Comeback complete: Reinvigorated Blanton joins Royals after 13-month hiatus

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Joe Blanton had it all planned out.

When he distanced himself from baseball 13 months ago, Blanton knew where his life was heading -- to his nameless vineyard in Napa Valley. While the Royals were wowing baseball with their postseason run, his vineyard had its first harvest, one that filled 200 cases.

Blanton had bought the three-acre plot in the winter of 2013 but couldn't step away from baseball long enough to heavily involve himself. Until he did.

"It wasn't like I stopped and said, 'I'll play again next year,'" Blanton said. "I was ready to move on and go away."

The right-hander participated in two minor league games a season ago, but that was it. The game stopped being fun for him. It wasn't enjoyable. The results weren't there. Retirement became the only choice and the final decision, despite no physical limitations.

On Saturday, though, the fun returned. On Saturday, the comeback ended. On Saturday, the Royals called up Blanton.

"If I look back to a year ago," said Blanton, 34, "how far I was from the game, I really didn't have any plans on playing again. ... It's more proof to myself that I can still do it, especially from where I was at. Just had to put the work in to get back here. As of right now, it's satisfying."

Last April, Blanton was a Sacramento River Cat, a pitcher for Oakland's Triple A affiliate. But baseball's pop had fizzled away for him, and he was reminded of a promise he made to himself to stop playing if it ceased to be fun.

For the next seven months, Blanton detoxed from the game. The man who had spent the previous 12 years getting paid to throw a ball didn't pick one up. He didn't really do "anything to do with baseball for a while."

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June and July disappeared. August and September became October and November. December in Gallatin, Tennessee, gifted a mild winter and a new neighbor to Blanton. Zach Duke, currently a relief pitcher with the White Sox, purchased a $1.449 million home Blanton estimated was about five doors down.

"It's not every day that somebody with the same job as us moves in close," Blanton said.

Duke had just completed a season with Milwaukee and had taken off a couple months after the season ended. He had moved to a new house, but had discovered a new throwing partner.

"Hey, if you need to throw, I think I can still throw with you," Blanton told Duke. "I'm not playing, but I'm pretty sure I could get it back to you somehow."

The pair of pitchers had never met before but began to exchange tosses. Duke even noticed extra zing on Blanton's throws, remarking that his arm still looked good, even after seven months off from throwing and twice as long removed from major league action.

"Whatever, it's December," Blanton dismissed, "you haven't seen a ball come at you in a while."

Whether or not Blanton was throwing heat, his fire returned. His agent organized a pro day of sorts in late January to early February, Blanton recalled. Vol State Community College was the location and Blanton was the main attraction.

"I kind of just threw a bullpen, and people watched, I guess," Blanton said. "Here I am, a long way from there."

The Royals signed him to a minor league deal Feb. 13 and invited him to spring training. He had an opt-out of his contract on April 1. He did not. He had an opt-out of his contract Friday. He did not.

Instead, Blanton stood in the Kansas City clubhouse Saturday, a locker away from fellow comeback pitcher Chris Young and a handful of stalls away from former outcast Ryan Madson.

He also stood half of a country away from his planned path, five states from his vineyard in California, 1,800 miles from where he thought he'd be.

You can follow Matthew DeFranks on Twitter at @MDeFranks or email him at matthew.defranks@gmail.com.