Royals Trade Acquisition 'Fired Up' To Be Wanted In Kansas City
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Mike Yastrzemski has the chance to be a hugely impactful piece for the Kansas City Royals.
Early in the season, it would have seemed impossible that Yastrzemski could come to Kansas City. The Royals were underperforming, with their outfield absorbing much of the blame, while the veteran's old team, the San Francisco Giants, was excelling.
However, the Giants took such a steep downward turn beginning in late June that they wound up selling at the trade deadline, and the Royals, despite having a nearly identical record, decided to buy in hopes of making a wild card push in the weaker American League.
After homering in his first game as a Royal, Yastrzemski has gone just 2-for-10, though both hits were doubles. But he knows he has an opportunity to make a serious impact for a team that still believes in itself to make it back to October.
“I’m fired up to be here,” Yastrzemski said Monday, per Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. “This is an incredible group of guys. It was cool just to hop in and see how they run things and everybody functions around here.
“One of the biggest fulfillments as a player is to be somebody that is seen as valuable and to show your value. And I felt like that was something that these guys really were looking for.”
The Royals have since lost the first two games of their series against the Boston Red Sox. It's a series that marks Yastrzemski's return to the ballpark where his grandfather, legendary outfielder Carl Yastrzemski, played his entire Hall of Fame career.
If the younger Yastrzemski can make some Fenway memories of his own on Wednesday night, it would go a long way toward creating some momentum, as the Royals are hoping to avoid the sweep.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org
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