Royals players share fun details of the team’s fantasy football league
If you are planning to attend Royals spring training next year in Surprise, Arizona, don’t be shocked to see one player who is very accommodating when it comes to signing autographs.
That player might just have finished last in the team’s fantasy football league.
That’s one idea the Royals players have floated as punishment for whoever finishes last in their fantasy league. Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino shared some fun details of their league Friday while on “The Rich Eisen Show.”
The Royals players have a 12-team league and there is also an 18-team guillotine league. In the latter, there aren’t any head-to-head games, but whichever team has the fewest points in each week is eliminated and all of the players on the team are available on the waiver wire.
However, team owners have a set amount of money to spend on the waiver pickups.
“At the end of the year, you could pick up players, but have $0 left, can’t pick up anybody,” Pasquantino noted.
Witt said: “I didn’t even know that.”
Pasquantino is a huge Jets fan and said his team’s name is “Easy Breecey” after New York running back Breece Hall. Witt’s team name: The Goon Squad. That came courtesy of Cleveland Guardians fans.
“We were in Cleveland last week,” Witt said, “and it was a rain delay, not a lot of fans there, and then all of a sudden, I’m going to the plate, and you just hear, ‘Bobby’s a goon!’ Like these four guys are just chanting, ‘Bobby’s a goon!’”
Pasquantino helpfully noted: “They’re just ripping him.”
“Then we had a rain delay,” Witt said. “And then we come back out, and I’m like, ‘Oh, they’re gone.‘ And then they’re still there. There’s probably 20 people in the stands, and these four dudes are still there. ... I think I end up getting a hit that at-bat or something, and we end up winning the game.”
Pham joins league
The Royals added outfielder Tommy Pham on a waiver claim on Aug. 31, just in time to join the team’s guillotine league.
Pham made headlines two years ago for an altercation over fantasy football. Pham at the time was with the Reds, and he slapped the Giants’ Joc Pederson prior to a game.
Pederson said Pham was upset about the fantasy league in which they were participating.
“There was some (stuff) that went on in fantasy, but what he forgot to tell you guys he said some disrespectful (stuff) in a text message and I called him out on it. It was regarding my former team,” Pham told reporters at the time.
“I didn’t like that and I didn’t like the sketchy (stuff) going on in the fantasy. You have too much money on the line, so I look at it like there’s a code. (Messing) with my money and you’re going to say some disrespectful (stuff), there’s a code to this.”
Eisen inquired about Pham’s participation.
“He told me to set a timer two days ago during the draft,” Pasquantino quipped. “I set a timer immediately. There was no question. I’m gonna go ahead and set it.”
Everyone laughed.
Eisen mentioned the injured reserve rules which reportedly was part of what had upset Pham a couple of years ago.
“Our rules are laid out, they’re set,” Pasquantino said. “Far as I know, we’re good to go.”
Witt added: “It’s exciting.”
Here is the conversation.
