Five reasons why Royals coach Rusty Kuntz is beloved by fans and players
Among the Royals-related items available on the Internet are a mug with the phrase “Keep calm and let Rusty Kuntz handle it” and a Rusty Kuntz bobblehead the team gave away in 2017.
Kuntz is a beloved figure among Royals fans, and they were thrilled when the team announced Thursday that he was returning as first-base coach this season after a one-year absence.
On the day he was introduced as the new Royals manager, Mike Matheny mentioned that he spent time earlier this year with Kuntz while getting to know his new organization.
“It’s great meeting people,” Matheny said. “I’m a people person. I like spending time with folks and learning what makes them go, I love just talking the game. Maybe that’s why Rusty and I hit it off so much. But there’s a lot of Rusty Kuntz ... ah, that’s a false statement. There’s only one of those.”
Yes, there is just one Rusty Kuntz, but there are many reasons why Royals fans and players love Kuntz. Here are five:
1. Respect of the players
Kuntz puts ego aside and has the players’ best interest in mind. That philosophy made an impact on someone who played just 27 games for the Royals: Rick Ankiel.
This is an excerpt from Ankiel’s book, “The Phenomenon: Pressure, the Yips, and the Pitch that Changed My Life:”
“In a game in which coaches sometimes were more concerned with themselves and their careers, Rusty thought first of what was best for the player. The game was hard. Rusty knew it. He was selfless and genuine in his teachings, in his support, and in the energy he brought to the grind. He was a guy the players would say ‘gets it,’ meaning he knows what allows ballplayers to perform and produce. As important, he knows what pulls them apart. And it’s all separated by about an inch.”
2. A keen insight
During their two-year run postseason run, the Royals were known for their outfield defense and savvy on the basepaths. Both were under the purview of Kuntz.
Kuntz was known for finding clues to a pitcher’s pickoff move and when he would deliver a pitch to the plate. Kuntz also had a knack for where the outfielders should be positioned for specific batters.
Lorenzo Cain told The Star in 2015: “Rusty’s our guy. He finds everything. You need work in the outfield, you need anything done, anything corrected, Rusty’s the guy to go to.”
Kuntz’s influence on Cain went beyond their time in Kansas City. During the 2018 season, Cain helped the Brewers pull a fast one on the Cubs, who missed getting an out on a rundown.
“I peeked back (at first). I actually want to credit that play to Rusty Kuntz,” Cain told reporters. “We actually used to practice that play when I was in KC. Never actually happened, but it happened tonight. It was huge. It was nice, a nice play.”
3. Hey, Player!
Chances are, Kuntz didn’t call Cain by his first name. Or his last name. Kuntz often just called out: “Player!”
Kuntz explained why he so often calls out “Player!” in a 2016 interview with Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com. It started when he was coaching in Houston.
“Now, I would tell them, ‘Hey, my name is Rusty. Call me Rusty.’ But every spring, players kept calling me ‘Coach.’ They didn’t get it,” Kuntz told Flanagan. “So after a while, I would just start calling them ‘Player.’ If you’re going to call me ‘Coach’, I’ll call you ‘Player.’ And then over the years, that just evolved into calling everyone ‘Player.’”
4. No nonsense
Kuntz is not afraid to speak his mind, and that was evident after the Royals won the 2015 World Series.
Eric Hosmer’s mad dash home in the ninth inning tied the game after Salvador Perez grounded out to third base. The Royals scouting report noted that Duda’s defensive skills were mediocre.
“Bless his heart, Duda,” Kuntz told The Star’s Andy McCullough at the time. “He’s a good bat.”
That phrase remains a favorite among Royals fans.
5. ALCS moment
During Game 3 of the 2014 American League Championship Series, Kuntz deftly avoided a line drive off the bat of Mike Moustakas. Kuntz found himself by a dugout suite and took the time to high five fans. How can you not love that?
