Welcome to the next 40 years of Kansas City Baseball

The Royals are celebrating their 40th anniversary and looking to turn to the next chapter in their franchise's history.

Off the field the highlight for the Royals this season is the newly renovated Kauffman Stadium

On the field the highlight for the Royals this season has been Zack Greinke and an above .500 record.

This is not just another season of typical Royals baseball.

Kauffman Stadium

Since 1973 Kauffman Stadium* has been recognized as one of the game's most beautiful ballparks.

*Originally if was named Royals Stadium. It was not until 1993 that it was renamed after owner Ewing M. Kauffman.

The stadium's most prominent attraction is the water spectacular* in the outfield.

*The water spectacular is the largest privately funded fountain in the world.

On Oct. 3, 2007 ground was broken for the $250 million renovation of Kauffman Stadium.

The renovations were completed for the home opener this year.

Zack Greinke

Zack Greike has been the best pitcher in Major League Baseball so far this year.

Greinke is leading the majors in four categories:

1. Wins - 7


2. Earned Run Average - 0.60


3. Complete Games - 4


4. Shutouts - 2
   

Greinke has pitched 60 innings, struck out 65 and given up only 4 earned runs.

Greinke only has one loss on the year. He acquired the loss while pitching a complete game and giving up only one run to the Los Angeles Angels.

What Greinke is throwing:

1. Fastball - low to mid 90s, changes speed of fastball frequently, can be overpowering


2. Slider - his out pitch, sharp and late break, dives down and in on left-handed batters


3. Curveball - can be thrown in the mid to high 60s


4. Change-up - good tail down and in on right-handed batters
   

From Royally Speaking:

In the text messaging voting, an overwhelming amount of fans voted in favor of Greinke winning at least 20 games (almost 50% of all voters thought he'd win at least 24 games!) and if that's to come true, then the offense needs to give the Royals' pitched more run support.

Whether Greinke will end the year with 12 or 28 wins depends on the support he is given. As stated above Greinke's only loss this year was after pitching a complete game and only giving up one run. If the Royals cannot get their bats going then there will be problems. The pitching staff is good, possibly great but pitching alone cannot win you first place in any division.

Above .500 record

• The Royals have begun the year with a 19-18 record, good enough for 2nd place in the AL Central


• The Royals have given up the fewest runs in the American League


• The Royals have the lowest ERA in the American League.


• The Royals' team batting average is .260, 11th in the AL
  

Current Injuries

The Royals have been slowed down this year not by the opponents but by themselves.

1. Mike Aviles, SS, 5/17, strained right forearm, day-to-day
   
2. John Bale, P, 5/15, Thyroid surgery, 15-day DL


3. Brian Bannister, P, 5/15, Right shoulder stiffness, day-to-day


4. Alex Gordon, 3B, 5/13, Labral cartilage tear, 15-day DL


5. Tony Pena, SS, 5/9, Fractured left hand, 15-day DL
   
6. Joakim Soria, P, 5/15, Strained right rotator cuff, 15-day DL


7. Doug Waechter, P, 5/14, Strained left oblique, 15-day DL
   

• Mike Aviles batted .325 in 2008
  
• Alex Gordon is viewed by many to be the cornerstone of the Royals' future
  
• Joakim Soria totaled 42 saves in 2008 establishing himself as an elite closer in the league
  

Gil Meche is not on the DL but he too has been slowed down by ailments (back pain). In his career as a Royal Meche has failed to make it out of the fifth inning just six times in 76 starts. Two of those have occurred in his last four starts. Clark Fosler of Royals Authority said "Simply put Gil Meche is not right and no matter how dazzling Zack Greinke continues to be, the Royals will not stick in the race in the AL Central without Meche rebounding to form.

Fosler makes a very good point. First of all, on a typical five day rotation with all pitchers healthy the Royals should expect to win three. So without Meche they should only expect to win two. Gil Meche, Zack Greink, and Kyle Davies are/were giving the Royals quality starts most times they took the mound this year. Not only does this take pressure off of the position players it takes pressure off of the bullpen especially when Meche is pitching. Meche is an innings eater for the Royals and they desperately need him. With the fourth and fifth spots of the rotation still be solidified it makes the importance of the first three spots greater. Meche is the older brother of this pitching staff and they need him healthy.

The Royals have had to make many changes in their lineup due to the slew of injuries they have sustained.

The Royals did not start the year with a healthy club. Jose Guillen went on the DL with a partially torn hip flexor April 10. Mark Teahen took over for Guillen in right field. On April 16 Alex Gordon, 3B, went on the DL. Teahen then transitioned to third. Mitch Maier was then called up to split time with Willie Bloomquist in right field.

Joakim Soria was only able to appear 8 times this year before going on the DL. Now the closing role is being handled by a committee.

Besides all of the injuries the Royals have had performance issues which have forced they to make changes as well. The Royals fourth and fifth starters to begin the year were Sidney Ponson and Horacio Ramirez. Ramirez only started one game before Brian Bannister was called up from Triple-A Omaha to replace him. Sidney Ponson started the year 1-4 before giving up his spot in the rotation to Luke Hochevar of Triple-A Omaha.

The positive

• The Royal's newly acquired center-fielder, Coco Crisp has been playing fabulous defense, been getting a ton of walks (24) and stolen 10 bases.


• Second-basebaman Alberto Callaspo, who filled in for Teahen when he moved to right field, then third, is batting .344.


• Newly acquired Mike Jacobs has hit 8 home runs (what the Royals got him for).


• Billy Butler, 1B, has become solid defensively and is swinging a good stick.


• The Royals' bullpen is solid.


• Meche, Greinke, and Davies, the Royal's best starting pitchers typically give the Royals a good shot at a victory.
  

What to look out for

• Mike Aviles (SS) is batting only .194


• David Dejesus (LF) is batting only .229
  

Just another year of Royals baseball?

No. They Royals have been reborn. They are young, talented, have lots of potential and have veteran leadership. Is there a reason to be overly excited for the Royals? No not yet. As Craig Brown of Royals Authority puts it "If the Royals are out in front in August and September, then I'll really be excited." Good point. It is only May, it is early and most teams are just getting comfortable.

10 reasons not the jump off the bandwagon

By: Lee Warren of Royal Reflections

After the Royals lost their fourth game in a row last night, I began to hear comments like “Same old Royals.” No, not really, but fair-weather fans can’t know the difference. That’s the problem with being fair-weather. So, while in the midst of losing streak, let me offer some reasons not jump off the bandwagon:

1. Jumping off is unbecoming. You are either a fan or not. Choose one.

2. Zack Greinke. Enough said.

3. Losing streaks are part of the game. Just relax.

4. The starting rotation. It’s deep and relatively solid.

5. Depth. The Royals are over .500 without Alex Gordon and with an injured Joakim Soria.

6. David DeJesus will hit. He always does.

7. Alberto Callaspo and Willie Bloomquist. Pleasant surprises; fun to watch.

8. Jamey Wright, Juan Cruz, and Robinson Tejeda. Their ERAs are under 2.00.

9. National attention. Now that the national press is learning how to pronounce our players’ names, it would be good if they saw fans in the stands supporting said players.

10. It’s Major League Baseball. Don’t take it for granted or you might lose it one day.

Lee wrote this in the middle of Royals' six game losing streak. They went on to lose more games but these words still ring true. Just as Craig Brown said, it's early in the season there is no reason to stop supporting the Royals' turn-around.

Comparing to previous years

Not since 2003 have the Royals had a winning record on May 17. In 2003 the Royals ended the year 83-79. 2003 was their first winning season since the year of the players strike in 1994. Also in 2003 the Royals finished in third place, the first time they had done that since 1998. So if the facts hold true then the Royals have a third place in their future.

This April was the best month of April the Royals had since 2003. There is power in getting off to a good start, it builds confidence. The team took that confidence into the month of May winning 6 games in a row, May 2 - May 7.

The down side the Royals follow that 6 games winning streak with a six game losing streak. No need to worry though. Rany on the Royals puts it this way "Let’s take a deep breath, everyone. Good teams lose six games in a row." He could not be more right. He also said "So don’t panic. This is the AL Central, where the Royals can lose six games in a row in mid-May and still hold on to a share of first place."

The AL Central is looking as though any team could win at this point. The team in first place, the Tigers are only two games above .500 and only 1 game ahead of the Royals.

If and when the Royals get healthy, look out

Sam Mellinger talks about the downed Royals players.

"If you're keeping track, that's the opening day starter, All-Star closer, $36 million slugger, and super-prospect third baseman who all are either on the DL now, have been already this season, or have had their performance significantly worsened because of health concerns."

These are key components of any team. Let alone the Royals who are still learning to win again.

Mellinger gives his prediction for this year:

"they could push their win total into the mid-80s, maybe a tick more, and in this very winnable division**, that just might be enough."

I believe that Sam Mellinger and Rany on the Royals would get along just nicely, as long as they were talking about how winnable the AL Central is.

If the Royals can battle through so many injuries and controversies and still be only a game out of first place who is to say they cannot win the division. Every tick of the clock means that more healing has occurred and that the injured are that much closer to getting back to the club and making the second-place Royals even better than they are now.

This season is not just another season of Royals baseball.

How to get to KC from the Twin Cities

Go south, take 35E and you're there. Easy, huh?

Royals can't top Angels

In a three games series against the Angels this weekend the Royals lost every single game.

The Royals completed the hat-trick, losing 1-4, 0-1 and 3-4.

Coming into the series with the Angels the Royals were on a six game winning streak. They were flying high and surely did not think they would lose more than one game.

What made the losses more amazing was, all three games were started by the Royals' top three starters. The game Friday was started by Gil Meche, the game on Saturday by Zack Greinke and the game on Sunday by Kyle Davies.

This may be the only time this year that the Royals lose three consecutive games when these three are pitching at the top of the rotation.

The outing by Meche on Friday was not terrible but was not what the Royals are used to seeing. Meche pitched only 5 2/3 innings and gave up four earned runs but did strike out seven. The four runs given up by Meche were the only of the game. Yet the Royals could not get the bats alive giving Meche only one run of help on four hits.

Saturday was a sure victory. Zack Greinke was on the mound and spirits were surely high. Greinke was not as sharp as we have known him to be this year. He found himself in far too many three-ball counts. Still, Greinke managed to pitch a complete game giving up only one run on four hits.

Sadly the Royals gave Greinke no run support and he was tagged with his first loss of the season in a 0-1 loss.

On Sunday the Royals' bats seemed to come alive once again. They scored three runs on ten hits. Kyle Davies contributed nicely by pitching six innings and giving up only one run.

The Royals took a three-to-one lead into the bottom of the seventh and lost it, giving up three runs.

In the top of the ninth, still down 3-4, all hope was not lost when Miguel Olivo drove a ball to deep left-center field.

It was not meant to be. Torii Hunter made a leaping catch and robbed Butler of a game tying home run that saved the game.

What do the Royals have to do to beat the Angels?

Coming into the series with the Angels the Royals had played 17 straight days. Exhaustion, mental or physical may have played a part in the lack of run production.

To top it all off the Royals closer Joakim Soria has been put on the 15-day disabled list.

Hochevar called up

Luke Hochevar, the 6'5" 210 pound right-hander was recalled from Triple-A Omaha Sunday.

Three factors may be the leading causes as to why Luke Hochevar was called up from Triple-A.

1. Joakim Soria was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday. Continuing shoulder soreness forced Joakim to go on the disabled list.

So far this year Soria had one win and no losses. Soria saved seven games in seven opportunities. In 8.2 innings pitched he had 10 strikeouts, gave up eight hits and only two earned runs.

The loss of Soria opens up a slot for Hochevar to move in.

2. Sidney Ponson has struggled so far this season creating a need for a solid starter in the fourth spot in the rotation.

So far this year Ponson had one win and four losses. Ponson has pitched 35 innings and given up 43 hits and 23 earned runs. Opposing batters are hitting .307 against Ponson.

Those numbers scream for a change to be made.

3. Luke Hochevar has pitched fabulously in Triple-A up to date.

So far this year (in Triple-A Omaha) Hochevar has five wins and no losses. He has pitched 40 innings, struck out 30, given up 28 hits and only 4 earned runs. Hochevar's earned run average is an impressive 0.90.

Hochevar has done spectacular thus far and earned his trip back to the big leagues.

Last year Joakim Soria saved 42 games, had only three blown saves, and ERA of 1.60 and opponents hit a mere .170 against him. He established himself as one of the elite closers in the game with those numbers. There were no signs this year of Soria slowing down.

The loss of Soria will deal a blow to the Royals' bullpen. However Trey Hillman and the players on the team are confident they have a strong enough bullpen to weather this storm.

With Luke Hochevar being called up Sidney Ponson will be bumped to the bullpen. Sidney's presense in the bullpen will help to stabilize it for the time being.

In Ponson's last outing against the Mariners he gave up only one run over 7 1/3 innings. The move to the bullpen is not a demotion, with the loss of Soria changes had to be made. Besides Hochevar is coming off one of his best starts of the year in Triple-A Omaha. He threw eight shutout innings with nine strikeouts in a loss against Memphis.

Last year Hochevar made his rookie debut and struggled for the Royals. He ended the year with a record of six wins and thirteen losses. His ERA was 5.21. But this is a different year. Hochevar has obviously done well in Triple-A and caught the attention of Trey Hillman.

Only time will tell how the loss of Soria and the calling up of Hochevar will affect the club. For now optimism for the recovery of Soria and the success of Hochevar must be kept high.

Ideal Royals lineup

The following hypothetical lineup is in the event of all players being in good health.

1. Coco Crisp- CF
2. Alberto Callaspo- SS
3. Mark Teahan- 2B
4. Jose Guillen- RF
5. Mike Jacobs- DH
6. Alex Gordon- 3B
7. Billy Butler- 1B
8. David DeJesus- LF
9. John Buck- C (Olivo if Greinke pitches)

Lacking run production

The Royals cannot rely on their pitching forever.

The Royals have given up the least amount of runs in the American League so far this year. What's the problem? The Royals have scored the second fewest runs in the American League. The team that has scored less, the Oakland Athletics, are in last place in the American League Western division with a record of 5-9.

And still the Royals remain tied for first place in the Central division. The pitching staff for the Royals has an earned run average of 3.37. That being third best in Major League Baseball behind Seattle's and Pittsburgh's pitching staffs. The Royals have recorded 3 shutouts as well. The only teams, on paper, pitching better than the Royals this year are Seattle's and Pittsburgh's.

The only teams, on paper, hitting better than the Royals are, mostly every other team. The club as a whole is batting .248.

With Gil Meche, Zack Greinke, and Kyle Davies at the front of the pitching rotation the Royals batters are becoming complacent. This complacency is evident when one of the Royals' bottom two pitchers take the mound.

Seven of the Royals' eight victories have come when either Meche, Greinke, or Davies has started. The eighth victory, acquired Wednesday, was won by recently called up Brian Bannister (from Triple-A Omaha) who threw six scoreless innings. Bannister was followed by two scoreless innings from Jamey Wright. Joakim Soria came in for the save and the Royals won 2-0.

Tonight Zack Greinke looks to extend his scoreless streak past 20 innings. Dating back to last year Greinke has a streak of 34 scoreless innings.

Each of Greinke's three outings have been won by only two runs. One of his wins was a complete game shutout.

The Royals cannot expect or depend on Greinke being perfect. He will eventually give up a run(s) and when he does the Royals hitters need to give him the run support he needs.

This is the first time Greinke and the Royals have faced the Tigers this year. In his career against the Tigers Greinke is 8-4 with a 3.19 ERA in 17 appearances, 14 of them starts.

Greinke has good numbers against Detroit and has been lights out this year. But how long can it last? Hitters such as Miguel Cabrera and Brandon Inge batting .431 and .315 respectively will not go down without a fight. Cabrera has hit four home runs this year and Inge six, so far.

It only takes one swing of the bat.

The same goes for the Royals hitters.

Bannister gives Royals hope

Brian Bannister gave the Royals their only win against the Inidians this series.

Thursday's loss to the Indians move the Royals' record to 8 wins and 7 losses.

The last time these teams met the Royals took the series, winning two of three games. April 13th Zack Greinke beat the Indians. April 14th Kyle Davies beat them as well. On the 15th of April Sidney Ponson was beaten by the Indians.

This time around the Indians won two of three. On April 21st Ponson pitched and the Royals lost. April 22nd Bannister pitched and the Royals won. Gil Meche pitched the last game of the series on the 23rd and the Royals took a tough loss.

Sidney Ponson pitched once during each series, both times the Royals lost. Ponson pitched in the last game of the previous series and he pitched in the first game of the most recent series.

Brian Bannister was called up from Triple-A Omaha before his start on Wednesday. Bannister pitched in place of Horacio Ramirez. Ramirez has struggled this season: pitching 7.1 innings, posting an earned run average of 8.59, and given up seven earned runs including two home runs.

Bannister's start on the 22nd consisted of: 6 innings pitched, 2 walks, 1 strikeout, and 2 hits given up.

In 2007 Bannister had a solid rookie season. He racked up 12 wins, 9 losses and posted an earned run average of 3.87. 2008 was a struggle for Bannister; he totaled 9 wins, 15 losses and finished the year with an earned run average of5.76.

During this year's spring training Bannister continued to struggle. He pitched 12.2 innings, did not win a game and lost two. Bannister gave up 12 earned runs and posted a 8.53 ERA.

This year the Royals have been struggling with their fourth and fifth rotation spots. The top three: Meche, Greinke, and Davies have been nearly lights out while Ponson and Horacio Ramirez, the fourth and fifth starters in the rotation have not done well.

Ramirez was moved to the bullpen and Bannister started in the fifth rotation spot Thursday. The question now is whether Bannister can solidify himself in that rotation spot. If able to, the Royals will be given a great gift. Kansas City needs to have pitchers in the fourth and fifth spots that give them a chance to win day in and day out.

Greinke perfect

Zack Greinke pitched the first complete game shutout of his career against the Texas Rangers, Saturday.

At the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington Zack Greinke pitched his first complete game shutout of his career beating the Rangers 2-0. Greinke allowed seven hits, gave up no walks and struck out 10. Four of his strikeouts came against Ian Kinsler and Josh Hamilton (2 each), two of the Rangers top hitters. Chris Davis completed the hat trick by striking out against Greinke three times.

Greinke ran into trouble in the second and third innings but did not seem to be phased. In the second he gave up a lead-off triple to Hank Blalock. Zack then got Marlon Byrd to ground out and then struck out Nelson Cruz and Chris Davis. The third inning was started with a double by Jarrod Saltalamacchia. He was sacrificed to third by Elvis Andrus. Greinke proceded to strike out Ian Kinsler and ground out Michael Young to end the inning.

It was not until the sixth inning that Greinke got run support. The first run of the game was scored by Coco Crisp. He led off with a walk, advanced to third on two groundballs and scored on a double by Billy Butler.

Miguel Olivo gave Greinke an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Olivo hit his first home run of the year off of Kevin Millwood. Millwood pitched the entire game as well.

Greinke threw 111 pitches. In his last start against Cleveland he needed 104 pitches to get through 5 innings. Saturday night Greinke was extremely efficient.

Greinke is 3-0, winning every start he has had this year. He has an earned run average of 0.00. For Greinke the icing on the cake is his streak of 34 scoreless innings dating back to last year. This year, so far, Greinke has thrown 20 innings without giving up a run.

The Royals should be jumping for joy, since they signed this guy to a four-year extension lasting until 2012.

Congragulations Zack!

Royals pitching outstanding

Solid outings from starters, great bridge work from middle relievers, and a fabulous closer pave a smooth road for the Royals.

Pitching has been the key to success for the Royals this year. Offensively the Royals have snuck by. Five of the Royals' seven victories have been won by one or two runs.

As of April 17th; only three teams have scored fewer runs than the Royals, and the Royals have the lowest team batting average in the American League (.245). Positively, the Royals have given up zero unearned runs this year. Which means the position players are playing good defense.

As of April 17th; the Royals have given up the fewest runs in the Major Leagues, Zack Greinke leads the majors with a 0.00 earned run average, Joakim Soria leads the AL with 4 saves, walked the second fewest batters in MLB and the fewest in the AL, and have the second most strikeouts in MLB and the most in the AL.

These numbers are made possible by the Royals pitching staff. Especially by: Gil Meche, Zack Greinke, Kyle Davies, Joakim Soria, Juan Cruz, Robinson Tejada, and Jamey Wright.

Zack Greinke has not let given up a run dating back to last year. He has a bright future and things look as if they are only going to get better for Zack. Known for his devistatingly slow curveball Greinke's fastball may be overlooked. His fastball is thrown in the low nineties. After seeing a curveball in the seventies his low nineties fastball will look as if it is comin in at around 96 miles per hour.

Joakim Soria is the Royals closer and he does just that. He closes the door on the opposing team and does not look back. Soria has been perfect this year in save oportunities. He has pitched four innings, given up three hits, one earned run, walked one batter, and stuck out seven. Last year Soria accumulated 42 saves and a 1.60 earned run average. Expectations will stay high for Soria this year. So far he has live up to them.

Gil Meche and Sidney Ponson are the veterans of the Royals pitching staff. Ponson made his major league debut in 1998 and Meche, his in 1999. Meche has started well, he is 1-0, has a 2.25 ERA, and has struck out 18 batters in 20 innings of work. Ponson has gotten off to a slow start.

The formula for the Royals is simple. The starter needs to pitch five solid innings. The bullpen can take it from there. The sixth and seventh innings can be eaten up by their middle relievers. The eighth can be handled by either Farnsworth or Cruz and the ninth by Soria. The Royals should view starters going past the seventh inning as a bonus. Not because they'll have a better chance to win, but so they can save the arms in their bullpen from overuse.

Estimating, if the Royals can score 3-4 runs per game they should have no trouble winning a significant amount of baseball games.

Another Royal goes down

Alex Gordon had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right hip Friday.

On April 10 Jose Guillen, the Royals starting right fielder was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a partially torn hip flexor. Mark Teahen took over for Guillen. Now Alex Gordon was placed on the disbled list Thursday (April 16). Mark Teahen now takes over for Gordon at third base.

In right field Mitch Maier who was called up from Triple-A Omaha and Willie Bloomquist will share time until Jose Guillen is back in the line-up. Jose is due back next Friday.

Alex Gordon had the surgery done in Colorado. The surgeon was Marc Philippon. Philippon recently did a similar procedure on Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez.

Royals general manager Dayton Moore said "I expect him to come back and be very productive for us."

This year the Royals had high expectations for Gordon. Alex was drafted second overall in the 2005 draft. Since his drafting he has been expected to be a solid presense in the middle of the line-up. This was the year the Royals believed he would emerge as just that.

Gordon is only 25 years old. Manager Trey Hillman said "We want him to be safe, at the young age of 25." Hillman is looking for long term production from Gordon. Originally Gordon was recommended to play through what was tolerable. When the pain was too discomforting he was shut down.

Gordon will be out for at least 10-12 weeks. That projected time would allow for Alex to come back to play around late July or early June.

The manager Hillman misses having Gordon in the line-up. He said "You just miss penciling that name in there because of what you think the production is going to be." Hillman was postive though about the rest of the team, "But we can still do some productive things with the guys we're going to have in the mix."

Friday night, the Royals first game after the loss of Gordon they won 12-3 at Texas. Mark Teahen, who took over at third for Gordon went 5 for 6 with a home run, three runs scored and one run batted in. The now right fielder Willie Bloomquist went 2 for 3 with one run scored and one run batted in. As Hillman said, the Royals have guys who are able to do some productive things.

Yes, the loss of Gordon is a blow to the team but the Royals are not ready to roll over just yet.

John Buck, backup catcher?

John Buck, the 2009 season, backup catcher for the Royals may not stay the backup for long.

The Royals currently have two catchers getting playing time. One, Miguel Olivo, officially the starting catcher and two, John Buck, officially the backup catcher. Those are their formal roles as of now. However on paper John Buck is looking like he should be the starting catcher for the Kansas City Royals.

During spring training Buck had a batting average well above Miguel Olivo. Buck batted .378 compared to Olivo's .292 and they each had 4 home runs. Miguel Olivo had 2 stolen bases during spring training and Buck had none. Other than stolen bases there was no area of offense in which Olivo performed and Buck didn't or excelled at where Buck struggled. The numbers from the Royals spring training begs the question, why is Miguel Olivo starting in front of John Buck?

What was Trey Hillman (royals manager) thinking not giving John Buck the starting role? There may be a few possible explanations. Hillman may feel more comfortable with Olivo behing the plate. He may enjoy Olivo's potential to steal a base here and there. Or he may be attempting to push Buck to get even better and regain his starting role. No one knows except Trey Hillman and these explanations are only speculation.

Looking further into the past, during the 2008 season Olivo's and Buck's performances were comparable. Both did not have an outstanding season. Olivo batted .255 while Buck batted .224. Their home runs and runs batted in where comparable but Buck well surpassed Olivo in runs scored. However Olivo had 7 stolen bases and Buck had none. When stepping outside of the Buck/Olivo battle royale and comparing their statistics to the rest of the league and what should be expected of a major league catcher, neither one of them did well. They did not play terribly, or they wouldn't be around this year but they were by no means impressive.

Back to the present Buck has started this season ablaze while Olivo has struggled to get by. Buck is batting .400 and Olivo is batting a miniscule .143. In 4 games and 15 at bats John buck has 6 hits, scored 3 runs, hit 3 home runs, driven in 8 runs, and struck out only 3 times. Miguel Olivo so far this season has played in 6 games, had 21 at bats, accumulated 3 hits, and truck out 13 times. These are terrible numbers.

John Buck is leading the team in batting average, tied for the lead with 16 total bases, leading in runs batted in, and homes runs. The eye opening aspect is that he has done this while playing in only 4 of the 9 games so far. To top it all of the Royals have not lost a game when Buck has been in the lineup. The Royals have only won one game with Olivo in the lineup and lost 5.

On Tuesday night against the Indians Buck hit two home runs, one a grand slam and tied a career high with 5 runs batted in in a game. The next day, playing the Indians again, the Royals lost 5-4. Wouldn't you know it Miguel Olivo started that game. The Royals are currently tied for first place in the American League Central Division with a record of 5-4, no thanks to Miguel Olivo.

Hopefully Trey Hillman will wise up and give Buck the starting job. Even if he doesn't hand the starting job back to Buck he at least needs to ride out his hot streak.

Figure it out Trey!

Royals 4, Indians 2

Royals hold off Indians in 4-2 victory.

On Monday the Royals beat the last place Indians 4-2. The Royals are now 4-3 on the season and tied for first place with the Chicago White Sox.

Zack Greinke started for the Royals and pitched five scoreless innings. Greinke finished the day with nine strikouts and 104 pitches thrown. So far Greinke has been perfect this season. He has not given up a run in eleven innings and is 2-0.

The Royals jumped out to an early 3-0 lead against starter Fausto Carmona. It wasn't until Carmona threw 42 pitches he got out of the inning.

In the fourth inning Mike Jacobs hit his first home run as a Royal. Last year he hit 32 home runs with Florida. Jacobs said "Anytime you can get that first one out of the way, it's a good thing, I want to hit home runs here as well."

The Indians left a dozen runners on base and went 4-13 with runners in scoring position. Travis Hafner struck out three times and stranded eight runners and Jhonny Peralta stranded eight as well.

Indians manager Eric Wedge said "We squandered too many opportunities."

After Greinke came out Jamey Wright and Kyle Farnsworth did not allow the Indians to get a hit in three innings. In the ninth Ron Mahay gave up two singles before being replaced by Joakim Soria. Soria allowed two singles to Sizemore and Choo. Choo's base hit scored one, a wild pitch scored another and moved the runners into scoring position.

Soria was faced with runners at second and third and no outs. He then retired the next three batters. He struck out Victor Martinez, got Hafner the hit a dribbler to the mound, and struck Peralta out looking on a 3-2 curveball.

Pertaining to his 3-2 curveball Soria said "I've got confidence in that pitch and I just throw it. They can't hit it."

Royals manager Trey Hillman said "I sure didn't like seeing that tying run get to second base and the meat of their order coming up. But Joakim did what he usually does. He doesn't let his heart rate get up there too much and got a couple of big strikeouts."

The Royals have two more games against the Indians at home on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Royals 9, Mariners 2

Surprise, Ari. {Wednesday March 11}

In the fourth inning the Royals scored six runs to seal the deal agains the Mariners. Going into the inning down 2-0. Billy Butler and Mitch Maier contributed by each hitting home runs in the fourth.

Butler hit a three-run home-run over the left field wall. Maier got an inside-the-park home-run.

The Royals were scheduled to face Erik Bedard but he was scratched due to a sore left hip. Chris Jakubaukus started in the place of Bedard and threw three hitless innings.

Once Jakubaukus was removed the Royals had no problem with reliever Justin Thomas. Hits came from Bloomquist, DeJesus, Jacobs, Gordon and Maier. The Royals obtained three insurance runs in the eighth.

It was good news for the Royals when Gil Meche threw 55 pitches and had no complaints of back problems. It was only his second start in the Cactus League after being set back because of back spasms.

David DeJesus

David DeJesus is on the move. Not to another team but to another position and possibly a different spot in the batting order.

His entire career DeJesus has played center field and batted mostly in the lead-off spot. He is now making the adjustment to left field and likely making the adjustment to batting in the three hole.

Why the changes? Coco Crisp. The newly acquired Crisp will be taking over the job in center field and there is a good bet he will be hitting first in the line-up as well.

This is not a demotion for DeJesus it is simply a change. In the outfield, in center, DeJesus has played well for the Royals with good range. Crisp, a bit faster will give the Royals even more coverage out in center.

The decision to bring in Crisp was the idea of general manager Dayton Moore. He wanted to insert speed into the outfield. With the addition of Crisp to the outfield Dejesus said "we solidify the left- and center-field spots."

DeJesus is confident about playing left field and said "Coco [Crisp] doesn't have to worry about my side. He just has to worry about helping Guillen out, so it's good for the team and the pitchers also."

As for the change in the batting order, it seems that it Crisp will be batting lead-off and DeJesus will be hitting third.

Manager Trey Hillman said " He really doesn't have a preference. His approach is going to stay the same. That's music to a manager's ears. It gives me a little flexibility, and it makes it easier to adjust spots when you need to massage the lineup depending on what the run production is."

Moving DeJesus to the three-hole could be a result of more than Coco Crisp coming to the Royals. Last year DeJesus led the Majors with a .419 batting average with runners in scoring position. He has a career batting average of .317 with runners in scoring position.

By batting DeJesus in the three spot he will have more oportunities to put to use those excellent numbers. He is not a power hitter. Last year his 12 home runs were the most of his career. Never the less DeJesus will get it done with singles, doubles, and triples.

The only thing that is important to DeJesus is playing. He said "I'm in the line-up, I want to be playing. That's most important."

Teahen Transitioning To Second

Mark Teahen is experiencing an identity crisis within the Royals organization. Teahen who started the 2006 season at third base, the 2007 season in right field and the 2008 season in left field has now found himself at second base.

Mark Grudzielanek filed for free agency and rejected arbitration this year. With Grudzielanek gone the royals have the second baseb position to fill.

Contesting with Teahen for the second base position is Callaspo and Bloomquist; neither of whom have proven themselves for the Royals.

It seems unlikely that Teahen will regain a starting job at third or in the outfield. Although general manager Trey Hillman says he still wants him to get work in the outfield. The likely starters in the outfield are DeJesus in left, Crisp in center, and Guillen in right. At third Gordon should not have to wory about Teahen snatching away his starting job.

In Teahen's first start at second base in the exhibition opener on February 25 against the Rangers he had two throwing erros in the first two innings.

Teahen knows he has a lot to work on and joked "I gave myself a little room to go up" when talking about his performance. Teahen said he hadn't played second base in seven years since college.

Manager Trey Hillman seems optimistic about Teahen's chances at second base but still want to keep his options open for playing Teahen in the outfield.

Royals Sign Reliever Juan Cruz

Juan Cruz, former Arizona Diamondbacks reliever recently signed with the Kansas City Royals. With the addition of Cruz, the Royals bullpen now has another hard throwing right-hander besides Kyle Farnsworth.

Cruz is a flamethrower. Last year he accumulated 71 strikeouts and 87 the year before.

Cruz's velocity is a surprise to batters. He has a 6ft. 2 in. frame yet only weighs 145 pounds. Cruz is able to generate pitches into the upper 90's.

Cruz is tied to a two year contract along with Kyle Farnsworth.

Ever since coming to the royals Cruz has gotten much praise about his velocity and his improvement on his changeup. The consensus seems to be that Juan Cruz is a solid addition to the Royals bullpen and there are high hopes.

Kauffman Stadium Renovations

Kauffman Stadium is one of the oldest ballparks in the major leagues. In 2008 it celebrated its 36th season of use. Not only does the stadium have a long history, it has a unique history. Kauffman Stadium was once the AL's only all artificial turf field. The ballpark also has its one of a kind fountains in the outfield.

On Opening Day 2009 the ballpark will celebrate its Grand Re-Opening. The project of 250 million dollars will for the most part be completed on that day. The renovations have gone much quicker than expected. The project is far ahead of schedule.

Kauffman Mystique:
http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090217&content_id=3842858&vkey=news_kc&fext=.jsp&c_id=kc

Renovations:
http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/kc/ballpark/renovations.jsp

About:
http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/kc/ballpark/index.jsp

Guillen Linked To Banned Trainer

By: Nam Y. Huh

Jose Guillen, the left fielder for the Royals has been linked to a trainer from the Dominican Republic who has been banned from major league clubhouses. The trainer Angel Presinal has been tied to Alex Rodriquez. Other names such as David Ortiz, Robinson Cano, and Juan Gonzalez have been associated with Presinal.

Guillen says he has not employed Presinal since 2004 and has no plans on employing him in the near future. Guillen wants to respect the wishes of Major League Baseball by not hiring him. Though he says he doesn't think there would be a problem hiring him in the Dominican.

"He's one of the nicest guys who I ever met or worked with" Guillen said of Presinal. Guillen

would like to simply put all of this behind him.

Associated Press:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3925089

Kansas City Star:
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/royals/story/1047260.html

MLB.com:
http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090221&content_id=3862698&vkey=news_kc&fext=.jsp&c_id=kc

Kevin Seitzer Back With The Royals

By: Jonathan Daniel/Getty

Kevin Seitzer played for the Royals from 1986-1991 and in total enjoyed 12 years in the major leagues. Now he is back with the Royals as their hitting coach. When Seitzer was asked what it means to him to be back with the Kansas City Royals he replied "For me it's a dream come true." Seitzer recalled hopeful plans once his playing career was finished after the 97 season. Once helping his boys into college he hoped to get back into major league baseball as a hitting coach and someday acquire the position with the Kansas City Royals. Seitzer's hopeful plans have become a reality.

Seitzer believes what has been missing from an offensive standpoint is a consistent approach at the plate. When talking about his philosophy at bat he said he wants "to instill in these guys a consistent approach instead of just steppin in the box and see ball, hit ball, swing at thrown ball..." The bottom line for Seitzer is "putting them in a position to put the fat part of the bat on the ball consistently, wherever it goes it goes."

Seitzer is excited to get started.

Seitzer interview:
http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200902103815198

Associated Press:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=3889878

Kauffman Stadium

From: Flickr

Let's Get Acquainted

Manager and coaches:
http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/team/coaches.jsp?c_id=kc

Current 40 man roster:
http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/team/roster_40man.jsp?c_id=kc

Depth Chart:
http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/team/depth_chart/index.jsp?c_id=kc

2008 draft results:
http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/team/draft.jsp?c_id=kc

Royals history:
http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/kc/history/index.jsp

My Reasoning

In years past I have made annual trips to Kansas City, Missouri to watch baseball. Home to the Kansas City Royals. Since the first time I laid eyes on the stadium it has been my place of choice to watch baseball.

It does not get any better than being in Kansas City on a warm summer day cheering the Royals on in hopes they will get enough hits to win free Krispy Kreme Doughnuts for the loyal fans attending.

Many memories have been made at Kauffman Stadium and I hope to create many more in the future.

Therfore I dedicate this blog to the Kansas City Royals.