Before Cole Ragans pitched Game 2 of the ALDS, he threw at an iconic New York site
Several Kansas City Royals players spent Sunday’s off day in New York exploring the city. That included one of the cornerstones of Monday night’s Game 2 win, who took in an iconic setting ahead of his start.
Here’s the backstory.
With a day off between Game 1 and Game 2, some Royals players spent time with family and met up with friends. Others relaxed after Game 1 of the American League Division Series, a loss to the New York Yankees.
Royals pitchers Cole Ragans and Sam Long decided to play catch in Central Park to stay sharp.
“Nobody came into the field, so we had to find a place,” Ragans said. “You know, a lot of area there, so just found a little grass patch there in the middle of Central Park. Me and Sam Long played a little catch for a little bit. It was pretty cool.”
Ragans and Long spent about an hour there. They were joined by Royals pitching coach Brian Sweeney, bullpen coach Mitch Stetter and a few others. The goal: keeping their arms loose.
“It was different, but it was fun,” Long said. “Just to go out there and get some work in, kind of around the whole New York crowd for a little bit. There were a few Little League games going on in obviously the busiest park in the world. So it was cool to be out there in disguise a little bit.”
“We encouraged it,” manager Matt Quatraro added. “We said, we are not coming in to work out. If anybody needs to work out, that’s what we are going to do.”
Ragans started Game 2 against the Yankees. He allowed one run in four innings on Monday night.
The Royals, with their win, evened the ALDS at 1-1. Game 3 is Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium.
In all, it was a successful trip to Yankee Stadium with the Royals earning a road split. And the off-day experience helped put things into perspective even further.
For Long, it was a fun way to realize that the sport can be enjoyed in all sorts of ways.
“You see a baseball dad watching the game,” Long said, “and little did they know they have a couple of pitchers that are throwing at Yankee Stadium the next day.”
This story was originally published October 7, 2024 at 11:47 PM with the headline "Before Cole Ragans pitched Game 2 of the ALDS, he threw at an iconic New York site."
