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Royals to Watch More TV in 2007

I’m a little late getting this posted, but there’s a good article in the KC Star regarding the Kansas City Royals plans to install a new video system this season.

[T]he Royals find themselves in a controversy regarding their upgrade to a more state-of-the-art video system next month at a cost of $900,000. The team wants the system to be paid for by taxpayers as part of the $250 million renovation of Kauffman Stadium — something to which Jackson County officials object.

I’m not a fan of publicly funded private enterprises, and I can see how the county officials would be a irritated by this move.

I don’t recall ever seeing an itemized report on how the $250 millon would be spent, but it certainly seems the team could foot the bill for the video upgrade. Of course, I’m sure much more than $900k will be spent on “improvements” that have little to do with what voters imagined when they cast their ballots last year.

The Royals were among the innovators in using video technology to test and eventually strengthen players’ eyesight. The original system was patented in the 1970s before Royals owner Ewing Kauffman allowed other teams to use it.

It’s getting easier and easier to forget that the Royals were once considered among the best-run teams in any professional sports league. Innovative and aggressive at every turn.

This paragraph is what had me rolling on the floor, though:

Mark Redman, with his underwhelming stuff, used video more than any other pitcher last year and was chosen Royals pitcher of the year.

Mark Redman
W-L: 11-10
ERA: 5.71
ERA+: 85

Maybe a new video system isn’t such a great idea.

 
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