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Keeping Michael Massey in Kansas City isn’t helping anyone

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Keeping Michael Massey in Kansas City isn’t helping anyone


Michael Massey is easy to root for. We’ve all seen athletes who are full of themselves, and frankly you want athletes to have a little swagger—it’s a mentally demanding profession where fans can switch from giving you love to sending you death threats.

But some players come across as good guys, and in Massey’s case, that’s true for the folks who work with him. There’s an award given by the Kansas City chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America called the Mike Swanson Good Guy Award, and Massey has won it in back-to-back years.

So when Massey struggled out of the gate this year, fans weren’t particularly phased. In part, this is because Massey was legitimately good at the plate last year. In part, it’s because other players—MJ Melendez, Hunter Renfroe, Cavan Biggio—drew the lion’s share of the ire, and a fanbase can’t get mad about everybody (most of the time).

Now, all three of those other players are no longer with the team. Massey, however, is, though he really shouldn’t be. Per Fangraphs’ version of Wins Above Replacement, there are 17 players this year with 100 or more plate appearances and less than -0.5 WAR. Of this 287-player set, Massey is fourth-worst at -0.9 WAR. The others worse than him? Andrew Vaughn, who the White Sox optioned to Triple-A. The aforementioned Renfroe, who the Royals cut recently. And LaMonte Wade Jr., whose recent track record is enough to keep him on the field for longer.

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What has happened to Massey? Well, the answer might be what hasn’t happened to Massey? Just about everything is worse in his hitting portfolio: he’s walking at a career worst level, he’s barreling balls at a career worst level, his average and max exit velocity are at career lows, his hard hit rate is at a career low. It hasn’t been good.

This also does not feel good. To put this into, like, normal people terms, doing this poorly for such a long time is like playing Overwatch or Counter-Strike or League of Legends and getting into a big losing streak. This sucks, and when you’re in the middle of the losing streak, you’re more likely to be grumpy to teammates and see your performance go down, which begets more losing and bad play. Massey probably isn’t a Hanzo main or anything, but that doesn’t matter because we can see how he’s reacting to screwups like this popup on Sunday’s game: he’s mad at himself!

We have reached the point in the season where keeping Massey up in Kansas City isn’t helping anybody. It’s not helping Kansas City, where Massey is now functionally the second-worst hitter in the league and an offensive black hole. It is also not helping Massey, who looks just plain lost out there. If he’s going to get back on track, it is not going to be here in Kansas City, where he is making outs at a huge clip.

Frankly, I don’t think there’s a route forward for Massey to be a productive big leaguer regardless what he does. It all comes down to getting on base, which he does not do. In about 1,200 plate appearances, Massey’s on base percentage is .277. That’s just not going to cut it, especially when you look at his historical exit velocities and barrel rates, which aren’t high enough to yield the power that he needs to produce to overcome such a low OBP.

Who could take Massey’s place? There are two options. One is a like-for-like replacement, with infielder Cam Devanney getting the call. Devanney is a 28-year-old who is in his fourth year in Triple-A, but he’s crushing it this year to the tune of a .301/.382/.618 triple slash. The other option is a lefty-for-lefty callup with Jac Caglianone taking Massey’s spot. Realistically, that’s probably what’s likely to happen—in a few weeks at minimum.

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So yeah, it might stink to send Massey down, as he’s been an exemplary teammate and ambassador for the team. But this is a results-based business, and the results have been so poor in such a way that nobody is really benefiting from the reunion right now. I wish it wasn’t the case. I, too, would like Massey to succeed. It’s just not happening.



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Kansas City man sentenced for cocaine trafficking, possession of illegal firearm

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Kansas City man sentenced for cocaine trafficking, possession of illegal firearm


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A Kansas City man was sentenced in federal court for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy and possession of an illegal firearm.

According to the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, 22-year-old Antoine R. Gillum was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole.

His sentencing stems from a June 2024 incident in a metro gas station. KCPD investigators contacted Gillum inside and found that he had discarded a 9 mm pistol in an aisle between the merchandise. He also discarded a pill bottle containing multiple illegal substances: cocaine base, oxycodone/acetaminophen and oxycodone.

Officers searched the vehicle Gillum had arrived in and found approximately 32 grams of cocaine base.

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On May 6, 2025, Gillum pleaded guilty to one count each of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Jennings. It’s a part of ‘Operation Take Back America,’ a nationwide Department of Justice initiative to eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations.

No further information has been released.



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Deadly 4-car crash kills 2 people, injures others in Kansas City

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Deadly 4-car crash kills 2 people, injures others in Kansas City


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A crash near a busy highway killed two people and injured two others.

Emergency crews responded to the crash at U.S. 71 Highway and Meyer Boulevard around 12:40 p.m. on Monday, March 2.

When crews arrived they determined four cars were involved in the crash.

Police are investigating how the crash happened.

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Homegrown Jayhawk stars ready to shine at Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City

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Homegrown Jayhawk stars ready to shine at Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City


LAWRENCE, Kan. (KCTV) – As Kansas women’s basketball prepares to enter the postseason at the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, they’ll be led by two Overland Park natives who have been two of the most electrifying players to watch in the country this year.

Junior guard S’Mya Nichols and freshman forward Jaliya Davis have played integral roles in the recent growth of the program. Both cite the desire to help grow the Jayhawks into something special as reasons for committing there.

“Where we wanted to take Kansas women’s basketball, I wanted to be a part of that growing evolution,” Nichols told KCTV5.

“We [my family] were also really big Jayhawk fans. We came to a lot of games,” Davis said about her childhood.

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The two were both 5-star recruits in high school, and their commitments marked historic recruiting victories for the KU women’s basketball program.

First came Nichols in the Class of 2023, picking KU over Tennessee and Oklahoma.

“I genuinely wanted to go to Kansas,” she said.

Then Davis became the highest-rated player to ever commit to KU as part of the Class of 2025.

“When you go back to S’Mya Nichols being a local, Kansas City, Overland Park product, a nationally respected player, Jaliya was really the next one that was very important for the Jayhawks to keep home,” said head coach Brandon Schneider.

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Now as a junior, Nichols has established herself as one of the most consistent scorers and physical guards in the nation.

But it’s the Shawnee Mission West’s alum’s leadership that defines her legacy in Lawrence.

“The team leader, the quarterback,” Coach Schneider described Nichols. “I think oftentimes the player that everybody looks up to off the court.”

“I mean it means everything. Knowing that I’m important to the team, and that they see me as that as well,” said Nichols with a smile.

Both Nichols and Davis were recruited by the Jayhawks for years, going all the way back to seventh grade.

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“Well, we offered her in middle school,’ Coach Schneider said with a laugh about Davis.

“Oh he put in a lot of work,” laughed Davis. “I mean, obviously, seventh grade, that’s a long time.”

It was that dedication from Coach Schneider that led her to choose the Jayhawks over Texas, South Carolina, Baylor, and Oklahoma – where he dad played ball.

“I think it really was the relationship we had and grew. He was always there, every single one of my games,” Davis said about Schneider.

After just one practice as teammates, Nichols voiced a big belief about Davis into existence – and it’s probably going to come true.

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The Jayhawks are the 11-seed in the Big 12 Tournament, and will face 14-seed UCF in the first round on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m.(KCTV5)

“I saw her first practice, and I sent her a text, and I’m like ‘I think you can win Freshman of the Year’, and I still stand by that,”

Davis is averaging 21.0 points per game, and has been named the Big 12 Freshman of the Week for eight weeks in a row. That sets a power conference all-time record.

“I think it’s really cool. I mean obviously it’s a team effort, they’re always looking for me,” Davis said about her historic accomplishment.

“Just a phenomenal stretch of basketball for her, and so well deserving,” said Coach Schneider.

Now these two homegrown stars are at the forefront of a late-season push to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Right now, CBS Sports bracketology has them as a ‘First Four Out’ team.

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But a few wins in the Big 12 Tournament could certainly help seal their invite to the big dance.

“Obviously we’re not in the position that we were hoping to be in, but I think we can make the most out of it, and get to where we want to be,” Davis said about the opportunity at hand in the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City.

The Overland Park kids are especially fired up about starting the postseason in their own backyard.

“I have a big support system. So I bet my family will take a big chunk of that area during that tournament,” Davis laughed.

“I remember being younger, and the College Basketball Experience is right next door. So I felt like at one moment that was the big stage, when I got to play my little AAU tournaments in there. And then all of a sudden I’m literally in T-Mobile Center on the actual big stage, so it’s pretty cool,” said Nichols.

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The Jayhawks are the 11-seed in the Big 12 Tournament, and will face 14-seed UCF in the first round on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m.



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