HOUSTON — Trey Mancini will always hold a special fondness for his first major league manager.
Now in the World Series with the Astros after he was acquired from Baltimore at the trade deadline, the 30-year-old Mancini recently recalled receiving his opportunity from Buck Showalter upon making it to the big leagues in 2016.
The Orioles were competing for a wild-card berth in September when Mancini was thrust into the lineup to help replace injured Steve Pearce. In five games, Mancini blasted three homers.
“I was a younger guy and that situation can be a little daunting, but he threw me in there and trusted me and believed in me and really helped me get off to a great start in my career,” Mancini said of Showalter, the current Mets manager. “Buck believing in me was huge and it’s a huge reason why I am here today.”
Mancini, a colon cancer survivor who missed the 2020 season, said he thought there was a possibility he would be traded to the Mets at the deadline. Ultimately, the Mets went in a different direction for a right-handed bat and acquired Darin Ruf from the Giants.
Mancini landed with the Astros, for whom he posted a .176/.258/.364 slash line, with eight homers and 22 RBIs, in 51 games.
“It’s incredible to be playing in the World Series, especially after enduring some tougher seasons in Baltimore the last few years,” Mancini said before the Astros’ 5-2 win over the Phillies in Game 2. “Things started to turn around this year and I think they have a bright future ahead of them, but it makes all the tougher times worth it, to have this opportunity and be playing in this series.”
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Mancini was asked if playing for manager Dusty Baker is anything like his time with Showalter.
“They have been pretty similar to play for and I love that,” Mancini said. “They study the game, they have been around the game for a long time and I’m of a similar mold so I have always meshed really well with those guys.”
Kyle Tucker, who homered twice in Game 1, is among the few MLB players who doesn’t regularly wear batting gloves. Tucker said it’s a choice that dates to his high-school playing days.
“I probably ripped a pair of batting gloves and just never got another pair and just learned to hit without them,” Tucker said. “And that’s just kind of how it started and I just never really felt the need for them, really.”
Tucker said occasionally when the weather is “freezing cold,” he will wear gloves.
Bryce Harper’s 11-game hitting streak this postseason was snapped after he went 0-for-4 in the Game 2 loss. He had reached base in all 12 of the Phillies’ games. Greg Luzinski holds the Phillies record with a 13-game postseason hitting streak (1976-80).
