Royals Veteran Leadership May be the Difference
By David Hill
Former major league infielder and baseball witticist Toby Harrah once said “Statistics are like a girl in a fine bikini. It shows a lot, but it doesn’t show everything.” That statement can certainly be applied to the Kansas City Royals, and the veteran leadership they have acquired over the past few years.
Last night, with the Royals facing perhaps their biggest game of the season, James Shields took the mound against the Detroit Tigers. With first place on the line, Shields delivered, allowing only two hits and a walk, striking out eight over seven shutout innings. That effort, as Shields battled the elements as well as the Tigers, was exactly what the Royals needed from their ace.
Yet, Shields is just one of the veterans that Dayton Moore has imported into Kansas City. Players like Raul Ibanez, Omar Infante and Jayson Nix may have been acquired not just for what they could provide on offense, but for their veteran presence as well. These are players who have been through the rigors of a playoff chase and into the postseason, capable of helping calm a young team that has never been in this position before.
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It seems that, whenever the Royals need that key outing to keep in front of the Tigers, or to end a losing streak, James Shields is on the mound. More often than not, Shields seems to deliver, stepping up at the moment when the Royals need a spark. Likewise, Ibanez, despite his poor statistics, seems to have a knack for getting a hit to start a rally right when the Royals need one. He may not have a hit up until that point, but for the veteran Ibanez, the moment does not seem to be too big for him.
At a time when it may be easy for this incarnation of the Royals to be overwhelmed by the attention and the pennant race, it is veterans like Shields and Ibanez who could be the difference. Even if, statistically, it may not seem as such, having that veteran presence around could work wonders for the Royals.
Statistics certainly do tell a large part of the story in baseball. But as Toby Harrah would attest, statistics alone cannot measure what James Shields and Raul Ibanez, among others, have given the Royals.