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/

Royals ride Costa's shot to victory

KANSAS CITY -- These days hardly anything can go wrong for the Royals.
Shane Costa hit his first Major League home run in the fifth inning Tuesday night and it held up for a 3-2 Interleague victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Kauffman Stadium.

For a club that regularly twisted in the wind early this season, the arrival of manager Buddy Bell has provided a welcome gulp of fresh air. Bell's record is 9-4 since he took over, already more victories than Tony Pena saw in 33 games. The Royals were 8-25 when he resigned.

What's different now?

"We're winning," veteran Matt Stairs said with a smile. "Good hitting, timely pitching -- good management. The team is playing with a lot of confidence."

They've won three straight. Bell's tenure began with four straight wins.

Royals starter Runelvys Hernandez and the Dodgers' Jeff Weaver were locked 2-2 when Costa led off the fifth. First, he tried to bunt for a hit but Antonio Perez let the ball roll and it curled foul just before reaching third base.

"I thought maybe he'd field it -- who knows?" Costa said. "I end up hitting a home run so it's a good thing."

Costa, on a full count, pounded a high slider from Weaver just over the right center-field wall. Costa wasn't sure it would make it.

"I didn't," he said. "I was hoping it was going out."

There was probably an extra measure of satisfaction, too, for him in the victory over the Dodgers. He's from Visalia, Calif.

"I was a Giants fan growing up," he said.

All the runs were the result of homers. Hee-Seop Choi connected down the right-field line in the Dodgers' first inning -- his seventh homer in his last four games and 13th of the season.

The Royals came right back as Angel Berroa singled and David DeJesus pounded a home run to right-center field off Weaver.

"He got it up in the zone and I put a good swing on it," DeJesus said. "The wind was blowing pretty good to right field tonight, so maybe that helped."

J.D. Drew tied it up with a homer to center field in the third.

Then Costa teed off. He also had two singles for a perfect night, going 3-for-3.

"He's a smart kid," Bell said. "He works hard. He prepares. He does a lot outside of batting practice."

The rookie is hitting .421 in his eight games. Bell also has a couple of other hot-hitting corner outfielders in Emil Brown and Terrence Long.

"We're probably going to have to figure out some kind of rotation," Bell said. "I don't know how we're going to do that. I'm just going to enjoy this and think about that tomorrow."

Bell was asked if he remembered his first Major League homer. He sure did -- it was off Baltimore's Eddie Watt in Cleveland and was a grand slam.

Roller Costa
Dodgers at Royals, June 14
Rookie Shane Costa, batting .421 since getting called up from Double-A Wichita, went 3-for-3 and slugged the first home run of his Major League career. A look at his plate appearances Tuesday:
Inn. Count Result
2nd 0-1, 1 Out Single
5th 3-2, 0 Out Solo home run
7th 0-0, 0 Out Single
Costa had five homers for the Wranglers this season and 13 home runs in 714 career Minor League at-bats.

"He hung a slider, I think. Costa's was longer," Bell said. "I think mine was down the line."

With the lead in hand, Hernandez was taken out after six innings and 92 pitches. He gave up eight hits but no walks. Now, could the bullpen hang on?

Why, sure. It's just the way things are going these days for the resurgent Royals.

Jeremy Affeldt worked a perfect seventh and, after walking Drew to start the eighth, Ambiorix Burgos was summoned. He hit a batter but also got three strikeouts.

Mike MacDougal survived a leadoff single by Jason Phillips in the ninth with shortstop Berroa snagging a hard-to-handle chopper and gunning a low throw to first baseman Mike Sweeney to end the game.

Sweeney, back after a five-game absence (rib-cage strain), narrowly missed a home run in the fourth as he slammed a double off the left-field wall.

"I thought he looked good -- free and easy," Bell said. "It's good to have him in the middle of the lineup."

Yes, everything is going well for the Royals.

"Let's not get too happy," Stairs cautioned. "We've got 22 wins."

OK. But for now, enjoy.

Source: http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/

Brett, Hernandez to manage Futures

The alumni directory for Futures Game managers is a veritable who's who of baseball's past, complete with Hall of Famers and All-Stars aplenty.
The list consists of baseball dignitaries Goose Gossage, Fernando Valenzuela, Paul Molitor, Davey Concepcion, Carlton Fisk, Tony Oliva, Gaylord Perry, Minnie Minoso, Jim Rice, Tony Perez, Lou Brock and Luis Aparicio.

The 2005 XM Satellite Radio All-Star Futures Game will keep up that level of excellence when George Brett and Guillermo Hernandez man the United States and World dugouts, respectively, on Sunday, July 10. Rosters for both teams will be announced on an exclusive MLB.com video show from the Texas League All-Star Game on Wednesday, June 22 at 4 p.m. ET.

Brett, the longtime Royals third baseman appeared in a dozen All-Star Games, won the AL MVP in 1980 and finished with 3,154 hits. His efforts earned him enshrinement into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999.

"I don't think people who never played realize, once you play in the big leagues, you're a part of a great fraternity," Brett said. "These Future guys will be members of that fraternity. Just because I'm an old has-been doesn't mean I'm not still part of the fraternity and won't promote it whenever I have the chance."

Hernandez appeared in three All-Star Games, all with the Tigers, who play host to the All-Star festivities this year. His best year came in 1984, when he took home Cy Young and MVP honors as the Tigers won the World Series.

"I'm very happy that I'm able to go back to the old city and see all my old teammates and old, familiar faces," Hernandez said from the Dominican Republic, where he's currently a farmer and cattle rancher. "It's something that I'm really anxious about."

Brett and Hernandez were contemporaries from the same era, but now approach this Futures Game from very different places. Brett has stayed very involved in Kansas City as the Royals' vice president of baseball operations. The invitation to manage the U.S. team -- one that's been offered in the past but Brett previously had to turn down because of a family illness -- is simply an extension of what he's already doing.

"That's the whole thing," Brett said. "I go to Spring Training for a month. I suit up, work with young hitters, work on fielding, baserunning, a little bit about everything. I'm still very attached to the game of baseball."

It'd be easy to assume that George Brett, Hall of Famer, baseball legend, wouldn't be easily impressed, that meeting Minor Leaguers wouldn't be at the top of his to-do list. It'd be a wrong assumption to make.

"I consider it quite an honor that I get to represent the United States in this game, playing against the best in the world," said Brett, who took in the Futures Game in the U.S. dugout in 2002 when fellow Hall of Famer Paul Molitor managed. "It's an honor to be invited. I'm looking forward to it, to be around the budding stars of tomorrow. Most of them will make it to the big leagues. To say that I knew that guy when he was 19, when they come through Kansas City, friendships develop.

"One guy that really stands out that I met was Pat Burrell. Now every day, I look at the paper to see how he's doing."

For Hernandez, the invitation to man the World dugout could be a means to get back into the game, something he's been eyeing for quite some time.

"I would like another chance to get back to the Major Leagues as a pitching coach, to prove that I can do the job," Hernandez said. "When I get a chance like this, I'll take it. I really don't want to spend too much time in the Minor Leagues because I feel I've paid my dues here.

"I have a lot of experience with kids here, teaching baseball and pitching. I want to train them not only with their mechanics, but their minds and their strengths as well."

Hernandez makes it clear that this managing gig will be a one-time-only affair. He wants to deal with arms only and is honest about his limitations as a skipper.

"As a manager, you have to know a lot of things; the fielding, the baserunning, the hitting, the catching," Hernandez said. "Guys like me, the pitchers, we did our own thing in the bullpen. We also messed around a little more, playing jokes, slapping each other around, but when it comes down to pitching, we know exactly what it is we need to do or look for.

"There are so many things to think about as a manager, and I'm not prepared for that. I am prepared for the pitchers, though."

The pitchers who are named to the World Team will certainly benefit from that knowledge, just like the U.S. team will undoubtedly be able to learn from Brett's vast experiences. Brett understands that while the Futures Game is an exhibition, many of baseball's decision-makers will be watching these young players to see how they perform on a larger stage.

"I was at a [Futures] Game years ago, our general manager was at the game," Brett recalled. "He said, 'George, I want you to keep an eye on that guy, we may be trading for him.' Our GM, assistant GM, and several scouts were there. It's a great place to showcase their talents. They're going up against the best of the best."

Brett won't have a long period of time to prepare them for this experience, so he'll keep the advice simple and straightforward, using a credo that served him well in two decades with the Royals: Play the game right.

"I'll tell them to have fun, and to play the game with the respect of those who played before," Brett said. "That means if you hit a ground ball, you run as hard as you can. Scouts will be out there watching you. If they see you in this exhibition with that desire, they'll know what kind of big leaguer you can be.

"You can close a lot of eyes; you can open a lot of eyes. It's up to you. The whole objective of this game is to get you to the big leagues. The best way to do that is to respect the game, hustle on and off the field, and play the game the right way."

Source: http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/

Lima baffles former mates to notch win

KANSAS CITY -- Jose Lima exulted on the mound. He raced toward the Royals' dugout and leaped over the baseline in a single bound. Then he ripped the air with his fist as the crowd of 21,024 filled Kauffman Stadium with a roar.
Yes, Lima Time was ticking again with a fury.

Lima's leap came after he struck out Jayson Werth to end the eighth inning Wednesday night, sending the Royals to a 3-1 victory over the Dodgers.

Lima simply was a man on a mission against his former team. He stared into their dugout with venom in his eyes. He relished every out. With his outlandishly blond-dyed hair and his outrageously pugnacious behavior, he was ready to compete.

"The madder they are at me, the more chance I have to beat them," he said. "I was pumped up, doing my thing, jumping the line and it went my way."

It sure did. In his 14th start this season, he finally had his first victory. Before Wednesday night, you could tell Lima Time with a sundial.

But the Dodgers were the outfit that snubbed him last winter after he'd posted a 13-5 record and shut out the Cardinals in the playoffs.

"I was a little upset because I didn't get a phone call in the offseason after what I did for them," Lima said.

So Lima extracted revenge by holding the Dodgers to one run and five singles in his eight innings, walking one. He might have had a shutout still intact if first baseman Mike Sweeney hadn't been involved in a fourth-inning collision.

Sweeney, reaching for a throw, suffered a sprained left wrist and elbow when his glove and Werth came together at first base. While Sweeney went down, Werth wound up at second base after third baseman Mark Teahen was charged with a throwing error. Werth scored on Jeff Kent's single.

The hanging slider to Kent was classified by Lima as his only mistake.

"I'm lucky he didn't hit a home run, because it was up in the zone," Lima said.

The win was the Royals' fourth straight, including two tight victories over the Dodgers.

"It was similar to last night's game, except that it was Jose's first win, which is huge for us, obviously," manager Buddy Bell said.

The Royals got a run in the first inning off right-hander Brad Penny on Sweeney's double and, after a walk and a wild pitch, Emil Brown's two-bagger.

Jose Lima / P
Born: 09/30/72
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 205 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: R

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Kansas City struck for two more in the fifth on singles by Angel Berroa, David DeJesus, Matt Stairs and Brown. The two RBIs on the night by Brown gave him 13 in his last 12 games.

Lima gave up a leadoff single to Jason Grabowski in the fifth, then induced a double play. After that, he retired 10 of the next 11 batters.

Finally, Lima had avoided the one lousy inning that seemed to scuttle his efforts all season.

"In my heart, I was saying, 'Stay away from big innings, stay away from big innings,' and all night long that's what I did," he said.

Bell toyed with the idea of letting Lima pitch the ninth, but instead opted for closer Mike MacDougal. The right-hander reeled off a perfect inning for his eighth save.

"You like to stay away from the bullpen, but -- and maybe this is not very courageous on my part -- he didn't have a win yet and I thought the best chance we had was to bring 'Mac' in," Bell said.

The win gave Bell a 10-4 record since taking over as manager. Only Whitey Herzog had a better start for the Royals, going 11-3 in his first 14 games in 1975.

"We've been down in the dumps and now we're playing good baseball," catcher John Buck said.

And Lima put on a good show. After second baseman Ruben Gotay made a sparkling stop on Hee-Seop Choi's grounder in the seventh, Lima stood by the dugout and enthusiastically greeted every teammate coming off the field.

"It was a heck of a night," Bell said.

Source: http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/

Lima's message loud and clear in win

KANSAS CITY -- Jose Lima wanted to send a message Wednesday night, though it was unclear who, exactly, was the recipient.
It might have been the Royals' fans, who have both cheered and booed Lima as he marched to five losses and an 8.16 ERA during his first 13 starts. It might have been himself, to whom he granted invaluable reassurance that Major League wins are not a thing of the past.

More likely, though, it was the Dodgers, who did not tender Lima a contract after he compiled a 13-5 mark just a year ago, and notched a shutout in the team's first playoff win since 1988. If, indeed, Lima was sending his proverbial message to his former club, rest assured that it was received, especially after the right-hander worked a season-high eight innings and beat the Dodgers, 3-1, for his first since win since, well, he was a Dodger himself.

Lima quieted the Dodgers' clubhouse -- most players either dressed quickly and left, or sat on couches and watched television -- and he all but quieted manager Jim Tracy, who had little to say about his team's power outage the last two nights against the Royals. Tracy said more, in fact, about Lima's efforts than he did about the Dodgers'.

"He was definitely on his game," Tracy said. "And that's not the first time I've seen him go out there and perform like that. Give him credit. From the third inning on, he made pitches and he continued to make them. He made pitches ahead in the count, he made quality pitches when he was behind in the count and we just weren't able to do anything with it.

"He just never really allowed us to get anything going. That's basically all it boils down to."

Dodgers right-hander Brad Penny, who countered with a seven-inning effort that would be good enough to win most games -- three earned runs and eight hits allowed, seven strikeouts against just one walk -- chalked up Lima's performance to the emotions that run though any pitcher when he bears down against a former team.

"It's always nice to face your old team," said Penny, "and he pitched a great game. He was locating all his pitches. Any time a big league pitcher locates all three pitches, he's going to be successful."

Lima was certainly that Wednesday, notching his first regular-season win since Sept. 14 of last year. Afterward, he held court and spoke out about his performance and his tenure with the Dodgers.

"At least I have good memories coming out of L.A.," he said, "and I will never forget that."

While speaking, he debated which color shoes to wear -- he chose black over brown -- and donned a black camouflage T-shirt and cap, though he'll surely not be trying to hide anytime soon.

Before leaving, he plucked a game ball from a table next to his locker and dropped it in the back pocket of his jeans. It was for his mother, who was in attendance.

"She told me to bring that ball home," he said, "and I'll bring it to her."

He already delivered the message, now he just has to deliver the ball.

Source: http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/

Several arms continue to heal

KANSAS CITY -- Kyle Snyder headed to Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday to work on becoming a starting pitcher for the Royals.
Denny Bautista, a starter out with a shoulder problem, threw a simulated game and had the catcher's glove popping with some serious heat.

Scott Sullivan, a reliever who hasn't pitched all season, also threw in the simulated game. The results were encouraging.

"We're encouraged with those three, and [Brian] Anderson, too," pitching coach Guy Hansen said.

Anderson, a left-handed starter out with elbow problems, has been throwing off flat ground and should have his first bullpen session this weekend.

If all those projects go well, the Royals soon will be overloaded with pitchers.

Snyder, coming off a season lost to arm surgery, began the 2005 campaign as a reliever before going on the disabled list May 10 with a shoulder strain. He'll start Thursday night at Oklahoma City and go three innings or 40 pitches, whichever comes first.

When Snyder is ready to return, it will be as a starter.

"Yeah, that's what we plan on doing," manager Buddy Bell said. "It'll depend on how he does in a start or two."

Bautista, who can throw 97 or 98 mph when healthy, drew a large crowd to the batting cage for his first outing against hitters. Hansen has modified Bautista's delivery, lowering his hands, a la Bret Saberhagen.

"I don't know how hard I was throwing today, but somebody told me I was throwing 95 or 96 [mph]," Bautista said.

Bautista, after two or three more sessions, could be ready for an injury rehabilitation assignment in the Minor Leagues sometime next week.

Sullivan, beset by back problems, has resumed throwing from a near three-quarters angle after once again abandoning his sidearm style.

"He's as tough as they come so, hopefully, he can get it done that way," Bell said.

Sullivan still hopes to get back in the bullpen.

"This process has been a lot slower and a lot more frustrating than I ever thought it would be," he said.

Emil knows the long ball: Perhaps we were a bit hasty in the most recent Royals mailbag, nixing the possibility that a batter would hit the Dodge parked high on the grassy hill at Kauffman Stadium.

Emil Brown did not hit the Dodge in Wednesday's batting practice. He hit a ball over the truck.

"It went over. It didn't hit it, it went over," said third base coach Luis Silverio, who served up the pitch that Brown belted. The truck lies about 470 feet from home plate.

Silverio said that early in the season, Brown hit the concession stand beyond the left-field seats on the fly.

"He's a strong human being right there," Silverio said.

What have we got here, the next Bo Jackson?

"I don't want to be the second Bo Jackson," Brown said. "I want to be the first Emil."

Brian Anderson / P
Born: 04/26/72
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 185 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: L

More info:
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Blogging along: Anderson became the first active Major League player with his own blog on MLBlogs.com. The site, titled "Confessions of a Left-Hander," made its debut Wednesday.

Fans can find Anderson's comments on various topics at briananderson.mlblogs.com.

Royals trivia: What pitcher gave up two of the three longest home runs in Kauffman Stadium history? See the answer below.

Farm report: Adrian Brown's RBI single tied it at 3 in the ninth, but Omaha lost, 5-3, to Oklahoma in 12 on Tuesday. Danny Tamayo (5.16 ERA) gave up just two runs in seven innings.

Cory Aldridge's three-run homer was his 14th of the season in Double-A Wichita's 8-4 loss to Tulsa on Tuesday. Wranglers starter Ryan Baerlocher worked six scoreless innings.

Brandon Powell belted two homers and drove in five runs in Class A High Desert's 9-6 win over Visalia on Tuesday. Winning pitcher Kahi Kaanoi allowed two runs in seven innings to move to 4-6 with a 5.32 ERA. ... Edward Lucas had two hits, raising his average to .321, in Class A Burlington's 3-2 loss to Cedar Rapids on Tuesday.

Trivia answer: Jackson's 475-foot blast off Seattle's Mike Moore on Sept. 14, 1986, is recorded as the longest homer hit at Kauffman Stadium. But Royals lefty Paul Splittorff surrendered the next two on the list -- 472 feet by Dick Allen on June 26, 1974, and 462 feet by Greg Luzinski on Aug. 22, 1983, when each played for the White Sox.

"Both solo shots," recalled Splittorff, now a Royals broadcaster. "So they weren't big ones."

Just long ones.

On deck: The Royals wrap up their three-game Interleague series against Los Angeles at 7:10 p.m. CT on Thursday night. Zack Greinke will start for the Royals, while Derek Lowe gets the call for the Dodgers.

The Royals will celebrate RBI Night at the game, hosting more than 1,200 Kansas City-area kids from the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities program. The kids will parade around the stadium, and select members will take part in a first-pitch ceremony with team captain Mike Sweeney.

Sweeney was voted as "Role Model of the Year" by youth from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City last January. He has pledged $100 for each RBI he collects this season.

Source: http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/

Kansas City sweeps past Dodgers

KANSAS CITY -- The Royals are painting the town blue. The party keeps going and growing.
OK, winning five consecutive games might not mean that much to some teams, but, in Kansas City, that's cause for a celebration. This has been a long, hard season. At least, until now.

The resurgent Royals won their fifth straight by completing an Interleague sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers, 9-6, Thursday night as brooms sprouted in the crowd of 16,182 at Kauffman Stadium. The club had not won five in a row in nearly two years.

"Now we can hear the music, everything is under control right now," catcher Alberto Castillo said. "Buddy Bell believes in us and we believe in him. This is not just momentum, this is for real."

Bell, maestro of this dance band, credited the Royals' flying feet with making the difference in this one.

"Our baserunning put a lot of heat on their ballclub," he said.

When your starting pitcher is wobbly and there are no home runs setting off fireworks, you've got to do something.

Right-hander Zack Greinke left the mound after five innings, having used a career-high 111 pitches and given up eight hits, including Jason Grabowski's two-run homer.

Yet the Royals trailed just 3-2. And so they got busy in the sixth.

There was one out when David DeJesus singled to center. Matt Stairs singled to right, and DeJesus churned into third, just beating Jason Repko's throw.

"I told D.J. [DeJesus] that he won the game for us because Derek Lowe was breezing until then," Bell said.

What happened next was a series of singles, an error on Emil Brown's hard-hit grounder, and a two-run double by Castillo.

There was some grumbling that Brown's ball should have been ruled a hit by the official scorer.

"Tell him to go out there and try to field it," Brown said.

Six runs were scored, and the Royals were up 8-3.

"Matt [Stairs] pulled it hard through the hole and I felt we needed to get something going," DeJesus said. "Then we kept hitting the ball up the middle -- single after single -- and that's how you score runs."

In fact, three other times the Royals went from first to third on singles and, in each case, a run resulted.

"I think baserunning won the game," Bell said. "I thought our baserunning gave us a lot of energy."

Until the back-to-back hits by DeJesus and Stairs, the right-handed Lowe had retired 11 straight batters.

"We played smart baseball," DeJesus said. "[Lowe] kept using his power sinker and by the third at-bat, he was still throwing it and we were able to get good wood on it."

Castillo drove in three runs on the night, so give him a pass for not contributing to the running game. In the eighth, after Repko caught Stairs' fly ball in right, Castillo tried to score and was out -- by about 10 feet.

"I don't think I got a very good jump," he said.

Really?

It didn't matter much, even though the Dodgers did score three runs in the ninth against left-hander Jeremy Affeldt.

The Royals hadn't had a five-game streak since June 22-27, 2003.

Bell keeps adding to his mystique. Since he took charge, the club has an 11-4 record that includes a sweep of the Yankees as well as the Dodgers.

The Royals became just the third club to sweep a series from both of those fabled franchises in the same season. The 1997 Mariners and the 1998 Angels also did it.

"If people keep saying, 'Oh, it's a fluke, it's a fluke,' and we keep playing well and everyone's having success," Brown said, "I'll take them saying it's a fluke."

As for Bell, he credited interim manager Bob Schaefer with getting the club going before he arrived.

"I'm just sitting there and watching them play with a lot of energy and I'm just trying to stay out of their way," Bell said.

"I'm proud of the way they're playing. I really am. They're fun to watch."

Source: http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/

Sweeney injured against Dodgers

KANSAS CITY -- Mike Sweeney could hoist his son, Mini-Mike, after the game, but only with his right arm. His left arm was aching.
Sweeney, the Royals' captain and first baseman, suffered what was diagnosed as a sprained left wrist and sprained left elbow in Wednesday night's 3-1 victory over the Dodgers.

Sweeney was scheduled to have X-rays and perhaps an MRI on Thursday to determine the extent of his injuries. He was just hoping there were no broken bones.

Until then, it's uncertain how long Sweeney could be out of the red-hot Royals' lineup.

"It could be a day, it could be four weeks," he said. "We don't know."

In the fourth inning, Sweeney was catching a throw from third baseman Mark Teahen when batter Jayson Werth, racing toward the bag, clipped Sweeney's glove and wrenched his left arm.

"It was going to be a bang-bang play," Sweeney said. "Unfortunately, I didn't complete it. Mark did a good job -- a great play."

Shouting in pain, Sweeney immediately fell to the ground clutching his arm. He was attended to by assistant athletic trainer Frank Kyte before finally getting to his feet.

"My wrist jammed and I popped my elbow," Sweeney said. "He didn't do it on purpose."

Sweeney had just returned to the lineup on Tuesday night after missing five games because of a strained oblique muscle in the right side of his rib cage.

Teahen had rushed in for Werth's soft roller and made a quick throw to the home-plate side of first base. Sweeney had to reach into the basepath and couldn't avoid the collision.

Mike Sweeney / 1B
Born: 07/22/73
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 225 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: R

"I keep him in my prayers," winning pitcher Jose Lima said. "It was kind of tough. If he had stepped out of the baseline, he'd probably get him out. But you know Sweeney. He's a tough man."

The play was ruled a single with an error on Teahen, allowing Werth to reach second base. Werth would come around to score the Dodgers' only run.

Manager Buddy Bell noted that Sweeney returned to the dugout in the last three innings to lead the clamor for a fourth straight victory.

"He's important for us, to be in our lineup and in our clubhouse," Bell said.

Source: http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/

Sweeney rattled, but no DL

KANSAS CITY -- Mike Sweeney is not headed for the disabled list. Not yet, at least.
Instead, Sweeney is listed as day-to-day while allowing his injured left wrist and left elbow to heal following a Wednesday night collision.

That collision, which came during the fourth inning after Dodgers right fielder Jayson Werth barreled down the line, left Sweeney rocking on his back, clutching his wrist in pain. After the game, Sweeney winced while just taking off his shoes, though his health has improved since then.

"I feel a lot better," he said. "Last night was pretty traumatic."

Sweeney underwent an MRI on his injured arm Wednesday morning, but results had not yet come back. Preliminary X-rays, however, came back negative, which, Sweeney said, was a plus.

Sweeney was instructed to not even swing a bat for the next two days, and he will remain out of the lineup until at least the end of the Royals' current homestand, which will end Sunday.

"We're going to take it day by day, maybe four or five days just to let the swelling go down; maybe even get another MRI," he said. "But to put things into perspective, whether it's three days or two weeks, I'll be back."

Manager Buddy Bell spoke with athletic trainer Nick Swartz and reported similar news.

"It's going to be a few days," Bell said. "Hopefully, it's not going to be more than a few days.

"It's tough for us to not have Mike in the lineup. It's even tougher for us to not have him around. But he'll be in the dugout tonight, a guy who everyone gravitates to and talks to. Losing him is huge."

But the best news for Sweeney and the Royals is that the four-time All-Star isn't relegated to a stint on the disabled list.

"When we saw him go down, I think we all thought it was going to be worse," Bell said. "Thankfully, that's not the case."

Lima croons: Jose Lima, who notched his first win of the season Wednesday against the Dodgers, remained in the spotlight the next night by singing the national anthem.

Lima was born in the Dominican Republic and lives in the Houston area, but is not an American citizen. Still, this latest effort was not his first turn singing the anthem. Last season, while pitching for the Dodgers, he performed the same trick in Los Angeles. His latest performance was planned during Spring Training.

"I'm looking forward to it," Lima said before the game. "I'm excited. I'm excited for today. I won't disappoint you."

In addition to singing one of the nation's most famous songs, Lima has released several merengue albums and frequently totes a guitar to the clubhouse. He is, to say the least, quite the musician.

Because of his past performances, in fact, Lima has flirted with the idea of performing music exclusively after he retires. Well, that or play golf.

"The day that I hang my jersey, I'm done [with performing in stadiums]," he said. "I'll go into the music industry or go play golf a lot. I might go on the [PGA] Tour. I can do both."

Those post-career plans aside, Lima might not even be the only Royal to sing the anthem before a game. Earlier this season, catcher Alberto Castillo said he would sing if the team won 10 straight games. So Jose, can Alberto sing?

"I'll be honest," Lima said, a wide smile on his face. "I'm the godfather of his little daughter, he's my compadre. And nothing against Alberto Castillo, my boy can't sing. Brutal. Can't dance, either."

Royals trivia question: If the Royals can turn in another win over the Dodgers on Thursday, they will extend their winning streak to five games. When did the Royals last win five straight? (See answer below)

Longhorns lock horns: During his first Major League start, J.P. Howell went up against his former college roommate, Diamondbacks left-hander Brad Halsey. In his second, he'll face the best pitcher his college -- the University of Texas -- has ever produced.

Roger Clemens.

A little background: Just last year, while leading Texas to the College World Series, Howell was a finalist for the Roger Clemens Award, which is presented to the best college pitcher. He didn't win the award, but facing the Rocket isn't such a bad consolation prize.

"That's a trip, isn't it?," Howell said. "A year later, things have kind of come to a beautiful point for me. I'm sitting there last year, talking with Roger Clemens and I never thought, a year later, I would be pitching against him in Kauffman Stadium.

"Going against Roger Clemens is [surreal]. I thought he'd be retired by now, but it seems like he's in his prime. He's had about three or four primes, it seems like."

Howell has good reason to think Clemens might have been retired by now. He was, after all, barely 1 year old when Clemens made his Major League debut, way back in May 1984.

Twenty-one years later, Howell is pitching for the Royals and Clemens just keeps going.

"It's a special night for him," Bell said. "It's pretty cool."

Farm report: Chad Santos batted 3-for-5 and drove in four runs Wednesday as Triple-A Omaha outslugged Oklahoma for an 8-7 win. ... Double-A Wichita mustered just one extra-base hit in a 10-2 loss to Tulsa. ... Chris Lubanski extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a 3-for-3 night for Class A High Desert. Lubanski doubled twice and hit a home run, while the Mavericks beat Visalia, 8-5. ... Class A Burlington translated two singles, a triple and three wild pitches into three ninth-inning runs and a 5-3 win over Cedar Rapids.

Trivia answer: Believe it or not, the Royals haven't enjoyed a five-game winning streak since June 22-27, 2003, when they won one game at St. Louis, three at Cleveland and one more against the Cardinals at home.

On deck: The Royals will begin a three-game weekend series with the Astros at 7:10 p.m. CT on Friday. Howell (1-0, 1.80 ERA) will square off with Clemens (4-3, 1.64).

Source: http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/

Despite bumps, Greinke confident

KANSAS CITY -- Zack Greinke stood in front of his locker Thursday night still wearing his full uniform. Around him, his teammates showered, dressed and left, but Greinke just stood there, fielding questions. He was even wearing a jacket while outside temperatures had soared into the 80s.
His explanation?

"I just forgot to take it off when I came in and went straight to the food room," he said.

Fair enough. Greinke should be entitled to his numerous eccentricities, especially if he continues his march back from a disastrous five-start stretch during which he allowed 31 earned runs and 43 hits over just 23 2/3 innings of work.

Granted, his latest performance Thursday against the Dodgers wasn't spectacular -- he allowed three earned runs and eight hits over five innings while walking two batters, hitting two more and striking out four -- but it was a stark improvement on his last outing, when he set team records for hits and runs allowed in a single game.

That is, at least, what manager Buddy Bell said. It's what catcher Alberto Castillo said, too. Most importantly, though, it's what Greinke said.

"I felt really good out there," he said. "Especially since we won the game, I'm satisfied with it. I think I pitched real good.

"I'm pretty confident after an outing like this."

And Greinke's confidence does not go unmerited, for while his line was hardly a thing of beauty, it could have been much worse. But the 21-year-old right-hander wriggled his way out of two bases-loaded jams -- with one out in the first, then with two outs in the fourth -- leaving a trio of Dodgers stranded each time.

Working out of his first-inning quagmire, Greinke said, was key to his success the rest of the night.

"I was like, all right, if they get some runs here who knows what's going to happen," he said. "But once I got out of that one, I felt like I could get out of any one. So that helped me for the future jams."

Make no mistake, Greinke did get himself in more trouble. He allowed a baserunner in every inning but the fifth, and left runners at third base three times. His pitch count, too, soared. After one inning, it already stood at 26; after two, 42; after three, 64; and after four, 96. In all, he threw 111 pitches, a career high.

Even that problem, though, wasn't enough to deter Bell from praising his young pitcher.

"His pitch count got up there in the first three or four innings," Bell said, "but I thought he was much more aggressive. He committed to his pitches a lot more, and that's the Zack that I remember. That's the Zack that I saw [when I was with Cleveland]."

And Castillo couldn't stop talking about his batterymate. Even when Castillo was asked about his performance at the plate -- he batted 2-for-3 and drove in three runs -- all he could do was talk about Greinke.

"He was excited," Castillo said. "We talked before the game about how we were going to approach these guys and I think he did well. The only pitch he missed was the [home run]. ... But he still has all pitches. I think he'll be all right."

That is, after all, the hope. Greinke has started just 38 games in his career, and has pitched pretty well during most of them. The only reason his recent bump in the road was magnified so much was because it was his first bump in the road.

But Greinke retooled his delivery, opting to let it all out rather than trying to be, as he put it, a "tricky, finesse" pitcher.

"I wasn't thinking about what pitch was going to trick this guy," he said. "I was just thinking, 'Alberto called the pitch. Zack, throw the pitch and execute it all you can to execute it.'"

And while he managed just another no-decision, rest assured, Greinke did execute.

Source: http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/

Bell reflects on first 10 days

SAN FRANCISCO -- Nearing his 10th day as manager of the Kansas City Royals, Buddy Bell half-jokingly said, "I haven't done anything yet."
That's not entirely true. He's seen his team sweep the New York Yankees at Kauffman Stadium, and on Thursday had the Royals on the verge of their first road series sweep in nearly two years.

Kansas City sported a 6-2 record under Bell's watch going into the series finale against the Giants, and Bell's first explanation for that performance by a team that was 13-37 when he was hired May 31 is that he's been little more than an observer.

"This is kinda it," Bell said while sitting behind a clutter-free desk in the visiting manager's office at SBC Park. "I think the coaches do a great job of filling me in."

There is some truth to Bell's self-deprecating claims. He's been more interested in getting to know these Royals better than he could as an opposing bench coach with the Cleveland Indians -- his job for two-plus seasons before Kansas City called -- than in engineering a complete overhaul.

"I'm feeling pretty comfortable with that, but I'm still not there yet," he said. "Baseball is baseball. Catch the ball, throw the ball, hit the ball and just play hard. If you do that on a consistent basis, it's easy to evaluate when you see guys playing at their best."

"He wanted to feel his way around a little bit, and we got off to such a hot start from the first day, that series sweeping the Yankees," said second baseman Tony Graffanino. "It was probably easy for him to sit back and watch things happen.

"When the team is playing good baseball, it's probably a good idea for the manager to just sit back and watch until he needs to do some things."

But Bell is not going to sit on his hands the rest of the season.

"There are still a lot of things we need to do," he said. "We'd like to have a set lineup and we can't do that just yet. You'd like with the bullpen to get those guys in some sort of roles, and we're getting closer to that because the starters are giving us some innings."

D.J. Carrasco pitched a complete game Tuesday against the Giants, and Runelvys Hernandez followed with six-plus innings of one-run ball before Mike Wood, Jeremy Affeldt and closer Mike MacDougal sealed the deal.

Bell suggested that Wednesday parade out of the bullpen may be the template for the rest of the year.

"Woody can do anything; he can start, pitch in the middle, the end and setup," he said. "[Leo] Nunez can do anything Woody can except start, and [Ambiorix] Burgos probably fits somewhere in between Wood and MacDougal.

"With Affeldt, it's difficult to know where he is [after coming off 44 days on the disabled list with a groin strain]. Ideally, you'd like to put him in a role like [Wednesday] night because Mac's pitching so good."

Still no Sweeney: First baseman Mike Sweeney was out of the starting lineup for the second straight game, still bothered slightly by a strained muscle on his right side.

He's expected to rejoin the action Friday when the Royals continue their road trip with three games against the Diamondbacks.

"We want to give it another day and wait till we get to Arizona where the weather is warm," Bell said.

Do the math: Graffanino's batting average has soared from .206 (13-for-63) on April 30 to .294 (37-for-126).

Tony Graffanino / 2B
Born: 06/06/72
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 190 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: R

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Graffanino, a career .259 hitter who turned 33 on Monday, said the big jump had less to do with any swing adjustments than with simple math.

"Early on, I didn't have lot of at-bats, so when you're not getting hits, your average goes down a lot," he said. "When you start playing and you start getting hits, it goes up a lot."

The key part is getting the hits, and Graffanino has been collecting plenty of late. He went 4-for-8 with a triple and a homer in his first two games in San Francisco and over the past 18 games has hit .381 (24-for-63).

For Graffanino, the timing of his hot streak couldn't be better, and again it comes down to simple arithmetic.

"You try to get hits as early as you can to get your average up," he said. "When you get a lot of hits and your average is still low [because of so many at-bats], it's a battle to get it up there.

"I started getting my hits before I had a lot of at-bats and that helped my average go up pretty quick."

Looking ahead: Zack Greinke (1-7, 4.91 ERA) gets the start in the Royals' first game ever in Arizona, and will be looking for his second win after picking up his first just two starts ago.

He's due for some help from his teammates against the Diamondbacks' Russ Ortiz (4-5, 5.62 ERA), because so far Greinke has received the lowest run support in the Majors (2.05 runs per nine innings).

Source: http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/

Royals fall after furious comeback

PPHOENIX -- Zack Greinke had one of the worst outings in Royals history. But, of all things, he didn't get the loss.
Greinke was charged with 11 runs, the most any Royals pitcher ever has given up, but escaped a decision as his teammates tied the score before losing, 12-11, in the 10th inning on Troy Glaus' home run Friday night.

Glaus led off the 10th with a high blast into the left-field bullpen against reliever Mike MacDougal. That sucked the wind out of the Royals, who overcame an 11-2 deficit in front of 22,731 at Bank One Ballpark.

On this odd night, Greinke also cracked a home run. But among the 15 hits he gave up, which tied a club record, were three homers by the Diamondbacks.

"I thought it was great how we came back, but I did terrible," Greinke said.

Greinke was drilled for two homers by Shawn Green and one by ex-Royal Kelly Stinnett. Green drove in five of the runs, adding an RBI double against Greinke and a sacrifice fly against reliever Mike Wood.

This is the latest chapter in a five-game book in which Greinke has been tagged for 31 runs (11.79 ERA) and 43 hits in 23 2/3 innings.

Said Greinke, in response to what he was doing wrong, "A lot of things, I guess. If you ask my pitching coach, he'd say I'm leaving the ball up. If you ask guys on the team, they'll say I'm not throwing my best pitches. If you ask me, I'd say it's been both of it a little bit."

"Just the way things have been going the last five games, the strike zone seems smaller, the hitters seem bigger and stronger, it's harder to hit the corners."

Maybe Greinke needed to take out his frustration somehow. He reached the left-center field seats against right-hander Russ Ortiz with the bases empty in the fifth inning. It was Greinke's first Major League homer -- and his first hit -- and just the eighth blast in history by a Royals pitcher.

"I really didn't think I could hit that far, to tell you the truth," he said. "It just happened."

This was the Royals' first by a pitcher since Lance Clemons connected on Aug. 31, 1971. Jim Rooker had five home runs and Jim York hit the other.

Down, 11-3, to Ortiz after seven innings, the Royals surged to an 11-11 tie against the Diamondbacks' bullpen. The Royals' Ruben Gotay hit a two-run shot against reliever Edgar Gonzalez in their six-run eighth, and David DeJesus added a two-run triple in an inning that also included six walks by four Arizona pitchers.

Matt Stairs / DH
Born: 02/27/68
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 210 lbs
Bats: L / Throws: R

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The Royals, just one strike from losing, tied the score against right-hander Lance Cormier in the ninth on Matt Stairs' RBI single.

"That was a -- phew -- a tough loss," Royals manager Buddy Bell said. "We did a lot of bad stuff and an awful lot of good stuff. Unfortunately, it came down to a home run by Glaus, who's done that many times before."

The Royals' first game at the BOB ended on a 2-1 pitch from MacDougal as Glaus led off the 10th. The drive just made it over the fence, traveling an estimated 364 feet.

"Mac's our guy. We want him in there," said team captain Mike Sweeney, who missed a third straight game with a rib cage injury.

"If it's the same way tomorrow, we want the big redhead in there, no doubt about it."

Meantime, there was concern over Greinke's slump. Even though he gave up a record 11 runs and a record-tying 15 hits, he didn't get a loss. But he's 1-7 and his ERA has bloated to 6.01 from 3.09 five games ago.

"He's a young kid and he just has to figure it out. That's why we left him out there," Bell said. "We just have to be patient with him."

Bell suggested that perhaps Greinke just has lost trust in his stuff -- stuff that has served him well in the past. Perhaps so.

"Every time you throw to the plate, you feel like if you miss at all, it's going to go over the fence," Greinke said.

Eleven runs against him. An amazing comeback by the Royals. Then a flattening home run.

"This game, I can't figure it out," Bell said. "If you figure it out, let me know."

Source: http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/

Howell ready for the big time

PHOENIX -- Everything is almost too good to be true about left-hander J.P. Howell's debut in the Major Leagues.
When he takes the mound Saturday night against Arizona, he'll be the second-fastest player to jump from signing with the Royals to playing for them. The fastest was outfielder Bo Jackson, who signed in June 1986, and made his debut in September.

Howell's family will be coming from Sacramento, Calif., to watch him.

And he'll be pitching against another former University of Texas left-hander, Brad Halsey. Howell and Halsey never played together for the Longhorns but they were close, nevertheless.

"Actually, he was my roommate in the fall when I first came to UT," Howell said.

Halsey ended his Texas career in 2002, when the Longhorns won the national championship. Howell pitched for them in 2003 and 2004 and did a Texas-sized job -- his cumulative record was 25-4 with a 2.31 ERA and 271 strikeouts in 249 2/3 innings.

A year ago, Howell was the Royals' choice in the "sandwich round" between the first and second rounds of the First-Year Player Draft.

He was 3-1 with a 2.77 ERA for Class A Idaho Falls last year. This season, he zipped through Class A High Desert, Double-A Wichita and Triple-A Omaha like a runaway freight train.

"It's better than being a slow one, that's for sure," Howell said. "I was fortunate that Allard [Baird] and Shaun McGinn pulled the trigger on me. That has a lot to do with why I'm here. You don't see that everywhere. Sometimes a guy is doing well and they don't pull the trigger, and that's just how it is."

Howell's combined record for the three teams was 6-1 with a 2.34 ERA. He's coming off his only start for Omaha, a victory in which he gave up seven hits and three earned runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Baird, the Royals' general manager, and McGinn, the senior director of Minor League operations, decided to get Howell into the youth movement swim immediately.

"At this point, he's still developing fastball command," Baird said. "He has an above-average curveball and a quality split-finger. A poised kid. He was an advanced college pitcher when we took him."

Howell said his fastball usually is in the 83 to 89 mph range. So he has to move the ball around and hit his spots.

"If you don't hit 94, you've got to hit a spot," he said.

Howell replaces right-hander Ryan Jensen, who was designated for assignment.

One more thing about Howell's biggest day: In a National League city, he'll get to hit in a game for the first time since high school.

"I'm anxious, but I'm more anxious to hit, I think, than to pitch. It's been a while," Howell said.

"And playing against a former UT guy. It's going to be a blast, man."

Anderson's progress: Left-hander Brian Anderson, on the disabled list with a sore elbow, might have discovered what has caused his pain.

While throwing on Thursday, pitching coach Guy Hansen noticed that Anderson's long tosses were being made with an almost overhand delivery. So Anderson lowered his arm slot, and the elbow felt much better.

So good, in fact, that athletic trainer Nick Swartz has cleared him to throw again Saturday instead of Sunday as planned.

Brian Anderson / P
Born: 04/26/72
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 185 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: L

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Back at the BOB: Anderson, who played five years for the Diamondbacks, is a fan of Bank One Ballpark.

"Just so many good memories. I remember the fans were great and right off the bat, we had good support. It's a great ballpark. You come in and it's 100-plus degrees and you have the air-conditioning. Sometimes the roof is open, sometimes it's closed and you get to play on grass at the same time, which is awesome," Anderson said.

"It's just a state-of-the-art facility. I had a lot of good outings here, a lot of not-so-good outings and we won a world championship on this field. So that's always going to be a special place."

Catcher John Buck, after taking batting practice at the BOB for the first time, liked the hitting background.

"To the batter's eyes, it's green. Just a big, old green wall," Buck said. "You can see the ball real well."

Center fielder David DeJesus compared it with San Francisco's SBC Park, the Royals' previous stop.

"It's big out there, just like San Francisco. There's a lot of room to cover out there," he said.

Gordon hitless in win: Alex Gordon, whom the Royals selected Tuesday with the second overall pick in the First-Year Player Draft, was unable to measure up to his normal offensive output Friday afternoon in Nebraska's 3-1 win over Miami at the Lincoln NCAA Super Regional.

Gordon entered the game with a .382 batting average, but finished 0-for-3 with a walk against Hurricanes ace Cesar Carrillo. Of course, only four Huskers collected even just one hit against Carrillo, who was snapped up by the Padres with the 18th overall pick.

Gordon and the Huskers need more win to advance to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.

Stemle has spasms: Right-hander Steve Stemle was called to relieve Zack Greinke in the fifth inning Friday night, but couldn't make a pitch. He suffered muscle spasms in the left side of his back while warming up.

The Royals had to rush Mike Wood into the game to replace Stemle.

Depending on the extent of his injury, it might make it easier for the Royals to make a roster move to clear space for Howell. Stemle could be placed on the disabled list.

Draft picks sign: The Royals announced the signing of 15 players selected Tuesday and Wednesday in the First-Year Player Draft.

The top pick signed was from the fourth round, center fielder Joseph Dickerson of Esperanza (Calif.) High School. The others are:

Round 7: LHP Brent Fisher, Tolleson Union (Az.) High.
Round 8: C Nicholas Doscher, Moore Catholic (N.Y.) High.
Round 9: C Kiel Thibault, Gonzaga (Wash.).
Round 10: C Jeffrey Howell, Florida Southern College.
Round 11: RHP Michael Penn, University of Michigan.
Round 18: RHP Paul Raglione, Grant (Ore.) High.
Round 21: RHP David Henninger, Messiah (Pa.) College.
Round 25: RHP Kevin Bulger, College of Charleston (S.C.).
Round 27: 1B Jase Turner, Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.) College.
Round 28: RF Felix Peguero, Oklahoma Baptist.
Round 29: RHP Brandon Brantley, University of Science & Arts at Oklahoma.
Round 30: 2B Jeremy Jirschele, Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Round 31: SS Pedro Lopez, Universidad del Turabo (Puerto Rico).
Round 34: C Oscar Marrero, Juan Antonio Corretjer Superio (Puerto Rico).

On deck: The Royals will meet the Diamondbacks in the second game of the series at 8:40 p.m. CT Saturday.

Source: http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/

Howell outstanding as Royals even series

PHOENIX -- Royals left-hander J.P. Howell spent the hours before his Major League debut pacing between the clubhouse and the dugout.
"I was fidgety. I tried to take a nap and that wasn't working so I pretty much was just trying to relax and act like it was a normal game like I pitched in college or the Minor Leagues," he said.

Oddly enough, Howell got his first at-bat in the Majors before throwing his first pitch. With the bases loaded, he scorched a line drive that Arizona third baseman Troy Glaus grabbed for the third out.

With that out of the way and staked to a three-run lead, Howell got to the mound and stopped fidgeting. He quickly got into his comfort zone and earned the victory as the Royals knocked off the Diamondbacks, 8-5, on Saturday night at Bank One Ballpark.

Howell pitched five shutout innings and then was pulled after Glaus led off the sixth with a single. The Diamondbacks got a couple of hits off reliever Andrew Sisco and Glaus scored, the run charged to Howell.

But that was it. He gave up just four singles, walked two, hit a batter and struck out eight. The strikeouts tied a club record for the most by a pitcher in his debut, matching current broadcaster Paul Splittorff's eight against the Chicago White Sox on Sept. 23, 1970.

Howell's mind was so chock full of things that it was empty.

"A lot of emotions are going on, a lot of things going through my head," Howell said. "There's so much going through your head that nothing's going through your head because it's chaos. Things are going so fast. It's a lot faster game up here than where I played."

Where Howell played this season was Class A High Desert, Double-A Wichita and Triple-A Omaha. He raced through the system in just over two months.

"The kid pitched very well. He's got to be very proud," manager Buddy Bell said. "He went after all the hitters. I was concerned when he got to the second time around the lineup because big league hitters tend to figure things out, but he did just as well."

Howell was matched against an old roommate from the University of Texas, left-hander Brad Halsey. They weren't teammates, but roomed together for about two weeks while Howell looked for permanent digs after transferring to UT in 2003.

"We hung out all fall, too, and I got to know him pretty well. He's a great guy and it was nice to pitch against him. That's another thing that made me feel comfortable -- a familiar face on the other side," Howell said.

That three-run first inning did wonders for Howell, too. Emil Brown drove in a run with the first of his three doubles and Terrence Long ripped a two-run single. The bases were loaded when Howell came up and bid for what might have been a three-run double down the left-field line. Glaus's glove intervened.

"The at-bat helped me out, too," he said. "I was out there way nervous but I was trying not to show it."

The 22-year-old Howell also was helped by support from his teammates.

"There was a lot of spice going on. They were excited for me and I really felt that," he said.

John Buck / C
Born: 07/07/80
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 210 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: R

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When John Buck belted a two-run homer in the seventh, the Royals had a 7-1 lead. The Diamondbacks bit into that margin when Tony Clark and Shawn Green belted back-to-back home runs off reliever Mike Wood in the eighth.

Later in the inning, Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin protested the game after a double play by the Royals. Third baseman Mark Teahan knocked down Alex Cintron's liner which umpire Greg Gibson first ruled a catch, then no-catch, then a catch, according to Melvin. That confused the runners, Melvin contended.

Meantime, Teahen stepped on third and threw to second base for an inning-ending double play. Replays clearly showed the ball squirted out of his glove.

"Either way, we get a double play," he said.

In the ninth, closer Mike MacDougal squirmed through a two-run inning before finally ending the game. On Friday night, MacDougal gave up a game-winning home run to Glaus after the Royals had rallied for an 11-11 tie.

"This was a huge win for us, considering what happened last night," Bell said. "Because we spent a lot of energy in that."

The Royals got 18 hits -- four by Brown and three each by Buck, Long, David DeJesus and Tony Graffanino. Fourteen hits came against Halsey in his six-plus innings. Howell found his friend's outing instructive.

"He didn't have his stuff but he hung in there pretty good. And that's why he's here. I learned stuff from him tonight because he dialed the whole time, he didn't give in, he didn't quit," Howell said.

Next for Howell? If the rotation schedule holds, he'd be matched next Friday night against another ex-UT pitcher from the Houston Astros. A fellow named Roger Clemens.

"That would be nice," Howell said. "Well, maybe. Maybe not. But how crazy would that be?"

Source: http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/

Rejuvenating Greinke

PHOENIX -- The evaluation, dissection, interrogation and education of struggling Royals pitcher Zack Greinke has begun.
For 45 minutes on Saturday, Greinke visited with pitching coach Guy Hansen at the team hotel. Hours before Saturday night's game, Hansen -- with manager Buddy Bell at his shoulder -- was studying tapes of Greinke's pitching motion. Later the touseled-haired pitcher was sitting alone, focusing on the videotape machine.

It was something of a horror film. Greinke had been bombed for 11 runs -- a franchise record - in the Arizona Diamondbacks' 10-inning, 12-11 victory on Friday night.

Over a five-start stretch, Greinke has given up 43 hits and 31 runs in 23 2/3 innings for an 11.79 ERA. The Diamondbacks hammered him for three home runs and five doubles, while accumulating 15 hits, tying a club record.

This is not the Zack Greinke who, as a rookie last year, bamboozled hitters and captivated fans.

"Just whenever there's a guy in scoring position, they'll find a way to score now and before I'd be good enough to stop it sometimes," Greinke said.

"I'm giving up a lot of fly balls -- home runs or doubles -- and that's huge. Before, there was a lot of ground balls and now it's all deep fly balls. Even if it's caught, it's a deep fly ball."

So what's going on?

His fastball has been up and not moving much.

"We need the fastball down so he can be effective like he was before," catcher John Buck said. "It's flatter than I've seen it. When he pitches up, it's not as sharp."

Greinke hasn't been moving batters off the plate.

"Once again, the old adage: up-and-in, low-and-away, Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth are dead. That's what he has to take into account. We haven't seen anybody having any fear about diving across the plate and smacking a pretty good pitch," Hansen said.

"Nobody around here needs to be a headhunter, but you have to at least acknowledge these guys are big and strong and you can't pitch up and over the plate. No way, unless you throw 100 miles an hour."

His location hasn't been its usual finite self.

"He seems to be very happy to just be a guy who throws the ball over the plate and do it by changing speeds. And you've got to do more than change speeds. You've got to locate those speeds and you've got to keep guys honest," Hansen said.

Greinke might even be tipping his pitches to batters.

"We think that he was tipping some of his pitches yesterday from the stretch. We're not positive, but we're pretty sure from looking at film," Hansen said. "He's setting up a little different on his fastball and his change, so I think we should address that."

With a 1-7 record and a 6.01 ERA staring back at him from the stats sheet, Greinke is ready to make adjustments. That's why Hansen, who first schooled Greinke at age 19 in the Puerto Rican League, was so happy to hear his phone ring on Saturday.

"I've been waiting for that acknowledgment from him ever since Spring Training. Because when I saw him in Spring Training, it wasn't the same guy I had seen three years before in Puerto Rico," Hansen said.

The rejuvenation of Zack Greinke is under way.

Roster moves: Pitcher Ryan Jensen is back with the Royals and assigned to the bullpen. Jensen was 2-1 with a 7.42 ERA in three starts before being designated for assignment a week ago. He cleared waivers and returned to Triple-A Omaha on Thursday.

Scheduled to pitch Saturday for Omaha, Jensen instead was recalled to replace right-hander Steve Stemle, who was placed on the disabled list with a strained lower back. Stemle was injured throwing a warmup pitch after being called into Friday night's game.

"Like I said when I left, I expected this would happen but not this soon," Jensen said. "Well, I didn't think I'd get called up this soon."

Outfielder Matt Diaz also went on the 15-day disabled list with a strained oblique muscle in his left side. Diaz was injured in early batting practice on Friday and couldn't swing when used as a pinch-hitter for the pitcher in the 10th inning.

"He wasn't really supposed to be available last night but we sent him up there to bunt -- or to try to bunt," manager Buddy Bell said.

Diaz tried but struck out.

The move cleared a needed spot for Howell on the 25-man roster. The Royals made room on the 40-man roster by moving pitcher Brian Anderson from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list.

Mike Sweeney / 1B
Born: 07/22/73
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 225 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: R

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Sweeney sits: When first baseman Mike Sweeney and athletic trainer Nick Swartz emerged from Bell's office on Saturday with bursts of laughter, that was a sign that Sweeney's recovery from a rib-cage strain was going well.

Even so, he remained out of the starting lineup for the fourth straight game. Sweeney expects to return on Sunday or Tuesday.

Gordon a goner: Third baseman Alex Gordon, the Royals' top pick in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, banged a two-run homer in Nebraska's 6-3 win Saturday over Miami. He also showed his feisty side, getting ejected for arguing a call at third base. Bell was tickled when he heard that news.

"Thrown out of the game?" Bell exclaimed with a smile. "Solid!"

Farm report: Greg Atencio and Chad Blackwell combined on a 10-inning one-hitter as Class A Burlington defeated Fort Wayne, 1-0, in the second game of a doubleheader. Atencio pitched seven hitless innings. Blackwell got the win and is 6-1 with a 2.15 ERA. Burlington won the first game, 5-3.

Right fielder Alan Moye (.382) drove in five runs with three hits as Class A High Desert downed Rancho Cucamonga, 11-3. Designated hitter Brandon Powell (.324) homered and drove in three runs.

DH Josh Pressley had four hits, raising his average to .305, and third baseman Brennan King hit his 11th homer, but Double-A Wichita lost to Springfield, 10-9.

First baseman Calvin Pickering hit his fourth homer in Triple-A Omaha's 5-3 loss to Memphis. Pickering is batting .161. Losing pitcher Jimmy Gobble is 2-7 with a 6.58 ERA.

On deck: The Royals end their six-game Interleague road trip at 3:40 p.m. CT on Sunday against the Diamondbacks. Monday is an open date. The Los Angeles Dodgers arrive on Tuesday in Kansas City for a three-game series.

Source: http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/