Pratto Draws Flattering Comparisons to Hosmer

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January 19, 2018 MLB TRANSACTIONS LOCAL January 19, 2018 •.CBSSports.com http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/transactions Pratto draws flattering comparisons to Hosmer LOCAL Royals' 2017 first-round pick named No. 4 first- base prospect by MLB Pipeline Pratto draws flattering comparisons January 19, 2018 By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com https://www.mlb.com/royals/news/nick-pratto-drawing-eric- to Hosmer hosmer-comparisons/c-264894908 Royals' 2017 first-round pick named No. 4 first- Royals broadcast team is set for the base prospect by MLB Pipeline 2018 season January 19, 2018 By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com https://www.mlb.com/royals/news/nick-pratto-drawing-eric- January 18, 2018 By Pete Grathoff/KC Star hosmer-comparisons/c-264894908 http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city- royals/article195393054.html The Royals have tried their best to shy away from making Royals sign outfielder who once made any comparisons of Nick Pratto, their first-round pick in the obscene gesture to Detroit fans Draft in 2017, to another first baseman and former first-round pick, Eric Hosmer. January 18, 2018 By Pete Grathoff/KC Star http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city- But from the moment Pratto was selected, the comparisons royals/article195305734.html nonetheless leaped out. Both were high school players Royals, Live Nation to announce first drafted at 18 years old. Both bat left-handed and throw left- concert in 39 years at Kauffman handed. Both were known as gap hitters with high defensive ceilings. Stadium January 18, 2018 By Chris Oberholtz/KCTV5.com And like Hosmer was at the time, Pratto now is one of the top http://www.kctv5.com/story/37295336/royals-live-nation-to- prospects at his position in all of baseball. In fact, Pratto is announce-first-concert-in-39-years-at-kauffman-stadium the No. 4 prospect at first base, per MLB Pipeline.

The top three are Tampa Bay's Brendan McKay, Colorado's NATIONAL Ryan McMahon and Arizona's Pavin Smith.

Pratto impressed the Royals in his first season as a pro. In 52 Report: MLBPA rejects pace of play games in the Rookie-level Arizona League, Pratto slashed . changes 247/.330/.414 with 15 doubles and four home runs and 10 January 19, 2018 By Mark Feinsand/MLB.com stolen bases. https://www.mlb.com/news/mlbpa-rejects-proposed-pace-of- play-rules/c-264903586 "We were very pleased with what he did," Royals assistant general manager J.J. Picollo said. "We liked his swing and McKay, McMahon lead Top 10 1B we liked his approach at the plate. He has a very good Prospects awareness of the strike zone, very advanced for his age." January 19, 2018 By Jonathan Mayo/MLB.com https://www.mlb.com/news/mckay-mcmahon-lead-top-10- Pratto's defense also caught the Royals' eyes. first-basemen/c-264913432 "You know, we don't like making comparisons [to Hosmer]," As he goes into LSE Athletic Hall of Picollo said, "but it's really eerie how similar they are when Fame, baseball star Gordon reflects you look at them defensively. Nick has soft hands, he has the footwork around the base, a strong arm. It's definitely a little on being three-sport athlete eerie." January 18, 2018 By Brent C. Wagner/Lincoln Star Journal That would be high praise, given that Hosmer has http://journalstar.com/sports/high-school/as-he-goes-into-lse- accumulated four Gold Glove Awards -- only eight first athletic-hall-of-fame-baseball/article_226682b2-286a-5494- basemen in history have garnered more. 895b-347134955d5a.html With New IPTV Platform, Kansas The Royals would expect Pratto to start this season at Class City Royals Engage Fans on Every A Lexington. Display at ‘The K’ "We haven't set anything in stone," Picollo said, "but there's Latest renovation integrates centerfield no reason he can't start there." videoboard with 450+ video displays And if all goes well, perhaps Pratto will follow a similar path January 18, 2018 By Karen Hogan to the big leagues as Hosmer, who debuted by his fourth Ketchum/SportsVideo.org professional season. https://www.sportsvideo.org/2018/01/18/with-new-iptv- platform-kansas-city-royals-engage-fans-on-every-display-at- "All players develop a little differently," Picollo said. "But the-k/ certainly he has the skill set to move through the system quickly. Royals broadcast team is set for the Collins, 27, hit .193 with five home runs and 14 RBIs in 169 2018 season plate appearances last season with the Tigers. At Class AAA January 18, 2018 By Pete Grathoff/KC Star Toledo, he batted .288 in 296 plate appearances. http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city- Royals, Live Nation to announce first royals/article195393054.html concert in 39 years at Kauffman The Royals won’t be the only ones celebrating their 50th year Stadium in 2018. Denny Matthews will be back to call his 50th season January 18, 2018 By Chris Oberholtz/KCTV5.com of Royals baseball as well. http://www.kctv5.com/story/37295336/royals-live-nation-to- announce-first-concert-in-39-years-at-kauffman-stadium Matthews, the Ford C. Frick Award winner who was honored during the 2007 Hall of Fame Induction, signed a four-year Something that hasn't happened at Kauffman Stadium in contract in January 2015 that expires at the end of the nearly 40 years will be announced Friday. upcoming season. Kansas City Royals Hall of Famer George Brett along with Steve Stewart will also return for his 11th season with the other front office personnel and Live Nation are hosting a Royals Radio Network. Engineer Don Free, who retired after news conference at 10 a.m. to release details about an last season, will be replaced at home games by Keith upcoming concert at the stadium. Kowalski, who has been with the Royals since 2013. The last concert held at what was once named Royals Fox Sports said that the television broadcasters will all return Stadium was the Summer Jam Festival on July 15, 1978, for the 2018 season: Ryan Lefebvre, Rex Hudler, Steve featuring Van Halen, Eddie Money, Kansas and Steve Miller Physioc, Jeff Montgomery and Joel Goldberg. Band. This will be Lefebvre’s 20th season with the Royals, and he No other information on Friday's announcement was has handled most of the play-by-play duties for Royals immediately available. games on Fox Sports Kansas City. Hudler and Physioc will be in their seventh seasons calling Royals games.

Hudler is an analyst for FSKC broadcasts, while Physioc NATIONAL works in both the radio and television booths. Report: MLBPA rejects pace of play Goldberg, who is the host of the pregame and postgame shows and a frequent innocent bystander/victim of catcher changes Salvador Perez’s postgame splashes, will be back for his 11th January 19, 2018 By Mark Feinsand/MLB.com season. Montgomery, the co-host of the pregame and https://www.mlb.com/news/mlbpa-rejects-proposed-pace-of- postgame shows and a contributor to the Royals broadcasts, play-rules/c-264903586 will be in his ninth season. After recent discussions with Major League Baseball, the Royals sign outfielder who once made MLB Players Association has rejected the most recent obscene gesture to Detroit fans proposal regarding pace of play rules, according to MLB January 18, 2018 By Pete Grathoff/KC Star Network insider Ken Rosenthal. http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city- royals/article195305734.html MLB would have the right to implement rules changes based on the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The Royals added depth to their outfield corps on Wednesday with the signing of Tyler Collins to a minor-league contract. Rosenthal also reported that the league is hopeful to make a deal and that Commissioner Rob Manfred and MLBPA As part of his deal with the Royals, Collins was invited to executive director Tony Clark are slated to meet next week to spring training, which starts next month in Surprise, Ariz. discuss pace of play.

Collins, who spent parts of four seasons with the Tigers, hit . Rules being considered include a pitch clock and a limit on 235 with a .333 slugging percentage, 14 home runs and 58 catchers' mound visits per inning. Last year's average game RBIs in 183 games from 2014-17. Unfortunately for Collins, time of three hours, five minutes was the highest in MLB he may be best known for making an obscene gesture to fans history. at Comerica Park after he and teammate Justin Upton lost track of a flyball during a game against the A’s in April 2016. MLB's proposals have shown "flexibility" in how the league could regulate mound visits, one source told MLB.com's Jon “Nobody wants that ball to get lost less than me. That hurts,” Paul Morosi, and it remains unclear what the final rule will Collins told the Detroit Free-Press after that game. “And to be. be at home and to hear boos after that play, it hit a trigger inside of me and I lashed out, completely inappropriately. At the conclusion of November's Owners Meetings in I’m absolutely embarrassed that happened and I’m very sorry Orlando, Fla., the Commissioner indicated that pace of play to everybody in Detroit. I just want you guys to understand remained a top priority for him. Manfred said last February that I love this team and I want to win so when we come that during the 2016-17 offseason, the MLBPA declined to home and get booed, it’s tough to swallow. But like I said, I accept MLB's proposals regarding the pitch clock and mound apologize completely and I’m embarrassed at myself and I visits during negotiations for the CBA. Baseball's CBA know my family is embarrassed at me and I’m sure these permits MLB to impose on-field rule changes unilaterally guys are, too, so I’m sorry that happened.” when at least one year of notice is given to the union. MLB initiated that process in early 2017, and Manfred consistently has said MLB prefers to make changes with MLBPA Power: 60 - Bradley cooperation. The Indians' prospect has as much, if not more, raw power than anyone on this list and he's tapped into it consistently as "What's going to happen with respect to 2018 rule changes is he's moved up the ladder, as evidenced by his .499 career fully dependent on which path we're on," Manfred said in slugging percentage and an average of more than 26 homers November. "I've been really plain about the fact that my hope per year in each of his first three full seasons of pro ball. -- my preferred path -- is a negotiated agreement with the players, but if we can't get an agreement, we are going to Run: 60 - White have rule changes in 2018." You don't see many above-average or plus run grades from this position, but White isn't your typical first baseman. He's It's unclear what the time limit on a pitch clock would be athletic enough to play the outfield well, which did he for the under any rules changes, but Minor League Baseball has U.S. National Collegiate Team. been using a 20-second clock. It begins when a pitcher takes possession of the ball on the dirt area around the rubber and Arm: 60 - McKay ends as the pitcher either goes into his windup or arrives at The guy's on the Top 10 LHP Prospect list after all, so this is the set position. The clock resets if a pitcher disengages from a no-brainer. He's 92-95 mph off the mound and the arm the rubber with runners on base or fakes a pickoff attempt. works well in the infield.

USA Today first reported last offseason that MLB proposed a Field: 70 - White limit of one mound visit by a catcher per pitcher, per inning. Here's the reason why the Mariners will let him develop at The union raised concerns about that plan, noting the risk of first rather than in the outfield. He has the defensive chops to cross-ups between pitchers and catchers. be a Gold Glove-caliber player at the infield corner position McKay, McMahon lead Top 10 1B in the future. Prospects Highest Ceiling - McKay January 19, 2018 By Jonathan Mayo/MLB.com He's tied for the highest hit tool AND has a 50 power grade, https://www.mlb.com/news/mckay-mcmahon-lead-top-10- with a very, very good chance of reaching, if not surpassing, first-basemen/c-264913432 that in terms of production. And if he starts focusing only on hitting eventually? Look out. It's time to move around the infield with MLB Pipeline's Top 10 by position lists, starting with first basemen. It's a position Highest floor - Smith that has a certain profile associated with it, involving power With such an advanced approach at the plate, the and run production. Some on this list look the part already, combination of pure hitting ability, low strikeout rate and others are more hit-over-power right now, with perhaps the high walk rate, few doubt Smith will hit his way up to the big need to show more extra-base ability to match that leagues. Just how much the power shows up will ultimately description. determine his ceiling.

It's quite a different list than a year ago, thanks largely to the Rookie of the Year candidate - McMahon 2017 Draft. Four of the top five on this year's list were taken None of the others on this list are likely to see time in the big in the first round, starting with the top spot. The Rays took leagues to compete for top rookie honors. McMahon is ready Brendan McKay with the No. 4 overall pick in the Draft and to hit in Coors field full-time, even if he has to move around while he's going to both hit and pitch in 2018, many see a the infield a bit to get at-bats for the time being. permanent move to the infield in the future. Pavin Smith was also a top 10 pick, going No. 7 to the D-backs while Nick Highest riser - Alonso Pratto (Royals, No. 14) and Evan White (Mariners, No. 17) Alonso entered his first full season of pro ball nowhere near went in the teens. Pratto is the lone high schooler from that the Top 10 first basemen list, even though he had hit very quartet. well during his summer debut following his second-round selection by the Mets out of the University of Florida. But The Top 10 then he showed that wasn't an aberration and hit his way to 1. Brendan McKay, Rays Double-A, with very solid hit and power tools showing up. 2. Ryan McMahon, Rockies 3. Pavin Smith, D-backs Humblest beginnings - Bradley 4. Nick Pratto, Royals Five of the 10 on this list are former first-round picks, but the 5. Evan White, Mariners Indians got Bradley in the third round of the 2014 Draft. He 6. Bobby Bradley, Indians did get an above pick value bonus to sign, but he's moved 7. Peter Alonso, Mets gradually, one station at a time, through the Indians system to 8. Ronald Guzman, Rangers be knocking on the door now. 9. Lewin Diaz, Twins 10. Matt Thaiss, Angels Most to prove - Thaiss The 2016 first-round pick out of Virginia did make it to Top tools Double-A in his first full season, fulfilling the scouting report as an advanced college bat with 77 walks and a .375 OBP. Hit: 60 - McKay, Smith But he will eventually have to prove that he has extra-base Both were called the best advanced college hitters in the pop (he slugged .395) to fit the everyday first base profile in 2017 Draft class by different scouts. Smith gets the slight the big leagues. pure hit tool edge mostly because of his plate discipline after walking more than he struck out in three years at Virginia Keep an eye on - Gavin Sheets, White Sox and continuing that pattern during his pro debut (27 walks, Chicago nabbed Sheets in the second round of last June's 24 K's last summer). Draft after he topped the ACC with 21 homers and 84 RBIs in his junior season at Wake Forest. Larry Sheets' kid had a His high schools coaches made a difference for him, Gordon solid pro debut, mostly with full-season Kannapolis, and has said. the offensive tools to hit for average and power. As he goes into LSE Athletic Hall of “They taught me a lot, and got me started on my dream, which was playing professional baseball,” Gordon said. “This Fame, baseball star Gordon reflects is kind of where it all started.” on being three-sport athlete In baseball, Gordon started every year in high school, and January 18, 2018 By Brent C. Wagner/Lincoln Star was an all-state player three times. While leading Southeast Journal to the state tournament during his junior year, Gordon led the http://journalstar.com/sports/high-school/as-he-goes-into-lse- state in batting average (.597), doubles (17) and homers (10). athletic-hall-of-fame-baseball/article_226682b2-286a-5494- 895b-347134955d5a.html But it was in football where Gordon said his greatest high school sports memory comes from. Doug Miller wasn’t coaching baseball at Lincoln Southeast at the time, but he still went and watched some of the games. “Probably my junior year of football season, with Barrett Alex Gordon was one of those must-see high school players, Ruud, Jake Muhleisen, Tony Irions, we won the state and Miller had also coached Gordon in football. championship and I intercepted a pass to win it all. You can’t really beat that. That was my favorite season,” Gordon said. “There are just certain kids where you watch them play, and when they hit the ball it sounds different,” Miller said. Gordon earned first-team all-state honors in football as a “There is just an amazing amount of bat speed, and so on. defensive back as a senior. He led the state with seven When he hit it solid it was like, ‘Wow.’ You didn’t know if interceptions and also averaged 20 yards per catch as a he was destined to be a major-league player, but you thought, receiver. ‘Wow, that’s a little different.’” Miller, who was an assistant football coach at Southeast for As people in Lincoln and Nebraska know well, Gordon did in 35 years, head baseball coach for five years, and an inductee fact make it as a major-league player. He’ll soon begin his on Thursday, said Gordon was a great three-sport athlete. 12th season in the majors, all with the Kansas City Royals, the team Gordon won the World Series with in 2015. “I can remember a time when we played Papillion (in football) and they had an outstanding receiver and we just He’s a major-league star now, but Gordon was mostly a said, ‘OK, Alex, you got him, and you got him by yourself, Lincoln Southeast Knight on Thursday, back in town as part and it was amazing. He shut them down,” Miller said. “He’s of a group of athletes, teams and coaches inducted into the just an amazing athlete.” Lincoln Southeast Athletic Hall of Fame at the Lincoln Train Station. This was the first year Gordon was eligible to be Gordon was at Southeast during a special era, when the chosen. school won state championships in several sports and had many all-state players. Gordon arrived early for the banquet with his family. He chatted with the other inductees, including two of his high And several of those athletes went on to to compete at school football teammates, Brandon Rigoni and Dane Todd. Nebraska. Rigoni and Todd were in Gordon’s class, and played football at Nebraska. There was a time where Gordon is still an athlete, but he’s also at that point in his life Southeast graduates were standouts for the Huskers in where hall of fame honors come. He was part of the football, men’s basketball and baseball at the same time. inaugural class of the University of Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015, but was unable to attend because it came “We really had some fantastic athletes at Southeast High during the season. School,” Miller said. “The Ruud brothers, Barrett and Bo, Alex, Brandon Rigoni, Dane Todd, and a lot of kids who When the phone calls come that you’re chosen for a hall of played at Nebraska, Jake Muhleisen and Nick Bahe. As fame you get excited, Gordon said, but you also know you’re coaches we just didn’t want to screw them up.” getting older. With New IPTV Platform, Kansas “Fifteen years since high school, so it just reminds you a little City Royals Engage Fans on Every bit,” said the 2002 LSE graduate. Display at ‘The K’ Southeast is a special place to him, Gordon said, and this Latest renovation integrates centerfield honor was also meaningful because his grandpa, Charlie videoboard with 450+ video displays Gordon, was inducted into the same hall of fame last year. January 18, 2018 By Karen Hogan Charlie Gordon coached baseball at Southeast. Ketchum/SportsVideo.org https://www.sportsvideo.org/2018/01/18/with-new-iptv- At Southeast, Gordon’s baseball coach was Randy Brolhorst, platform-kansas-city-royals-engage-fans-on-every-display-at- his football coach was Chuck Mizerski and his basketball the-k/ coach was Jeff Smith. Kauffman Stadium may be nearing the big 5-0, but you “I played basketball until my senior year. I hurt my back wouldn’t know it, thanks to the Kansas City Royals’ during football. Jeff Smith wasn’t happy,” Gordon said. “I continuing efforts to breathe new life into their longtime didn’t play basketball, and kind of prepared myself for home. In 2009, a top-to-bottom, $250 million renovation baseball.” installed a new video-control room, the now iconic centerfield videoboard, and more than 450 video displays throughout the venue. Today, an overhaul of the IPTV system and integration of the videoboard with those displays MLB TRANSACTIONS are designed to better engage Royals fans on game day. January 19, 2018 •.CBSSports.com http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/transactions “In 2008-09, we moved from what looked like a 30-year-old stadium to what looked like a relatively brand-new stadium, and that included a complete redo of a lot of the footprint of TEAM PLAYER TRANSACTION the stadium plus the introduction of a lot of technology, including IPTV,” says Brian Himstedt, senior director, information systems, Kansas City Royals. “At that time, [it was] very early days of IPTV, and a lot of that technology Washington Howie Signed as Free Agent, ( 2018- didn’t exist in the stadium prior to that. That’s now eight or nine years ago. [We] needed to reconsider what we’re doing Nationals Kendrick 2019)(two-year contract) with our IPTV platforms.”

After experiencing some of the benefits of IPTV with the system installed in 2009, the Royals realized that they needed a system that could support low-latency, live in-venue streaming and enable them to create and update dynamic digital signage content. The team selected VITEC’s EZ TV IPTV and digital-signage platform, which integrates IPTV distribution with digital-signage capabilities in one platform.

“The quality of the product that we put out on a concourse or we put in our suites depends on the reliability of the video platform: no latency, no interruptions of service, well integrated with the rest of the venue,” says Himstedt. “VITEC hit a sweet spot for us just in terms of cost and performance.”

In addition to an improvement in video quality and reliability, the Royals looked for a way to further integrate their fan-facing video elements, including the one-of-a-kind centerfield videoboard. Rather than maintain a separate IPTV system with a separate operator, the Royals tied the VITEC platform into a Daktronics DMP-8000 media digital-media player to integrate the IPTV system with the LED displays.

“Now we can really make IPTV a part of the event presentation and give it the same look and feel as we have on the main scoreboard,” says Steven Funke, director, event presentation and production, Kansas City Royals. “It’s another element we have to give out information or make it part of the show, as opposed to before, when it was a standalone system. That’s been exciting to us, since we now have the capabilities to do pretty much anything we want on the IPTV system that we haven’t done in the past.”

The new workflow, which debuted prior to the 2016-17 season, has given the Royals’ in-house production team added flexibility. The main game presentation can be encoded and delivered to the stadium’s hundreds of TVs with minimal delay but still act like a TV channel; the Royals can easily “change the channel” to a sponsor ad, a team promotion, and more. Furthermore, the system gives the Royals the ability to change the channel only on specific displays or in specific zones.

With “The K” well into its fifth decade (the stadium will celebrate its 46th season this year), the Royals see the potential upgrades on the horizon to keep the in-venue video experience fresh, dynamic, and engaging. The team recently invested in two Ross Video XPressions graphics systems to enliven the layout of the centerfield videoboard and enhance the overall presentation. Additional changes may soon follow.

“Our philosophy is to entertain the fans, obviously, but we want to be a secondary to the game itself,” says Funke. “We want to be able to complement it as much we can.”