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NEW YORK -- Johnny Cueto says he feels slighted the Kansas City Royals didn't invite him to come along when they were honored at the White House for winning the World Series last season. 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 postseason. His two-hitter in Game 2 of the World Series against the New York Mets gave Kansas City a 2-1 series 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 in 2016 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. "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 postseason roster and not on another team at this time. Outfielder Jonny Gomes, another part-season Royals player in 2015, also expressed disappointment he wasn't asked to the White House. "I've been sent down. I've been non-tendered, whatever," Gomes told Fox Sports last week. "But this is probably the worst news of my professional baseball career." Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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