A Royals minor-league player hit a home run out of stadium, into Mississippi River
From May 16 to May 21, Royals prospect Gavin Cross was blazing hot. He hit five home runs and collected 11 RBIs in six days.
Cross, who was the Royals’ first-round pick in last year’s Major League Baseball draft, cooled off this past week. But he still showed off his power during a game Friday for the High-A Quad Cities River Bandits.
In the sixth inning, Cross crushed a pitch from Beloit left-hander Cade Gibson. The ball cleared the wall in right field and kept going. It eventually splashed down in the Mississippi River, which flows outside of Modern Woodmen Park.
Unfortunately for Cross, that was his only hit in a six-game span last week, and he acknowledged there have been ups and downs during his first full season as a professional.
“There have been good days and not-so-good days,” Cross told the Quad City Times’ Steve Batterson. “We’re working to find that consistency and that consistent feel when I’m swinging. That’s what I’m really working toward.
“If that consistency is there and I don’t have a hit, it’s been a good day. If that consistency is there and I have a couple of hits, it’s been an even better day. When my approach is right, I’m having better at-bats and I can see it making a difference.”
Cross made a difference after drawing a walk during Sunday’s game.
That put runners on the corners, and Carter Jensen followed by popping out to short right field. Cross tagged up and pretended to stay close to the bag. When the right fielder casually tossed the ball back to the infield, Cross took off for second and stole 90 feet.
Cross later scored in the inning. This was a heads-up play.
