This off-season the Royals brought in a bagful of players who do not excite me as a fan of win.  I’ve looked over their numbers and have already decided that Mike Jacobs, Willie Bloomquist, Kyle Farnswoth and Coco Crisp just are not particularly good major league baseball players.  The new guys bring phrases to mind like “could be worse,” or “he’ll have to do for now.” - nothing like, “now there is someone who will bring us a pennant.”   Nevertheless, I am still a Royals fan, and so must find a way to learn to love these new additions.

So I am making an open appeal here.  If you can share anything with me about these players that will help me warm to them please pass it along.  I am not asking for statistical arguments here.  I’ve seen their numbers.  What I am looking for are stories that make me like them in other ways, simple fan ways.  I understand Bloomy reeks of grit.  Any cool grit stories to pass along about Wee Willie here?  Coco comes out of the RBI program I hear.  So is there an “overcome great obstacles to live the dream” story here?  Is there any reason at all to like Farny or Jacobs?  Maybe they love dogs?  Or paint beautiful landscapes during the off season?

Help me learn to love the new guys because, whether I like it or not, they are part of the family now.