Royals’ Soria doesn’t pitch to form
By SAM MELLINGER
The Kansas City Star
NEW YORK | The world did not see Kansas City’s Mexicutioner, not the one who has turned even Royals fans confident with ninth-inning leads.
Oh, this wasn’t necessarily the stage to thumbs-up-or-down Joakim Soria, Gladiator style, but it will nonetheless have to do for however many people stayed up late enough Tuesday night to see the Royals’ gem for the first time.
He didn’t show it, but somewhere beneath that ice cold demeanor Soria had to be feeling some nerves. Whole different thing here, in front of a sold-out Yankee Stadium, millions more on TV, starting the 11th inning of the All-Star Game and following Mariano Rivera’s “Enter Sandman” routine.
But Soria held up OK, pitching around a leadoff walk in the 11th before leaving with the bases loaded and two outs in the 12th. Baltimore’s George Sherrill cleaned up the mess.
Four of Soria’s five outs came on that low-70s, knee-buckling curveball that Royals fans have grown to love and expect deep in Soria’s counts. David Wright and Dan Uggla struck out, Christian Guzman and Corey Hart hit weak fly balls.
But it wasn’t all the Soria Kansas City has enjoyed the last season and a half. The problem came in the 12th, when he walked Ryan Ludwick on five pitches and Nate McLouth followed with a bunt single.
Soria gave Miguel Tejada an intentional walk before striking out Uggla on three pitches. That’s when Sherrill came in.
Soria did not factor into the decision, of course, but still came away with a souvenir he’ll treasure the rest of his life. Tuesday afternoon, hours before the first pitch, he reached into his locker, grabbed a white Royals jersey, and unfolded it.
“Look at this,” he said.
There is black Sharpie ink on the back, just above the “Soria,” words of encouragement written in Spanish by Rivera. The jersey is on its way first to a frame, then to a wall in Soria’s house, his favorite souvenir from an All-Star selection he’s still trying to make sure actually happened.
“It’s been amazing,” he says. “Just spending time with all these guys.”
As if he needed a reminder of the company he was keeping, he lockered on closers row in the Yankees clubhouse.
Jonathan Papelbon and Francisco Rodriguez to Soria’s immediate left, Joe Nathan and Mariano Rivera to his right. Soria, the Royals’ second-year closer, smack in the middle of 18 All-Star selections and 938 career saves.
The Steinbrenner family threw a party here the other night, and sent Soria an invitation.
The Royals closer isn’t really the partying type to begin with, but besides that, was way too exhausted. This city may or may not ever sleep, but Soria needs to.
“I just went to bed,” he said. “I could barely just get up to my bed.”
Soria said he loved his time in New York, happy to be able to bring along his wife and parents. They saw the city while he tended to his All-Star commitments and tried to rest.
He’s still trying to get used to this budding stardom, to being among the game’s best at what he does. He’s unsure if he’ll ever get back to this point, or if so how many times.
But no matter what, behind a glass frame in his house, he’ll always have a personalized autograph from the best closer of all-time.
“For sure,” Soria said. “I’ll remember that.”
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