Tony Kemp is happy to see the youngsters thrive.
The Baltimore Orioles veteran took the high road on Wednesday, congratulating top prospect Jackson Holliday despite losing his spot on the major league roster following the rookie's call-up.
He shared a special story about seeing the kid swing for the first time.
"In the fall of 2010, our college had a series against the Longhorns for a three-game set," Kemp said on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Our hitting coach at the time was Josh Holliday and his brother, Matt, brought his kid to our early practice. I remember watching his son (Jackson) with a sweet lefty swing.
"Go get 'em kid!"
The veteran played his college ball at Vanderbilt where Josh Holliday, Jackson Holliday's uncle, was the hitting coach. He is now the head coach at Oklahoma State.
Kemp, 32, is a nine-year veteran in MLB who won a World Series with the Houston Astros in 2017. A solid utility player, Kemp spent the better part of four seasons with the Astros before being traded to the Chicago Cubs. He would then spend four more years with the Oakland Athletics.
He would join the Orioles ahead of this season, signing a one-year contract as a free agent for the up-and-coming AL East powerhouse. However, with Holliday being called up, the veteran was designated for assignment after making only five appearances and getting 10 plate appearances under his belt.
Despite it all, Kemp is taking the time to appreciate potential greatness, conceding his spot without animosity in a true show of class. How can you not be romantic about baseball?
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