Frank White’s a pro

I’ve never met Frank White. I’d like to.

Since he has been announcing Royals games I’ve formed an image in my mind of him as a person. I think he is humble.

He’s very well-spoken and, well-educated (whether formally or naturally, I have no idea). He was obviously a great baseball player, yet tries to avoid talking about his own feats too much, though often prompted to do so.

He never talks bad about other players. He laughs in a natural way that makes me smile and sometimes even laugh with him.

His demeanor makes me feel good. He is a local hero who makes me proud of Kansas City.

Like most guys my age, I played a little small time baseball, enough to whet a lifetime, insatiable love for the game. I can only hope that if I had been good enough to achieve fame in the sport like Mr. White, I would be the kind of person that he appears to be when the game is over.

Bennie Howe

Liberty

Comments

[JoCo]

pmcw,

Coupla light ones:

I was listening to the game on the way home just now and Bob says, in the bottom of the first, "Smoltz throws up, and in on Billy--with just that pause. I admire Smoltz and hope he's not sick. In his 22nd year.

One Friday night game, 2006, the R's were having one of their player signings, 5:45 to 6:15; I wasn't even up on it, but I always have a good OLD RO-A in hand, the now extinct Rawlings-A.L. model. I'm wandering around by the dugout, very few around and at the bottom of an aisle , I kidya not, were Frank and George waitin' and shootin the breeze. i went down and caught Frank his normal outgoing self, and George unbelievably amiable. Frank and I talked high-school roundball, a complete surprise to George, who quizzed Frank. A keeper for my son, that ball. Don't know where he was.

Around 1995or6, I saw Frank in uni right before the game by the dugout again. I yelled at him about playing against him in highschool basketball and motioned at him with a ball and sharpie. He nodded and we saluted for the Anthem. After that a little crowd had drawn, he stepped to the fence, signed my ball and descended into the dugout.

Sorry to blab, but, those are the times of my life.

[JoCo]

Oh, I KNOW Alberto is No Frank; who is? He is only suitable enough there to keep his "magic wand"- quote Teahen- in the game. And he WASN'T powerful. Six HRs, so far, I think from the 7 hole and 30+ RBI from the same spot. Plenty o power for that lineup position. Switch hitter, tough K, into 1/2 of 2nd straight year of leading the team in Avg. AND he didn't even start Opening Day. Complete disrespect amid the desperation to locate Teahen, who is surging and rumored to be on the block; the Betancourt acquisition and Gordo ( a BIG ? IMO)returning adding veracity.

I am a Meche fan, don't get me wrong. Ouch, I've got the game on behind me; bottom 2nd,6-0 Bosox, and anemia continues to plague his starts. But your ace, and I think he'd admit this, has to prevail regardless, put the same anemia infection on the opponent. And 11 mil? Hurlers ARE steep, but ya gotta admit, rest of the league averages aside, this is an off year for him.

And, pmcw, it's a pleasure to discuss one of the lesser issues K.C.ians face. Baseball stays deep yet light in the heart.

[tomw]

I might add I was in attendence for Meche's shutout and was perlexed why he pitched the 9th with a 5-0 lead. A local sports radio guy expressed concern for Meche's next outing after having thrown 132 pitches. He cited numbers from this year for Royal pitchers with more than 120 pitches and their next starts. They were horrible. So was Meche 5 days later. Dead arm if you recall. Why don't the Royals pay attention to the numbers?

[tomw]

" Meche, Guillen, Jacobs, are having terrible years."

Really this isn't accurate. Meche's ERA is better than his career and the league average. 4.14/4.34/4.35. Jacobs was a terrible aquisition for a team that was stressing OBP. Last year was an aberration for Jacobs. Take out last year's 32 HRs and his average number of HR for a full season is 18. He should surpass that by a handful. I could strike out the guy. Guillen was another questionable aquisition. He was 32 when the Royals picked him up. He has nowhere to go but down. There's a reason why he has played for 10 teams. Callaspo is a nice hitter, but no power. To mention his fielding in the same breath as Frank White is almost obscene. White was a brilliant fielder. Callaspo is dead on average. And now the Royals acquire Betancourt, another hitter with poor OBP.

The best baseball numbers geek is a Royals fan and the team refuses to listen to his philosophy. The Red Sox have him on the payroll and reversed decades of post season futility.

[JoCo]

Agreed Sol,

What's weird, and even more troublesome is that the expensive guys, Meche, Guillen, Jacobs, are having terrible years, altho it IS a team effort, the salaries are personal and now a real drag. Alberto Calaspo is my favorite R. The guy is a brilliant batsman tho no Frank in the field. My son and I argue about his placement in the lineup, etc,etc,etc. For us, the presence here of the top league of BASEBALL makes it all worthwhile tho that ca hardly be a cup of tea for all.

[solomon]

JoCo,

i agree....Frank White should have been voted into the Hall and has always been a class act.....

I think Trey has fallen short of expectations but so have the guys out there playing..

[JoCo]

Sol,

I'd love to see Split "bump" Frank and Frank "thump" Trey. That's a great demonstration of Frank--The press box wizardry. Frank was forced to the Bosox to even COACH in the bigs, has managed in the Royals' system, I think threw his cap dead center in the ring after Bell retired, yet has filled in brilliantly this year in yet another service. His roots way back to the Academy, his rise to stardom, his IMO, denial to Cooperstown, notwithstanding, he serves the Royals always and has shown what an asset he might be at the helm over and over.

[JoCo]

Sol,

I guess it was there. It was the first of the SM district. My wife, younger than I, lived on the Missouri side and graduated Southwest. It was there in late '70's, anyway. I get your point, tho.

[solomon]

As much as I rmjoy and admire Paul Splittorf I don't look forward to his return to the mike after a half season of Frank.

Funny little p would ask JoCo if that would be East or SME.....when we were kids did SME even exist?

[JoCo]

pmcw,

East High, KC,1969, before the fall.

[pmcw]

JoCo, Would that be East HS or SME?

[JoCo]

I remember Frank playing BASKETBALL at Lincoln High when I was at East.Fabulous team, THOSE Lincoln Tigers. The Garys, Black and Brown, "Pickles" Vanoy, Martinez Denmon and Frank. Too bad the Interscholastic League didn't, and still doesn't, compete in baseball. I'm pretty sure Frank brought the ball down LEFT handed.

Anyway, the class was evident then and his current EXCELLENT stint behind the mike, makes me, a huge R's fan, pray for his evolution to the dugout, where he shoulda been now for 20 years.

[pmcw]

I've had the privilege to meet and speak at some length with both Frank and his wife - they are absolutely wonderful people in every regard.

Frank is what we all wish baseball was today. He played for the love of the game and represented himself as though he was blessed rather than his fans were blessed by his presence.

[Jazz-Man]

Right, Baseball was the national past time now we just hope the season passes.

[NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

Frank White comes from an era of players that were more concerned about playing the game with passion, not strictly greed driven like todays athletes are.
I seldom watch baseball due to the ridiculous shuffling of players and constant whining and excuse making by athletes when caught taking steroids.
In fact sports as a whole is getting hard to stomach, whining millionaire athletes that have no gratitude for what they have been handed.

[Jazz-Man]

Well Bennie, Frank White is a class act; I often challenged his kid growing up in many sports. Good family and always looking out for others.