Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr. opens up about "travel ball" days

Kansas City Royals star Bobby Witt Jr.'s baseball skill brewed alongside stars of the game, most notably his father, Bobby Witt Sr., who played 16 seasons in MLB.

Witt Sr. had two major stints with the Texas Rangers (1986-92 and 1995-98), which led to Witt Jr. settling and learning baseball in Texas growing up, attending Colleyville Heritage High School.

On "Pure Athlete's" latest episode, Witt Jr. talked about his early Travel Ball days where he used to go on the road to play competitive teams.

"Growing up in Texas, baseball was a big deal," Witt Jr. said (4:44 onwards). "I probably started playing before I was six, but I really began with the local group here in C-Ville, where I was born and raised. We had a small, local team—not quite a travel ball team—and I played with them for a couple of years.

"Around age eight or nine, I joined a more serious team, and that’s when I realized how competitive it could get. We started going to tournaments with 100 teams, and it felt intense. I remember one tournament where we made it to the finals, and coaches were going at it — that was when I realized how serious this could be."

---

Bobby Witt Jr. grateful for learning in the shadows of great big leaguers

Bobby Witt Jr. certainly used all the experience surrounding him, like his dad and fellow colleagues, who helped him in his game.

He credits Rusty Greer, a former MLB star and teammate of Witt Sr, and his dad for imparting crucial learnings in his early days.

"Growing up, my dad was always my coach," Witt added. "Rusty Greer was also involved, and his son Mason and I played together. It was amazing to have two former big-leaguers in the dugout teaching us. They focused on fundamentals and emphasized playing the game the right way.

"They believed natural athletic ability could take over once you had a solid foundation, and I was so lucky to learn that at such a young age. Even though my dad retired in 2001, and I wasn’t around the clubhouse much, he taught me so much about the game."

Bobby Witt Jr. who started playing baseball at the early age of six, is the reigning AL batting champion and was runner-up to AL MVP Aaron Judge. He's still in his early years and has a lot of upside.