THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 38, NO. 37 | MAY 12, 2017
Stand tall, talk small, play ball Former Royal coaches the old-fashioned way
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EAWOOD — A lot of boys who start out playing sandlot baseball dream of making it to the big leagues. Mike Macfarlane is one of the few who actually did. But along the way, he said, he learned that there was a lot more to life than the sport he loved. “With baseball, you’re dealing with a game of failure,” he said. “So you learn there are priorities in life, and you understand where to put those priorities.” Since retiring as a major league catcher — with most of his career playing for the Kansas City Royals — Macfarlane and former Royals teammate Kevin Seitzer have been passing along their knowledge to the next generations of athletes. At Mac-N-Seitz Baseball and Softball in south Kansas City, Missouri, they teach the fundamentals of the sport, laced with a hefty dose of life skills. “Kevin and I were roommates on the road, and we talked a long time about what we would do after retiring,” said Macfarlane. “We wanted to make a good impact on kids,” he continued. “Whether they’d become a professional player or go from a good athlete to a good ballplayer, we just wanted to help kids get better.” >> See “LETTING” on page 5
Story and photos by
DOUG WELLER
Former Kansas City Royals catcher Mike Macfarlane teaches a pupil the fundamentals of being a catcher. Macfarlane, who played 11 seasons for the Royals, now passes on his baseball knowledge though a joint venture with former teammate Kevin Seitzer called Mac-N-Seitz Baseball and Softball.