Royals newcomer Homer Bailey can play the role of stopper against the Seattle Mariners
Players only get half of their games in their “home” ballpark, but over the course of 12 years that’s a lot of days, nights, pregame and postgame hours spent in the friendly confines of the home clubhouse.
So you’ll have to excuse Royals starting pitcher Homer Bailey if he takes a wrong turn or two as he attempts to navigate his way around Kauffman Stadium, just his second home stadium in 13 seasons in the majors.
“I think I’m still getting lost,” Bailey quipped as he glanced around the home clubhouse at Kauffman Stadium after his first start of the season.
The Royals give Bailey, who signed a minor-league free-agent deal in February, the ball to being the second homestand of the season on Monday night against the Seattle Mariners. Bailey will set the tone as the Royals (2-6) try to snap out of the six-game losing streak.
Asked if there had been any weird feelings getting ready to make his first “home” start in a new ballpark, Bailey said, “A little bit. I think it was more just getting used to where everything is so that you can go about your routines and be efficient. Like know where your training room is, where your weight room is, showers, food room, everything like that. It just takes a few days.”
Bailey’s eight strikeouts against the Twins in his Royals debut last week, a season-high for the staff, were his most in a start since July 24, 2018.
While his new surroundings were a bit of a change, he was quick to point out that the mound was still 60 feet, 6 inches away.
The spaciousness of Kauffman Stadium was one of the things Bailey said attracted him to the Royals upon signing this offseason. The emphasis on defense and a Gold Glove winning catcher also on his list.
Of course, he’s working with a different Gold Glove winner behind the plate than he expected when he signed.
“To start spring training collectively with these guys, there’s a lot of comfort,” Bailey said. “I really enjoy being here. Also Martin (Maldonado) behind the plate, he really makes it a lot easier on me. I can kind of follow what he’s doing, and I know that his preparation is very good so that really takes a lot of load off of me.”
While Bailey remains a relative newcomer at Royals Way and Kansas City, the organization coveted his experience in big league games.
He’s started 213 games, tossed a pair of no-hitters, collected 67 wins and logged more than 1,200 innings.
Whereas the rest of the Royals starting rotation, a four-man group to this point in the season, have all thrown fewer than 300 innings in the majors.
“It’s a little bit different because he can execute it a little bit more through experience and through years and through consistency with what he’s able to do,” Royals manager Ned Yost said of Bailey. “It’s all about being able to execute a game plan.”
The trust factor that comes with innings, experience and having been through countless situations certainly resonates with Yost regardless of new surroundings or changing roles.
“Homer, (Ian) Kennedy, (Jake) Diekman, the veteran guys,” Yost said, “They know themselves. They know what they’re capable of doing.”
