BALTIMORE — The Gunnar show has made its way to Baltimore.
"Really looking forward to playing my first game here and hopefully the yard is packed out tonight," said Orioles rookie infielder Gunnar Henderson.
The 21-year-old makes his long-awaited Oriole Park at Camden Yards debut on Friday as the Birds take on Oakland - on the field at the Yard and front of the home fans.
"Definitely being at the home ballpark for the first time I’ll take it all in and just experience it and go to work after that," he said prior to the game.
The former No. 1 prospect in all of baseball will try to continue his dazzling play from his first couple big league games. That included a never-forget, no-doubter of a home run for his first major league hit during his big league debut in Cleveland on Wednesday. Then another hit, stolen base and unassisted double play on Thursday. He said the early success has been a benefit.
"If felt like that really helped me and just gives me confidence going into the next games and hopefully the rest of my career."
After game one at third base and game two at shortstop, he’ll play second and bat eighth on Friday. The thing he is most looking forward to:
"Honestly I’ve just been looking forward to hearing the ‘O’ at the national anthem," he said. "So, that’s been a thing I’ve been wanting to hear ever since I first got drafted and experienced it (in 2019) because it made me jump a little bit when I first heard it."
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