Back when Royals left fielder Alex Gordon was playing, he was known for his intense workouts and defensive excellence, among other things.
But Gordon also was an excellent fantasy football player and often won the team’s league.
Baseball players, like many Americans, love playing fantasy football, and that includes this year’s Royals team. After the Royals beat the Tigers 10-8 in Detroit on Sunday afternoon, first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino was interviewed on FanDuel Sports Kansas City.
Pasquantino told FanDuel’s Joel Goldberg that he had to catch a plane to Chicago. The Royals open a three-game series against the White Sox on Monday, but the team planned to hold their draft that night in the Windy City.
“The ball was flying today and everything,” Pasquantino said, “but I got to get to Chicago, Joel. We got a fantasy football draft.”
He added: “Being a commissioner for the league is tough, and I’m really excited. I’m wearing a suit today.”
During last week’s series against the Rangers, Pasquantino was doing two things: hitting home runs off Texas pitchers and collecting the league entry fee from his teammates in the locker room.
The Royals players are going to have at least two leagues: the regular weekly one and a Guillotine league. A fantasy football league is a great way for the players to bond, and it would be great to see a picture or video of Pasquantino announcing the picks while wearing a suit.
Pasquantino wear his loves for the New York Jets on his sleeve, so it would be interesting to know how many players he took from that team. And who got Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes? Mahomes is part of the Royals ownership group, which makes him a special player to draft.
Alas, the players will keep that to themselves, as Pasquantino said in the TV interview Sunday.