Lane Adams had a busy travel schedule in 2016 and it may not be over yet. The Chicago Cubs acquired the outfielder on Aug. 3 after he was cut in a salary purge by the New York Yankees. He was barely with the Cubs’ Double-A team, the Tennessee Smokies, for three weeks before getting the call up to Triple-A. As a guy who started the year as a top prospect with the Kansas City Royals, that’s a lot of traveling.
“It’s been different,” Adams told me a few days before he left Kodak, Tenn. for Des Moines, Iowa.” This is my first year outside of Kansas City. Seeing a different organization for the first time, you never know what to expect. For the most part I’ve enjoyed it.”
In case any of you were wondering where to find the worlds longest train. Pretty sure I found it in Des Moines
— Lane Adams (@LA_Swiftness) September 3, 2016
Adams spent six years in the Royals organization and made it all the way to the major league club in 2014, serving primarily as a pinch runner.
Even though Adams was the No. 28-ranked prospect in the Royals’ farm system at the time, he knew his time with Kansas City would end in 2015.
“The Royals draft a lot of athletic outfielders,” Adams said. “They have a lot of right-handed hitters too and they’re all pretty much the same guy. I was the odd man out. I wasn’t too surprised. There was a log jam of outfielders.”
Lane Adams smashed a HR off the batters' eye in CF leading off the T-8th for the #Cubs before the Murton double. #GetOuttaMyYard
— Randy Wehofer (@RandyWehofer) September 2, 2016
Adams spent most of this season with the New York Yankees Double-A and Triple-A teams, but when New York started shedding contracts as their postseason hopes dimmed, the 26-year-old found himself on the street again.
It wasn’t long before the Chicago Cubs called to fix that.
“The fact that those three teams saw what I could do and wanted to give me a shot, it meant a lot,” Adams said “This is my first year outside of Kansas City. Seeing a different organization for the first time, you never know what to expect. For the most part I’ve enjoyed it.”
He’s cooled a little since making the jump to Triple-A, but as of Wednesday morning he’s only appeared in six games.
“I need to keep having consistent at-bats,” Adams said. “I need to keep stealing and getting in scoring position. I think with September rolling around, teams go with a pinch runner. I’ve done it before, so if they (the Cubs) need that guy, I can do that.”
#Cubs Minor League Outfielder Lane Adams Takes Home Southern League Player of the Week Award https://t.co/juFCqqwBvU #MiLB
— TheCCO-Minors (@TheCCO_Minors) August 31, 2016
Though his time with the Smokies was short-lived, it came with plenty of highlights at the plate. Adams left town with a .325 batting average, six doubles, three home runs and 19 RBIs.
“It’s a pleasure having him (Adams) on the team because he has so much energy,” Smokies manager Mark Johnson told me before Adams was called up. “He plays the game the right way. He’s backing up bases. He’s running balls out. He’s making good throws and he’s in the game all the time. He goes out and plays hard. Having a guy like that is key. It’s nice to have him on the team.”
While Johnson only had the chance to work with Adams for a little while, it was another coach from his pat that probably had the biggest impact on his career. And who it is will surprise you.
Matt Chapman just misses another a 2-run HR. Lane Adams makes a great leaping catch at the wall for I-Cubs. @nashvillesounds lead 5-2 T5.
— Jeff Hem 🗣🎙🎧 (@JeffHemPBP) August 31, 2016
Adams was a two-sport star at Red Oak High School in Red Oak, Okla., an elite player in both baseball and basketball. His basketball talent was recognized first with a scholarship offer from Missouri State and its coach in 2009, Cuonzo Martin. And that was the plan until the Kansas City Royals drafted Adams in the 13th round of the 2009 MLB Draft. At the time, Adams was already enrolled in classes at Missouri State.
“I grew up playing basketball my whole life,” Adams said. “That’s all I did in the summers. I had to make a decision.”
.@smokiesbaseball Lane Adams promoted to @IowaCubs. Adams batting .325 with 12 Rs, 6 2B, 3 HR, 19 RBI and 9 SB in 22 Gs. #Cubs
— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) August 29, 2016
So Adams went to Martin to discuss his future. Martin, who would leave Missouri State to take over the men’s program at the University of Tennessee two years later, advised Adams to take his future into his own hands. Martin is now coaching at the University of California.
“He (Martin) made the decision relatively easy on me,” Adams said. “He could have pressured me to stay, but he was a father figure. He knew this was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. He told me to take it and put my best foot forward. I owe him a lot. It was a tough decision, but he took a lot of pressure off me.”
