Wow.  I take a brief two-month hiatus from the site while basketball season wraps up and this type of stuff happens?

via www.momentofsilence.org

Jimmy Gobble, 27, was released by the Kansas City Royals today. Yimmy had spent his entire career with the Royals since being drafted in 1999 with the 43rd overall pick.  He was the fourth pick for the Royals in that draft, having taken Royal legends Kyle Snyder, Mike MacDougal, and Jay Gehrke with the 7th, 24th, and 32nd picks, respectively.

  In fact, KC thought so much of Yimmy that they took him ahead of notorious D.O.O.N.I. (Destroyer of Our National Innocence) Brian Roberts,  and in the same company of players like John Lackey, Brandon Phillips, Justin Morneau, and The Immortal One, Willie Bloomquist. Word on the street is that all of the aforementioned are looking over their proverbial shoulders, nervously curious about their own positions with their current teams, save for Willie.  If Yimmy wasn't safe, who is?

via i169.photobucket.com

In memory of Yimmy, I would like to take this space to have a brief moment of silence in his honor. Feel free to do so on your own, or leave a comment on his behalf, for I know he touched us all......

(being silent now!)

via ednewscolorado.org

(tell me that isn't an awesome looking Royal-esque shirt!....and 8.7 was close to Yimmy's ERA last year too!)

........(concluding silence now!)

Yimmy, it was great while it lasted.  I shall always remember your utter dominance last year, striking out Mauer, Kubel, and Morneau in succession in your first appearance of the season (here)....or your MLB debut in which you threw six shutout innings to defeat Tampa Bay (here). 

Random Yimmy trivia: his first batter faced was fellow 1999 draftee, Carl Crawford, who singled to left. 

Coincidentally, I now have no recollection of that grand slam in Boston, the grand slam versus Texas, the 10-run "take one for the team" inning, or the mysterious "injury" you suffered last year.  (I also do not recall ever penning the following FanPost at any point last year either...Someone must've hacked into my account.

But for all of the sorrow I feel at this moment, I know it must pale in comparison to that of your arch nemesis Paulie Konkerko....you were single-handedly keeping his fledgling career alive, Yimmy!  Check out this career line:

Konerko vs. Gobble: 5-6, 4 HRs, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K     That's a .833/.889/2.833 line if you're curious.

Yimmy, you  may be gone, but you're surely not forgotten. One of my fantasy teams will bear your namesake this season....and may you always be looking over things at the K, keeping that watchful eye over our beloved Boys in Blue. Goodbye, my friend.  (Cue Michael Scott playing cheesy song "Kind and Generous" by Natalie Merchant).

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