The door to the baseball clubhouse swung open and into the room walked Eric Hosmer, a water bottle clutched in his arm, an American flag on his cap, a gold medal hanging from his neck.
Hosmer, the Royals’ first baseman, returned to camp at just past 8 p.m. on Friday morning after helping the United States conquer the World Baseball Classic. And as the room perked up upon his entrance, Hosmer had just one question.
“Where’s Salvy at?” he said.
Hosmer kept walking, moving through the middle of the clubhouse and turning right toward the in-house kitchen, where a dozen or so players were poking at plates of eggs and eating breakfast.