With no games, Royals fans get baseball fix via video chats with manager Mike Matheny
While speaking on a video conference with a player Monday about potential drills that could be run during the coronavirus pandemic, Royals manager Mike Matheny paused to add one other thought.
“My best advice,” Matheny said, “is never forget the ice cream. Ice cream and baseball kind of go hand in hand.”
This isn’t some revolutionary training table idea Matheny is bringing to the Royals in his first season as manager. Matheny was talking with 12-year-old Eli, the son of Royals season-ticket holders since 1986.
Eli and his family were part of a video call with three other season-ticket holders, as Matheny helps Royals fans talk baseball during a break in the games due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We had such a good spring training. ... The boys were ready to roll and then life happens, right?” Matheny told the fans at the outset. “So we’re just in a holding pattern. (Pitcher) Brad Keller told me it’s just a long rain delay. This is a lot of rain.
“So I was just going to open up to questions from anybody. I wanted to first thank everyone, and we’re just grateful, we’re grateful to be a part of such a special organization. We’ve got fans that are just so loyal. And I know this is a tough time. Everybody wants to some normalcy and man, I can’t wait to help kind of be part of the healing process.”
Matheny has done multiple calls with fans this week and has more planned in the days ahead. During a 30-minute call Monday, Matheny fielded questions about whether he’s been in touch with former manager Ned Yost, the dispute between the owners and players about revenue during a shortened season, how and where a second spring training will take place and how a shortened season might benefit the Royals.
On the latter question, Matheny reiterated what he’s said from his first news conference that the Royals’ plan is to contend right away. But he acknowledged the last couple of years have been tough on fans.
“To be honest with you, the more belief we get from our fans, which you know, you guys know seeing is believing, so we got to start putting some good product out there,” Matheny said. “But once we do, I think you’re gonna see a fun, fun group of guys to watch for a long time.”
Matheny was asked which prospects might make an expanded roster, and he mentioned the core of young pitchers (Brady Singer, Kris Bubic, Daniel Lynch and Jackson Kowar) and a number of position players as having a chance.
One fan wanted to know how players have been staying in shape, and Matheny talked about some creative ways the pitchers have kept up their arm strength during the break from baseball.
“There’s some guys that have to work in their their own garage,” Matheny said. “They’ll take what equipment they have, and they’ll modify a workout for them. There’s just no excuse anymore. But a lot of them have access to their own personal gyms. And so they’re putting the throttle down. And they’re sending us all the feedback, they send us back a written (note) on how their workout went.
“And then our pitchers are all throwing bullpens. And same thing, we’ve got guys throwing against a blanket. We have other guys who have their own individual catcher. The really smart ones right when this quarantine started to happen, they went and recruited catchers and said, ‘You’re a single guy, you don’t have a place to live. You’re living with me. We’re going to quarantine together.’ And that’s worked out really well. It’s happened with quite a few of them.”
The fans seemed to enjoy the opportunity to speak with Matheny and talk Royals baseball.
Ditto for Matheny who smiled as the chat wrapped up and Eli sneaked in one more message: “If there are any players wanting to play catch, I’m always down to play catch.”
