MLB: KC Royals Blog--A fan site for Kansas City Royals' loyalists.

2008-11-26T10:51:00.000-08:00

Tupman may return in 2009, still as free agent. You can read about it here.

2008-10-30T06:51:00.000-07:00

Make sure you get to the polls next Tuesday, November 4th, to vote!

2008-10-16T12:16:00.000-07:00

Welcome, Seitzer!

Tony the Hero

2008-07-10T08:29:00.000-07:00

Is there anything Tony Gonzalez can't do? Selected for the ProBowl nine times. 820 career receptions. 102 catches in a season. And now, he's a lifesaver too:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8322190?MSNHPHMA

Maybe we can get him to play for the Royals, too, just to round him out a bit.

2008-07-03T12:20:00.000-07:00

I can't wait to see the finished product at Kauffman Stadium next year. They've already done a ton of work, and it's looking great so far. I wasn't too excited about the renovations at first, but now I'm pretty excited about it.

NLBM - Free Plug :)

2008-06-30T12:15:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum? A friend from college was visiting, and we decided to pop in when we passed by. It was much cooler than I'd expected. It helps to like baseball, but I think anyone would enjoy and learn from a visit. Check it out sometime!

Did You Know...?

2008-06-25T11:51:00.000-07:00

I just read that the Kansas-Mizzou feud dates back to pre-civil war. How crazy is that?

Obviously it wasn't based on the schools back then, but the two states have hated each other for a loooong time. It was a fight over slavery, which of course means the Kansans had it right even back then. :)

But even the Jayhawks' name came from that. Evidently both sides kept crossing the borders to burn each other's cities and stuff. Jim Denny is a Missouri historian named Jim Denny said, "Jayhawkers were the name that Missourians came up with to characterize those marauders that came across their border to burn their towns and loot their farms and steal their slaves."

Kinda weird that we chose a mascot based on a name Missouri gave us...

I wish Buck O'Neil had been my grandpa...

2008-06-08T11:33:00.000-07:00

Reading this article about a new monument for Buck O'Neil made me wish I'd known the guy. It sounds like he would have been a great guy to hang out with on the porch, sipping lemonade, and rocking in a chair. Don't you think he'd have had some great stories to tell? And he would have told them all with a laugh.

It's good to have people like him in the world. RIP, Buck.

How Sweet It Is

2008-06-06T12:10:00.000-07:00

My dad loves music, so I was trying to find concert tickets as a gift for Fathers' Day. It turns out James Taylor is playing at the Starlight in a few days. Perfect! Is there any more dad-like performer out there? I can't think of one. (I mean that as a compliment, Mr. Taylor!)

2 in a Row

2008-06-02T11:42:00.000-07:00

Do two wins in a row count as a streak? Ah well, I'll take it. Let's see if we can keep it going on the road!

Royals win against the ChiSox

2007-09-19T11:11:00.001-07:00

So I wasn't pleased when the Royals lost to Chicago on Monday, but they made up for it yesterday night, beating the ChiSox 3 to 2. Gil Meche is doing his best to earn his keep. He's worked 202 innings, which makes him the first Royals pitcher to surpass Darrell May's 210 record in 2003. Lets hope the Royals can keep it up, though they're pretty much out of playoffs contention. Well, here's hoping next year's better!

First or second round for the Royals?

2007-06-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

I love it! Talk about seeing the glass half full... so you remember that three-game sweep end of last season in Detroit? That was great at the time, but it cost us the first-round draft pick this season. Considering that the sweep didn't really get us much, I'm thinking maybe it would have been a good thing to just stay where we were and get that first-round pick. But Deric Ladnier insists he didn't want the first-round pick, since that would have meant the Kansas City Royals were in last place.

At this point, it's just semantics, don't you think?

2007-01-17T08:08:00.000-08:00

Octavio Dotel: closer or setup man for KC Royals? Scouts are split, but all agree he's a great player. Now we just have to find the right fit for him.

Dotel Trading Pinstripes for Royal Blue

2006-12-11T07:10:00.000-08:00

Octavio Dotel has reached a preliminary agreement with the Kansas City Royals for one-year worth about $5 million. The reliever missed most of the last 1 1/2 seasons with the New York Yankees due to an elbow surgery. The Royals organization saw him pitch down in the Dominican Republic last week and they were very impressed with his recovery. They expect him to come in and close out games at the end.

Voting for the man!

2006-11-02T10:58:00.000-08:00

Announcer Danny Matthews is up for the Ford C. Frick Award. He has been behind the Royals for more than 35years. He has been inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame (2004) and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame (2005). All you Royals fans get online and vote for Matthews, he's been a great support to us so lets support him!

Will St. Louis Win It All Tonight?

2006-10-27T13:06:00.000-07:00

Being ahead 3 games to 1 is no guarantee, as no one knows any better than the St. Louis Cardinals. I'm not leaning strongly towards either the Cards or the Detroit Tigers. But I think it would be nice for the fans to have a happy ending at their own stadium. That means the Cardinals should win tonight; if not, then I'll probably root for the Tigers to win back at Comerica.

Tigers' World Series Opponent Still Up In The Air

2006-10-16T09:49:00.000-07:00

I was glad to see the Tigers rise up from the cellar where they have lived for so long and take the American League pennant. Let's face it, 2006 was not the year for the Kansas City Royals to do it. But they reminded us that things can turn around for anybody. Isn't that one reason why we buy tickets instead of just feeding stats into a supercomputer?

I wonder what the computers are saying about the New York Mets after last night's slugfest? The Mets finally noticed they're in a pennant race. But that only ties up the NLCS, so they and the St. Louis Cardinals have sort of a clean slate. I'm still deciding who to root for myself.

Saying Good Bye to a Legend...

2006-10-11T12:40:00.000-07:00

With the passing of one of the handful of surviors of the Negro League, John"Buck" O'Neil, fans of baseball mourn his death and celebrates his life. A legend to baseball he not only passes on from this life he passes on a message. A message that should and will resonate through out Baseball to fans and America. He is missed.

62 and 100?

2006-10-02T22:30:00.000-07:00

Heading into the MLB playoffs, all I have to say is this: 62 and 100 – you’ve gotta be kidding me.

The Red Knight Declares: None Shall Pass!

2006-06-25T20:44:00.000-07:00

Mark Redman is one Kansas City Royals player who has stayed true to his team in the month of June. The left-hander has put forth an amazing effort in the past five games and capped it off with seven innings of flawless pitching against the Milwaukee Brewers today. The final score of 6-0 reflects the efficacy of Redman’s efforts to disassemble the Brewer’s offense. He wasn’t even striking a lot of guys out. Redman simply put enough mojo on each ball he threw. Peralta and Gobble came in and continued the Royals domination of the Brewers with ease after Mark Redman’s oppressive seven inning dominion over Kauffman Stadium. Go Royals!

Breathe in, breathe out.

2006-05-15T17:43:00.000-07:00

The Kansas City Royals played the Cleveland Indians today to open our second series against them this month. The game was quickly rained out and rescheduled for Saturday. We have a good chance of winning this series just like the last and maybe we can improve our standing a little if we keep it up. I’m not going to hold my breath.

Sanders is our Leader

2006-04-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

Reggie Sanders is the best player for the Kansas City Royals this season and we may need him to put his game into overdrive if we want to get out of the bottom of the American League Central standings. I think they have a fine chance to come back if they focus and take down the Minnesota Twins this week. As far as pitching goes, Scott Elarton needs a win to keep him in the rotation or he may be warming the bench sooner than we thought.

Put some ice on that.

2006-04-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

Five of the Kansas City Royals starters are already facing health issues. Injuries in the pre-season can affect a team in many ways but the biggest problem is that our rotation will have to be reconfigured and will not be exactly what team management had envisioned. Will adding Scott Elarton and Joe Mays solve the conundrum or is the wound too big for a band-aid at this point?

A breakfast with kick.

2006-03-10T10:54:00.000-08:00

There have been two minor controversies recently in the ever entertaining NBA. Kevin Garnett of the Timberwolves chucked a ball into the stands hitting a fan square in the face and Robert Horry of the Spurs literally bit the arm of Maverick Jerry Stackhouse during a scuffle for the ball. Why are these guys acting like they are in high school! Is someone spiking their wheaties with testosterone?

More About Clothes

2006-02-21T12:16:00.000-08:00

Former Royal pitcher Jose Lima likes wearing suits just one time—at least that’s what he told the New York Mets when he joined them in Florida. He claims he’s had 2000 suits, but he wears them once and then passes them on to his brothers. Apparently he only got one wearing out of his first Mets uniform as well—seems he requested #42, a number he had years ago with Houston. But the next day, MLB told the Mets that Lima would need a different one: Number 42 belongs only to Jackie Robinson. So our former #33 is now the Mets’ #99.

The Umpire’s New Clothes

2006-01-30T17:52:00.000-08:00

Well it looks like the Kansas City Royals are going to spend another year in mediocrity. Team management is not willing to spend what other ball clubs will on players, yet they unveiled new uniforms for the 2006 season this week. We need big-time players, not new uniforms!

Bottom of the Barrel

2005-06-16T10:44:00.000-07:00

The Royals were the worst team in the league four games ago, but the Royals are on a four game winning streak which puts them in a tie for the second worst team with a 23- 41 record. Not really an improvement but you have to start some where.

In the win last night against the Dodgers the Royals took a hit. It wasn’t a big hit but one that won’t help their cause. The Royals first baseman Mike Sweeney, who leads the team in batting average (.299), home runs (9), and RBI’s (37) left the game with a sprained a left wrist and sprained left elbow.

"I don't know much except it doesn't look good in terms of being here ready to play tomorrow. It's probably going to be a few days. Hopefully, it's not as serious as it looked." - Manager Buddy Bell

Not Like Him

2005-06-06T17:14:00.000-07:00

Something might be in the water over in Kansas City, because I can’t think of any reason for Royals ace, Jose Lima’s poor performance. Lima is off to a 0-5 start, he gave up 5 runs in just 3 2/3 innings against the Rangers on the 4th this past week. It just seems very uncharacteristic on his behalf. His ERA is at a horrendous 8.39 and has given up 17 homeruns, the most out of all the pitchers on the team.

Trade Talk

2005-05-31T17:38:00.000-07:00

First baseman Mike Sweeny has been subject of trade talk recently, but to my knowledge it is just hearsay. If there were to be a trade though, it would cost $12.5 million dollars for either the Angles or Rangers who seem to be interested? But I don’t think it would be wise to trade away the best hitter on the team, when the team is having trouble producing runs.

Not a Good Move

2005-05-26T16:17:00.000-07:00

Sending south paw pitcher Jaime Cerda down to the Minors in my opinion is an unusual move for the Kansas City Royals. They sent him down to Triple-A Omaha. I don’t think Cerda will ever be a starting pitcher in the Majors. His calling should be a specialist pitcher. Against left handed hitters his ERA is .211 and last year it was .185. The Royals think sending him down to the Minors will help him pitch against right handed batters, but I just don’t see that happening.

Ouch!

2005-05-23T17:16:00.000-07:00

The Kansas City Royals placed first baseman Ken Harvey on the 15-day disabled list, due to a back injury. First base will still be open to Harvey when he returns, but in the mean time, the KC Royals will use Emil Brown and Matt Diaz. Both Brown and Diaz will alternate to get more swings in at the plate.

Go Royals...

Job Opening

2005-05-18T11:14:00.000-07:00

from Foxsports.com

There is no timetable for replacing manager Tony Pena, who resigned after the team's 8-25 start. G.M. Allard Baird prefers a manager with big-league experience, something the past five Royals skippers didn't have, but says it's not a requirement. Bench coach Bob Schaefer, appointed interim manager, is the only candidate Baird will identify. A fan favorite is former Royals 2B Frank White, now manager at Class AA Wichita. Baird says he's willing to wait until after the season to hire a replacement, but that's not likely.

No Bueno

2005-05-11T11:12:00.000-07:00

Twenty-six is the number we are working with today. 26 is also the number of errors in the first 28 games that would send signals of an unexpected flaw that must be patched as soon as possible. Add that to uncharged mental lapses and the defense has been nothing more than a complete dud. How can you win with errors. It looks like some one has to go back to fundamentals or back to the drawing board.

To Pitch or not to Pitch

2005-05-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

from Foxsports.com

Rookie RHP Ambiorix Burgos will be the closer until he proves he can't handle the job. Burgos, 21, throws in the high 90s and mixes in a split-finger fastball and a sinker. RHP Mike MacDougal, who was expected to close when LHP Jeremy Affeldt went on the D.L., remains a setup man. Burgos' strikeout ability also makes him a long-term option at closer.

Rookie LHP Andrew Sisco's emergence has allowed the club to carry 11 pitchers instead of 12. It was thought that Sisco, 22, a Rule 5 pick, would need to be brought along slowly after jumping from Class A.

Silly Superstitions

2005-04-19T12:44:00.000-07:00

"I'm developing more superstitions every game, pretty much," Greinke said.

Zack Greinke is apparently a superstitious, blaming his turn out against the Tribe from Cleveland because of a lucky necklace his forgot at his place. Is that the reason the Royals have lost six of their last seven games?

No.

The upside is they have not been shut-out, yet. In this home stand of theirs they are 1 and 6 and the batting average for the team is at low .202 at home. Just averaging two runs per game, is still not enough?

"We need to fight back," manager Tony Pena said, "because we do not have that much punch. We need to do better."

Mr. Pena you nailed it right on the head. The Royals need to punch out more runs at least one or two more…right?

Getting Shaky

2005-04-10T12:19:00.000-07:00

1B Ken Harvey's demotion to the minors hurts the defense; 1B Mike Sweeney has deficiencies. But Sweeney believes he stays sharper at bat when he also plays in the field. . . .

Neither part of the Royals' right field platoon -- Emil Brown nor Matt Stairs -- is a long-term solution at the position. Brown's resume is shaky, and Stairs is 37. . . .

LHP Brian Anderson, 32, has found new life by altering his delivery. The biggest change: eliminating a backward whip that gave hitters too long of a look at the ball. Anderson was 6-12 with a 5.64 ERA last season.

Adjustments...

2005-03-30T11:11:00.000-08:00

from Foxsports.com

3B Mark Teahen and 2B Ruben Gotay, figured to be Triple-A-bound, instead appeared headed for regular jobs in the lineup. Injuries knocked out 3B Chris Truby, signed as Teahen's stand-in, and slowed 2B Tony Graffanino. The two kids seized the opportunity and ripped the ball consistently. Graffanino, if he's ready, could be the backup infielder. . . .

With run production a big concern, there was relief when the Royals were among the AL's best-hitting and highest-scoring clubs this spring. Other good signs for the "little ball" approach on a team lacking home-run power -- high numbers in the walks and sacrifice bunts columns. . . .

New pitching coach Guy Hansen worked overtime overhauling mechanics. LHP Jeremy Affeldt quit tipping pitches, RHP Mike MacDougal added a changeup, LHP Brian Anderson got a more compact delivery and RHP Zack Greinke took a more direct route to the plate. The team ERA wasn't pretty and may not be indicative of the improvement given the way the ball flies in the high desert. It's the long-term benefits that will count.

Snyder’s Shoulder Problems take a Back Seat

2005-03-08T17:58:00.000-08:00

Kyle Snyder of the Kansas City Royals has been battling shoulder problems for quite a few years. In 2000, Snyder had 2 elbow operations; following this in 2003 and 2004, two operations on his shoulder. But, Snyder is looking towards the present with open arms.

"I haven't had the opportunity to develop. I'm still trying to figure out how good I can be. There's no telling. I'm anxious to see where this road takes me."
- Kyle Snyder

So far, Snyder has been showing extreme potential in Spring Training. With the assistance of pitching coach Guy Hansen, he has the potential to become a great pitcher.

The potential

2005-02-22T12:36:00.000-08:00

Guy Hansen, a pitching coach of the Kansas City Royals, feels that right handed pitcher Ryan Jensen needs to re-prioritize his pitches. Jensen used to be apart of the San Francisco Giants rotation, but will probably end up in the bull pen with the Royals. Jensen has a real good knuckle ball, but it wouldnt hurt him to spend time on his other 6 pitches.

A change that Fits

2005-02-09T17:03:00.000-08:00

from Foxsports.com

RHP Jose Lima, darling of the surprising KC charge in 2003, was brought back to be an innings-eater and dugout cheerleader. Coming off a good year with the Dodgers (13-5), he'll give the young rotation a lift. The other significant additions were OF Terrence Long and Eli Marrero, who provide depth at the corners, where a platoon is a definite possibility. For the Braves last year, Marrero punished lefthanded pitchers. Long was an effective pinch hitter for the Padres last year, but if he can recapture the style of his first two years with the A's, he could be an everyday player. It was a pretty quiet offseason with more subtractions than additions.

Adding to the squad..

2005-01-26T14:58:00.000-08:00

From sports.yahoo.com:

Infielder Denny Hocking agreed to a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals and would get a $500,000 deal if he's added to the major league roster.

Hocking, 34, played 55 games for the Colorado Rockies last season, batting .202. Before that, he hit .252 over 11 seasons with Minnesota.

After being released by Colorado in July, the switch hitter played 39 games for the Chicago Cubs' Triple-A Iowa team, hitting .288 with three homers.

In 2000, he became the first major league player to play seven positions at least 10 times in the same season. He will likely compete for a utility infield position with Chris Clapinksi and Luis Ugueto.

If he's added to the big league roster under the deal he agreed to this week, Hocking would get a contract paying him at an annual rate of $500,000 if he is in the majors and $90,000 if he is in the minors. He would be able to earn $50,000 bonuses for 100, 110 and 120 games in the majors.

With this versatile new player, it will add to change last season into the past. Lets see what else they can pull out of their sleeves before the season starts. GO ROYALS!

Sizing up the 2005 Royals

2004-12-23T14:08:00.000-08:00

By Dick Kaegel / MLB.com

Will the Royals trade Mike Sweeney to any team? -- Pete B., Olathe, Kan.

Sweeney has a limited no-trade clause in his contract, specifying several teams to which he cannot be traded unless he approves. However, because of Sweeney's back problems, no other club is likely to offer much for him until that issue is resolved. That means if he hits up a storm next season and his back is sound, then some clubs might be willing to make a solid offer and take on his $11 million-a-year contract, which runs through 2007.

Why did the Royals let pitcher Jimmy Serrano get away to Oakland? He was one of our most promising pitchers, was he not? -- Christopher O., Kansas City

The Royals would have liked to re-sign Serrano, but the A's gave him more hope that he could have a shot at their staff. And now with Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson gone, he just might. Serrano was converted from a reliever to a starter last season and posted a 1.96 ERA in 11 starts for Double-A Wichita. Promoted to the Royals in August, he was 0-1 with a 5.26 ERA in five starts and 1-1 with a 2.57 ERA in five relief outings. Also, Serrano is no kid -- he'll be 29 next May -- so that probably was a factor, too.

I've read about the Royals' possible pursuit of outfielders Kevin Mench, Austin Kearns, etc. What about Eric Valent of the Mets or Jason Lane of the Astros? -- Tony D., Middlesex, N.J.

Valent is a left-handed hitter and projects as a fourth outfielder. The Royals want a young, right-handed hitter to man left field. Lane might fit that profile, although he's already 28. He caught everyone's attention in 2001 when he banged 38 home runs, had 124 RBIs, hit .316 for Round Rock and was named Texas League Player of the Year. Last season, Lane was in 107 games for the Astros, hitting .272 (37 for 136) with four homers and 19 RBIs. In 41 of those games, he was used a pinch hitter, with a .333 average (12 for 36).

Are the Royals planning anything next year for the 1985 team? -- Rob M.

The World Series champions will be honored in a 20th anniversary weekend at Kauffman Stadium. The dates and events have not yet been announced.

Between the exit of Carlos Beltran and this offseason, the Royals will see a whole new salary structure. What are the chances the team payroll will actually increase and, if so, to what? -- Nick, Morioka, Japan

After saving money on the salaries of Beltran, Jason Grimsley and Curtis Leskanic, the team finished the season with a payroll of about $41 million. That could go up to around $47 million, which was last season's starting point.

Will Zack Greinke be the Opening Day starter? -- Lauren O.

Sure. Well, maybe we better check with manager Tony Pena sometime next March. But there's a good chance Greinke would be the choice for the opener in Detroit.

After seeing Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen go hitless in the World Series, I was wondering if Joe Randa had a stretch this year where he went 0-for-15? -- Dean R., Overland Park, Kan.

Randa's longest hitless stretch in 2004 was 0-for-19.

What do you think the likelihood of Justin Huber making the show next year now that he's been added to the 40-man roster. -- Michael Y., Melbourne, Australia

Doubtful. Huber, from Melbourne, suffered a knee injury the day before he was obtained from the Mets and underwent surgery. So he'll have to prove he's sound. He's listed as a catcher, but the Royals are considering trying him in the outfield or at first base. They like his bat. Huber played most of last season with Double-A Binghampton had 11 homers and 33 RBIs in 70 games.

With the Royals singing the praises of Mark Teahen as the long-term third baseman, what are they thinking about Billy Butler? -- Frank W.

Butler had a terrific season at Idaho Falls in the Rookie Pioneer League, with a .373 average, 10 homers and 68 RBIs in 74 games. But he's just 18 and needs some polish. There's been some talk about moving him to the outfield, but, for now, the Royals plan to keep him at third base. After all, there's no guarantee that Teahen will be the answer at third base.

Royals Give Back to Community

2004-12-01T14:56:00.000-08:00

By Dick Kaegel / MLB.com

Royals Charities is as near and dear to the hearts of Dan and Penny Glass as the Royals baseball team itself.

The charitable efforts have intensified since the Glass family purchased the franchise five years ago. Dan Glass, the team president, and his wife have taken a highly personal interest in the project.

"In the year 2000 we generated from fund raising and other efforts about $30,000," Dan Glass said. "And last year I'm proud to say that through all these fund-raising events, sponsorships, player contributions and all that, we're up to over $500,000 a year now, which is great."

Glass said that in five years, Royals Charities has disbursed more than $1.6 million to make a difference in the lives of people in Greater Kansas City.

"I don't think we knew what we were doing when we first got into it. We knew that to raise funds and give it to local charities was the right thing to do. We hardly did any of that before and we needed some identity," Glass said.

"So we earmarked neighborhoods and kids issues and education-type issues -- those were the three things that were our focus."

The major fund raiser has been an annual event that is attended by all the Royals players and team supporters. This year the Baseball N' Blues bash raised about $185,000 by auctioning memorabilia, trips and other special items.

"We get player support. It's a mandatory team event and we've kind of made it their party and cater more to them. I think they actually enjoy coming, at least I hope they do," Penny Glass said.

The players this year got into bidding against special guests Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, who are country music stars. Brooks trained with the Royals last spring at Surprise, Ariz., and made a surprise appearance.

"They've been really good friends since Spring Training," Penny Glass said. "He and Trisha supported our event and having them there made a huge difference. You could hear the buzz in the crowd."

Garth and Trisha joined Dan and Penny about three weeks ago at a Major League Baseball meeting in New York to discuss charitable efforts. Brooks has his own Teammates for Kids Foundation which raises money for children's charities around the world.

MLB is considering a Mother's Day project similar to one targeted for Father's Day to support the fight against prostate cancer.

"It makes about $3 million, so we're talking about doing that for women's causes, and Garth had some ideas that he could help them with," Glass said. "He's doing more than just with his own foundation. He's a charitable guy. He's got a heart of gold."

The Royals have given considerable support to the Boys and Girls Clubs. Glass said Royals Charities has pledged $100,000 a year for five years for the Cleveland Street Project, a complex of inner-city baseball fields. That is part of the RBI (Reviving Baseball in the Inner-City) program championed by MLB. Part of the money also goes to community centers where children learn life skills and have mentors under the Boys and Girls Clubs banner.

The Royals are also supporters of many local non-profit groups, including the Arthritis Foundation, the Harvesters food network, Literacy Kansas City, Operation Breakthrough and the Children's Place.

For the latter charity, which heightens awareness of child abuse and neglect, players' wives produced cookbooks for two years and this year a calendar to raise funds.

"That seems to be the charity of their choice," Penny Glass said.

But it doesn't stop there.

"We did a fashion show with the American Liver Foundation last April. We had several of the wives model with their children and four of the players showed up and had lunch with their wives and everybody," she said.

"It was a nice surprise for the other guests there."

Jeremy Affeldt, Jason Grimsley, Desi Relaford and Scott Sullivan arrived to give their support.

Darrell May and Relaford last season visited the Asthma & Allergy Foundation's Super Kids Camp and joined Royals Charities in donating funds to expand the camp.

May, recently traded to the San Diego Padres, has many philanthropic activities. He and wife Heather were made the first honorary members of the board of directors of the Grants Pass, Ore., Boys and Girls Clubs, a charity he also supported in Kansas City.

"He was probably the biggest contributor toward community projects," Dan Glass said.

Many players through the years have contributed to fund-raising projects, some anonymously.

"The biggest charity guy around since I've been here was probably Jeff Suppan. He supported arthritis in a big way. He was a guy who could never say no to anybody asking him to do something charitable and he never asked anything in return," Glass said.

"He probably had the best attitude of anyone I've ever seen. He never complained about anything. He was a real sweetheart of a guy that way."

Royals Charities has more recipients in mind for the immediate future. And Glass has one longer-term goal.

"We'd really like to build a special-needs field for disabled people who normally can't get around a baseball field," he said. "I'd really like at some point to build a facility here on our complex and have these people feel what it's like to be a Major Leaguer and play the game."

Glass wants to narrow the focus of Royals Charities so the donations will have a bigger impact on selected organizations.

The Royals will continue to raise funds through a Welcome Home Luncheon for the team in April, online auctions and other functions, while seeking other opportunities to increase donations to the community.

"When the family took over, we made it a priority," Glass said. "We thought there was a lot of opportunity to get involved and use the resources of the ballclub to help the community in any way we can. Sometimes it's sending a player over to a hospital to visit a kid who just thinks the world of him. Sometimes it's monetary gifts, but I think the thing that works is sending out people to people. I think it's our responsibility."

Teahen: Meeting new Teammates

2004-10-14T16:31:00.000-07:00

From MLB.com
Mark Teahen is a third baseman in the Kansas City Royals organization. A 2002 first-round pick of the Oakland A's, Teahen was traded to the Royals this season in the Carlos Beltran deal. Playing at two levels for two organizations, Teahen hit a combined .301 with 14 homers and 77 RBIs. He's a member of the Phoenix Desert Dogs this AFL season.

Hello!

I wanted to introduce myself. My name is Mark Teahen and I'm a third baseman in the Kansas City Royals organization.

Let me tell you a little something about myself. I grew up in Yucaipa, Calif., near San Bernadino. That's about an hour and half east of Los Angeles. I was more of an Angels fan growing up, but I also followed the Dodgers.

I played a little soccer growing up, but it was more or less just for staying in shape for baseball. I quit that in high school to focus on baseball.

It's been a strange year for me. I began the year with Midland, the Oakland A's Double-A affiliate. I had just moved to Triple-A and was there for 20 games when I got traded. I found out the same way other people found out: Peter Gammons mentioned me on Baseball Tonight. Once I got the official word -- while I was taking batting practice -- I had to scramble to get to Omaha.

It was hard to leave Oakland, but at the same time I was excited to have this opportunity. Once Eric Chavez signed his extension with the A's, I knew I was going to move. Now I'm in a situation where I may have an opporutnity to make the big league club next spring.

That's why this Fall League is important for me. I'm looking forward to playing against good competition. It's big. I need to prove myself here so they look at me more seriously as a guy to give a chance to in Kansas City next year.

Before heading out here for that challenge, I did drive up to Oakland to watch my buddy, Nick Swisher, play for the A's. Then I headed home just to hang out with my family for a while. After that, I headed to instructs in Surprise, Ariz., for about a week, mostly to meet some people in the Royals organization. Finally, it was time to report to the AFL.

In first meeting my Desert Dog teammates, we didn't go around the room or anything. We had BP. I had played against a lot of the guys. The thing that was weird was that I actually knew the A's guys (my old team) better than the Royals guys (my new team). But I'm sure I'll get to know them well over the next six weeks or so.

Sweeney Done for 2004

2004-09-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

By Anthony Gagliano / Special to MLB.com

ST. PETERSBURG -- Slugger Mike Sweeney, much like the Royals' season, is gone. The four-time All-Star first baseman left the team and flew back home to California after Monday night's game against the Devil Rays.

On the disabled list since Aug. 24 with a recurring disk injury in his back, Sweeney had hoped to return last week at Cleveland. However, he was unable to swing the way the team expects from a lifetime .307 hitter.

"Everyone just came to the conclusion that it would be for the best to get myself 100 percent," Sweeney told The Kansas City Star. "Because I'm not 100 percent right now. The way I look at it, my offseason program starts today."

Sweeney's back ended this season and it's been a persistent problem for the past three seasons. He played in a career-low 108 games last season, when he was out from June 26 to Aug. 8 with nerve irritation in his neck and back. That mark will be eclipsed by this year, as he played in just 106 contests, batting .287 with 22 home runs and 79 RBIs.

A lower back and hip strain in 2002 landed Sweeney on the disabled list for the first time in his career, causing him to miss 31 games.

While Sweeney won't participate in the season's final 13 games, Ken Harvey hopes to make his return. The All-Star first baseman sprained his right knee on Saturday and hasn't played since. The injury came just 10 games after he was activated from the 15-day disabled list with a strained rib cage.

The injury occurred in Cleveland as Harvey was running the bases. After doubling for his first extra-base hit in 73 at-bats, Harvey sustained the injury attempting to avoid a batted ball.

He's yet to perform any baseball activities since the team arrived in St. Petersburg and doesn't have a timetable for his rehab, but remained optimistic he would return.

"It's just a sprain," Harvey said. "I figure I'll be back in a few days. The end of the year for me hasn't entered my mind. I'm not thinking that way."

Go Royals!

Baseball 101

2004-09-07T14:55:00.000-07:00

The playoffs are far out of the picture. What seemed a second chance earlier this season has become a missed opportunity. Teams will lose and teams will win, unless you leave men stranded on base. Put the ball in play, always knock it down, always look the ball in your glove, call it in the air, and always throw strikes. These are the things coaches have told players since the beginning of baseball. The only ones who seem to get the idea are just a few for our beloved Royals. Pitcher Zack Grienke has help hold down the foundation of the team. While players like Angel Berroa have not lived up to there expectations.

Go KC!

KC hands the Tigers Their 6th Loss in a Row

2004-09-02T15:09:00.000-07:00

Zack Greinke had his 95-mph fastball working Wednesday night and it wasn't even his best pitch. It was his 50-mph curveball that had the Detroit Tigers shaking their heads after the rookie right-hander pitched Kansas City to a 1-0 victory Wednesday night.

Greinke, who does not turn 21 until Oct. 21, was perfect through five innings before Craig Monroe singled to lead off the sixth. He dazzled the Tigers with an assortment of fastballs, breaking balls, sliders and changeups -- all thrown at varying speeds for strikes. He gave up three hits in seven innings, striking out five without walking a batter.

He got as high as 95 on his fastball and as low as 50 on a special curveball he learned from Dave LaRoche, the Royals' Triple-A pitching coach.

``We worked on it a little bit but he said, `You have to promise me you won't ever throw it in a game,''' said Greinke (7-9). ``I said I'm sorry, I'm going to use it some day.

``I just lobbed it in there with spin.''

Abraham Nunez, another rookie, singled home Joe Randa in the fourth with the Royals' only run off Maroth (10-10), and Kansas City handed the Tigers their sixth loss in seven games. Jeremy Affeldt pitched a perfect ninth for his ninth save in 12 chances for the Royals, who won for just the third time in 11 games. Maroth retired the first eight batters until Alexis Gomez bunted safely with two out in the third. He struck out a career-high eight batters over eight innings.

Royals 9 Tigers 8

2004-09-01T16:17:00.000-07:00

Aaron Guiel was the only starter on either team without a hit. That didn't stop him from winning the game.

Guiel capped a three-run Royal rally in the ninth Tuesday night with a sacrifice fly, driving in the winning run in Kansas City's 9-8 victory over Detroit.

The win snapped a five-game losing skid for the Royals, who rallied from deficits of 5-0 and 7-4.

Guiel's 0-for-5 performance while his teammates collected 17 singles didn't bother him in the least.

``There's going to be lots of nights I don't get a hit,'' Guiel said. ``Wins are kind of hard to come by for us this year.''

With the Royals trailing by two in the ninth, Abraham Nunez led off with his fourth single of the game. Ugueth Urbina (4-6) walked Calvin Pickering and gave up a bunt single to John Buck to load the bases.

Ruben Gotay followed with an RBI single and Alexis Gomez grounded into a run-scoring fielder's choice to tie it at 8.

Gomez hustled to first and barely avoided the double play.

``We needed a break and we got it,'' said Jeremy Affeldt (3-3), who allowed a run on two hits in the ninth and got the win. ``Gomez hustling that ball out to first base was so key.''

Guiel then lifted Urbina's first pitch to center and Buck slid home with the winning run.

``I was a little scared because John Buck is not so fleet of foot,'' said Guiel.

``But it worked out.''

Royals Roll West

2004-08-23T15:02:00.000-07:00

From MLB.com:

Oh-oh, the Royals are 0-4 against the Angels this season.
Even worse, all four of those games came in a sweep at Kauffman Stadium. Now the Royals have to meet the Angels on their home turf. By any name, Angel Stadium has not been a friendly venue for the Royals in recent years. They're 6-16 in Anaheim since 2000.

What the Royals must do is put the last two games against the Angels out of their minds. Come to think of it, those two games drove the Royals right out of their minds.

On Aug. 8, they led, 4-3, going into the ninth but the bullpen collapsed and the Angels scored three times to win, 6-5. The next night, the Royals took a 3-1 lead into the ninth and the bullpen served up four runs. The Angels won, 5-3.

Those were two of the toughest losses in a hard season.

Right out of the chute, the Royals will have to face one of their toughest opponents, right-hander Bartolo Colon. He's 3-0 against them in the last two years and 10-5 against them in his career.

A positive sign for the Royals: Closer Jeremy Affeldt made his first appearance since June 26 and tossed a scoreless ninth in Sunday's 10-2 romp over the Rangers.

5-Game Skid Plagues Royals

2004-08-11T13:23:00.000-07:00

The Royals have tried nearly everything when it comes to batting lineups against the White Sox. GM Allard Baird has suggested that tonight another roster change could affect tonight's game. Can these changes clean up a 5-game skidmark or will it even matter?

Darrell May will pitch tonight in Chicago, facing fellow southpaw Mark Buehrle, whose record against KC puts May's record against the Sox to shame.

Last night, Pena logged the 400th game of his managing career with the Royals. His record stands at 171-229 since May 15, 2002. Maybe he could go find another team to screw?

Royals Face White Sox

2004-08-04T14:02:00.000-07:00

From MLB.com:

Left-hander Brian Anderson has had good success against the White Sox, but just not this season.

Anderson went 5-1 with a 2.77 earned run average in six starts in 2003 against the White Sox, allowing 12 earned runs in 39 innings. He owns a 7-2 career record against the White Sox.

In two starts against the White Sox this year, Anderson has no decision, but a 7.71 ERA, allowing 10 earned runs and 14 hits in 11 2/3 innings.

Anderson, who was the Royals' Opening Day starter against the White Sox, will try to end a skid of nine straight losing decisions when he starts Wednesday against the White Sox. Anderson has not won since April 20, his lone victory of the season.

He has made three straight starts since returning to the rotation, going 0-1 with a 5.27 ERA.

The White Sox hit four home runs, including a Paul Konerko grand slam in the fifth, to defeat the Royals 12-4 in the series opener on Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium.

Pitching matchup

KC: LHP Brian Anderson
1-9, 6.94 ERA in 2004
0-0, 7.71 ERA vs. CHI in 2004
7-2, 4.50 ERA lifetime vs. CHI

CHI: LHP Scott Schoeneweis
6-8, 4.89 ERA in 2004
Has not faced KC in 2004
2-2, 5.11 ERA lifetime vs. KC

Good luck to Brian Anderson! Looks like we might need it :-/

GO ROYALS!!!

Tuesdays Game

2004-08-04T11:33:00.000-07:00

The final score of tuesdays game against Chicago was 4-12. The final score isn't even the worst part. Our first baseman Mike Sweeney seems to be suffering from horrible back pains again.

Kansas City first baseman Mike Sweeney left in the fifth inning because of back spasms. Sweeney missed six games last month with stiffness in his back. He was on the disabled list for 45 games with back problems last year, when he played in only 108 games, the fewest since he became a regular in 1999.

``The last week, it's been tight in my lower back a little bit off and on,'' Sweeney said. ``I was just trying to battle through it. I came into the game tonight and I felt great. In the second or third inning, I was getting ready for a pitch and it just locked up. Dr. (Steve) Joyce said it's just muscle spasms. Hopefully it's just a day-to-day thing and I'll be back real soon.''

Their next game together is Wednesday night, lets wish them luck!

Tampa Bay 6; Kansas City 2

2004-07-28T13:56:00.000-07:00

This season is getting so grim for the Royals that Tuesday night they allowed the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to score a runner from second base on a strikeout.

But things might turn around for Kansas at tonights game.

The Royals will have southpaw Jimmy Gobble. Gobble has been excellent against the Devil Rays in his career, going 2-0 with a 0.73 ERA in two starts.

Todays game starts at 7:15.
Lets wish our team luck for tonights game!!

Not a Great Weekend for Royals Fans...

2004-07-26T13:01:00.000-07:00

The last 4 games against Cleveland didn't quite go as planned:

 Fri, Jul 23	at Cleveland	L 2-3

 Sat, Jul 24	at Cleveland	L 2-10

 Sat, Jul 24	at Cleveland	L 3-4

 Sun, Jul 25	at Cleveland	L 1-5

Thats no good! Also this week:

Third baseman Joe Randa, as expected, returned Saturday from the disabled list and started the second game of the doubleheader against the Indians.

The next step is likely to be a resumption of the trade rumors that swirled before Randa underwent arthroscopic surgery June 29 to repair torn cartilage in his right knee.

General manager Allard Baird discussed trade possibilities with Randa and several other players in recent days.

"The talks are geared toward telling them where we're at," Baird said, "telling them what we're looking to do, and that we'll see how it plays out."

Kansas 13 Detroit 7!!!

2004-07-22T13:54:00.000-07:00

Mike Sweeney hit a grand slam and a three-run homer to lead the Kansas City Royals over the Detroit Tigers 13-7 Thursday.

Ken Harvey also connected for the Royals, who snapped a three-game losing streak and won for just the 13th time in 44 road games this season.

Sweeney's slam in the second and three-run homer in the eighth gave him a career-high seven RBIs, matching a club record, and his second multihomer game in 11 days.
The Royals scored an unearned run in the top of the first, and Infante tied it with the second leadoff homer of his career in the bottom half.

Lets keep those spirits high! We had a great game today

Yesterday and Today Games

2004-07-22T10:53:00.000-07:00

KANSAS CITY: The Royals recalled RHP Shawn Camp from Triple-A Omaha. He had been 2-0 with a save and a 3.77 ERA in an earlier stint with Kansas City this season. ... 3B Joe Randa, on the DL because of knee surgery, hit and fielded before the game.

DETROIT: The Tigers placed OF Craig Monroe (.278, 4 HR and 34 RBIs) on the 15-day DL because of strained left hamstring and OF Nook Logan (.267, 2 HR, 26 RBIs, 37 SB) was recalled from Triple-A Toledo to take Monroe's roster spot.

I think todays game in Detroit will end a lot better. Lets hope so!!!Go Royals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's my Turn..

2004-07-20T11:51:00.000-07:00

So after posting last week, Andrew gave me the reigns on his blog while he recovers from his Appendectomy.

Right now the Royals are down 5-1 in the top of the 2nd against Baltimore. We lost 4-7 yesterday against them, so this is not encouraging. And after today, we hit the road:

 Next 5 Games

 Tue, Jul 20	Baltimore	2:10 pm

 Wed, Jul 21	at Detroit	7:05 pm

 Thu, Jul 22	at Detroit	1:05 pm

 Fri, Jul 23	at Cleveland	7:05 pm

 Sat, Jul 24	at Cleveland	1:05 pm

Need for Some Encouragement

2004-07-15T11:02:00.000-07:00

From sport.yahoo.com

Not much mystery about what went wrong for the Royals in the first half. They were decimated by injuries and hindered by poor performance. Right fielder Juan Gonzalez -- injured. Center fielder Carlos Beltran -- traded. Left fielder Aaron Guiel -- injured. Third baseman Joe Randa -- injured. Catcher Benito Santiago -- injured. Starting pitcher Brian Anderson -- in the bullpen. Ace relievers Curtis Leskanic and Jason Grimsley -- released and traded, respectively. All-Star closer Mike MacDougal -- sore elbow, in the minors.

With all these inhuries, the Royals are still trying to keep their spirits up.

The Royals are gearing up for the future. They're taking advantage of injuries to give some younger players Major League experience. "We need to go through it to play our young players and whenever we get back our veteran players, we'll have a mix in there and be able to improve our offense," Pena said. The second half should be better. Things couldn't get much worse.

A Little R & R

2004-07-12T16:26:00.000-07:00

From sport.yahoo.com:

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Maybe it was the return of Mike Sweeney, or perhaps it was simply facing the Baltimore Orioles' beleaguered pitching staff.

Whatever the reason, the Kansas City Royals put their hitting woes behind them during an uplifting weekend in Baltimore.

Yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about!

We have some time to rest before battling the Twins on Thursday. Sure, they're ahead this season, but we've got the promise of youth-with more cohesion, we can come back!

Another Loss (ARGH!!!)

2004-07-08T11:30:00.000-07:00

12-0........

Yes, that's our 8th loss in a row.....a franchise record 3 straight shutout losses, too.

words can't even describe the shame.

from royals.mlb.com:

Brown, who had five of the Royals' 13 hits (all singles) in the series, believes all it'll take to get rockin' and rollin' is a couple of hits here and there in key situations.

That may be the underestimation of the century as far as our problems are concerned. I'm sorry, but we're far from rockin' and rollin'. Luckily we have a rest day tonight, and we're playing a much weaker team (Baltimore, 36-46) on Friday. I know if we have enough focus, we can pull a rabbit out of our big blue hat. I'm looking forward to seeing us get our act together against the Orioles.

Tough love....but to end on a positive note,

GO ROYALS! You can take the O's! There's at least one fan behind you!

Another Royals Blog!

2004-07-08T11:08:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! I'm a Royals fan from KCMO and I have decided to pour my extra Royals-related energy into a weblog so that I don't drive my entire family insane! (I think a little might have already rubbed off :-) This may be more of a rant for a while, since the boys from Kauffman are not pleasing me too much this season (29-53 should say it all). I stick behind 'em though, because fair-weather fans are no kind of fans at all!