Former Orioles star and World Series champion Trey Mancini revisited the impact Mo Gaba had on his personal life, his career and the city of Baltimore on what would have been Mo’s 18th birthday.
Mo passed away on July 28, 2020, at the age of 14. Four years later, his impact is being felt in Baltimore and beyond through figures like Mancini.
Mancini recalled when he spent time with Mo during the 2018 season. It was Mancini’s second full season in the majors and he was in a rut during the first half. Mancini had met Mo earlier in the year after hearing about the young fan’s story, but it wasn’t until the 2018 All-Star break that Mancini’s life would change forever.
“During the All-Star break, I decided to stay in Baltimore instead of going somewhere else and getting out of town for the All-Star break. Mo, [his mother] Sonsy and I went to Dave & Buster’s in town and we just had the best day,” Mancini said on Glenn Clark Radio Jan 26. “Getting to hang with him and genuinely spending some great time with he and his mom — not on the field and not even around baseball, just getting to hang with them — was such a joy and such a life-changing day for me.”
After that, Mancini and Mo struck up a friendship. Mancini saw a positive change in his production at the plate for the remainder of the 2018 season and into the 2019 season. Mancini still believes that Mo was a huge factor in that rapid change.
“I really credit Mo with a lot of that — just helping me change my perspective and snap out of that rut I was in, not even baseball-wise but in all facets,” Mancini said. “It was just a big perspective change to see his attitude and to get to know him.”
This would be the outlook Mancini would carry with him throughout the remainder of his tenure with the Orioles and through his colon cancer fight. In 2022, Mancini was traded to the Houston Astros. He won a World Series title, then signed a two-year deal with the Chicago Cubs. He was released in the midst of a disappointing year and recently signed a minor league deal with the Miami Marlins.
While many would be daunted at the whirlwind change of fate, Mancini’s competitive spirit has not been dampened as he looks ahead to the 2024 season.
“So, there is definitely … I don’t want to say no fear going into the year, but I do really like where my mindset is at and I feel very confident,” Mancini said. “Along with that, you have to have that chip on your shoulder, I’d say, a bit and that competitive fire. It’s so important for all of us and it’s definitely something I think I’ve gotten back to after having all this time off.”
While Mancini may not be with the Orioles any longer, he still has emotional ties to the city through the legacy of Mo. Mancini spoke about the joy he felt in seeing Mo’s name still highlighted in one end zone while watching the Ravens-Texans divisional round playoff game and what that means for Mo’s legacy.
“It’s absolutely unbelievable the impact he left, not only on the city, but the world now. So many people watch Ravens games and see that ‘MO’ in the end zone and maybe they’ll look up, ‘What does it mean? Why is the ‘MO’ a different color than everything else?’ And they get to see Mo’s story. I think, ‘Here we are, four years later, and he’s still having this massive impact on everybody,’ and it’s incredible.”
Like everyone else who was fortunate enough to meet Mo, Mancini changed for the better by knowing him. Regardless of where he may be in his career or what team he may play for, Mancini will embody the legacy Mo left behind.
“He’s somebody that even if you were having the worst times imaginable, he would just restore your faith in humanity,” Mancini said.
For more from Mancini, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Baltimore Orioles