Farewell Kole Calhoun Pt. II: An Ode to Kole

Dear Kole Calhoun,

I first want to thank you for always giving your 110% effort.  Your fearless attitude and your willingness to sacrifice your body to help the team is the thing I will miss the most.  Kole Calhoun, you are a throwback to the good ol’ days in baseball.

You almost always seemed to have your uniform dirty from sliding to make a diving catch, or hustling around from second to score the game-tying run you were the epitome of what it means to be a true ball player.

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I remember the first time I saw you play you came up with the game tied against Toronto in the 8th and unloaded for a game-winning two-run homer in the bottom of the 8th.  You turned around a 98 MPH fastball in that at-bat. You meant so much to team and to fans who cheered for you. You have been one of the fan favorites for many years.  It is going to be weird to look out in right field and not see you there in 2020.

This year I got to interview for the first and only time and you were well-spoken and graceful.  I could also see how much you cared for this team and organization and expressed how much you wanted to stay.  You grew up before our eyes from a shy Arizona boy from the small town of Buckeye to the man and leader that you now are.  You are going to make some other organization very happy that they took a chance on you and signed you.

When you return to Anaheim to play our Angels I will be one of the first people to get on my feet and cheer mightily for you even if you hit a game-winning home run.  I want to wish you and your wife Jennifer and your children all the best and may you find a new home with a team that will treat you right.

Maybe one day our paths will cross again. Until then Good-Bye and Good Luck, and most importantly, Thank You Kole for just being you.