"The Orioles' first Japanese-born player was an interesting storyline as he adjusted to a new language, a new culture and a new style of baseball -- with a crew of Japanese reporters following his every move. His first season was a minor disappointment as injuries limited him to 12 starts (he went 2-4 with a 4.05 ERA). The Orioles sent him to the bullpen in 2010, and in the middle of the season, something clicked. The Orioles realized they couldn’t use Uehara every night, and if they gave him adequate rest, he was a pretty effective pitcher. In the second half of the season, he had a 2.57 ERA, earned the confidence of Orioles manager Buck Showalter and converted 13 of 15 save opportunities. He got comfortable, grew some fierce sideburns and started connecting on more high fives. He re-signed in Baltimore this past offseason, and pitched well enough to earn a trade to a contender over the weekend, though in an emotional chat with reporters, he admitted that he had mixed emotions. 'There are two contradicting feelings. Part of me says that a contending team wants me, and that's gratifying,' Uehara said. 'At the same time, Baltimore -- I've been there for two years. It's really sad.' When asked which players he would miss most, he simply responded, 'Everybody.' He later teared up." - Sportswriter Matt Vensel in The Baltimore Sun (08/01/2011, 'Farewell to one of my favorite Orioles, Mr. Koji Uehara', Source)