2011 KC Royals - Pre-season

[SubGod22]

Despite power drought, Butler has delivered - Yost urges Duffy to trust his stuff

"[Butler's] swinging the bat really well," manager Ned Yost said. "Billy's a pure hitter; that's all you can say. Billy doesn't go in prolonged slumps. He's just a good solid offensive performer just about every time he steps on the field. He's as good a clutch hitter as there is, and he's just solid."

"The thing that these kids have to understand is that they're really good. And Duff was working too hard; he was giving the hitters too much credit. He was really trying to force his stuff," Yost said. "I just told him, 'Look, Duff, your stuff is good enough to handle good Major League hitters. But you can't do it fighting yourself. You've got to be able to be relaxed. This game hasn't changed since you were 12 years old, and that's the way you have to go out there -- relaxed, on the attack and know your stuff is good enough to get these big-league hitters out.'"

Duffy heeded the advice. In his second inning of work, he retired all three batters, including a strikeout of National League MVP Joey Votto.

A candidate for a bullpen spot, Duffy has given up five runs in five innings so far this spring.

"If I'm supposed to be there, I'm going to be there," Duffy said. "If I [be] me, I'm going to be there. Maybe not right away, but I know I'll get there eventually."

Given shot, Ka'aihue taking nothing for granted

Royals manager Ned Yost has a lot of confidence in Ka'aihue.

"I see him as a real strong on-base guy, can take a walk, with tremendous power. A guy that puts the ball in play, a guy that can hit it a long way," Yost said. "He's rare, because he's got a great eye, great on-base percentage, takes his walks but has huge power. You don't see it a lot with those type of guys."

Ka'aihue has excelled so far in the Cactus League. The three-run homer he smashed against the D-backs in Monday's 8-6 loss was his third blast in seven games. It gave him eight RBIs and a .389 (7-for-18) average.

Recalled by the Royals on Aug. 1, Ka'aihue began getting some playing time, albeit with disappointing results. He'd belted 24 homers with 78 RBIs and a .319 average for Omaha in 94 games -- nice numbers. But, in his first 17 games after returning to Kansas City, he had one home run, two RBIs and a .159 average -- not-so-nice numbers.

Before facing Detroit on Sept. 4, Yost called Ka'aihue in for a talk.

"I think I just told him, 'Look, I know you're struggling, but I ain't takin' you out. You're gonna get your shot. I told you when I came here and sent you down, you're going to get a fair and legitimate shot to show what you can do. So even though you're struggling, this is not your do-or-die two months right here. Just relax and go out and play your game,'" Yost said.

"And he played better."

Sure did. That night against the Tigers, Ka'aihue smashed two homers for three RBIs. He revived his season and, in his last 26 games, knocked six homers with a .250 average. He also drew 16 walks to go with his 22 hits and had an on-base percentage of .362.

[RoyalShock]

isnt about that time to cut our losses with Gordon, if he hasnt gotten it now, I dont think he ever will.

He and Seitzer made significant changes in his swing over the offseason, which he is still working on. He's going to need consistent ABs to see if those changes will yield fruit.

He's not blocking anyone so there is no harm in giving him one last shot.

Alex always drew his fair share of walks, but 9 in 27 PAs is a lot. If he's improved his pitch selection that can only help him.

Right on cue Alex goes 3-3 with a double and two RBIs.

It's spring so I'm not sayin'. Just sayin'.

[SubGod22]

Grateful Chen all business in Royals camp

MESA, Ariz. -- Bruce Chen is well aware that there are no guarantees in baseball.

That's why the veteran left-hander approaches every Spring Training outing with the seriousness of a regular-season start, even though it's obviously a different and more relaxed atmosphere.

"I'm competitive," said Chen. "Nothing has been given to me. I don't have a spot in the rotation or anything, so I go in there trying to get people out and doing the best I can. I try to keep the ball down and work on my pitches. But this is a game, and these guys are Major League hitters who want to hit you, and hit you hard."

"He's paid his dues, he's worked hard, he's made adjustments and he's got himself where he is today by really plying his trade," Yost said. "Bruce understands who he is and what he is and how to get the best out of everything that he's got. Sometimes that takes some time, and some players never get that. And that's the goal -- to understand who you are and what you are, and take that knowledge and make the best of yourself that you can."

[SubGod22]

Miner gaining arm strength at Royals camp - Getz's bold approach fits Yost's style - Hits finally falling in for Gordon

PHOENIX -- Former Detroit Tigers pitcher Zach Miner is in Royals camp and still rehabbing from the reconstructive right elbow surgery he underwent last May 28. But the right-hander is making progress toward pitching in games.

"I'm throwing 40 pitches in the bullpen every three days," Miner said. "I started throwing all of my pitches -- breaking balls and everything. It feels good. I'm bouncing back well, and hopefully I'll be throwing to hitters here in a week and a half or two weeks."

There's no firm timetable for Miner to get into games, but that could start in April during extended Spring Training at Surprise, Ariz. By then, he'd be ready for a Minor League assignment.

PHOENIX -- Chris Getz demonstrated the daring baserunning that has been evident in the Royals' approach this spring during the fifth inning of Thursday's 4-4 tie with the A's.

Getz, who tripled with one out, stopped a few feet off the base as third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff fielded Billy Butler's hot smash and threw to first base.

"I kind of had to freeze, and obviously he was off the bag a little bit, so I had more room to kind of inch off," Getz said. "I knew when he threw it, I was going to have plenty of time to score."

Getz did, sliding across the plate ahead of first baseman Wes Timmons' throw. That's the kind of play that manager Ned Yost has encouraged this spring.

"I was seeing the ball good," Gordon said. "The last couple games, I was just late and missing pitches I should have been hitting. My timing was off -- just little stuff like that we started working on, and it's getting better."

[SubGod22]

Camp experience 'best ever' for Yost

"It's been the quality of the kids we have here -- everybody," Yost said. "I have no drama issues. None. I've got no issues with hot dogs, I've got no issues with guys not respecting their teammates. I've got no issues with selfish players. I've got no issues with lack of hustle. I've got zero issues. It's the way it's supposed to be.

"I've never been in a Spring Training where we take infield every day and half the team's not crying about it. Nobody has said a word -- everybody goes out and does their work and does it with a high degree of intensity. It's the best I've ever seen. It's exactly the way Spring Training should be."

The Royals not only can hit, but they can, finally, also score runs. Through Wednesday's Spring Training games, they led the Majors -- by far -- with 92 runs scored in 12 games. Next was the D-backs with 77, and they needed 15 games to do that.

"I've been pleased with the way the hitting's gone since the time that I got here last year," said Yost, who was hired last May 13. "What I'm more pleased about is the runs scored. We're creating more opportunities with aggressive baserunning and getting ourselves in better spots to be able to pick up more runs. Last year, we could hit fine; we just couldn't score runs."

In the regular season last year, the Royals ranked second in the American League in batting average at .274, just two points behind leader Texas, but they ranked 10th among the 14 AL teams in runs scored with 676, and that was 45 runs below the league average per team.

This spring, the Royals are focusing on creating scoring chances by going for the extra base -- 'Don't worry if you're thrown out now; let's try it' is the philosophy -- and stealing bases. They led the Majors with 22 steals in 28 tries through Wednesday.

Crow, Soria put up zeros in Royals' tie

Moustakas the hero as Royals top Halos

Mike Moustakas, one of an impressive collection of premium Royals prospects, slapped a two-run single against 7-foot-1 Loek Van Mil to give the Royals the lead in the eighth after an error by shortstop Darwin Perez and a pair of walks.

7 foot 1? WOW!

[SubGod22]

Mendoza in the mix for spot in Royals' bullpen

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Right-hander Luis Mendoza has unexpectedly jumped into the mix in the Royals' bullpen.

Mendoza has not allowed a run in seven innings, giving up just one hit with no walks and four strikeouts, and manager Ned Yost has certainly noticed.

"He has gone from totally being off my radar to being right in the middle of it. He came to camp and has changed his delivery. He's more downhill, there's nothing flat about his pitches anymore. He's been very impressive, a very bright spot for me," Yost said.

Odorizzi has significant upside on mound

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Pitcher Jake Odorizzi was the fourth player the Royals obtained from Milwaukee in the trade that sent star pitcher Zack Greinke and shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt to the Brewers.

No one can say for sure, of course, but Odorizzi could turn out to be the most important acquisition in the deal. The other three players acquired already are making their mark -- Alcides Escobar will be the Royals' starting shortstop, Jeremy Jeffress is a leading candidate for the bullpen and Lorenzo Cain is making a push for the outfield. Meanwhile, Odorizzi is likely to be in the rotation for Class-A Wilmington.

But Odorizzi looms large in the Royals' future, a hard-throwing right-hander who at 20 -- he'll be 21 on March 27 -- is showing moves and maturity beyond his years.

"The thing that really stands out is that he's really professional in the way he goes about everything," said J.J. Picollo, the assistant general manager of scouting and player development. "He's got a plan with every pitch, he's not a guy who tries to overthrow in every bullpen. He knows how to regulate his effort like a veteran guy would. He really concentrates on keeping the ball down -- fastball, breaking ball, changeup. As you see him in games, it's going to stand out a little bit more."

Hot-hitting Robinson among four Royals cuts

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Clint Robinson had a big Saturday with a home run and three RBIs in the Royals' 19-7 victory over the Dodgers but it didn't keep him from being cut from the Spring Training roster.

Robinson, a first baseman and designated hitter, and outfielder David Lough were optioned to Triple-A Omaha after the game.

In addition, infielder Jeff Bianchi and outfielder Derrick Robinson were optioned to Double-A Northwest Arkansas.

That reduced the Royals' camp roster to 49 players.

Clint Robinson was squeezed out of the first-base picture where Billy Butler and Kila Ka'aihue are expected to split time and where hot prospect Eric Hosmer also plays. Robinson batted .389 (7-for-18) in six Cactus League games with two homers and nine RBIs. He won the Texas League triple crown last year with a .335 average, 29 homers and 98 RBIs.

Changes to Gordon's swing paying off

"The timing was off. I was seeing the pitches good. I was just late and not making solid contact," he said. "Lately, I've been getting ready earlier and seeing pitches better and making good contact, and that's what it's all about. So definitely a big change in the last week."

Manager Ned Yost just kept playing Gordon, as a designated hitter or as the left fielder, to get him more trips to the plate. He was drawing plenty of walks -- he has 11 -- but the hits were slow in coming.

"Sometimes it takes time. It's hard to predict exactly when it's going to click for somebody, but Alex has really worked his tail off this winter with [hitting coach Kevin] Seitzer," Yost said. "I mean every day, in the cage, revamping the swing. When we got here, his timing was off and I always had the feeling if the timing got right, look out! And we're seeing a little bit of that right now."

Royals cut six pitchers from big league camp

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Four of the Royals' young left-handed prospects were among six pitchers cut from the Spring Training roster on Saturday.

Lefties Everett Teaford, John Lamb, Will Smith and Chris Dwyer and right-handers Steven Shell and Kevin Pucetas were dropped, reducing the roster to 53 players.

Teaford and Pucetas, who are on the 40-man roster, were optioned to Triple-A Omaha. The other four, all non-roster invitees, were reassigned to Minor League camp.

The moves leave rookies Tim Collins, Danny Duffy, Blaine Hardy and Mike Montgomery as lefties competing for bullpen spots.

Top prospect Hosmer just pleased to be in camp

"It's going good, I'm still up here and around these guys and anytime you can hang around these guys as long as possible and learn, it's always a good thing," Hosmer said. "I've learned so much in this camp and enjoyed my time here with these guys. It's been great and I hope to stick around a little longer."

Hosmer made an immediate impression, lofting a home run to right field against the Rangers in just his second at-bat in the Cactus League. Four days later, he launched a bazooka shot into the right-field bullpen against the Cubs for a grand slam.

"How can you not be impressed with that kid?" Yost said. "I'd like to see the person that's not impressed with that kid."

Hosmer's home-run shots came against Minor League pitchers. He gets an even bigger kick, though, out of just being on the same field with established Major Leaguers, on his own club or others.

"We faced [Mark] Buehrle the other day and that was pretty cool," Hosmer said. "He threw a perfect game, and to face that guy and be in the starting lineup and see your name against Buehrle is pretty awesome. That was good for me."

[SubGod22]

Royals ready for Getz to ramp up offense

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Yes, the Royals want a better defense and, yes, they believe it'll improve with Chris Getz at second base.

But there's a catch. In addition to catching the ball, Getz is going to have to hit it once in a while. That's why, after Monday's off-day, Getz will continue to get more at-bats in Cactus League games.

Off to a slow 3-for-19 start, Getz had four at-bats on Sunday against Milwaukee and came up with three more hits.

"All the at-bats he can get is going to help him," manager Ned Yost said after that game. "Three big hits and he ran the bases like a fiend."

"We need to see a little more offensive production from him," Yost said. "The bat never came around last year. He's got the opportunity, we think, to be an on-base guy, gap-to-gap power, line drive-type hitter, a guy that can steal some bases. We need to see that from him."

Royals' bats getting hot in middle of spring

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- First baseman Kila Ka'aihue went 3-for-3 with a double, boosting his Cactus League average to .433, and left fielder Alex Gordon's 2-for-3 performance raised his mark to .367 on Tuesday.

Ka'aihue also stole third base, enabling him to score on Melky Cabrera's sacrifice fly. The hot-hitting Cabrera went 1-for-2 and his average actually fell a point, to .516. He leads the Royals in hits, going 16-for-31, and is tied with Billy Butler for second place in RBIs with 11.

Gordon leads the Royals with 12 RBIs and is tied with Ka'aihue with a high of three home runs. Gordon's two-run homer was the difference in Tuesday's 4-3 win over an A's split squad.

Mazzaro impressive in latest rotation audition

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Vin Mazzaro, competing for the fifth spot in the Royals' rotation, worked four innings and gave up one run in a 5-2 "B" game victory over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday.

Mazzaro, a right-hander obtained from Oakland in the trade for outfielder David DeJesus, was tagged for a home run by third baseman Brian Barden. Mazzaro gave up three hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

Eric Hosmer was 2-for-4 with one RBI and Mike Moustakas hit a solo homer for the Royals.

Bullpen competition heats up for Royals

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Royals manager Ned Yost got scoreless performances from three of his young pitchers in Tuesday's 4-3 victory over an Athletics split squad and he was pleased to see a jam developing in the competition for the bullpen.

Starter Nate Adcock threw three scoreless innings and Louis Coleman, Tim Collins and Aaron Crow followed with one inning each.

"That's the competition, that's what you want," Yost said. "You want tough competition and you've got to make tough decisions and that's what Spring Training is all about."

Ten Questions with Wil Myers

Butler is an expert in studying pitchers

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Billy Butler might look like a big ol' country boy who'd just amble up to the plate and take a big ol' hack. In this case, looks are deceiving.

Underneath that facade is an analytical mind that dissects every possible aspect of hitting a baseball and the pitchers throwing that baseball.

Rising prospect Eric Hosmer found that out as he lockered near his fellow first baseman in Spring Training.

"He knows a lot about all the pitchers," Hosmer said. "Every time we face a guy, he can imitate his motion and show you how he throws and everything."

The radar gun readings that flash on the scoreboards of many baseball parks around the country are of great interest to Butler. He really pays attention to pitch speeds and not just on fastballs.

"Most guys just want to know how hard he's throwing because obviously you've got to time up the fastball and adjust down," hitting coach Kevin Seitzer said. "But he wants to know the velocities on all his secondary pitches, too, which also comes into play with how long you're going to wait, how much it's going to break and he wants to have a head start. A lot of guys get in there and see it and say, 'OK, now I've got it,' but Billy paints a picture before he gets in the box so he's ahead of the game that way."

Butler says he can usually tell what type of pitch is coming as he watches the ball out of a pitcher's hand and even if he's adding or subtracting speed on his fastball.

"For me, I like to prepare from the top down," he said. "I prepare for what a guy's top velocity is, so I can make sure that I know what he's got in the tank if he's trying to throw it by me and adjust from that. I can slow myself down -- nobody can speed themselves up. It's just really hard to do. If you try to speed yourself up, it's already by you. But I gear up for a fastball and say, 'No, it's a slider,' and adjust to it."

[SubGod22]

Top talent not surprised by expected cuts

"I came out here to try to make the team, and I just didn't play well enough to," said Moustakas, who had a .238 average. "It just happens sometimes, that's how baseball is. I'm going to go down to the Minor League camp tomorrow and keep working to get better and, hopefully, come join these guys soon."

"Any time you get cut from somewhere, you're a little disappointed," Hosmer said, "but I knew coming in I wasn't going to be on the team. I was just happy to stick around as long as I did. I learned so much in this camp. I had a great time, and to get to learn from these guys and see how they go about their business was great for me. This camp did a lot for my confidence, and I'm going to work twice as hard to get back up here now that I've tasted it a little bit."

Escobar smacks second jack in Royals blue

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Alcides Escobar's two-run home run in the top of the seventh helped propel the Royals to a 5-3 win over the Reds under the lights Wednesday night at Goodyear Ballpark.

It was a 3-3 game with Reds bullpen candidate Jose Arredondo on the mound when Lucas May led off with a single. Next was Escobar, who drove his second homer in a Royals uniform into the left-field bullpen.

"I was just trying to get a good swing, and I hit the ball and it was gone," said Escobar, whose first homer, against the Brewers, came when the left fielder ran into the fence on a fly ball and was briefly incapacitated by a knee injury. "The other one was funny because it was my first inside-the-park home run. I saw the guy go down and I said, 'Oh, wow, keep running.'"

Moustakas, Hosmer assigned to Minors camp

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- So it won't be Mike Moustakas at third base for the Royals on Opening Day.

Moustakas and the Royals' other prize hitting prospect, first baseman Eric Hosmer, were among seven non-roster players assigned to the Minor League camp on Wednesday afternoon.

The other players cut were the organization's top catching prospect, Salvador Perez, plus pitcher Blaine Hardy, infielder Joaquin Arias, outfielder Brett Carroll and catcher Cody Clark.

"They did great, those kids have been awesome, they've had a great spring. They've got an exceptional experience and they've all held their own very well," Yost said. "Especially those young position players, Moustakas and Hosmer, and Salvador Perez. They did a great job at this camp and it won't be long until they're household names in Kansas City, I believe."

[SubGod22]

Slim, trim Cabrera simply raking in Royals camp

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Melky Cabrera pulled up his shirt, displayed his impressive abs and smiled proudly.

"Remember this winter when I was in Kansas City? I weighed 215, now I'm 200," he said, patting his stomach. "Skinny!"

There's something else that's impressive about Cabrera in his first Spring Training with the Royals: his batting average. At .488 as of Sunday morning, his mark was the best in the American League.

And that came after an 0-for-3 game on Saturday that dropped him below .500 for the first time in 10 days. His 20 hits were two more than any other hitter and his 15 runs also topped the AL.

The statistical cheeriness goes on and on -- 12 RBIs, seven extra-base hits, four walks, a couple of stolen bases.

He'll start the season as the Royals' center fielder.

[SubGod22]

Mazzaro wins battle for KC's fifth rotation spot

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Right-hander Sean O'Sullivan, a regular in the Royals' rotation in the second half of 2010, isn't all that disappointed that he'll be in the bullpen at the beginning of this season.

"For me, if I've got a Royals jersey on, goal accomplished," O'Sullivan said.

He lost the contest for the fifth starting spot in the Royals' rotation to Vin Mazzaro, a right-hander who last year was in the Oakland A's rotation for 18 starts.

[SubGod22]

Bauman: Royals on the rise

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- There is a certainty here that the Kansas City Royals will be more than simply a team of the future. Rather, they will be THE team of the future. There may be some question about precisely when that will occur, but the Royals do not doubt the brightness of this franchise's future.

"I think that this club has enough talent that we're going to go to the World Series soon," Royals manager Ned Yost said Sunday at Surprise Stadium. "When is that going to be? I don't know. Is it going to be two years, is it going to be one year, is it going to be four years? I don't know. But I think we've got enough talent, quality talent, and the right group of players in the mix that is going to take Kansas City to the World Series.

"When that time is, I don't know, I just try to take 25 guys and do the best we can do with them every single day. What we have in the bank, if you will, is real assuring, knowing that our future is really, really bright."

"In Milwaukee we had a real talented group of power-hitting position players," Yost said. "Those kids, from J.J. Hardy to Corey Hart to Prince Fielder to [Ryan] Braun, Billy Hall was young then, all these kids could drive the ball out of the ballpark. But they still had issues that they needed to refine, in terms of their defense, baserunning, two-strike approach. We pushed a lot of these kids to get to the big leagues and it paid off.

"The thing that makes me sleep better at night here; we've got everything. We've got pitching, we've got left-handed pitching, right-handed pitching. In Milwaukee, you know, we had one pitcher, Yovani Gallardo. Here we've [got] a multitude of guys, left-handed, right-handed, who all have a chance to be really, really good pitchers. Here we've got catching, three or four kids who are going to be big league catchers. We had none in Milwaukee. We've got a whole truckload of talented middle infielders. [We've] got a big array of talented outfielders who can all play.

"Our player development system has done a phenomenal job of teaching these kids the game, so our kids when they've gotten here, they have a real idea on how to play the game. They've all got a pretty fundamental two-strike approach. They're all relatively defined defensively. They've all got issues they need to continue to polish, but these kids are so much further along than that group we had in Milwaukee, it makes it a lot more fun and refreshing and relaxing for me."

Montgomery among Royals' four camp cuts

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The field of candidates for the Royals' bullpen was decreased by two on Monday when right-handers Blake Wood and Greg Holland were optioned to Triple-A Omaha.

The Royals also optioned catcher Manny Pina to Omaha, and reassigned left-handed pitcher Mike Montgomery to the Minor League camp -- reducing the camp roster to 36.

There are five bullpen spots to be filled, with eight pitchers in contention: Kanekoa Texeira, Luis Mendoza, Jeremy Jeffress, Robert Fish, Aaron Crow, Tim Collins, Louis Coleman and Nate Adcock. Yost said he's made up his mind to take one of them, but declined to identify him.

[SubGod22]

Collins tightens his grip on bullpen spot

Yost placing his offensive order for Royals

Royals Projected Order
1. Mike Aviles, 3b
2. Chris Getz, 2b
3. Billy Butler, dh
4. Kila Ka'aihue, 1b
5. Melky Cabrera, cf
6. Alex Gordon, lf
7. Jeff Francoeur, rf
8. Brayan Pena, c
9. Alcides Escobar, ss

[lostshocker]

Royals Projected Order
1. Mike Aviles, 3b
2. Chris Getz, 2b
3. Billy Butler, dh
4. Kila Ka'aihue, 1b
5. Melky Cabrera, cf
6. Alex Gordon, lf
7. Jeff Francoeur, rf
8. Brayan Pena, c
9. Alcides Escobar, ss

not bad. only 3 former braves in starting roles.

[SubGod22]

Royals Projected Order
1. Mike Aviles, 3b
2. Chris Getz, 2b
3. Billy Butler, dh
4. Kila Ka'aihue, 1b
5. Melky Cabrera, cf
6. Alex Gordon, lf
7. Jeff Francoeur, rf
8. Brayan Pena, c
9. Alcides Escobar, ss

not bad. only 3 former braves in starting roles.

It's not bad at all. I wonder who will lead off when Moose is ready. Yost likes this middle infield and it appears Aviles will become a permanent backup unless someone is just sucking it up. Does Getz move up there? You figure Moose will probably end up batting 7th or so. Melky 2nd then? But that depends how others are hitting as you want to protect Butler and Kila some. It's going to be fun anyway.

[RoyalShock]

When Moose comes up I fully expect Aviles to move to 2B due to his bat. Getz may have the better glove but to take a guy you trust to leadoff and put him on the bench over a guy who will hit 2nd only against righties would be dumb.

Keep Aviles as leadoff, move Cabrera up to 2nd and insert Moose behind Gordon so Francoeur can offer him at least a little protection.

Just say NO to Getz!