The phrase “it’s early” substituted for crossed fingers or knocking on wood as the superstition of the day when folks in the Royals clubhouse spoke about the hot start turned in by Kansas City-area three-sport high school star Bubba Starling.
Even Starling himself adhered wielded the phrase as a means to ward off the cosmic forces and evil spirits that have conspired against the hometown kid making good with his hometown team.
After he first reached the Royals’ Triple-A club in 2016 at age 23, Starling’s past two seasons have included oblique injuries, a mountain of mental anguish and a total of 100 games.