Kansas City Royals: Has The Lesson Been Learned

Kansas City Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas (8) and first baseman Eric Hosmer (35) – Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

Rest

If I haven’t made it clear yet, the MLB season is long. A simple truth is that nine Cal Ripken Jr.’s aren’t walking through those clubhouse doors, meaning guys will need rest. Even your best guys. So, I don’t so much take issue with resting guys like Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas from time to time, but was Sunday really the right time?

I’m willing to concede that maybe there’s something behind the scenes Hosmer and Moustakas are dealing with, but this sure had all the markings of a decision that was made simply because there was a lefty on the hill for the Cubs. The Royals had an added bonus of an off-day Monday as well, meaning Hosmer and Moustakas essentially get three rest days for the price of one with this decision (considering Saturday’s rainout).

Pretty simple. I get it.

Again though, was it really necessary?

The Royals just had a rainout, so there’s a day of rest. As already mentioned, they were going to have Monday off as well, so there’s another day of rest. They just had a scheduled day off on Thursday, preceding the weekend series with the Cubs. The week before that, the Royals played a two-game series with the Cincinnati Reds that was sandwiched between scheduled off days on Monday and Thursday.

Dare I mention it was only May? We haven’t even reached the end of the first third of the season. The dog-days of summer, where scheduled off days are more scarce, aren’t even on the horizon yet. Exactly, how much rest do these guys need?!

If you watched the game, or were one of the lucky Royals fans that make the trek to Chicago to see it in person, then you’re well aware of the weather conditions that plagued the game. Cold temperatures, and very strong winds blowing in meant that runs were going to be at a premium. This wasn’t a phenomenon that developed during the course of the game. This was something that was known well in advance.

These guys are young. The season is young. While Sunday, in many places, is considered a day of rest, the Kansas City Royals should have thought it through.

With that in mind, I find it even more curious as to why you wouldn’t want your two best bats, Hosmer and Moustakas, in the lineup. If the conditions meant runs were truly going to be hard to come by, sitting those two seems to fly in the face of trying to win.

Okay, forget their bats. What about their gloves? The crazy thing about baseball stadiums and weather is they don’t discriminate. Both teams have to cater to them. It’s not just cold for one team, it’s not just windy for one team.

So, again, if you know going into the game that runs are going to be scarce, wouldn’t you want  your two-time gold-glove winning first baseman, and plus defender third baseman manning the corners of your infield?

These guys are young. The season is young. While Sunday, in many places, is considered a day of rest, the Kansas City Royals should have thought it through.

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