FanHouse GeorgeBrett

Thirty years ago today, something called "ESPN" showed up on America's cable and satellite TV systems. I can't swear that I've been watching it from the very beginning, but if not, it was pretty close.

I first heard of the future worldwide leader when the newspaper in my home town of Fort Dodge, Ia., announced that we'd be getting some new channels on our cable system. One of them was something called the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, or something like that. It promised to bring sports news and game broadcasts.

If you remember the 1970s, you remember that sports used to be doled out pretty stingily by the Big Three networks. The NFL, the NBA, and MLB were somewhat available. Golf, tennis, and bowling were around. You could count on one -- and only one -- college football game a week. It wasn't enough.

Many former players get courtesy titles in the organizations they played for, but few of them take those jobs quite as seriously as George Brett, the Vice President of Baseball Operations for the Royals. That's a nebulous title that could mean a lot of time playing golf and shaking hands, but Brett still takes his Royals baseball seriously.

Check out his takedown of those critical of Trey Hillman, and you might wonder if the team should think about giving him a job as team spokesman. The video is after the jump. There's some language unsafe for the workplace, but it all gets bleeped by Kansas City's NBC affiliate.

FanHouse continues its 2009 MLB Preview with a look at the Kansas City Royals.

The 2008 season was a lot like every other season for the Kansas City Royals lately, with one major exception. They didn't finish in last place of the AL Central. No, that honor went to the Detroit Tigers instead. Still, while fourth place isn't really anything to get excited about in any baseball city other than Pittsburgh, in Kansas City it has bred hope for better things in 2009.

Everyone's got an opinion on the Alex Rodriguez confession to using an illegal steroids. People in the public eye are going to have to deal with questions on the subject, even if the circumstances make the question a tad bit inappropriate -- like when someone felt it was necessary to question President Obama during a national telecast about the nation's economy. For the record, he basically responded in a political manner and said he was disappointed.

Baseball players, past and present, are already dealing with the onslaught of questions. Here's a sampling of what we've seen thus far.

When I first saw the now infamous video of George Brett talking (in far too much detail) about how frequently he defecates in his pants, my first reaction was pure and utter disgust. My second reaction was to think, "Wow, that's some pretty solid production quality. I wonder what this is from?" Now we know.

Jeffrey Flanagan reports on his blog for Kansas City Star that it was filmed several years ago by Metro Sports, a cable channel in Kansas City owned by Time Warner Cable. Flangan spoke with Damon Porter, Time Warner's director of public affairs:

Porter said he is not sure how the footage got out of the Metro Sports archives. "The matter is still under investigation by us," Porter said. "We are still trying to determine the person or persons responsible."

Time Warner also issued a statement indicating that the person or persons responsible for removing the footage from Metro Sports have violated copyright laws and are guilty of unauthorized use of company property.

Not surprisingly, the video has already been pulled from YouTube, but it's still floating around the internet if you look hard enough (hint, hint) -- just be careful not to watch it at work or anywhere else a little scat humor can't be appreciated.

When the Royals bring Hall of Famer George Brett to spring training, it's for the purpose of him helping teach all the young kids they have what it takes to be a successful baseball player. What they weren't counting on were the wonderful stories he would share with the players to help them adjust to the life of a baseball player.

Did you ever hear about the one time George went to Las Vegas? (Seriously, the following video is extremely NSFW considering the subject matter and language used.)


That could be the greatest three minutes in the history of YouTube right there. Though somebody really should tell George that crapping your pants isn't quite the epidemic he thinks it is, at least I don't think it is. I mean, I can hardly remember the last time it happened to me. It must have been at least three, maybe even four weeks ago. What a first date that was...

(Hat tip to SPORTSbyBROOKS)

The sport of baseball can be a very frustrating one for those who play it. If you hit .300 on a season, you would consider it a pretty good year, yet you still "failed" 70% of the time you stepped to the plate. It doesn't just affect hitters, either, as teams can struggle through a season. Just think if you play for the Seattle Mariners.

It's May 31st, two months into the season, and you're 21-35 already 11.5 games behind the Angels. Your season is over, yet you still have to play 106 more games. That means you have to show up at the park everyday for the next four months, fail repeatedly, and do it all for naught. It's enough to drive a man crazy, which is why some teams are now employing the services of sports psychologists.

Like the Royals for instance. The Royals haven't seen the post-season since they won the 1985 World Series, and have finished over .500 only twice in the 14 year history of the AL Central division. In some way, you have to figure that the constant losing by the organization has to invade the psyche of those who play for the teams, whether consciously or subconsciously. Which is exactly where the psychologist gets involved.

Over the last few seasons since Dayton Moore took over the general manager's job in Kansas City, I've been a pretty big fan of what the Royals are doing as an organization. Yes, they overpaid for some free agents like Gil Meche and Jose Guillen, but in order to convince free agents to come to Kansas City, you have to pay them more than they're worth. That's what happens when you routinely finish in last place in your division.

Of course, finishing in last does have some benefits as well, as it gives a team a lot of high draft picks, and the Royals have used them to find players like Alex Gordon. The Royals aren't tearing things up by any means this season, as they're currently 21-23, but they're only 2.5 games behind the White Sox for the division lead.

All of which has gotten Royals legend George Brett to start talking about a division title.

"Why couldn't they contend?" Brett said. "In our division, I think they can. No one is head-and-shoulders above anyone else."

"If you live in Kansas City right now," he said, "and you're not excited, then you're not a baseball fan."

Yeah! Get excited Royals fans!

As odd as it may sound to hear Brett or anybody involved with the Royals talking about a division title this season, what George said is right. The AL Central is wide open this year as nobody has really stepped up and taken control of the division. The White Sox may be on top right now, but it's not like they don't have problems that could cost them in the long run, and the same can be said for Cleveland, Minnesota, and Detroit.

I don't think it's going to happen this season, unless the Royals offense starts hitting anyway, but at this point they're just as likely as anybody else to pull it off. They're basically only a five-game win streak away from climbing to the top.

"Under The Gun" takes a look at one player from each team who will bear all the pressure for the upcoming '08 season.

Royals third baseman Alex Gordon has been under a lot of pressure since the first time he stepped on a Major League field in a Royals uniform. I mean, most people in Kansas City had been proclaiming him the next George Brett even though the majority of them had never even seen the kid play.

Those are some pretty lofty expectations for a 23-year old kid (Alex just turned 24 last week). It's tough enough adapting to the Majors as a rookie, let alone having to do so while everyone expects you to play like a Hall of Famer. So it's not surprising that Alex had a very un-Hall of Fame like season in 2007.

Gordon finished his first season with a batting average of .247 and an OBP of .314. He also hit 15 homers and drove in 60 runs, while striking out 137 times compared to 41 walks. While it would still be unfair to expect Alex to have a breakout season in 2008, it would be nice to see him improve his walk and strikeout numbers, which should also help raise his batting average.

The Royals actually had a pretty decent season in 2007, but recent Royals standards anyway, and if the team is going to continue to improve it's going to be up to guys like Gordon and fellow youngsters Mark Teahen, and Billy Butler to produce runs. Something all three of them have the ability to do.

Awards and accolades are nothing new to Curtis Granderson. I mean, after you've already won the Most Boring Baseball Player Blog, there isn't much mountain left to climb. Not for Curtis, no sir, he's gonna keep climbing that mountain until he runs himself right off the top of it.

Last night when Curtis Granderson hit a home run in the Tigers 6-1 victory over the Mariners, he entered the history books. Granderson became the first player since 1979 to hit 20 homers, 20 doubles, and 20 triples in the same season. The last person to do it was George Brett.

There was also some guy named Willie Mays who did the same thing back in 1957. In total, only six players have done what Curtis has done this season in the last 100 years. I don't care what it is, but if you're on a short list of people to accomplish something, and one of the guys on the list is named Willie Mays, that's got to feel pretty good.

"Definitely some good players," Granderson said. "It's amazing. I'm really kind of speechless right now. I'm just trying to continue to play. That's the big thing. That's the hardest thing right now."

Granderson isn't done yet, either. He may have at least 20 homers, doubles and triples, but he's only got 19 stolen bases. If Granderson can manage another stolen base this season, he'll join even more exclusive company. Of the six men to have done this over the last 100 years, only WIllie Mays and Frank Schulte in 1911 managed to do it with at least 20 stolen bases as well.