A year ago, South Korean outfielder Hyun Soo Kim trotted down the orange carpet on Opening Day and was greeted by catcalls, as Orioles fans booed a player they'd never seen play before.
Kim had refused the Orioles' request to go down to Triple-A Norfolk after an awful spring training, and the team was frustrated by his refusal. His contract said he couldn't be optioned without his permission, and now he was declining it.
Faced with Kim's stubbornness, manager Buck Showalter felt he had no option but to play him, but only occasionally. Through the end of May, Kim was batting .360 but played in only 18 of the Orioles' first 50 games.
