What a guy.
Tony Kemp was designated for assignment by the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday to make room for No. 1 prospect and infielder Jackson Holliday, and unlike most, the former Athletics utility man handled the news with absolute class.
The nine-year MLB veteran held his head high and delivered a heart-warming message on X, formerly known as Twitter, passing the professional reigns to Holliday, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft.
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Instead of pouting over the loss of his job, Kemp shared a full-circle story about his time with the Vanderbilt Commodores and wished Holliday the best in his MLB career.
If anyone has a reason to be upset, it’s Kemp. He only made five appearances during his Orioles tenure, and Baltimore's transaction marks the second time Kemp has been DFA’d in the last month.
Kemp previously was with the Cincinnati Reds and didn’t make an appearance before his time with them ended on March 20.
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Despite his struggles to stay in the show, Kemp has been classy.
He was a fan favorite during his four years in Oakland, keeping fans entertained during the ups and downs.
And when Kemp’s four-year stay in Oakland concluded in Feb., the 32-year-old shared a 191-word letter to A’s fans in a post on X.
“... I never took a single day for granted,” Kemp said on Feb 27.
While it’s tough for MLB fans to see Kemp lose his spot in Baltimore, he shares excitement with the baseball community who will follow Holliday as the 20-year-old’s big-league career takes off.
In 10 games with Baltimore’s Triple-A Norfolk, Holliday had a slash line of .333/.482/.595 with five doubles, two home runs and nine RBI.
Kemp now will try to latch on with another organization while Holliday starts at second base for a loaded Orioles team attempting to repeat as AL East champs.