IT’S TIME TO TALK BASEBALL. THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS ARE JUST GETTING THE 2023 SEASON STARTED AND THE TEAM LOOKS A HECK OF A LOT DIFFERENT THAN THEY DID IN 2022. THAT STARTS WITH THE FRONT OFFICE THIS SEASON AS JJ PICCOLO’S FIRST AS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER. AND THERE’S A NEW SKIPPER AT THE HELM. MACK CUATRO CAME TO K.C. FROM TAMPA, HOPING TO RIGHT THE SHIP AND GET THE BOYS IN BLUE BACK TO WINNING. IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT THE SEASON, WHAT THE YEAR IS WHEN YOU STEP OUT ON THE FIELD FOR THE FIRST TIME, THERE’S JUST THAT RENEWED ENERGY OF. ALL RIGHT. HERE WE GO. AND THEN THE KEY IS KEEPING THAT ENERGY AS THE SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT MONTHS GO ALONG. SERIES CHAMPION CONTRERAS MISSION BRING A CHAMPIONSHIP UP ENVIRONMENT BACK TO KANSAS CITY WHEN WE HAVEN’T SEEN FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS NOW. IT WOULD INVOLVE WINNING A HECK OF A LOT MORE. SO CAN HE MAKE IT HAPPEN? IT’S THE START OF THE SEASON. WE’RE OPTIMISTIC. SO LET’S DISCUSS. PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO THE BROADCAST. TODD LEGAL OF 810 SPORTS RADIO. BE GOOD TO SEE YOU. MY FRIEND. THANKS FOR COMING ON. YOU KNOW, THERE’S A STRIKE TO TALK ABOUT THIS YEAR, SO THAT’S A GOOD THING, RIGHT? WE MENTIONED FRONT OFFICE CHANGES. THERE ARE PLENTY OF FRESH FACES ON THE ROSTER AS WELL. WHAT’S CATCHING YOUR EYE? WELL, YOU KNOW, I SPENT A LOT OF TIME DOWN IN SPRING TRAINING, KNOW ABOUT A MONTH AGO, AND IT’S JUST DIFFERENT. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY TALK ABOUT WHEN THEY WHEN THEY HIRED PEDRO WAS IT WAS GOING TO BE ANALYTICS AND ALL THE DATA AND STUFF THAT MAYBE THEY WEREN’T ENTIRELY EMBRACED WITH BEFORE. SO WE’RE GOING TO SEE THAT NOW. THAT’S MAYBE NOT SOMETHING THAT THE FAN WATCHING THE GAME WILL SEE, BUT A LOT OF THE DECISIONS WILL BE MADE THAT WAY. AND SETTING THEIR LINEUP CARDS AND ALL THAT. SO THAT’S I THINK THEY’VE FULLY EMBRACED THE ANALYTICS AND DATA THAT A LOT OF TEAMS ALREADY HAD BEFORE. YEAH, IT’S A GOOD POINT. LET’S TALK ABOUT THE MAKEUP OF THE TEAM. WHAT EXCITES YOU MOST ABOUT THE MAKEUP? THIS YEAR? WELL, YOU KNOW, THEY’VE GOT A MIX OF SOME YOUNG PLAYERS WHO GOT A CHANCE LAST YEAR TO COME UP, YOU KNOW, IN THE TRADE TO HAPPEN AND ALL THAT STUFF. THEY’VE GOT A COUPLE OF VETERAN GUYS, TOO. YOU KNOW, ZACK GREINKE, HE’S BACK. SO THEY’VE THEY’VE GOT THAT MIX A NICE MIX WHERE THEY THINK THEY LIKE THE FUTURE OF THIS TEAM. AND OF COURSE, IT’S GOING TO COME DOWN TO THE YOUNG PITCHING WHO AREN’T GETTING ANY YOUNGER. RIGHT. THESE AREN’T 21 YEAR OLD KIDS ANYMORE. THEY NEED THESE YOUNG PITCHERS TO KIND OF COME THROUGH BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT THEY INVESTED A LOT IN IN THAT DRAFT IN 2018. WELL, AND THEY THEY NEED BETTER PITCHING RIGHT. THAT WAS KIND OF THE ACHILLES HEEL LAST YEAR. SO HOW’S THAT SHAPING UP, YOU THINK? JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS INTO THE SEASON THERE? WELL, YOU KNOW, LISTEN, BRADY SINGER PROVED LAST YEAR THAT IT LOOKED LIKE HE GOT IT. OKAY. SO HE NEEDS TO DO THAT FOR A FULL SEASON. YOU KNOW, HE WASN’T IN THE ROTATION TO START LAST YEAR. HE’S GOT TO DO THAT. DANIEL LYNCH HAS TO COME THROUGH AND BE WHAT THEY HOPE HE CAN BE KNOW THEY DRAFTED FIVE STARTING PITCHERS IN THAT 2018 DRAFT IN THE FIRST LIKE, YOU KNOW, COMPENSATORY PICKS IN THE FIRST ROUND. YOU’RE NOT GOING TO HIT ON ALL FIVE, BUT THEY NEED LIKE THREE OF THEM TO TO BE CONTRIBUTORS, NOT JUST BE ON THE TEAM. THEY’VE ALL PITCHED. BUT JUST BECAUSE YOU PITCHED FOR THE ROYALS DOESN’T MEAN YOUR PITCHING. LIKE YOU’VE EARNED A SPOT IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES. THEY’VE ALL BEEN UP TO THE MAJOR LEAGUES, BUT THEY NEED TO PROVE THEY CAN STAY. SINGER MADE THAT STEP LAST YEAR. HE NEEDS TO DO A FULL YEAR AND THE OTHERS NEED TO COME ALONG RIGHT. LET’S TALK ABOUT THE NEW RULES BECAUSE THAT IS SOMETHING FANS ARE GOING TO NOTICE, RIGHT? PLAYERS HAVE TO CONTEND WITH A PITCH CLOCK LIMITS ON THE SHIFT, EVEN BIGGER PIECES. I IMAGINE ADJUSTING THAT COULD COULD BE FUN. I PUT FUN IN QUOTES HERE. YEAH, THEY DID THE WHOLE THING IN SPRING TRAINING. AND A LOT OF THESE ROYALS, THE YOUNG PLAYERS, THEY DID THIS IN THE MINORS LAST YEAR AND THEY LIKED IT. LISTEN, WE LIKE SPORTS, WE LIKE BASEBALL. WE LIKE FOOTBALL, WE LIKE OLD. BUT THEY DON’T NEED TO LAST FOR 4 HOURS. AND THEY TOOK 22 MINUTES OFF OF GAMES WITH THE PITCH CLOCK. AND IT’S NOT JUST THE PITCH CLOCK. IT’S BATTERS HAVE TO GET IN THE BOX, TOO. IT TOOK 22 MINUTES OFF THE MINOR LEAGUE GAMES LAST YEAR AND THAT CARRIED THROUGH IN SPRING TRAINING. AND IF YOU WATCH THE WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC THIS LAST WEEK OR SO, THEY DIDN’T HAVE THE PITCH CLOCK THERE. THOSE GAMES LASTED 3 HOURS AND 45 MINUTES. AND I THINK THEY NEEDED THEY WANT THE PACE OF PLAY. YOU’RE NOT LOSING OUTS RIGHT? THEY’RE STILL NINE INNINGS, 27 OUTS A PIECE. THEY’RE JUST DOING IT QUICKER. AND I THINK THE FANS WILL REALLY NOTICE THAT THEY’LL BE SHOWING UP LATE TO THE GAME. YOU MIGHT MISS TWO INNINGS. YEAH. REAL QUICK, HAS THE DIVISION LOOKING WHERE DO YOU EXPECT THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES? WELL, ALL THE PROJECTIONS HAVE THE ROYALS AND TIGERS IS THE BOTTOM TWO FIGHTING IT OUT AND THE OTHER THREE, THEY ALL HAVE THEM AT SOMETHING LIKE 86 WINS. AND THE ROYALS AND TIGERS AT LIKE 68, 69 WINS. THEY NEED TO BE BETTER THAN THE TIGERS AND BE BETTER THAN ONE OF THOSE OTHER TEAMS UP THERE. THIS ISN’T THE EAST, RIGHT? THIS ISN’T THE BEAST OF THE OF THE WORLD, BUT THIS A COMPETITIVE DIVISION. THE SCHEDULE IS DIFFERENT THIS YEAR. YOU DON’T PLAY AS MANY GAMES AGAINST YOUR TEAMS IN YOUR DIVISION AS YOU DID IN THE YEARS PAST. SO WE’LL HAVE TO SEE IF THAT CHANGES LIKE WHERE THE ROYALS END UP, I THINK BE BETTER WOULD PROBABLY BE A GOOD TEAM LINEUP GOING INTO THE SEASON. TODD LEAVE WITH 810 SPORTS RADIO TO TAKE YOU AND GO ROYALS. STAY TUNED TO KMBC9 NEWS IN SPORTS FOR WALES COVERAGE THROUGHOUT T