Alcides Escobar sits

Whatever happened to predictability?

The milkman, the paperboy, and evening TV?

-Lyrics to theme to the TV sitcom “Full House”

There are three things you can count on in life - death, taxes, and Alcides Escobar being in the starting lineup. Well today, at least one of those is not true - Alcides Escobar is not in the starting lineup.

Alcides Escobar had started 421 games in a row, his last day off being on September 25, when all the regulars sat after celebrating clinching the Central Division. Escobar has been a pretty permanent fixture in the lineup, however, appearing in all 162 games in the season three times, and appearing in 155 or more games in six of his seven seasons in Kansas City going into this year. Since 2011, no player has played more games in baseball than Alcides Escobar.

The writing was on the wall. With Adalberto Mondesi being called up, there was pressure to get him regular reps at shortstop. Whit Merrifield has played a lot of outfield, but his regular position is second base. The team tried Escobar in centerfield, despite no experience, I guess to get him at-bats? Ned Yost had signalled that Escobar might sit soon, but he had started in 16 games since Yost’s remarks. A poor jump on a ball in Saturday’s game showed how that centerfield experiment may be costing the Royals, so today Esky sits.

Just think at how much the world has changed since Escobar last sat:

• Barack Obama was still president.
• Hank Aaron was still the home run king.
• There were still no baseball teams west of the Mississippi River.
• There were only 48 states in the Union.
• Electricity had yet to be discovered.

Maybe some of that is fake news, but the point is, Escobar has been starting for a long time. And now, he gets to take a rest. Enjoy your day off Esky, because I have no doubt you will be in the starting lineup each day for the rest of the season.