgers traded and got David Price, I've been told he's good from people on this website. But they don't have the heart that Tommy Milone has. It's just like Shane Falco in the Replacements. Gene Hackman knew he needed Falco's heart to beat Dallas and make the playoffs. Well, the Orioles knew they need heart to make the 10 or 16 team playoff, whatever the hell is going to happen and that's Tommy Milone. 

But these are always the best stories in sports. I know we typically get a couple of these at the start of each season, but it's pretty dope to hear a guy who was a non-roster invitee and signed a minor league deal ends up the Opening Day starter. Sure, I'd prefer John Means healthy so we can throw him out there because Means is filthy, but the story is still dope. 

Just reading this you can tell how jazzed up Milone is: 

Hyde told Milone about being the chosen one shortly before they boarded a bus yesterday for D.C. The reaction, according to Hyde, was priceless.

“I think what he was referring to was probably the big smile that I had on my face,” Milone said. “It’s obviously something I didn’t expect coming in, but an honor anyway. I’m excited for this opportunity and like I keep saying, I’m ready to get going and get going and get it started.”

So take your Max Scherzer, your Gerrit Cole, your Justin Verlander, your Jose Berrios and everyone else. I'll take the dude scratching to make a major league roster for my Opening Day starter. Now hit the damn music!