As much as everyone else is obsessing over it, it seems that the people who matter most are simply committed to the present. Bubba Starling was the Royals first selection in the MLB First-Year Entry Draft and the fifth overall selection. The talented outfielder immediately drew a lot of buzz and excitement not only for his local ties but his tremendous talent that has scouts drooling over the possibilities. But Starling is not just a baseball player, he’s also a football player as well, and that has brought more drama than what comes with a typical high-profile signing.
Specifically, Bubba Starling is now working out with the Nebraska Cornhusker football team this summer until he is signed by the Royals. The deadline for player signings from the amateur draft is August 15, which means another three or so weeks until it comes down to the wire and provides any pressure to make a deal. Until then, the fans must sit and wait and the Royals have to hope nothing happens injury-wise between now and then.
The question for Starling is often posed on whether he’s serious about accepting a football scholarship to Nebraska to play quarterback or whether it’s just a ploy for negotiations with the Royals. Yet from recent quotes from his new offensive coordinator, Tim Beck, it seems both coordinator and player are staying focused on the right things. Sam McKewon recently got a quote from Beck about Starling’s presence for the Omaha World-Herald and it seems as if the focus is on what’s right in front of him.
McKewon writes, "Beck said quarterback Bubba Starling has been “working his tail off” since his early July arrival in Lincoln. He doesn’t press Starling for a timetable on when he might choose between college football and pro baseball, where he was drafted by the Kansas City Royals. ‘I don’t bother him about it,’ Beck said. ‘Everybody else does.’"
Perhaps that’s a good for the Royals knowing that if they’re able to sign Starling, which most believe they should be able to do given the lucrative nature of the contract he’d most likely sign, that’s a sign that Starling can focus on the task at hand and not get caught up in the hype. Certainly if he can do it under such an intense microscope now, continuing that same dedication and focus in the minor leagues will be a piece of cake.