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Royals begin spring trainingSports: Eagles Driskell talks baseball as
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Eagles Driskell talks baseball as Royals begin spring training
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by John Unrein
The forecast for Grain Valley on February 17th was a high of 21 degrees with a chance of snow. In stark contrast was the sunny skies and 66 degree forecasted temperature in Surprise, Arizona. The latter is the spring training home of the Kansas City Royals. February 17th was the first day pitchers and catchers are eligible to report for the Royals in Surprise. The first full team squad workout is scheduled for February 22nd . Familiar faces remain for the Royals as they head to Arizona. Danny Duffy and Salvador Perez are both set to begin their 10th season with the team that signed and developed them. Both are also entering the final year of their contracts, otherwise known as the “walk year” in baseball terminology. Designated hitter Jorge Soler is also in the same boat and is scheduled to be paid $8 million in the final year of the deal he originally inked with the Chicago Cubs. Joining Duffy, Perez, and other long term Royals such as Whit Merrifield, who enters his 6th season with the team will be new faces like first baseman Carlos Santana, left fielder Andrew Benintendi, center fielder Michael Taylor, and the return of veteran southpaw Mike Minor, who was previously with the club in 2017. The Royals only have a few spots open for competition during Spring Training as they return an established team that David Adler of MLB.com suggests will be one of the seven teams that are going to better than people think. General Manager Dayton Moore has also gone on record saying he expects the Royals to be competitive within the American League Central Division this season. The Major League Baseball Players Association has rejected the MLB proposal to delay the start of the 2021 season due to COVID-19 concerns. Instead, the players union is advocating for a full 162 game season that begins on time. That means the Royals first spring training game is still scheduled to be played at 2:05pm CST on February 28th against the Texas Rangers. The start of baseball can be a smorgasbord of memories and eagerness for fans. Some will look forward to the unmistakable smells of popcorn and hotdogs in the brisk spring air. Others will debate if they can sing “Take me out to the ballgame” better than the late longtime Cubs broadcaster Harry Carey. And no doubt some will ignore statistical probability and still bring their glove to the game and wear it an effort to be prepared for the inevitable foul ball they expect to be hit their way and catch. If all else fails, a continued generation of fathers and their children who struggle to find common things to talk about will banter back and forth about baseball. Grain Valley Eagles head baseball coach Brian Driskell has his own reason he looks forward to the start of professional baseball. Driskell witnessed the 2020 high school baseball season erased due to COVID-19. The Eagles were 19-11 the last time they took the field as a team in 2019. Grain Valley News recently discussed baseball related topics with Driskell, including what he looks forward to the most and what he has missed about the sport. “The anticipation of a new season and the excitement around it is special. There is a reason why places like the ‘K’ (Kauffman Stadium) sell out on opening day. It is a like a New Year’s resolution in that you are starting again with hope,” Driskell said. “I also miss the day to day of practice and hanging out with the boys and the memories created. I do enjoy my time away from the game as well. Coaching my son’s team during the offseason is rewarding. I get in modes when I am drowning in baseball. My family and I try to make the months of July and August our time away from professional responsibilities.” One of the keys to the 2021 season that will be paramount to the success of the Kansas City Royals is the continued growth of their young pitching. Threefifths of the Royals starting rotation will be under the age of 25. Brad Keller is 24, Brady Singer is 23, and Kris Bubic is 22. Southpaw starters Danny Duffy and Mike Minor are set to be the crafty elder statesmen of the rotation at 31 and 33 years of age, respectively. The Royals finished the shortened 60 game 2020 season with a team Earned Run Average (ERA) of 4.30 and an average of 9 strikeouts per nine innings pitched, while giving up 1.375 walks and hits per innings pitched (WHIP). Those numbers compare favorably to the Royals World Series appearances of 2014 and 2015. This revelation should continue to fuel the optimism of the organization for the upcoming season. Having top pitching prospects such as Asa Lacy, Daniel Lynch, Jackson Kowar, and Carlos Hernandez approaching the status of being “major league ready” as they polish their skills does not hurt either. Hall of Fame pitcher Warren Spahn once said, “hitting is timing, pitching is upsetting timing.” One of the age old debates around America’s pastime is the effectiveness of pitching inside and when to do it in the hitter’s at-bat. The risk and reward involved is upsetting the hitter’s comfort level versus possibly giving the batter first base or worse if they take exception to being plunked. Driskell shared his thoughts on the decision of pitching inside and its worth. “I read a piece the other day on Trevor Bauer and him attacking guys away late in the count. The ability to pitch inside give you an advantage. Anthony Rizzo stands close to the plate and his hands hover over the inner half of the plate saying if you can hit the inner half of the plate three times, then I will tip my hat to you,” Driskell said. “If you miss in, you hit them, of if you miss away then you give the batter a hittable pitch. Showing a hitter that you have the confidence to pitch inside and disrupt a hitters timing or thinking gets into the head of the person at the plate and may mess with their confidence. This gives a possible advantage to the
Photo credit: Kansas City Royals
see SPRING TRAINING on page 16
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Lady Eagles make strong statement on Senior Night
by John Unrein
Lady Eagles head basketball coach Randy Draper was excited to pose for a picture with the three seniors on his roster following his team’s victory against the Fort Osage Indians by a score of 61-29 on February 12th. Malia Gutierrez, Jordyn Weems, and Gabbi Keim were recognized prior to the game for their contributions made to the team as seniors. Their reward was sweet on two fronts, with the victory in hand against a Suburban Conference opponent and the cake that was enjoyed in a socially distanced reception following the game. Grain Valley was strong from the outset of the contest, winning the opening tip by Grace Slaughter, playing smothering defense, and continually looking inside the paint to score. Slaughter would lead all scorers in the contest with 34 points. The sophomore would add 7 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 blocks to her stat line. Slaughter attacked the basket relentlessly by driving to the hoop. The effort afforded her three trips to the free throw line during the contest. The Lady Eagles were efficient as usual in swinging the basketball on offense. Their decisiveness in doing so led to the team pulling the trigger quicker on when to shot or attack the basket. Keim would add 5 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 steals while being highly active in the post. The senior move in from Wisconsin continues to display confidence in her quick hands that lead to turnovers going the other way for the Lady Eagles. Keim has been well received by her teammates and the feeling has been mutual. Gutierrez and Weems continue to contribute to their team in a manner that may not always be noticeable. Both tend to draw the defensive assignment of guarding the other team’s best scorers under Draper’s leadership. A task that both Gutierrez and Weems enjoy and take pride in as players. Weems would contribute 5 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal in her team’s win. Gutierrez would put forth a well-timed assist and steal. Draper took a deep breath and collected himself prior to acknowledging what this senior class means to him and his team on senior night. “It’s funny about Gabbi, I feel like she’s been here for as long as anyone else on this team. It is really strange. It says a lot about her. It also says something about her teammates. She has fit right in, being a talented player who is unselfish. Our kids like winning and she has helped with that,” Draper said. “Weems and Gutierrez have been with us for what feels like forever. They have started on a team that played in the state quarterfinals. They have enjoyed some pretty cool moments together.” “Freshman who enter this program think that they have forever. I encourage them to talk to the seniors because it goes by so fast. We spend a lot of time talking about not wasting opportunities and not letting a day go by without practicing hard and being ready to play.” Draper continued, “Those two (Weems and Gutierrez) are energy givers. They are tough and athletic. When we size up an opponent and pick out how we are going to guard people, we start with those two for a reason. We will miss the personality and ability of all three of our seniors.” “Slaughter was fantastic tonight. We have worked as a team on our pace and I think was evident tonight. That frees things up for Grace as she can attack an opponent that is broken down (not set up to play at the other end of the court). Getting from ‘O’ to ‘D’ quicker will only continue to make us better.” Slaughter would seek out each of her senior teammates after the contest to congratulate them and thank them for what they have done for Lady Eagles basketball. The sentiment was reciprocated towards Slaughter as Neil Diamond played over the speakers with the group exiting the court. “Every game means a lot, but senior night is a must win. We left it out there on the floor. I will miss the pranks we play on each other,” Gutierrez said. Weems added, “Senior Night means that the end is coming (of the season at some point), but that makes you realize you should play each game like it is your last.” Keim continued, “Seeing our team come together is special. This underclass group has been very supportive of us as seniors. My team pumps me up. It has meant everything to move to a new school and be so accepted.” Slaughter finished, “I cannot do any of this without my teammates. Draper has been pushing us in practice to get our speed up with the tempo of how we do things. We know his emphasis is for what’s coming in the remainder of our schedule. We want to continue to grow in how we score and defend.” Junior guard Heather Chiesi would tally 7 points as the leading scorer for the Indians. Senior teammates Katelyn Ward and Brooklyn Gilpin would each add 6 points for Fort Osage in trying to keep pace with Grain Valley. Grain Valley (10-5) is scheduled to face Raytown and William Chrisman the week of February 15th.
Left to right: senior Jordyn Weems, senior Gabbi Keim, head basketball coach Randy Draper, and senior Malia Gutierrez. Photo credit: Valley News staff
Sophomore Grace Slaughter attempts a free throw. Photo credit: Valley News staff
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Sports
Eagles rewarded from total team effort on Senior Night
by John Unrein
The Grain Valley Eagles boys basketball program witnessed seniors Cole Keller, Keeton Maxon, and Jayden Yung leave the floor winners on senior night. A total team effort from start to finish led to a 59-44 win over Suburban Conference rival Fort Osage on February 12th. The Eagles outscored their opponent each quarter while successfully pushing the ball in transition and making critical free throws down the final stretch. Grain Valley was sound in defeating the full court pressure applied by the Indians that stalled the Eagles offense at times during their previous matchup on January 22nd. Communication was also paramount for Grain Valley head coach Andy Herbert’s squad as they did not lose defenders in Fort Osage’s motion offense, due to effectively calling out switches on defense and mirroring the movement by the Indians. “Against the press we’ve worked to train our eyes to look past the pressure. It sounds simple in that if two guys are guarding you, then someone is open. The first time we played them (Fort Osage) at their place we panicked against the pressure. Obviously, we have worked on that since then,” Herbert said. “We have told this group if you keep pushing you will see the light and we are getting closer to that all time.” “This game is about everyone having a role of some sort. You become a good team when everyone flourishes in their role. Not everyone is going to score 24 points and have 9 rebounds, but we have guys like Nick Hooper who is the ultimate ‘glue guy’ to me. He takes two charges on defense. Avery (Garmon) sinks a three and makes two free throws. Alex (Snyder) and Keagan (Hart) have been back with us now two days and Snyder makes two key layups.” Herbert concluded, “Our seniors played well, we won, and they got a curtain call at the end. I feel bad in a way that their senior year has been this in playing in front of limited capacity and their friends not getting to watch them compete. This group of seniors has made the most of their opportunities. Every player that plays four years for us is special in some way.” “Cole (Keller) got to the varsity stage as a sophomore. He missed his junior year due to injury. He has battled adversary to come back and be extremely productive this season. Jayden (Yung) has shown a level of toughness after going between being a varsity and junior varsity player last year. He had the intestinal fortitude to realize that if he worked on getting better, he would be rewarded and that has been the case. Keeton (Maxon) did not get to play a varsity second until his senior year. A lot of kids in this day and age would have quit and instead he stuck with it and is starting to see the fruit of his work.” The scoring 24 points and having 9 rebounds was a reference to Keller who also chipped in 2 assists and 6 blocks on senior night. Keller was all smiles after the contest, eating blue icing cookies with his teammates and dawning a senior t-shirt. Keller’s stellar output was joined by his fellow Eagles closing out the contest. Yung would score a transition layup with 2:32 left in the fourth quarter to push Grain Valley’s lead to 12 at 50-38. Yung would continue being clutch down the stretch once Fort Osage started fouling to extend the game. Yung would step to the free throw line and drain both attempts with 1:04 left in the game, extending his team’s lead even further. Yung would finish with 9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. Junior forward Nick Hooper also made a free throw and took a charge under the Fort Osage basket with under a minute left in the game. Hooper would contribute 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists as part of his stat line. Garmon’s sinking of two free throws with under 30 seconds left in the game sealed the victory for the Eagles. “For sure my favorite part on senior night is the solid team win. We have comradery on the court and enjoy hanging out with each other outside of basketball as well,” Keller said. Maxon added, “I stayed in my box tonight and it led to four points for me. Coach always encourages us to stay in our box. I have fun being around Jayden and my teammates.” Yung finished, “We have been pressed a lot by our opponents recently. Beating it like we did tonight leaves us playing five on three basketball and that is fun.” Leading scorers for Fort Osage included juniors Trent Hogland and Arthur Wyatt who racked up 12 and 14 points, respectively. Grain Valley (6-11) will face Raytown, William Chrisman, and Truman the week of February 15th.
From left to right: Senior Keeton Maxon, senior Jayden Yung, Eagles head coach Andy Herbert, and senior Cole Keller. Photo credit: Valley news staff Junior Nick Hooper completes a contested layup for the Eagles. Photo credit: John Overstreet
pitcher.” The Royals are also heading to spring training with a limited number of proven lefties in their bullpen. Typically, managers like to have the availability to call on southpaws for favorable lefty to lefty (pitcher to hitter) matchups as the game unfolds. Royals General Manager Dayton Moore and Manager Mike Matheny have elaborated that they are less concerned with traditional thinking in that manner and more concerned about what statistics and advance metrics show in relation to a pitcher’s ability to get a batter out from either side of the plate. Control, the arsenal contained by a pitcher, and the recent streak that pitcher has been on during relief appearances is the approach Driskell believes matters the most. “The matchup scenario depends on the lefty you have in the bullpen. I was a sidearm change up and sinker pitcher in college and pitched better to lefties than I did to a right hander. Someone like Max Scherzer has the stuff to get a batter out regardless of what side of the plate he hits on,” Driskell said. “Control matters as well. What streak the pitcher and current batter at the plate has been on, that is important to consider as well. I like getting the best guy on the mound.” Offensively, the Royals have focused this offseason on adding bats to the lineup that have good eye discipline in relation to the strike zone and strong on -base percentage. The Moneyball adage that it is hard to score runs if you cannot get on base and runs lead to wins. Enter the acquisitions of first baseman Carlos Santana and left fielder Andrew Benintendi. Santana led the American League in walks with 47 during the shortened 2020 season as well as boasting a healthy .349 on-base percentage. Benintendi posted a .359 on-base percentage last season and has been at .350 for OBP four out of his six seasons at the major league level. Moore and Matheny have both spoken highly of the team’s newest acquisitions. “We have admired Carlos for a long time within this division. We have watched him develop and mature into a productive hitter, a winning-type player. Very grateful he can be part of our organization. He fits in extremely well with our lineup and our players,” Moore said. Matheny added in relation to Benintendi, “Sweet swing. Trying to watch his swing through a scout’s eye, you see this guy had a real nice idea of plate awareness. He just didn’t have a lot of swing and miss.” Driskell views on-base percentage at the high school level for the Eagles more about the hitter’s place in the lineup and the approach used at the plate, especially dependent on the count. “Top of the lineup guys, I pay attention to on-base percentage. How hitters at the bottom of the lineup hit and attack may be different. We want to get a ‘quality at-bat.’ We use a computer program called ‘GameChanger’ to track that at the high school level,” Driskell said. “Is the pitcher working ahead? Consider that in your approach at the plate. Our preference is not to swing at breaking balls. I have a chart of different MLB averages matched to pitch count. The 1-1 count is a big tipping in which way the at-bat goes based on what the pitcher and hitter does next.” Baseball is upon us. With it comes the age old renewal of hope and endless conversation about strategy that makes the sport so great.
“The anticipation of a new season and the excitement around it is special. There is a reason why places like the ‘K’ (Kauffman Stadium) sell out on opening day. It is a like a New Year’s resolution in that you are starting again with hope,” GVHS head baseball coach Brian Driskell said.
Community Calendar
Tuesday, February 23, 2021 Movin’ & Groovin’ with Mr. Stinky Feet 10:00am Travel through songs about cars, trucks, and things that move with Mr. Stinky Feet. www.mymcpl.org/events
Navigating Sensitive Conversations about Race (via Zoom) 7:00pm In this time of racial reckoning and continued protests, many people are asking for change but don’t know where to start. . www.mymcpl.org/events
Friday, February 26, 2021 Grow a Reader Virtual Storytime 10:00am -10:20am www.mymcpl.org/events
Saturday, February 27, 2021 Fishing Skills: Reel Maintenance 3:30pm—5:00pm Get your trusty reels in tip top shape before spring weather arrives. Registration required: 816-228-3766
Tuesday, March 2, 2021 Discover Nature: Naturalist Hour 2:00pm—3:00pm Burr Oak Woods Conservation Nature Center, 1401 NW Park Road Magical moments in nature are waiting for you! Go on an adventure with a naturalist to make amazing discoveries as you explore on a trail close to the nature center. Registration required: 816-228-3766 Friday, March 5, 2021 Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn 2:00pm—3:00pm Come join in the book discussion! We'll be talking about Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn This featured title is part of our Booktalk Collection and copies are available separately from the catalog. www.mymcpl.org/events
Wednesday, March 10, 2021 Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting 6:30pm Grain Valley City Hall
Thursday, March 25, 2021 Grain Valley Historical Society Membership Meeting 7:00pm
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