It was a moment that didn’t seem all that outlandish or special. John Means was rolling through his Opening Day start against the Red Sox, having pitched six shutout innings, so Brandon Hyde sent him out for another inning. The seventh went the way the previous six had, Means exited the game when it was done, and the Orioles won 3-0.
The reason this is worth pointing out? Because by just sending Means out there, Hyde was making a statement. Means is his ace this season, and he’s not afraid to treat him like one.
Baseball has trended away from this kind of decision.