Author: Kevin O'Brien

Educator and baseball writer based out of Kansas City.

Imagining a Royals Baseball Academy 2.0 (with the help of the Urban Youth Academy)

Just last week, in the wake of the “Black Lives Matter” movement, Joe Posnanski (a former Kansas City Star columnist) hosted a podcast with Negro League Baseball Museum president Bob Kendrick and Royals general manager Dayton Moore. The main topic of the excellent podcast was race and baseball, specifically African-American involvement in Major League Baseball,… Read More Imagining a Royals Baseball Academy 2.0 (with the help of the Urban Youth Academy)

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“Pitching is the currency of the game”: A review of the Royals 2020 draft picks

“Pitching is the currency” of baseball is a phrase that Dayton Moore has used throughout his tenure as general manager of the Kansas City Royals. And it makes sense. Pitchers are harder to predict than hitters when it comes to Major League success. (It is a reason why some baseball experts believe in the “There… Read More “Pitching is the currency of the game”: A review of the Royals 2020 draft picks

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Reviewing the Royals’ 1st Round Draft Picks from 2010-2017

The MLB Draft is about to occur on June 10th, and it seems pretty certain that the Royals will probably draft either infielder Nick Gonzales from New Mexico State, Florida prep outfielder Zac Veen, or University of Georgia pitcher Emerson Hancock. There is a possibility that the Royals could swoop up Vanderbilt infielder Austin Martin,… Read More Reviewing the Royals’ 1st Round Draft Picks from 2010-2017

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Could draft and Minor League changes mean more hurdles for Moore and the Royals?

The MLB Draft will be coming up shortly on June 10th, and as discussed, the format will be drastically different, as the draft will only be 5 rounds, a 35-round reduction from previous incarnations. And already, Royals general manager Dayton Moore doesn’t seem happy about it: The reduced five-round format of the draft is certainly… Read More Could draft and Minor League changes mean more hurdles for Moore and the Royals?

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Frank White: The “KC Story”, 1986, and the “Royals Divorce”

Part of the “African-American Royals Project” Series There are only three retired numbers in Kansas City Royals history: No. 5, George Brett; No. 10, manager Dick Howser; and No. 20, Frank White. White continues to be the most fascinating of the three to this day. In many ways, White is the “Kansas City Story” in… Read More Frank White: The “KC Story”, 1986, and the “Royals Divorce”

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Amos Otis: The age-31 “breakout,” and the ’78 Royals

Part of the “African-American Royals Project” series. From 1976-1981, the Kansas City Royals were the class of the American League. They made the postseason five times during the six-season span (1979 being the lone playoff-less season), which included a Pennant in 1980 (they lost in their first World Series appearance to the Philadelphia Phillies). During… Read More Amos Otis: The age-31 “breakout,” and the ’78 Royals

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An introduction to the “African-American Royals” Project

Without a doubt, the current #BlackLivesMatter protests sweeping the nation have kept me from focusing on much else these past few days. Normally, my focus beyond teaching and grad school is pretty saturated on Royals baseball, and yet, I have not really cared much about the current state of baseball, even with negotiations moving a… Read More An introduction to the “African-American Royals” Project

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