It’s time for another bird-watching collaboration. Baltimore Orioles All-Star shortstop Gunnar Henderson attended Ravens practice today. Henderson was joined by several of his Orioles teammates, including reliever Craig Kimbrel and manager Brandon Hyde.
Henderson and company didn’t just observe practice; they interacted with players, as Henderson conversed with placekicker Justin Tucker and strong safety Kyle Hamilton.
After watching Ravens practice today, Orioles star shortstop Gunnar Henderson told me he has great admiration for what @Lj_era8 can do on the football field.
“It’s unreal watching him do his thing. Now I have an even greater respect.”
— Garrett Downing (@GarrettDowning) August 14, 2024
As you can see from the quote above, Henderson was inspired by seeing Lamar Jackson, the reigning NFL MVP, up close and personal.
You can tell he was genuinely inspired by how he played tonight in the Beltway series.
Watch him club this mammoth 419-foot home run, which left his bat like a laser, with an exit velocity of 113.1 miles per hour.
I heard it…I’m not sure I ever saw it. pic.twitter.com/5Pkfg8VQD3
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) August 14, 2024
The two-run shot would be the game-winner, giving Henderson 30 homers on the year. This is the first time he’s reached that mark in a single season in a career.
Indeed, today was an example of a “game recognizing game.”