Early on, it looked like the sudden hype may have been a little too much, too soon for John Means.
After finishing runner-up for the American League Rookie of the Year award last season, Means was being looked at by Orioles fans to be the team’s ace this season.
And then he stumbled out of the gate. He missed his opening start. And when he did make his debut, he pitched poorly. And then he kept pitching poorly. By the time August was turning into September, Means stood at 0-2 with an 8.