John Means, Wife Caroline Share Message With O's Fans With Baseball Put On Hold
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- John Means had March 26 circled on the calendar: Opening Day at Camden Yards. He would be the starting pitcher, but the season is still on hold.
Means fought through years of Minor League Baseball and, in doubt, even considered retirement before finally making it to the majors.
He's well suited to handle the delay brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Patience has definitely been tested the past five or six years," Means said."We have talked about this whole situation we're in now and coming out it how much better off we're going to be, what we're going to learn, what better people we're going to become."
John and Caroline are a team. They married just four months ago and settled into their new home in Kansas City, but they didn't expect to be spending so much time together this time of year.
"Obviously we want to be in Baltimore, and he wants to be playing right now, and I want him to be playing right now," Caroline Means said. "Not just so that the house stays cleaner, but because that's our normal. We live our lives in seasons."
CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:
- What We Know About Coronavirus In Maryland
- Latest coronavirus stories from WJZ
- Coronavirus Resources: How To Get Help In Maryland
Preparing for the season with Spring Training shut down has included John pitching batting practice to Caroline who was a pro soccer player. True love comes in many forms.
"It was fun," Caroline Means said. "We like to compete, and we compete all the time. You have to mimic competition in some way to stay sharp when you're not playing and get your adrenaline up, so we try to compete in various things, but live BP probably won't be happening anymore."
John and Caroline are positive and supportive people, there for each other and for Orioles fans for whom they share this message.
"Step back and see what's important in life, be with loved ones. The ones really close to you, the ones you live with. Baseball will be back at some point, but let's try and focus on this right now. We'll be ready. We just don't know when," Means said.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
