The last K.C. trip, Roenicke's roll, Mathews' quote

The work put toward booking travel and hotels for the 2020 baseball season slipped into reverse. The coronavirus pandemic kept the media at home.

I would have taken a train to New York for the four-game series earlier this month. I'm supposed to be in Kansas City this weekend for my first visit since the 2014 American League Championship Series.

I'm not a huge barbeque guy. I like it, but don't treat it like a religion. Otherwise, yeah, I'd be wrestling Steve Melewski for the assignment.

The Orioles were swept in the four-game series, losing the last two by 2-1 scores at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals outscored the Orioles by a grand total of six runs.

They caught everything hit to them as well as every break. And their bullpen was money.

It felt like death by a thousand paper cuts. Like a hit man tossed away his gun and resorted to headlocks and noogies.

Kansas City managed only one earned run in Game 4, but the Orioles did nothing after Ryan Flaherty's leadoff homer in the top of the third inning. Flaherty started at third base with Manny Machado recovering from knee surgery.

The Orioles could have used Gary Roenicke and a time machine.

The former outfielder owned a career .236 average against the Royals in 237 plate appearances. I just assumed it would be much higher given his 1979 production.

Roenicke, the older brother of Red Sox interim manager Ron Roenicke, was 9-for-29 (.310) with seven home runs, 12 RBIs and 10 runs scored in 10 games. His 15 career home runs are the most against any opponent and almost half came in the "Orioles Magic" season.

I can't think about the '79 season without remembering Roenicke's power binge.

Meanwhile, MASN is airing Game 3 of the 1997 ALDS later tonight.

You may not enjoy it.

The Orioles were shut out until the ninth inning. Their future closer, Heathcliff Slocumb, let an inherited runner score and one of his own on Jeffrey Hammonds' two-run double with two outs.

Terry Mathews surrendered back-to-back homers to Jay Buhner and Paul Sorrento in the top half of the inning. Fans booed him as soon as the bullpen gates opened, which I had never heard before, and it grew much worse.

My most vivid memory of Mathews was conducting an interview with him at his lowest point. My editor was going to give the assignment to a reporter assisting in playoff coverage and I talked him into letting me have it based on my solid relationship and familiarity with Mathews and the sensitive nature of the topic.

It's not like Mathews was eager to talk. He was a struggling reliever and deeply hurt by the reception, which came from the largest crowd in Camden Yards history. But he eventually walked over to me in the clubhouse and offered one of the best quotes I've ever received from a player.

Viewing himself as an easy target based on his appearance, Mathews said, "I can't help it that God didn't give me Eric Davis' body."

I relayed that comment to my editor, who later thanked me for taking charge and insisting that I do the interview. One of those rare moments when I made a smart decision.

The following spring, Mathews arrived at the Fort Lauderdale complex 16 pounds lighter, lowering his weight to 220 by running long distances each day from 40 minutes to an hour and adjusting his diet.

Mathews was an incredibly nice man, a gentle soul who pieced together solid seasons with the Rangers and Marlins before the Orioles acquired him in August 1996 for a player to be named later - catcher Gregg Zaun, who's Rick Dempsey's nephew.

While with the Marlins, Mathews received the nickname "The Body" because he entered games at Joe Robbie Stadium to the Village People song "Macho Man." He had a sense of humor.

Mathews died in 2012 after suffering a heart attack at his Louisiana home. He was 47.

The year 2012 is remembered by fans for the playoff berth, but former outfielder Danny Clyburn and reliever Kevin Hickey also died within the first five months. A sad period for the Orioles family.