THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: Royals' lack of caring could affect Mariners

Integrity.

It is the beating heart and all-consuming soul of true sports competition.

Without it, you would not have seen the uproar about the Astros cheating to tip off pitches.

Those infamous banging garbage cans seemed to display a total lack of integrity — and therefore, an insult to the game of baseball itself.

But there is another way to spit on the notion of integrity, something quite different than cheating to win a few games.

In some ways, it’s even worse.

I’m talking about not trying to win; more specifically, actions that basically give an opponent something like a free ride to victory.


Did you know that any Major League Player who intentionally fails to compete — who isn’t playing to win — can be banned from the sport for life?

Yes, integrity is that important.

In that vein, how do we judge the Kansas City Royals, who aren’t very good when actually trying (35-53), more or less just going through the motions this weekend in Toronto?

NO LESS than 10 Royals have refused vaccinations against COVID-19.

But that’s a personal choice, you say.

Indeed, but what if it affects a lot of other people — and not just on the health front.

These players are responsible, each in his own way, for the integrity of baseball.

Here we have the Royals with a huge part of their lineup and pitching staff failing to meet vaccine mandates, and thus being denied entrance to Canada.

Don’t even think about blaming Canada for being too harsh, either — since the United States has the exact same restrictions for non-citizens entering the country.

Barring some sort of mega-upset at the Rogers Centre over the weekend, the Blue Jays should feast on a Royals team missing power threat Hunter Dozier, player representative Whit Merrifield, All-Star outfielder Andrew Benintendi, center fielder Michael A. Taylor, starting pitchers Brad Keller and Brady Singer, reliever Dylan Coleman and …

Wait for it …

They’ll also be missing the only two healthy catchers on the roster, Cam Gallagher and MJ Melendez.

The Royals’ 50-homer star behind the plate, the vaccinated Salvador Perez, is out following thumb surgery.

This absurd story actually gets worse.

Merrifield, who has been the face of the franchise for years and likes to be known as an “all-in ballplayer,” has admitted that he’s passing on the vaccine because the Royals stink.

“The only reason that I would think about getting [the vaccine] at this point is to go to Canada,” Merrifield told reporters this week.

“That might change down the road. Something happens, and I happen to get on a team that has a chance to go play in Canada in the postseason, maybe that changes. But as we sit here right now, I’m comfortable with my decision.”

SO, HOW does the integrity of the game fit into this unpleasant narrative?

Well, you’re probably aware that the Mariners are fighting for one of three American League wild-card playoff spots — what would be their first postseason berth in 21 years — and Seattle’s chief competition is likely to come from Toronto, Tampa Bay, Boston and whoever finishes second in the AL Central.

Yes, please notice Toronto in there.

The Jays might or might not take complete advantage of it, but they’ve been given a sweet head start this weekend -- with a critical 40 percent of the Royals active roster stuck at home.

Toronto already has benefitted from the mandate, by the way.

Earlier in the season, Boston’s unvaccinated closer, Taylor Houck, missed the trip to Canada.

The Sox blew two late leads and lost games that you suspect they would have won.

Nothing is guaranteed, but as close as these wild-card races figure to be, getting a nice advantage that turns into two or three wins can boost you into the postseason.

There are people in baseball, right up to the commissioner’s office, who are taking a long look at the Royals’ reaction to this vaccine business.

The Royals have known for months that this trip was coming, and they knew who had refused the vaccine.

Yet the club did not call up any players to help fill spots, or do anything, really, except admit that they didn’t care so much because they’re no good.

“I think if our team was in a different part of the standings, I think it would be different,” Royals president of baseball operations Dayton Moore told Sports Illustrated this week.

“It’s disappointing.”

No kidding, Dayton, but …

What about the OTHER teams in this drama?

What about integrity?

Email: [email protected]

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press three times each week. He also writes Zags Tracker, a commentary on Gonzaga basketball which is published monthly during the offseason, and weekly beginning in October.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”