Paul Splittorff To Take Time off

by focs on Apr 8, 2009 5:55 PM EDT Comment 14 comments

Anyone who watched the Royals broadcast knows that Paul Splittorff did not sound normal yesterday and it brought up a lot of questions that maybe he had a stroke.. On the broadcast Ryan Lefebvre said that Splitt had been recovering from a terrible illness/virus he had in the offseason... Still Spittorff said yesterday to Kevin Kietzman that he did not have a stroke..

Still Spittorff gave it a try and later determined that he isn't ready and is going to take time off.. I really commend him for giving it a go and see how it works out..

"It was obvious to anybody that heard the telecast that he's suffering from an illness and complications with his voice," said Mike Swanson, Royals vice president, communications and broadcasting. "Splitt wanted to open the season and it didn't go as well as it was hoped."

Frank White is now going to take over until further notice...

"We're fortunate to be able to have Frank White to pinch-hit for him, one Royals Hall of Famer for another," Swanson said.

This is very sad news as most of us have grown to love hearing Splittorffs telecasts and I certainly wish him the best and hope he can better enough to come back in the booth.. Get well Splitt.

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Get better Splitt

I heard him during a Big XII game and didn’t even realize it was him until someone called him “Split”

I actually didn’t find it that distracting after the first minute or so. Just took some adjusting. He really just sounded like Barry White.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Apr 8, 2009 5:55 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Ya I also got used to it and didnt mind it at all

Bloomquist. God? Or just an illusion? You be the judge.

by focs on Apr 8, 2009 5:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I certainly want the best for Splitt

but I’ve always preferred Frank in there ever since they’ve been using him the last couple of years. He’s much more entertaining.

The General Theory of Royaltivity

by kabrink on Apr 8, 2009 11:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

the problem with Frank

You always have the risk of the Ryan/Frank small-ball love feedback loop

by PopeSoria on Apr 8, 2009 11:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

true

I detected it once tonight when they bunted Aviles over to 3rd.

The General Theory of Royaltivity

by kabrink on Apr 8, 2009 11:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

is it just me

or should coco have swung away after the wild pitch?

by AxDxMx on Apr 8, 2009 11:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I thought the bunt was appropriate

Given the flow of the game. You had Greinke dealing and Trey knew he had Cruz/Soria to come in after him. One run there is huge

BOOM! ROASTED!

by GoBabies!! on Apr 9, 2009 10:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I wonder why they didn't just admit he had a stroke

From the way he sounded and how half of his face was hanging noticeably, it is more than apparent. But why not just be up front about it instead of pretending he’s fighting a flu bug? Strokes happen. Thankfully, a person can come back from that. In the months after their strokes, both Peter Gammons and Ralph Nader had difficulty speaking clearly. But with time, practice (and perhaps speech therapy), they got much better. I’m sure the same will happen for Split. There’s no shame in it.

The immoderate moderator

by NYRoyal on Apr 9, 2009 12:55 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

i read somewhere else speculation that he has bells palsy...

so its possible that it is something else, and thus, would be pretty dumb to admit to a stroke….if he did have a stroke, its really none of our business, but theres no reason to lie about it either.

TPJ...you're dead to me

by billybeingbilly on Apr 9, 2009 1:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Damn, that would really suck

You can rehab from a stroke, but Bells Palsy is something else altogether. I know we have no right to know anything about his health situation. I’m just saying that if it was a stroke, then I don’t think there’s any reason to cover it up or hide it. But if that’s how he wants to handle it, then ok.

The immoderate moderator

by NYRoyal on Apr 9, 2009 2:13 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

i pretty much agree with everything you said there...

i just dont think its our place to be speculating about his health condition.

regardless, best of luck splitt

TPJ...you're dead to me

by billybeingbilly on Apr 9, 2009 2:30 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

True enough

on both counts.

The immoderate moderator

by NYRoyal on Apr 9, 2009 2:50 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Split was on 810

in February talking about this virus he contracted. The virus was pretty nasty, and what happened was the medicine they put him on caused some pretty significant inflammation of his vocal chords.

I see no reason to think otherwise. Splitt has no reason to lie to the public about his condition (though he certainly has the right), and Ryan was ADAMANT on the radio w/ Kietzman that he will be fine becuase the entire tone of the conversation seemed like they were eulogizing him. He kept saying that it was like a guy that trie to come back from the DL too quick b/c he loves the game, but he knows he can’t do it yet.

BOOM! ROASTED!

by GoBabies!! on Apr 9, 2009 10:14 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Gotta like Split

A real Royals hall of famer, a pretty decent announcer, considered a nice guy by everyone, and a guy who’s spent much of his life with the club and around the town. Hope he recovers; mild strokes aren’t that uncommon and can usually respond to treatment, from what I’ve read.

By the way, has anyone heard anything about Dr. Z at Sports Illustrated? I always liked him.

It's pronounced Poo-ZHOLS in Catalan.

by Juancho on Apr 9, 2009 7:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs