But sports, like life, is rarely neat or sensible. Instead, Frank White will wear a different Kansas City uniform for the first time next season. The Kansas City T-Bones have hired White to be part of their coaching staff in a role that includes player evaluation and development.
The Royals should have never let White get away — a fact that they'll be reminded of beginning May 17 when he trots up the first-base line at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. Once he gets to his spot, he'll likely tip his cap to the crowd, who will be all too happy to cheer for the man who made Cookie Rojas a forgotten name in this town.
If you doubt the influence of White on Kansas City baseball, look no further than the T-Bones press release announcing his hire. General Manager Chris Browne notes that he first met White as a batboy and clubhouse attendant for the Royals. Not many of us get the chance to work alongside our childhood heroes.
White understands what it takes to succeed in baseball and, perhaps more importantly, what it takes to succeed in Kansas City. And his organic connection with the fans is what every major league marketing department hopes to manufacture. This is exactly the kind of move that one's hometown team should make. One team saw that. The other didn't.
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The Royals should have found a way to make this relationship work. Frank White has always been a complainer and apparently was critical of the team in talking with people affiliated with other teams, but he is a very popular hometown guy. By the way, Frank was a pretty good and steady ballplayer, but he also is overrated in this town. His lifetime BA was 255 and his lifetime OBP was 293 (which is Yuni territory - BA 268 and OBP 292). His DWAR was only 11 over his entire career.
Frank was and is one of my sports heroes. I watched him play with such grace and ease it was mesmerizing. Now, all these years later my son is taking lessons from him at The Yard in LS. He's a better teacher and man than I ever witnessed on the field. He's the real thing, all the time. Whether my sons learns a better swing or not, whether he sets up better for fielding a ground ball or not, I've seen my son learn many different things, taught through the language of baseball. Thanks Frank for being one of KC's really good guys.
It's nice to have a local baseball team to root for again! Thanks, Frank! We love you. :)
Love Frank White. Miss him in the booth.
I don't think he will ride buses to minor league parks for very long.
Congratulations to Frank White! What a ball player....and the Glass boys didn't think he should stay with the Royals? Maybe they should leave Kansas City and let the team have owners who not only care about winning on a shoestring but also care about good people. Enough of these big CEO's who only care about their bottom line. Frank will always mean honesty and good sportsmanship to the fans. Can Mr. Glass say that?
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