Graffanino all smiles
KANSAS CITY -- While his teammates took batting practice Tuesday afternoon, Tony Graffanino stood near third base, a glove on his hand, a smile on his goateed face.
He fielded a few grounders, tossed a few balls across the infield and resumed his stance before deciding to have a little fun. With John Buck in the cage, Graffanino fielded a ball and, rather than throw it to first, deposited it in his back pocket, laughing.
Graffanino, of course, has been able to laugh about almost everything lately. His team is 7-4 this month -- and 8-4 since manager Buddy Bell took over on May 31 -- and Graffanino has batted .419 (13-for-31) under the new skipper. Since the end of April, the 32-year-old utility infielder has raised his average from .206 to .321. His new manager couldn't be happier.
"He's great," Bell said, "and he gives you a great at-bat all the time, whether he starts the game or whether he comes in late. He can play all over the place and he's a guy you want to put in the lineup all the time because he deserves it."
Indeed, Graffanino's work habits are infectious, especially from a player who doesn't enjoy the luxury of knowing he'll be in the lineup every day. In fact, after leading the American League in batting last week -- a nice .545 clip -- Graffanino's name was conspicuously absent from the lineup Tuesday.
Not that it bothers him, his teammates or his manager.
"We've got [Joe] McEwing on the bench, we've got Graffanino on the bench, we've got [Emil] Brown on the bench, we've got [Alberto] Castillo on the bench," Bell said. "That's not too bad. Those are veteran guys who understand the game and understand when they'll be used.
"If you're a bench player, you've got to be a special kind of guy ... because you're sitting on the bench and all of a sudden you've got to go up there and face 95, 96 [mph]. That's not a real easy task."
But for a veteran like Graffanino, well, he'll just keep hitting. And laughing.
The hits just keep on coming: Graffanino isn't the only Royal to enjoy a bit of a renaissance at the plate during the last few weeks. He is, in fact, just one of nine players batting better than .300 since Bell was named manager. During that span, the team is batting .313.
So, why the recent rise in batting average? Perhaps it's Bell, perhaps it's new hitting coach Andre David, perhaps it's just the weather. Bell, at least, will credit David.
"Andre has done a great job," Bell said. "Andre's approach is very positive, he's got a great relationship with these guys already -- especially the younger guys who he had in the Minor Leagues for a couple years.
"I've been staying away from him and letting him do his thing."
Trivia question: Though the Royals had never played the Dodgers during the regular season before Tuesday, the teams have made three trades. When did those trades occur and what players were involved? (See answer below.)
A stats story: Want to put outfielder Emil Brown's recent power surge into some sort of perspective? Chew on these numbers:
Through Monday, Brown was batting .281 with seven home runs and 31 RBIs, while former Royals outfielder Carlos Beltran, now of the Mets, is batting .285 with seven homers and 29 RBIs.
Take the comparison a step further, and the numbers show that Brown has scored more runs than Beltran, 31 to 27, and amassed a higher on-base percentage and slugging percentage, .356 to .342, and .478 to .444, respectively.
The pair's statistics are nearly identical, in fact, across the board. The only glaring difference? Salary. Brown is earning $355,000 this season, while Beltran is pulling down $11,571,429.
Will Brown be able to sustain his current pace much longer? Probably not. And will Beltran's numbers remain so low? Again, probably not. But for now, at least, Brown looks like a slugging bargain.
Injury update: Mike Sweeney returned to the No. 3 spot in the lineup and his perch at first base Tuesday after missing five games with a rib-cage injury.
"He probably could have played Sunday," Bell said. "We were trying like heck to stay away from him. ... He feels good about playing first and we're happy to have him back in the lineup."
The Royals' army of injured pitchers, however, hasn't been quite as lucky. Right-hander Steve Stemle, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with a back strain, underwent an MRI Tuesday afternoon, though no further diagnosis was available.
Right-handers Denny Bautista and Kyle Snyder are both scheduled to throw simulated games Wednesday, and left-hander Brian Anderson is "feeling good."
Anderson isn't close to being ready to return from the DL -- he's been sidelined with left elbow inflammation since May 9 -- though the lefty joked that he's so old, the team just let him rehab at his own pace.
"Of course, [Anderson], he wants to start today," Bell said, "so we've got to be careful with him. I'm anxious to get him back, though."
Farm report: Calvin Pickering was 2-for-4 and hit his fifth homer this season Monday. That run, though, was the only one Triple-A Omaha could muster in a 4-1 loss to Oklahoma. ... Double-A Wichita swept a doubleheader from Tulsa, 9-8 and 2-1. Mike Aviles was 4-for-4 and scored three runs in the first game; Barry Armitage pitched five scoreless innings in the second game to pick up the win. ... Class A High Desert lost its third straight game to Rancho Cucamonga, 3-2, despite a strong outing from Chris Coughlin, who allowed just four hits over 7 2/3 innings. ... Class A Burlington notched a seven-run fourth inning on its way to a 8-3 win over Cedar Rapids.
Trivia answer: On Dec. 9, 1983, the Royals sent John Serritella, Joe Szekely and Jose Torres to the Dodgers for Joe Beckwith. Eight years later, they sent Todd Benzinger to the Dodgers for Chris Gwynn and Domingo Mota, on Dec. 11, 1991. And almost exactly four years after that -- Dec. 17, 1995, to be exact -- the Royals sent Billy Brewer to the Dodgers for Jose Offerman.
On deck: The Royals will continue their three-game set with the Dodgers at 7:10 p.m. CT on Wednesday at Kauffman Stadium. Right-hander Jose Lima (0-5, 8.16 ERA) will start for the Royals, and right-hander Brad Penny (3-2, 4.04 ERA) will take the hill for the Dodgers.
Source: http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/
He fielded a few grounders, tossed a few balls across the infield and resumed his stance before deciding to have a little fun. With John Buck in the cage, Graffanino fielded a ball and, rather than throw it to first, deposited it in his back pocket, laughing.
Graffanino, of course, has been able to laugh about almost everything lately. His team is 7-4 this month -- and 8-4 since manager Buddy Bell took over on May 31 -- and Graffanino has batted .419 (13-for-31) under the new skipper. Since the end of April, the 32-year-old utility infielder has raised his average from .206 to .321. His new manager couldn't be happier.
"He's great," Bell said, "and he gives you a great at-bat all the time, whether he starts the game or whether he comes in late. He can play all over the place and he's a guy you want to put in the lineup all the time because he deserves it."
Indeed, Graffanino's work habits are infectious, especially from a player who doesn't enjoy the luxury of knowing he'll be in the lineup every day. In fact, after leading the American League in batting last week -- a nice .545 clip -- Graffanino's name was conspicuously absent from the lineup Tuesday.
Not that it bothers him, his teammates or his manager.
"We've got [Joe] McEwing on the bench, we've got Graffanino on the bench, we've got [Emil] Brown on the bench, we've got [Alberto] Castillo on the bench," Bell said. "That's not too bad. Those are veteran guys who understand the game and understand when they'll be used.
"If you're a bench player, you've got to be a special kind of guy ... because you're sitting on the bench and all of a sudden you've got to go up there and face 95, 96 [mph]. That's not a real easy task."
But for a veteran like Graffanino, well, he'll just keep hitting. And laughing.
The hits just keep on coming: Graffanino isn't the only Royal to enjoy a bit of a renaissance at the plate during the last few weeks. He is, in fact, just one of nine players batting better than .300 since Bell was named manager. During that span, the team is batting .313.
So, why the recent rise in batting average? Perhaps it's Bell, perhaps it's new hitting coach Andre David, perhaps it's just the weather. Bell, at least, will credit David.
"Andre has done a great job," Bell said. "Andre's approach is very positive, he's got a great relationship with these guys already -- especially the younger guys who he had in the Minor Leagues for a couple years.
"I've been staying away from him and letting him do his thing."
Trivia question: Though the Royals had never played the Dodgers during the regular season before Tuesday, the teams have made three trades. When did those trades occur and what players were involved? (See answer below.)
A stats story: Want to put outfielder Emil Brown's recent power surge into some sort of perspective? Chew on these numbers:
Through Monday, Brown was batting .281 with seven home runs and 31 RBIs, while former Royals outfielder Carlos Beltran, now of the Mets, is batting .285 with seven homers and 29 RBIs.
Take the comparison a step further, and the numbers show that Brown has scored more runs than Beltran, 31 to 27, and amassed a higher on-base percentage and slugging percentage, .356 to .342, and .478 to .444, respectively.
The pair's statistics are nearly identical, in fact, across the board. The only glaring difference? Salary. Brown is earning $355,000 this season, while Beltran is pulling down $11,571,429.
Will Brown be able to sustain his current pace much longer? Probably not. And will Beltran's numbers remain so low? Again, probably not. But for now, at least, Brown looks like a slugging bargain.
Injury update: Mike Sweeney returned to the No. 3 spot in the lineup and his perch at first base Tuesday after missing five games with a rib-cage injury.
"He probably could have played Sunday," Bell said. "We were trying like heck to stay away from him. ... He feels good about playing first and we're happy to have him back in the lineup."
The Royals' army of injured pitchers, however, hasn't been quite as lucky. Right-hander Steve Stemle, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with a back strain, underwent an MRI Tuesday afternoon, though no further diagnosis was available.
Right-handers Denny Bautista and Kyle Snyder are both scheduled to throw simulated games Wednesday, and left-hander Brian Anderson is "feeling good."
Anderson isn't close to being ready to return from the DL -- he's been sidelined with left elbow inflammation since May 9 -- though the lefty joked that he's so old, the team just let him rehab at his own pace.
"Of course, [Anderson], he wants to start today," Bell said, "so we've got to be careful with him. I'm anxious to get him back, though."
Farm report: Calvin Pickering was 2-for-4 and hit his fifth homer this season Monday. That run, though, was the only one Triple-A Omaha could muster in a 4-1 loss to Oklahoma. ... Double-A Wichita swept a doubleheader from Tulsa, 9-8 and 2-1. Mike Aviles was 4-for-4 and scored three runs in the first game; Barry Armitage pitched five scoreless innings in the second game to pick up the win. ... Class A High Desert lost its third straight game to Rancho Cucamonga, 3-2, despite a strong outing from Chris Coughlin, who allowed just four hits over 7 2/3 innings. ... Class A Burlington notched a seven-run fourth inning on its way to a 8-3 win over Cedar Rapids.
Trivia answer: On Dec. 9, 1983, the Royals sent John Serritella, Joe Szekely and Jose Torres to the Dodgers for Joe Beckwith. Eight years later, they sent Todd Benzinger to the Dodgers for Chris Gwynn and Domingo Mota, on Dec. 11, 1991. And almost exactly four years after that -- Dec. 17, 1995, to be exact -- the Royals sent Billy Brewer to the Dodgers for Jose Offerman.
On deck: The Royals will continue their three-game set with the Dodgers at 7:10 p.m. CT on Wednesday at Kauffman Stadium. Right-hander Jose Lima (0-5, 8.16 ERA) will start for the Royals, and right-hander Brad Penny (3-2, 4.04 ERA) will take the hill for the Dodgers.
Source: http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/
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