Trey Mancini received a standing ovation and applause from the two cavas on Sunday during their first live at bat after losing the 2020 season while recovering from stage 3 colon cancer.
When the Baltimore Orioles first baseman faced the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he snapped a good round of applause as he approached the batter’s box and signaled to the crowd. Applause continued to grow, with pitcher Chad Kuhl coming out of the mound and referee Will Little clearing the plaque to extend the salute.
After turning his head in recognition of the applause, Mancini scored his return with a single in the center.
“It was amazing,” Mancini told reporters when asked about the ovation. “I almost broke a little bit, I’m not going to lie, when I was up there and everyone gave me a standing ovation and I saw all the guys in the field applauding the pirates, applauding the dugout, our team and for everyone our fans.It meant the world to me.It was a really fantastic time and one of the favorite moments of my baseball career.
“I think it was a huge day for me personally to play a game again. Just another kind of milestone I can check out here.”
After producing 35 home runs and 97 RBI for the Orioles in 2019, Mancini seemed ready for even bigger things. But after playing just five spring training games last year, he needed to finish the season to have colon cancer surgery.
“It was almost a year since the day I last played, so it definitely seemed like a time when we got to do a full circle,” Mancini, who turns 29 in a few weeks, said Sunday. “I thought more about everything that happened today than in a long time. I have tried above all in many ways to move forward and not think too much about last year. But today I have gone through the difficult days that Today we have tried to appreciate and to love today “.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.