Blind Quarterback Plays Baseball: Announcing My Presence with Authority

Yesterday, my good friend and baseball mentor Tom “Old Dog” Wyrsch visited me. He handed me an official Royals Postseason 2014 hat. 

“It might be a little big, but add that to your collection.” 

I grinned and thanked him as I sat the worn ball cap upon my head. Tom, his daughter and my friend, Callie sat with me and discussed hot batters, tough pitchers, the upcoming series with the Minnesota Twins (or as I learned to call them, The Twinkies), great baseball films and how much we hate the Yankees. Then Tom’s good friend and pastor, Jason St. John, arrived and enlightened me on the art of pitching. 

Jason was a pitcher in high school and college - where he set several school records. Jason sat down next to me, showed me the difference between a 1^st baseman’s glove and a fielder’s glove. Then he placed my Royals’ baseball in my hand. 

For the next 20 minutes, Jason placed the ball in my hand, having me place my fingers on different spots on the ball to show me the different ways of holding the ball to throw a desired pitch. I learned how to hold the ball to throw a fast ball, a cut fast ball, a curve ball, a sinker and a slider. He twisted my wrist in different directions, showing me how the ball must be released and what fingers it needed to roll off of, to cut up and down or from laterally or drop like a stone once it arrives at the plate. We spent some time learning the hand and finger positioning for a cutting fast ball - made famous by Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera. I was itching to get outside and “bring heat”

We stepped outside onto a patch of grass, the sun shining and a snap in the cool morning breeze. Jason dawned his 1^st baseman’s glove and Tom put on the fielders glove and took a few steps away from me. Jason coached me and I positioned my feet and legs according to his instructions and prepared to do something that I have not done in 30 years of living. I positioned my feet, positioned my fingers on the stitching of the ball, wound my arm back, leaned forward, snapped my wrist and brought heat. Less than a second later, I heard the beautiful sound of a padded crack as the ball landed snugly in Tom’s glove.

“Better take a few steps back Tom he has a pretty good fast ball” said Jason.

We threw for about ten minutes, some of the pitches sailed over Tom’s head or to his side, but I was constantly chasing that elusive sound of the ball clapping into the leather padding of Tom’s glove. I could have stood out there in the empty field, with the sun on my face and the cool spring breeze blowing around me, as I played my first ever game of catch.

While I don’t think I will be getting a call from the Royals’ bull pen any time soon, yesterday morning will be a memory that will live with me for a long time. The feeling of throwing the perfect fast ball, never being able to see it, but hearing that beautiful crack as it slapped into Toms glove and knowing that I had thrown it just right was priceless.

Blind Quarterback Plays Baseball: Opening Weekend Roundup

Your Blind Quarterback is taking a vacation and is taking on the persona of the Blind Pitcher for this off season and bringing you some baseball!

Midafternoon on Thursday, at Kauffman Stadium, gloves creaked, bats cracked, foul balls flew into the stands and homers drover over the fence in what Kansas City sports fans had been waiting for since the end of Chiefs’ football season – Opening Day 2019. The rain in stormy Kansas City delayed the game 2 hours before the Boys in Blue – The Kansas City Royals would emerge from their dugout and onto the diamond. But the delay would be worth the wait for avid Royals fans.

Your always faithful Blind Quarterback took on the persona of the Blind Pitcher and listened the game from my man cave, while getting on site info with my correspondent, baseball mentor and friend Tom or as you may know him on Twitter – KC Old Dog. He sat in his 400 level seat, perfectly overlooking home plate, a baseball bag at his feet, filled with and all the tools that he would need for Opening Day at the “K”.

Opening Weekend Game 1: Thursday, March 28, 2019

Royals’ starting pitcher, Brad Keller finally threw out the first pitch two hours after the scheduled start time. Thursday was Keller’s first start, and he pitched a gem of a game. The cold nor the rain seemed to effect Keller in the slightest, as he struck out five, walked one and only allowed two hits through his seven innings on the mound. Keller used a winning combination of fast balls, sinkers and a nasty slider that did the most damage to the White Sox batting order. 

Meanwhile, the Royals batting order came out swinging (pun intended) on that rainy evening. 2^nd baseman, Whit Merrifield was first at bat and logged two stolen bases, two runs and one hit, which brought his hit total to 21 consecutive games. Shortstop, Adalberto Mondesi, followed Merrifield in the batting order, racked up two triples. This brought him to becoming one of only two Royals to accomplish such a feat on Opening Day. Right fielder, Jorge Soler recorded two hits as well.

After Keller threw 92 pitches, Ian Kennedy relieved him middle of the seventh. Kennedy quickly dispatched the White Sox batting order with a 1-2-3 out eighth inning. The Royals took a 5-0 lead into the top of the ninth – needing only 3 more outs to finish the game. Unfortunately, a somewhat shaky bullpen would struggle to do so, allowing the White Sox to score 3 runs in the ninth inning and load the bases several times. It took four calls to the bullpen, before Brad Boxburger finally recorded the final out. The rain was worth it for many fans after a final score of 5-3 for the Boys in Blue.

Opening Weekend Game 2: Saturday, March 30, 2019

Saturday afternoon’s game was also delayed -  this time only by 30 minutes. Jakob Junis started as pitcher for the Royals, throwing 5 solid innings before becoming a tad shaky in the sixth inning. After Junis was relieved by Tim Hill, the bullpen proved they could step up and protect a lead. The game ended in the top of the ninth when Kennedy allowed only two hits before shutting the White Sox down and recording his first career save.  Merrifield brought his hitting streak up to 22 games, and the Royals claimed their second victory over the White Sox with a final score of 8-6.

Opening Weekend Game 3: Sunday, March 31, 2019

While the Royals would win their first series, they suffered their first loss of the season - on the most beautiful day of the series. White Sox starting pitcher, Lucas Giolito, completely dominated this game. Giolito held the Royals scoreless for the first six innings, throwing a mixture of controlled fast balls and extremely effective change ups and curve balls to do so. Royals starting pitcher Jorge Lopez gave up back-to-back homers in the fourth inning, prompting relief pitcher, Tim Hill, out of the bullpen into a bases loaded situation, where he walked two before the inning blessedly ended on a double play. The Royals would close out this first series with a final score of 6-3 White Sox.

After exchanging messages with my baseball mentor and good friend Tom throughout the weekend, I am giving this long-time Royals fan and season ticket holder his section in the Blind Quarterback on Baseball blog series to answer my questions for my readers. Follow him on Twitter @kcolddog for his live updates from the games.

Ask the Old Dog:

“I was encouraged on some the offensive numbers. Soler and Hamilton had a good series against Sox. Merrifield kept his streak alive and continued his base stealing abilities. Our starters each had at least six innings and Keller and Junis had good stuff. Lopez has trouble early but not bad start. Our bullpen is a concern. Need to find our key guys and see if Ian Kennedy can become a legitimate closer. Overall, we won our opening series and now play another team in our division the Twins we need to beat” 

The Royals have Monday off before the Minnesota Twins AKA “the Twinkies” pay a visit to the K for a two game series. The boys in blue will hit the road headed for Detroit to face off against the Tigers in a 3 game series before finally returning home to host the Seattle Mariners on Monday April 8. 

Your Blind Pitcher will be hanging out in the dugout and around the bullpen to bring you a fresh blog this time next week.

A Defensive Overhaul

For those of you who might have possibly taken up refuge under a rock after that crushing AFC Championship loss and dull as dish water super bowl, your BQB is here fill you in on the goings on around the Chiefs organization. 

In the 2018 off season, Andy Reid stated there would be a defensive overhaul to come which amounted to cutting/trading a few players, adding a few others and selecting almost entirely defensive players in the 2018 draft. The 2019 off season seems to demand, not only a defensive overhaul, but what might even constitute as a complete gutting of the Chiefs defense - starting at the top. 

Chiefs Defensive Coordinator (DC) Bob Sutton was released in February 2019 after serving 5 years. New Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo replace him and an all new defensive staff was hired for him. Spagnuolo is somewhat of a journeymen in the NFL, with stints at the Saints, Giants, Ravens – among others. Spagnuolo is employing several changes to the Chiefs defensive scheme, but the most notable is changing the Chiefs basic defensive formation from a 3-4 to a 4-3.

The Chiefs have always ran a 3-4 defense, which simply put, means that there is 3 defensive linemen up front and 4 linebackers directly behind them. Spagnuolo has simply reversed that order, placing 4 defensive linemen up front with 3 linebackers behind them. I believe this will play into one of the Chiefs few defensive strengths in what was definitely a sea of weaknesses last season. What the Chiefs did better than anyone is rush the opposing quarterback and make him rather uncomfortable. They played it out with the likes of Chris Jones and Allen Bailey -  two mainstays on the defensive line. The defensive line will now have an extra man on it.

The Chiefs defense has had its stars throughout the years, but in most recent history, those stars included linebackers, Justin Houston and Dee Ford and most of all, safety Eric Berry. None of these 3 fan favorite players will be on the Chiefs’ active roster come September. 

Houston’s release was expected but still disappointing. Houston had a career year in 2014, racking up 22 sacks, coming a half a sack away from the league record, but sadly since then his production has declined. Last season he still showed himself as a force to be reckoned with, sometimes wreaking havoc in an opponent’s back field. But with a history of injuries, a significant $14 million cap hit in 2019 and his age, the 3 time pro-bowler and all-pro was released in early March. You will be missed #50, and your autographed jersey will always have a place of honor in my man cave.

In early March, the Chiefs placed the franchise tag on linebacker Dee Ford, giving Chiefs fans the impression that we would retain the linebacker’s strong services for at least another year while we made another Super Bowl run, however, roughly a week later, Ford was traded to the 49ers. When I saw this notification, I thought to myself, “surely we got some good compensation for him, a bevy of draft picks in 2019 perhaps, or perhaps even a player for a player trade?” Ford had a great year last season being an integral part to the Chiefs’ defense. Defying my expectations, the Chiefs received one single 2^nd round draft pick for Ford… in 2020. While I understand the reasoning behind these moves and have heard all the words said in the pressers, I remain uncertain, and like other Chiefs fans, will be uncertain until the finished product is on the field.

For weeks people have been asking me what I thought the Chiefs would do with Berry, and I take no joy at all in saying, that I called it. His last season in Kansas City was marred with uncertainty and questioning of if he would even play. He eventually played, but was largely ineffective. He has of course always been an emotional presence for the team, and one of its leaders. But how long can the Chiefs afford to keep $16 million emotional presence on the payroll? I know I sound like a mercenary, and I promise I don’t mean to, I am just trying to say that while there has been a bit of outcry from fans, let me just say, I get it, I understand, and I am certain that Eric does to.

That isn’t to say we haven’t gained a few good players in this off-season.

Just days after the Justin Houston release, Chiefs acquired safety Tyrann Mathieu AKA “The Honey Badger” from the Texans, with a 3-year, $42 million contract - coming out to 14 million a year (the exact amount that was saved by cutting Houston, coincidence? I think not). Mathieu played college ball at LSU, where he was given the nick name “Honey Badger”, for his propensity for creating big, disruptive plays and collecting interceptions.

The Chiefs also signed free agent defensive end, Alex Okafor. After having spent the last two seasons with the New Orleans Saints, Okafor will add some depth to that new four-man defensive line.

Damien Wilson from the Dallas Cowboys was also signed in free agency, adding to their "linebacking" core.

Packers’ corner back, Bashaud Breeland is the latest free agent to sign with the Chiefs to a 1 year contract.

The Chiefs have made an offensive addition with the signing of running back Carlos Hyde, less than 24 hours after he was released from the Jaguars. While Hyde will likely not be the premier back in Kansas City, he has logged two seasons in which he nearly reached 1,000 yards rushing. He has spent time with the 49ers, Browns and Jaguars before coming to the Chiefs.

There has been a flurry of movement in the Chiefs’ organization this off season and the draft is still a month away, so stay tuned. Things are heating up again and your BQB is back. 

Also, the BQB now sports a baseball cap and Royals’ jersey, for many times this baseball season I will turn into the Blind Pitcher, to give you blogs on the Royals and other things in the world of MLB.

Stay tuned, Sports Fans!