Suffice it to say, Royals legend Frank White is up the proverbial creek…
The youth who basked in the glow of the old Municipal Stadium and went on to become an eight-time Gold Glove winner over 18 star studded years playing for the hometown baseball team is in what appears to be the worst shape imaginable.
Somewhere along the way things went horribly wrong for White and his wife.
The former all star second baseman’s blunt criticism of the team during its 1o0 losses season stretch precipitated a nasty falling out with the team. One that reportedly resulted in his PR schmooze salary being cut from $150,000 to $50,000 a year.
Feeling disrespected, White bailed in 2011 – the same year his part time color commentary gig with Fox Sports ended with him being replaced by a kiss ass broadcaster.
In his subsequent book, White vowed never again return to Kauffman Stadium.
These days he can be found coaching first base for the lowly Kansas City T-Bones and as Jackson County county executive.
Neither of which seem to have proved lucrative.
Because White and his wife are fighting to keep their heads above the water.
A lien was filed in 2015 over nearly $81,000 in unpaid taxes from 2011 to 2013. And just last summer another federal lien alleged White and his wife owed more than 45 large. Upon which he unloaded 80 grand worth of baseball memorabilia to try and stay afloat.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is very sad stuff.
Two years back White dodged the foreclosure bullet on his house via a secret deal that the Missouri attorney general’s office is now investigating.
Meanwhile local media – predominantly the Kansas City Star – can’t get enough of White’s demise.
And of all the people leading the charge, is former Star columnist Mike Hendricks who famously trashed his employer for demoting him and cutting his pay. Then embarrassed himself by going job hunting on Facebook for a high paying PR post and told a prospective employer he should have her job.
So what goes around comes around, right?
Yet in the final analysis, what’s the point?
White has obviously fallen on really hard times, made some dumbass decisions and is poised for what? A trip to the poorhouse or maybe some super sad ending after a gleeful public humiliation at the hands of fellow losers, Hendricks and the Star?
Whoever said, it’s lonely at the bottom?
Seems to me like misery enjoys killing off its own.
I don’t get the apparent axe to grind by the Star with Frank White. It goes against their normal tendencies. Dude (I’m pretty sure) is democrat, and he isn’t one of us pasty white privileged folks. So you would think the Star would ignore any negative news relating to him. Seems to me he likely rubbed someone there (what, do 15 people even work there anymore?) the wrong way, and now those chickens are comin’ home to roost. I’d be fascinated to know what’s really going on here, behind the ‘ol printing press.
Hendricks is beyond pasty, white—he makes the Pillsbury Dough Boy look like The Thin Man
I sold Frank White some electronics back in the day and met him when he was running for office at a function at Coaches on 103rd.
Very charismatic, cool guy.
I wish him the very, very best, he is a Kansas City icon.
So sorry to hear, that he is on the down side of advantage and I, for one, am hoping he comes out in front of his troubles.
To borrow a popular expression these days…me too
Is it too much to ask for our elected officials to be able to manage their own finances? If they can’t do that, they have no business running a government.
Not that this has anything to do with the Star.
Fair enuff