BALTIMORE -- James McCann has safely exceeded expectations since he signed with the Diamondbacks as a free agent to provide catching depth last June, playing in 51 games total and nine already this season while Arizona navigates Gabriel Moreno’s left oblique strain.
It’s similar to the performances that made him a fan favorite in two years in Baltimore, where the 35-year-old received a standing ovation from Orioles fans in his first at-bat at Camden Yards since his departure in Tuesday night’s 4-3 Diamondbacks victory.
“That was really special,” McCann said after Tuesday’s win. “I’m not really a very emotional person, and that was a moment that I could feel some tears coming on. I’m getting chills right now thinking about it.
“Just to know how much I was appreciated here -- for the fans of Baltimore, I appreciated them as much as they appreciated me. It was definitely a special moment.”
McCann had two hits and threw out two critical runners on the bases as Arizona evened the final series of its nine-game road trip. McCann is 5-for-12 with two doubles and three RBIs on the East Coast swing ahead of Wednesday’s matinee finale, which he began on the bench.
With the 10-8 Diamondbacks guaranteed to return home above .500 after what looked to be a brutal stretch on paper, McCann may see similarities to the 2023-24 seasons in Baltimore.
“The two years I was here, we won 101 games and then [91] games,” he recalled. “Made the playoffs both years. It was a very special time. My family loved it. My kids were coming into the age where they remember everything. So just put it all together, it was a really special moment.”
McCann also acknowledged that it was probably a painful incident on July 29, 2024, that put him over the top with Orioles fans.
With the Orioles playing the opener of a doubleheader against the Blue Jays, he was bloodied by a fastball to the face but remained in the game, one jersey change and several packs of gauze later. The Orioles went on to win, 11-5.
In total, McCann slashed .228/.274/.382 in 134 games with the Orioles.
“I feel like I really stamped my place in Orioles tradition,” McCann said of the moment. “That’s probably really what kind of put it over the top.”
Manager Torey Lovullo started McCann in the final game of a series against another former team when the Diamondbacks won their finale over the Mets, 7-1, on Thursday, which helped set in motion a winning road trip.
Let’s just say the reception there was different.
“You know, it’s a tale of two cities,” Lovullo said. “He got booed in New York, and I didn’t understand that one. He’s got to be one of the greatest human beings I’ve ever met. For James McCann to get booed, those fans are harsh. But it’s a great moment, and I understand why, when he had that moment.
“Baltimore, I felt like their fans have always been appreciative of good baseball. And he must have done a lot right here.”