Cueto feels slighted Royals didn’t invite him to White House

NEW YORK — Johnny Cueto feels slighted the Kansas City Royals didn’t invite him to come along when they were honoured at the White House.

Acquired by Kansas City from Cincinnati last July 26, the pitcher went 4-7 for the Royals during the regular season, then 2-1 in the post-season. His two-hitter in Game 2 of the World Series against the New York Mets gave Kansas City a two-games-to-none lead, and the Royals won in five games for their first championship since 1985.

Cueto left as a free agent after the season to sign a $130 million, six-year contract with the San Francisco Giants. He is 13-2 with a 2.53 ERA and started for the National League in the All-Star Game.

“I believe that I earned it,” he said of the White House trip, speaking through a translator after his start Saturday against the New York Yankees. “I was on the team. I did something for the team for them to win the World Series, so I was expecting it.”

Cueto said he did not speak to anyone on the Royals about attending Thursday’s ceremony at the White House.

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“I feel OK. I feel normal, but I also feel that it’s the team’s, the organization’s responsibility to invite me.” he said. “I did a job for them, so I think that they should have had the courtesy to invite me.”

Kansas City said it set limitations on which players would get invitations to the White House visit: players had to be on the 2015 team all year, on the active post-season roster and not on another team at this time.

Ronald Blum, The Associated Press