KC Royals: Time For Jeremy Guthrie To Come Home

The KC Royals are stuck in a rut early this season and many think they’ve ‘lost their fire’. An old friend might make all the difference.

Before everyone grabs their torch and pitchfork, let me first say that in no way do I think Jeremy Guthrie should return as a player for the KC Royals. As a player last season, Jeremy Guthrie just wasn’t good. He looked like a pitcher who stuck around one year too long.

This year, it looks even worse for the likeable J-Guts. In 25 innings for the El Paso Chihuahuas, the Padres Triple-A team, Guthrie has gotten his cap spun around a couple dozen times already.

He’s allowed 26 earned runs on 34 hits and eight walks, though surprisingly he’s only given up one home run on the season. He’s been good at giving up gopher balls in his career so maybe an old dog can learn new tricks.

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There has been a lot of talk about how the Royals have ‘lost that spark’ so far this season. They in the middle of a run that’s seen them drop seven of their last nine. It’s caused many in Kansas City to go into a frenzy.

It seems as though most have forgotten that the Royals weren’t in first place for the entire season in 2015. From May 24th through June 6th last season, the Royals posted a record of 2-9, which is a worse slide then they’re experiencing right now. In those nine games lost they scored one run on five occasions, three times they scored two runs, and were blanked once.

The point is, slumps happen and there is no denying that this team is in a slump. Maybe it has something to do with the personnel in the clubhouse, or rather a lack thereof.

While Jeremy Guthrie should see that his playing days are probably over, it’s up to him and him alone how much longer he wants to play the game. When he’s done, and hopefully that’s soon (no offense J-Guts!), the KC Royals should absolutely look to make him a part of their locker room and dugout.

He doesn’t have to play the game anymore to be a vital piece of the organization. Jonny Gomes and Jeremy Guthrie both proved invaluable to the Royals last year through the playoffs though neither of them even cracked the postseason rosters.

Having personnel like this in the clubhouse is good for a few different reasons.

Not only will he bring back his positive energy and hat tipping to the defense, he can be a mentor to the younger players and even a translator for some of those that are still learning to speak English.

He’s obviously a very smart player as he’s lasted this long in the league with sub-par stuff. His understanding of the game and how to pitch to certain batters in certain situations can be passed on and help pitchers like Yordano Ventura, Miguel Almonte, and Kyle Zimmer (should he ever get healthy) learn how to mature and further develop their stuff.

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The players love him, the fans love him, and he loves Kansas City unlike any place he’s ever played before. In the letter he penned upon his signing with the Texas Rangers earlier this year, a team he doesn’t have any affiliation with anymore, Guthrie penned the following:

"“No other way to express the feelings of my heart or articulate what Kansas City means to my family & me. You are a part of the Guthries forever & we hope we have left you a little better than we found you in 2012. The future will take us on many new adventures but we will always consider KC home. #ForeverRoyal."

I think most in Kansas City feel the same way about Jeremy Guthrie as he does about them. He was part of something special and even if he never toed the rubber for the Royals when they won it all, he’ll always be a part of Royals’ lore.

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