Rogers Newsletter: Royals pitcher's 'great off-day adventure'

Hello and welcome to the third edition of the Royals Beat newsletter. A quick reminder: My name is Anne Rogers, and this is my second season covering the Royals for MLB.com. This newsletter will deliver Royals news and insight to your inbox all season. Thanks for following along. 

The Royals are off to a 2-2 start to the young 2022 season, splitting the opening weekend against the Guardians before hitting the road for a quick two-game series in St. Louis, starting tonight at 6:45 p.m. CT. They’ve only had one off-day so far — last Friday — and while a day off right after Opening Day isn’t ideal for some, teams try to take advantage of the rest ahead of the long season. 

Off-days for players typically include as many rounds of golf as possible, but with cold and windy weather in Kansas City on Friday, outdoor activities were out of the question. So, Royals starter Brad Keller decided to take his family to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in the historic 18th and Vine District of Kansas City, and the tour from NLBM president Bob Kendrick did not disappoint. 

“It was actually my second time going, but it gets better every time you go,” Keller said. “It’s a special place, and you learn a lot. You soak everything up the first time, and then you actually can dig into the details the second time — and third and fourth, you can’t just stop after two. My family really enjoyed it, and it was a great off-day adventure, for sure.” 

With the Guardians in town, Kendrick also took Cleveland’s coaching staff on a tour — something he hopes can happen more often now that COVID-19 restrictions are lifting and more visiting teams can stop by the museum when they’re in town. 

Keller can’t recommend it enough; taking advantage of the museum in Kansas City has been something he’s emphasized to his teammates and visitors. Kendrick and the museum are planning numerous events ahead of the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball on Friday. And this is a big year for the museum on a national stage, as they’re preparing for the Hall of Fame induction of NLBM museum founder and legendary scout Buck O’Neil this summer. 

If Royals fans are ever looking for something to do before going to Kauffman Stadium, Keller knows where they should go. 

“Definitely go to the museum,” Keller said. “It’s right in our backyard. This is where everything happened, which is special. You’re standing behind home plate at the Field of Legends, seeing all those guys that are in the Hall of Fame, and it’s crazy.  

“Sometimes you only think of Jackie Robinson. But there were so many good players, and they kind of just get swept under the rug because of the era they lived in. It’s sad, but for them to finally get the recognition and the museum itself to be put on a national stage now is really cool.” 

A MINUTE WITH KYLE ISBEL

What’s your favorite restaurant in Kansas City? 

I like Jack Stack Barbecue. Of course, you can’t go wrong with any barbecue in Kansas City. Have to hit all the spots now that I’m up here. 

I imagine that’s a postgame meal, so what do you go to for a pregame meal? 

Probably pasta. Spaghetti. I feel like I can’t eat too much before a game, so just load up on the carbs. 

Do you have a favorite ballpark in the Majors besides Kauffman Stadium? 

I would say San Francisco because of the weather and just being by the water. I’m excited to hopefully go there in June, all of those West Coast stadiums are great. 

You’re still young in your career, so is there a superstar baseball player that you’re excited to play against? 

Not really, but my first big league Spring Training, I was pumped to play against Mike Trout. Obviously his reputation as a player, and then he’s just a great guy it seems like. That was kind of a, “Oh wow, my dream of playing Major League Baseball is super close and attainable,” moment. 

What’s your take on this new Nicky-Bobby combination that’s taken off in this clubhouse and social media? 

Oh, you mean Shake and Bake? We got to get that shirt here for people to wear. Those two are really good players and just fun people. I am not surprised they leaned into that nickname at all. I love watching them play. 

IN THE NEWS

Some stories I’ve written as the 2022 season kicks off:

• Bobby Witt Jr.’s debut was a family affair. I talked to his dad, 16-year Major League veteran Bobby Witt, about what it means to see his son at third base.

• And talk about a debut for the ages. A tie game in the eighth? The crowd chanting your name? The No. 1 prospect in baseball delivered the game-winning hit.

• Whit Merrifield and the Royals restructured the veteran super utility man’s contract to keep him in Kansas City through at least 2023.

And a few must-read stories from around baseball:

• Yankees Single-A affiliate manager Rachel Balkovec earned her first managerial win as the first full-time female manager in affiliated baseball history. This was an inspiring story about Balkovec’s impact on and off the field. 

• Before the season, I sent in my 2022 predictions, including seeing the Blue Jays in the World Series. Their formidable lineup was one reason why, and Blue Jays beat writer Keegan Matheson takes us through their epic Opening Day comeback. 

• Teams around baseball, including the Royals, are being overly cautious with starters in this first week of the season. It’s why you saw manager Mike Matheny take Keller out of the game on Saturday with just 69 pitches through six innings. Padres beat writer AJ Cassavell wrote about Bob Melvin’s decisions to end no-hitters early. 

TRIVIA

What type of hit was George Brett’s 3,000th career hit?

A. Double

B. Single

C. Triple

D. Home run

THE PIPELINE

With the Minor League season underway, we’ll do our best to keep you informed of the notable performances around the Royals’ farm system. Here’s who stood out as Triple-A Omaha finished its first full series of the season:

• Outfielder Brewer Hicklen is off to a roaring start, going 8-for-21 (.381) in his first six games. That’s an .867 OPS, and he also already has two stolen bases. His power-speed combination has been intriguing since the Royals drafted him in 2017, but he’s yet to put it all together in one season. So far, he’s off to the right start in 2022.

• No. 2 prospect MJ Melendez went to the deepest part of the park on Sunday afternoon for his first home run of the season.

• No. 3 prospect Nick Pratto already has three home runs in six games. The Gold Glove-caliber first baseman also played his first game in right field on Sunday in an effort to increase his versatility for when his bat is needed at the Major League level.

• One pitcher to watch if the Royals need a fresh arm in their bullpen: Right-hander Colten Brewer. He signed a Minor League deal this offseason and impressed in the spring, although he struggled at the back end of camp. So far with Omaha? Seven batters faced. Seven strikeouts. Yes, in two relief outings, Brewer struck out seven in 2 1/3 inning.

Other notable performances from opening weekend in the lower levels:

• Outfielder Erick Peña, the Royals’ No. 11 prospect coming off a year in which he struggled in rookie ball, gave Low-A Columbia an Opening Day victory with his walk-off home run on Friday night — finishing off a six-run comeback by the Fireflies. 

• No. 24 prospect Noah Murdock’s main priority this season is staying healthy after pitching just 22 2/3 innings last season. In his first start for High-A Quad Cities, the tall right-hander delivered four innings of one-run ball, with four strikeouts and two walks. Scouts were impressed with his biting curveball and had him up to 97 mph with his fastball. 

THIS WEEK IN ROYALS HISTORY: April 15, 1972

With help from Royals Hall of Fame director Curt Nelson.

While on the topic of big debuts, this week 50 years ago featured a future Royals Hall of Famer’s first game in Kansas City: John Mayberry. And although it wasn’t his Major League debut — that came four years earlier for the Astros — Mayberry came up big on his first day in a Royals uniform. 

The Royals opened their season against the White Sox on April 15, 1972, playing the final year at Municipal Stadium in downtown Kansas City. Down 1-0 in the ninth inning, Bob Oliver launched a two-out solo home run to push the game into extra innings. With Paul Schaal on third base and one out, Mayberry stepped to the plate against Bart Johnson. Mayberry roped a single to left field, scoring Schaal and winning the game. 

Not a bad way to debut for your new team. 

TRIVIA ANSWER

B. Single. On Sept. 30, 1992, George Brett was a late addition to the Royals’ lineup as he nursed an injured right shoulder. Shortly before 6 p.m. in California, before the Royals took on the Angels, Brett took 50 swings off a tee and decided he could play. And after 19 years, two batting titles and two American League pennants, Brett gave his fans one last show. The Hall of Famer went 4-for-5, with his last hit making him the 17th player in Major League history to reach 3,000 in his career.

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