3 worst front office decisions that doomed KC Royals' chances this season

KC Royals Misstep #3: Giving James McArthur a walkout song

Remember this?

Admittedly, baseball teams typically don’t have a designated walkout sound designer on their front office staff, but still, someone had to approve giving reliever James McArthur the premiere closer treatment with this walkout sequence. I’m all for incorporating more contemporary aspects into the game, but this specific instance spelled trouble for McArthur.

The righty blew a save immediately after the walkout and was never the same pitcher following that moment. Here’s how McArthur performed before and after the "White Horse" incident.

Correlation doesn’t equal causation, but this is quite the correlation, isn’t it? Who knew that the flashing lights, pumped-up bass, and simulated pressure could lead to such a downturn in performance?