Royals on the Farm 4/13

AAA - Omaha: O-Royals 11, Albuquerque 5

Huber 3-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 3 RS, K -- .316
K. Robinson 4-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, RS -- .333
3B Rick Bell 2-3, BB, RBI, 2 RS -- .333
Blanco 2-4, 3 RBI, 2 RS -- .292
Allen 2-5, HR, RBI -- .375
Gotay 0-5 -- .200
Guiel 0-5, 2 K -- .192
Ambres 1-4, 2B -- .138

SP J.P. Howell 6 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, BB, 6 K -- W, 2-0, 2.25 ERA
RP Stephen Andrade IP, 2 K -- official organizational debut

*** Huber had his first great game of the season and the O-Royals rolled to the series finale win over Albuquerque. Omaha started it off with 4 in the 2nd on Huber's 2-run homer following Ambres' double and RBI singles by Blanco and Robinson. Omaha added 2 in the 3rd on a solo shot by Allen (his 1st) and an RBI single by Bell following a Huber double. Another run came in the 4th on a wild pitch by Isotopes RP -- prepare yourself -- Chris George. He gave up 4 ER over 2 2/3 IP -- that's classic George. Albuquerque cut into the lead with 3 in the 5th but Omaha matched it that inning on a 2-run Blanco single and a Robinson RBI double. The final Royals run came in the 8th on a missed catch error by RP Jimmy Anderson that allowed Blanco to score. Omaha is 5-3 and still tied with Iowa atop the division. Isotopes CF James Shanks was 2-4 to improve to .316.

Omaha moves on to a home series with Memphis starting Friday. As noted earlier Thursday, Elvys pitches for Omaha vs. Tankersley. The Redbirds (AAA Cardinals) are 0-8.

AA - Wichita: Wranglers 7, Arkansas 6

Gordon 3-3, BB, 2B, RBI, 2 RS, 2 SB (5) -- .355
Butler 0-4 -- .265
Lubanski 0-4 -- .125
Maier 2-4, HR (3), 4 RBI, 2 RS, K, SB -- .206
Tupman 2-4, RBI -- .364

SP Ryan Snare 5 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K, WP -- W, 1-0, 8.22 ERA
RP Ryan Braun 2 IP, 0 ER, H, BB, 4 K, WP -- SV (1), 8.10 ERA

*** Gordon stepped up and he and Maier helped the Wranglers to their first win of the season. Wichita had two fruitful innings but it was enough to get the W. Arkansas scored 3 in the 1st off Snare to come out of the gate running but Wichita fought back with 4 in the bottom of the 1st on RBI singles from Gordon, Maier and Tupman and an RBI double by 2B Adam Keim. The Travs tied it in the 4th but Wichita scored 3 in the 5th on Maier's 3-run shot to right for his 3rd homer of the season. Arkansas scored runs in the 6th and 7th to get within a run and threatened in the 8th but Braun pitched out of a 2-on, 2-out situation and set the Travs down in the 9th. Wichita is 1-6 and 4 1/2 games back. SS Brandon Wood was 0-4 and is down to .320 for the Travs. 1B Mike Eylward was 2-4 with 2 doubles and is up to .393.

The series with Arkansas continues Friday as Travs RHP James Holcomb (0-1, 0.00 ERA) goes against Wichita RHP Kyle Middleton (0-1, 4.50 ERA). In other Wichita news, IF Brett Groves went to the disabled list, and Walter Sevilla was called up from High Desert to replace him.

High-A - High Desert: Rancho Cucamonga 10, Mavericks 1

2B Michael Gaffney 3-4, 2B -- also IP, 0 H, BB, 0 ER
Stodolka 2-3, BB -- .353
DH Rusty Brown 2-4, K -- .273
Melgarejo 1-5, 2 K -- .364
Galloway 0-3, BB, 2 K -- .364
3B Ed Lucas 0-4 -- .304

SP Luis Cota 3 1/3 IP, 8 ER, 7 H, 3 BB, 4 K -- L, 0-2, 14.73 ERA (this is the top organization pitching prospect? Bring on Andrew Miller.)
RP Brandon Weeden 3 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, BB, 5 K -- 6.14 ERA

*** Another rough game for the Mavs and Cota. The Quakes started off slowly with 2 in the 2nd but chased Cota with 6 in the 4th off 4 hits and 2 walks credited to Cota and a hit given up by Weeden. Weeden gave up a 2-run homer in the 6th to make it 10-0 and High Desert could only manage an 8th-inning run on an error on a ball hit by SS Irving Falu that scored Gaffney. The Mavs left 9 on base in the game. Gaffney pitched a hitless inning of relief, too, in the blowout. At least *he* came to play. The Mavs are 4-3 and a game out of first now. Five players had 2-hit games for the Quakes. RC RF Cody Fuller was 1-2 and is hitting .417. LF Drew Toussaint hit 2 dingers in raising his BA to .292. SP Rafael Rodriguez pitched 6 innings of 5 hit, 1 walk, 7 K ball to move to 2-0.

A 4-game set at Inland Empire (high-A Mariners) begins Friday. I think it's SP Daniel Christensen's turn to take the mound for the Mavs.

Low-A - Burlington: Bees 5, Beloit 2

Thibault 2-3, 2 RBI, RS, HBP, SB -- .333
Santana 1-3, SB -- .438
Lisson 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, K, RBI, 2 RS -- .261
Arce 1-4, E -- .294

SP Ryan DiPietro 7 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, BB, 3 K -- W, 1-0, 1.32 ERA
RP Kraig Schambough 2 IP, H, K -- SV (2)

*** Burlington scored 5 runs in the first 2 innings and that was all Ryan DiPietro needed as he held the Snappers in check for 7 IP and Schambough finished the job. The Bees scored 3 in the 1st on RBI singles by Thibault, DH John Lowen and RF Carlos Arroyo to take a 3-1 lead after DiPietro gave up a solo shot to the third batter he faced. The Bees added 2 more in the 2nd on a Lisson RBI double and Thibault RBI single. They had 3 base runners the rest of the game. DiPietro worked out of a jam in the 5th, coming away with just one run given up. Beloit didn't threaten again. The Bees are 4-4 and a game back of first. Beloit DH Caleb Moore was 0-4 to drop to .409. Snappers RPs Jose Lugo and David Shinskie pitched 4 innings of no-hit relief. SP Adam Hawes was who took the beating.

The Bees and Snappers continue the series Friday as Bees RH David Henninger (1-0, 3.38) starts against Beloit LH Ryan Mullins (0-0, 3.00).

NPB Notes -- Yomiuri Giants

Founded: 1934 as Japan's first pro team. They were the Tokyo Giants from 1936 to '46 and the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants from '47 to 2002.
Owners: the Yomiuri media conglomerate
Home base: the Tokyo Dome (since 1988)

A high payroll, the most titles (20) and their own TV network with all the games televised - nationally. That's part of what makes the Yomiuri Giants the New York Yankees of NPB. As the oldest and most storied franchise, the Giants have also become the Dallas Cowboys of Japan in a way -- "Japan's team". In the same way as the Yankees and Cowboys, they inspire intense feelings for both fans and foes. Over the course of their history the Giants have won 30 Central League titles and 66% of the Japan Series they've qualified for. They are the franchise of world homer champ Sadaharu Oh and "Godzilla" Hideki Matsui as well as Japanese hall of famers Shigeo "Mr. Baseball" Nagashima (.304 career BA, 444 HRs, 5-time MVP as player, also a manager) and pitcher Eiji Sawamura, who struck out nine in a game against an American all-star team in 1934 that included Ruth, Gehrig and Foxx. Sawamura pitched the first NPB no-hitter in 1936 and added two others later. He was killed in World War II as a soldier in the Japanese Navy and the Japanese version of the Cy Young award is named for him.

Money and history speak loudly in the NPB as the Giants, from all I've read, can basically pick and choose which free agents they want and the team even gets the best players in the annual amateur draft. The Japanese use a "reverse designation" system that allows college and industrial league players to set preferences for professional team. Many want to play for Yomiuri.

The Giants won every Japan Series from 1965 to 1973 and won their 20th and most recent title in 2002. Americans Jesse Barfield, Warren Cromartie, Dan Gladden and Reggie Smith have played for Yomiuri during stints in the NPB. To sum up the winning history of the Giants in one post is kind of futile. Today's Giant stars include C Shinnosuke Abe (currently hitting .436 in the '06 season), OF Kenji Yano (.500 in 8 games), 3B Hiroki Kokubo, P Koji Uehara (WBC stud) and P Kimiyasu Kudo, not to mention new-for-06 FA pickup IF/OF Seung Yeop Lee, who smacked 30 homers for Chiba Lotte in 2005. As shown in the picture above, their unis resemble those of San Francisco in MLB. Their mascot is an orange rabbit with the ears and head forming the intertwined YG logo. It's name is "Giabbit".

By the way, the Giants are 10-2 this season and currently lead the CL (thru Thursday) by 2 1/2 games over Chunichi. Archrival Hanshin is third with a 5-4-1 record.

Bob Bavasi's Giants page
Borisov's 2006 Pro Yakyu page
Wikipedia on Giants

Royals on the Farm 4/12

AAA - Omaha: Albuquerque 10, O-Royals 1

Guiel 1-4, HR (2), RBI (6) -- .238
Allen 1-4 -- .370
Gotay 0-3, BB -- .240
Huber 0-2, BB -- .200
Ambres 0-3, 2 K -- .120
Blanco 0-3, K -- .250
Aviles 0-3 -- .059

Keppel 5 2/3 IP, 6 R (5 ER), 10 H, 2 BB, 2 K -- L, 0-1
Huisman 2 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 5 K!

*** Guiel's solo homer in the 4th off Isotopes SP Yusmeiro Petit tied the game at 1 but Albuquerque rallied for 8 in the 6th and 7th to blow open a lead and put the game away. The O-Royals were 4-3 after the loss but still tied with Iowa, which lost to Nashville. Petit allowed the 1 run over 6 IP and the Isotopes got 3 IP of no-hit relief. RF Matt Cepicky and DH Mike Kincade were 3-4 while 1B Jason Wood was 1-4 with a homer for the Isotopes.

Today's game has already been played as J.P. Howell took the hill for Omaha and got the win in an 11-5 O-Royals victory. A report on that will be posted later tonight or tomorrow. The Royals start a 4-game set at Memphis Friday. Matchup: Omaha RH Runelvys Hernandez (0-1, 24.00) vs. (ol' friend) Memphis RH Dennis Tankersley (0-0, 10.80 -- big surprise on the ERA, but it's better than Elvys').

AA - Wichita: Arkansas 5, Wichita 4

Gordon 1-4, K -- .286
Butler 2-4, 2 2B, RBI, RS -- .300
Lubanski 0-2, BB, K -- .150, outfield assist
Tupman 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, RS -- .333
Sanchez 1-4, 2 RBI -- .333

SP Seung Song 6 1/3 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 4 H, 2 BB, 4 K -- no decision
RP John Gragg III 1 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, BB, K, HRA -- blown save
Hoelscher 1 IP, 1 ER, 2 H -- L, 0-1

*** The Wranglers wasted a good start from Song and the futility continues as they are 0-6. Gordon's BA continues to slide as the 1-4 day knocks him down to .286 but Butler had a good day at the plate with 2 doubles. Arkansas scored first but Wichita tied the game in the 3rd on an RBI ground out by Butler. Wichita took the lead with 3 in the 5th on a 2-run single by SS Angel Sanchez and an RBI single by DH Randy Ruiz that drove Butler home after a double. The hit also ended the inning as Ruiz was thrown out at second trying to stretch it after the throw home to try and get Butler was late. Arkansas got a run off Song and Gragg in the 7th to cut the lead to 4-2 and tied it in the 8th on a 2-run blast off Gragg by 3B Matthew Brown. In the meantime the Wrangler offense sputtered. RP Nate Hoelscher gave up a double and RBI single with 2 outs in the top of the 9th to give Arkansas the lead and Wichita couldn't tie it in the bottom of the frame off RP Bob Zimmermann. The loss has the Wranglers 5 back in the division. Brown was 3-4 and is hitting .400. Travs SS Brandon Wood was 0-3 with a walk and is down to .381.

The series continued today with an 11 a.m. start. And the Wranglers have won. Go crazy, Wichita! Wranglers win, 7-6, and are now 1-6. A report will be made on that game tonight or tomorrow. Ryan Snare made the start for Wichita. The 5-game set continues Friday.

High-A - High Desert: Rancho Cucamonga 12, Mavs 3

SS Irving Falu 2-5, RS, E -- .304
LF Michael Galloway 0-4 -- .421
1B Rusty Brown 1-3, BB, RBI, RS, E -- .222
RF Brian McFall 1-4, HR (1), 2 RBI -- .167

SP Jarod Plummer 2 IP, 8 R (5 ER), 8 H, 0 BB, 1 K -- L, 0-1, 22.50 ERA, uuuuuugly
RP C.J. Woodrow 5 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 6 K -- 7.71 ERA

*** The Quakes handed High Desert - mainly Plummer - an old fashioned Cal League woodshed beatin' Wednesday in a 12-3 victory. Plummer got 2 out in the 1st before giving up 3 of 4 runs, although 2 were unearned because of an error by 2B Wilver Perez. Plummer gave up 4 more runs in the 2nd as he and Falu committed errors in the frame. Woodrow came on for the 3rd and gave up a run in both the 3rd and 4th to make the score 10-0 RC. Woodrow piled on 2 more runs for the Quakes in the 6th before the Mavs finally got on the board in the 7th on McFall's 2-run homer - his first at High Desert. Brown had an RBI groundout in the 8th but the game never got close to close, if that makes sense. The Mavs are 4-2 and in a 4-way tie atop the CL South. Quakes SP Nick Green got the win with 2 ER allowed over 6 2/3 IP with 7 Ks. SS Sean Rodriguez was 3-5 and a double short of the cycle and is hitting .458 but also made his 5th error. Three other Quakes had 2-hit games and the team had 8 XBH out of 14 hits overall.

The series concludes tonight as Quakes SP Rafael Rodriguez (1-0, 0.00 ERA) starts opposite HD's Luis Cota (0-1, 9.00 ERA). Hey, guess what the Quakes call their home stadium? That's right - the Epicenter. That's kinda clever, or at least a good marketing ploy. Also in the Mavs' news department, P Ryan Rafferty got slapped with a 50-game suspension for performance enhancers. The Royals just picked him up from the indy leagues this last off-season. We barely knew ya, Rafferty.

Low-A - Burlington: Kane County 8, Bees 6

McConnell 1-5 -- .091
Thibault 0-4, 2 K, HBP -- .286
1B John Lowen 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, K -- .231
CF Ethien Santana 2-3, BB, K, RS, SB -- .462

Kniginyzky 5 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, 3 BB, 2 K, WP -- 4.91 ERA
RP Gilbert de la Vara 2 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, BB, 3 K -- L, 0-1, 3.00 ERA

*** For a few minutes the Bees had a 5-4 lead but it didn't last as the Cougars finished the series with an 8-6 win. The Bees scored 2 in the 3rd on a sac fly by 2B Joshua Johnson and an RBI single by 3B Mario Lisson but Kane County scored 4 off Kniginyzky in the bottom of the inning on a 5-hit rally. Johnson had an RBI ground out in the 4th and the Bees regained the lead with 2 in the 5th on Lowen's homer but Kniginyzky gave up the tying run that inning on a wild pitch with 2 out. Kane County scored 2 off de la Vara on a homer in the 7th after Bees RF Carlos Arroyo threw out the would-be lead runner at the plate to end the 6th. The Bees got back within a run in the 8th as McConnell reached on a fielding error that scored C Jeff Howell. Johnson committed the cardinal sin of making the third out at third on a caught-stealing play to end the inning. Absolutely Berroa-esque there. Kane County tacked on some insurance in the bottom of the 8th and the Bees went down quietly in the 9th to end it and drop to 3-4 and 1 game out of the division lead. Cougars RP Robert Madej pitched 2 1/3 innings of no-hit relief for the win. Kane County SS Frank Martinez was 2-3 with a HR and 4 RBI to improve to .364. 3B Wes Long was 2-4 (.400 BA) and 1B Steve "Mister" Kleen was 3-4 with a double and is hitting .300. I doubt they call him "Mister" but it's the obvious nickname.

A 3-game home set with co-division leaders Beloit (low-A Twins) starts tonight. Bees LH Ryan DiPietro (0-0, 0.00) hurls against, or should I say versus, Snappers RH Adam Hawes (0-0, 0.00).

Royals on the Farm 4/11

AAA - Omaha: Albuquerque 4, O-Royals 1

Allen 2-4, 2B, K -- .391
Guiel 1-3, BB, K -- .235
Phillips 1-3, BB, RBI -- .067
Huber 0-4, K -- .231
Aviles 0-3, K, 2 E -- .071
Gotay 0-4, 2 K -- .273
Ambres 0-4, K -- .136
Blanco 0-2, BB, K -- .294

Tamayo 5 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 6 K -- L, 0-1
RP Joe Nelson 3 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 3 K

*** Isotopes SP Renyel Pinto shut Omaha down to the tune of 6 IP of 2-hit ball with 4 walks and 6 Ks. RP Buddy Carlyle added two more perfect innings and the Royals' lone run came in the 9th on a Phillips RBI single before Huber struck out to end it. Three of Albuquerque's runs came on one Tamayo pitch in the 5th on a 3-run shot by CF James Shanks. Their other run was in the 9th on a solo homer by 3B Jason Wood. Omaha is 4-2 and still tied with Iowa atop the division as Ben Sheets held the Cubs in check in a rehab start. Isotopes RF Matt Cepicky was 2-4 as was SS Robert Andino, who had a double and triple. Marlins 1B prospect Jason Stokes and LF prospect Mark Little were 0-4. Stokes had 3 Ks and is hitting .091. Little is hitting .412.

The teams continue their set today. Isotopes RH Yusmeiro Petit (0-0, 0.00) and Omaha RH Bobby Keppel (0-0, 5.06) are set to square off tonight.

AA - Wichita: Arkansas 7, Wranglers 4 (10)

Gordon 0-4, BB, K -- .292
Butler 1-5, 2B, K -- .269
Maier 2-5, 2B, RS -- .154
DH Adam Keim 2-4, 2 RBI -- .125
Lubanski 1-3, 2 BB, E -- .167

Redman 5 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 7 K -- another good start
Markray 2 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 1 K, 2 HRA
Leo Nunez 2 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 1 K, 2 HRA, WP -- 13.50 ERA, L, 0-1

*** Wichita squandered a 4-1 lead and let the Travelers send it into extra innings where they scored 3 in the 10th to get the win and drop the Wranglers to 0-5. Wichita started the scoring with 3 in the 2nd on an RBI single by SS Angel Sanchez and 2-run single by Keim. Donnie Murphy popped out in his first AB and then was pulled for a PH his second time up but no injury was mentioned yet on the team site. Arkansas scored a run in the 3rd but Wichita answered with a solo shot by 1B Randy Ruiz (his 2nd of the season) to make the score 4-1. The Travs got solo homers in the 6th and 7th from big time Angels SS prospect Brandon Wood and LF David Gates and an RBI triple from 1B Mike Eylward in the 8th to tie it at 4. All of that was off Wranglers RP Thad Markray. Leo Nunez finished off the 8th and got through the 9th smoothly but ran into trouble in the 10th. A Wood double was followed by a 2-run shot by 3B Matthew Brown and then a solo shot by RF Jason Aspito to make it 7-4 Arkansas. Lubanski and Gordon walked to start the bottom of the 10th but Ruiz and Butler K'd and Maier grounded out to end it. Arkansas RP Rich Thompson pitched 3 innings of no-hit relief to get the win. Wood was 4-5 with 2 doubles and the HR and is hitting .444. Eylward was 2-4 with a double and triple and is hitting .450.

The teams continue the series in Wichita tonight. Travs LH Daniel Davidson (0-0, 5.06) is scheduled against Wranglers RH Seung Song (0-0, 16.20 ERA).

High-A - High Desert: Mavs 5, Rancho Cucamonga 2

Melgarejo 1-4 -- .412
Ed Lucas 1-4, 2B, RBI -- .368
Stodolka 1-4, 2B, 2 K -- .286
1B Rusty Brown 1-4, 2B, RBI -- .200

Buckner 6 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 8 K, WP -- W, 2-0, 1.64 ERA -- looking good
RP Justin Barnes 3 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 3 K -- SV (1)

*** A 3-run 1st and the pitching of Billy Buckner was about all the Mavs needed Tuesday in taking over sole possession of first in the division with the 5-2 win. Brown doubled home a run in the 1st and scored later on a wild pitch before Lucas doubled home the third run of the inning. The Mavs got another run in the 5th thanks to a 2-out fielding error by Quakes SS Sean Rodriguez. The 5th run came in the 6th after a 2-out double by Stodolka. Another Quakes error on a ball hit by OF Juan Senreiso allowed Stodolka to score and Barnes finished out the game in relief. The Mavs are 4-1. Quakes RF Cody Fuller was 3-4 with a double and RBI and is hitting .500. Rodriguez was 1-4 and is hitting .421.

The Mavs will try and keep their 3-game winning streak going tonight. No announced starter yet for the Mavs while RC will have Nick Green (1-0, 1.80) on the hill.

Low-A - Burlington: Bees 6, Kane County 3

Thibault 2-4, RBI, PB -- .353
Arce 1-4 -- .308
McConnell 1-3, 2B, K, HBP -- .059
1B Miguel Vega 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, K -- .111
3B Jeremy Jirschele 1-4, 3B, RBI, K, E -- .143
OF Carlos Arroyo 1-4, 2 RBI -- .176

SP Rayner Oliveros 7 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 4 K -- W, 1-0
RP Chris Hayes 1 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K -- SV

*** Oliveros held the Cougars to one run over 7 IP while the Bees slapped together 6 runs off Kane County starter Trey Shields. Burlington scored 2 in both the 2nd and 3rd on a Jirschele RBI triple and Vega sac fly in the 2nd and a Thibault RBI single and RBI ground out by Arroyo. One run each was scored by the Bees in the 4th and 5th on a Vega solo homer (his 1st) and an Arroyo RBI single. The only blemish on Oliveros' resume came on a solo homer by Cougars DH Frank Martinez in the 4th. A Jirschele throwing error, Thibault passed ball and wild pitch by RP Eliszer Garcia led to 2 unearned runs for KC in the 8th but Hayes came in and got the job done to seal the win, including striking out the side in the 9th. The Bees are 3-3 and a game out of first in the division.

The series concludes with a day game today. RH Matt Kniginyzky (1-0, 1.50) will start for the Bees against Kane County RH Vince Mazzaro (1-0, 3.60).

Evil Empire 9, KC 7

Well, we have our first game of '06 that can be listed under Bell's name on the blame list. The Royals had the Yankees down, 7-4, in Yankee Stadium in the 8th and couldn't finish them off today as Burgos gave up a crushing 3-run homer to Jeter. Since I mentioned Bell, there were some questionable managing calls in the game. After SP Joe Mays gave up his 4th run and got pulled in favor of Mike Wood in the 3rd, Wood got out of the 3rd unscathed and through the 4th. Meanwhile, the Royals tied the game on Sanders' 2nd homer and RBIs by Berroa and Buck. As a side note, Berroa actually got walked in the 8th, which is news in itself. Wood also got through the 5th before being pulled in favor of Dessens to start the 6th. The Royals built a 7-4 lead by the middle of the 7th as Costa homered and Sanders drove in another run. Dessens got through the 7th but was pulled in favor of Sisco for the 8th. Sisco promptly loaded the bases and gave up 2 runs with only 1 out to his credit before Burgos came in and sandwiched Ks of Damon and Sheff around the dinger by Jeter. I guess the bulk of the blame should go to Mays for blowing another start and walking 5 batters, but can't Wood or Dessens go more than 2 innings? Neither was struggling or getting hit extremely hard when pulled, then you had Sisco in at least two batters too long. To top it off, the Royals had the winning run at the plate and Bell let Mientkiewicz hit against Rivera with 2 out in the 9th instead of giving Stairs a shot. Again, why is Stairs on the roster, then? When you've got a team like the Yankees on the ropes, you have to knock them out, which the Royals didn't do today.

The good news is Teahen had 2 hits, as did Sanders, Grudz and Brown. The offense did it's job today but Mays and Sisco didn't step up. Sweeney is also hitting a robust .095 after going 0-4 and leaving after Rivera drilled him in the hand in the 9th. DeJesus also missed another game with his injured hammy. Costa led off and went 1-5, so didn't do a great job of getting on base. At 2-4, the Royals move on as Affeldt tries to improve on his first start tomorrow against Chacon, who is beatable. He can't get much worse than his first start, so there's not much room to go but up.

Royals on the Farm 4/10

AAA - Wichita: O-Royals 3, Albuquerque 2

Guiel 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 2 K -- .214
Gotay 2-4, K -- .333
Allen 1-4, K -- .368
Huber 0-1, 2 BB -- .333
Blanco 1-3 -- .333

SP Brian Bass 7 IP, ER, 4 H, 2 BB, K
RP Joel Peralta 2 IP, ER, 3 H, 2 K -- 1-0

*** Guiel picked a good time for his first homer of the year and helped the Royals move to 4-1. Omaha scored 1 in the 1st when CF Kerry Robinson led off with a single and moved to second on a Gotay single. Robinson stole third and a throwing error by C Tom Wilson allowed him to score. The score remained 1-0 through 6 as Bass held the Isotopes to 2 hits. Albuquerque strung together two doubles to tie the game in the 7th and, after Peralta got through the top of the 8th, Gotay singled with 1 out in the bottom of the frame and Guiel followed with a homer to give Omaha a 3-2 lead. Albuquerque got runners to first and second with 0 out in the 9th before C Paul Phillips nailed the lead runner at third. With 2 out, Isotopes 1B Jason Stokes singled home a run but Peralta struck out 3B Jason Wood swinging to end it. Bass allowed 4 hits and 2 walks over 7 innings in a great first start at AAA. Albuquerque OF Mark Little was 2-2 with a walk and HBP in the game but was the guy thrown out at third in the 9th. He's hitting .538. SP Scott Olsen was who shut the O-Royals down for most of the game with an UER on 5 H and 3 BB over 6 1/3 IP.

The O-Royals continue the series Tuesday as the matchup is Isotopes LH Renyel Pinto vs. RH Danny Tamayo. The win helped Omaha keep pace with 4-1 Iowa.

AA - Wichita: The Wranglers had the day off and start a five-game home set with Arkansas Tuesday. They're 0-4.

High-A - High Desert: Mavs 7, Rancho Cucamonga 6

Stodolka 2-3, 2B, 3B, RBI, 2 RS -- .300, bat looks good so far
Valentin 2-3, 2 RBI, 2 CS -- .375
Sevilla 1-4, BB, 2 RBI
Melgarejo 1-4, BB, 2 RS, 2 SB -- .462, outfield assist
Ed Lucas 0-3, BB, RS -- .400
Galloway 1-4, 3B, K, RBI -- .533

SP Patrick Hicklen 5 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, BB, 7 K
RP Adam Rowe 3 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 2 K -- W, 1-0
RP Gabe DeHoyos 1 IP, 2 K -- SV

*** The Mavs moved into an early first-place tie with the Quakes at 3-1 with a 9th-inning comeback. Both teams scored 1 in the 1st as Galloway hit his RBI triple. High Desert added a run in the 2nd on a Stodolka triple and ensuing RBI single by Geraldo Valentin. Rancho Cucamonga took the lead with 3 in the 3rd and 1 in the 5th off Hicklen but High Desert tied it at 5 in the 6th off Quakes RP Joseph Torres and Mike Pete. RF Brian McFall drew a bases-loaded walk to bring the first run home and Stodolka followed with a sac fly. Valentin's second RBI single of the game brought the tying run home and kept the Mavs in business but McFall was picked off and Wilver Perez hit into a force out to end the rally. The Quakes scraped together an 8th inning run off Rowe to put the Mavs down, 6-5, entering the 9th. Stodolka, who is looking decent with the bat (although it may just be the altitude), led off with a double and advanced to third with 0 out on a throwing error by Quakes P Frederic DeLoizaga-Carney. A strike-em-out, throw-em-out double play put the game in jeopardy but Melgarejo walked and stole second to put runners at second and third with 2 out. Sevilla came through with the 2-RBI single but was thrown out trying to advance to second and High Desert was left with the 7-6 lead. Gabe DeHoyos slammed the door in short order in the bottom of the 9th. Quakes SS Sean Rodriguez was 2-4 and is hitting .467.

The Mavs continue the set at Rancho Cucamonga tonight. Billy Buckner (1-0, 1.80) takes the mound against Quakes SP Karl Gelinas.

Low-A - Burlington: Kane County 6, Bees 3

LF Ethien Santana 3-4, 2B -- .400
2B Valentino Arce 1-3, RBI, RS, HBP -- .333
McConnell 0-4, BB, E
Lisson 0-3, RBI, 2 K

SP Carlos Rosa 4 1/3 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 4 BB, 6 K -- L, 0-1
RP Cody Harkcom 2 2/3 IP, 2 UER, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 K

*** Burlington took an early 3-1 lead but couldn't hold it in losing its road opener to fall to 2-3. The Bees scored 1 in each the 1st, 3rd and 4th on a sac fly by Lisson, an RBI single by RF Carlos Arroyo and an Arce sac fly. Kane County rallied for 4 runs in the 5th and tacked on a run in the 6th to make the score 6-3 and Burlington didn't get another base runner. Cougars' RP Joe Piekarz pitched 3 innings of 2-hit ball for the win. LF Nick Blasi and 3B Jeffrey Bailey were 2-3 to lead Kane County. Rosa was making his first start for the Bees since missing all of 2005 with an arm injury.

The Bees continue the series Tuesday as RH Rayner Oliveros takes on Cougars RH Trey Shields (1-0, 4.50).

Royals on the Farm 4/9

AAA - Omaha: Nashville 11, O-Royals 5

Huber 3-4, HR, 2 RBI
Chad Allen 3-5, 2B, 3B, RS
Blanco 2-4, 2B, HR, RBI
Robinson 2-4, BB, K
Gotay 2-5
Guiel 0-3, BB, RBI

Runelvys 3 IP, 8 ER, 7 H, 4 BB, K, 2 HR -- yuck
Bernero 4 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 3 BB

*** Doesn't look like Runelvys is ready to go, as he got smoked by Nashville Sunday to the tune of 8 ER and 2 HR over 3 IP. In other words, the O-Royals were never in the game. He walked two of the first three batters and only got out of the 1st with one run given up because LF Chip Ambres threw out a runner at home via a relay from Blanco to end the inning. In the 2nd, Runelvys gave up 2 BB, 3 H and a wild pitch as the Sounds scored 4. Hernandez took the fielders out of the question in the 3rd in giving up the 2 jacks and 3 runs total. Meanwhile, the O-Royals went scoreless until the 4th when Huber hit an RBI single and Mike Aviles hit an RBI ground out. Adam Bernero came in for Hernandez and had a smooth 4th before giving up the final 3 runs for Nashville in the 5th on a bases-loaded triple by Tony Gwynn Jr. Guiel knocked in a run in the 5th and Huber led off the 6th with a solo longball but by then the damage was done. Blanco went solo in the 8th and that was it as '05 Wichita Wrangler Chris Demaria pitched the last two innings for Nashville. The O-Royals are 3-1 and still had a successful opening series. They are tied with Iowa for first in the division. Gwynn was 2-4 with 4 RBI and 2 RS.

Albuquerque (1-3, AAA Marlins) comes to Omaha for 4 starting Monday. Isotopes LH Scott Olsen goes against O-Royals RH Brian Bass in the opener.

AA - Wichita: Tulsa 4, Wranglers 3

Gordon 0-4, 2 K -- .350 BA, first 0-fer
Butler 1-4, 2 K -- .286
Lubanski 1-4, HR (1), RBI -- .133
Sanchez 2-2, BB, 2 E, 2 CS -- .375
Murphy 2-4, 2 2B, RBI, K -- .350
Maier 0-4, 2 K -- .095

SP Juan Cedeno 4 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 6 K
RP Junior Herndon 4 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 0 K -- 0-1

*** The good news for Wichita was Tulsa OF Jordan Czarniecki didn't hurt them Sunday. The bad news was 3B Ian Stewart was still in the lineup. Stewart homered to lead off the 8th and give the Drillers the edge they needed to win. The Wranglers actually jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the 3rd on an RBI double by Murphy but Tulsa pushed across 2 in the 4th to take the lead away. Lubanski hit his first AA homer to lead off the 5th and tie the game and 3B Brett Groves hit a sac fly to bring Sanchez home. That run made the score 3-2 Wichita, which remained the score until the 7th, when Tulsa SS Troy Tulowitzki hit a 1-out RBI single off Herndon to tie it at 3. Stewart's homer made the difference as Wichita went down in order in the 8th and 9th. The Wranglers are 0-4. Stewart was 1-3 with the HR and Tulowitzki was 1-5 while Czarniecki was 0-3.

The Wranglers are the lone winless team in the TL (4 games back of the Drillers, of course) and now head home to take on the Arkansas Travelers (AA Angels) for 5 games starting Tuesday. The pitching matchup in the opener is Travs RH Jesse Smith against RH Mark Redman in his second rehab start.

High-A - High Desert: Mavs 10, Inland Empire 8

Ed Lucas 4-5, 2 2B, 2 RS, K
LF Michael Galloway 4-5, RBI, 2 RS
C Tommy Duenas 2-4, BB, HR, 2 RBI, 2 RS, K
SS Irving Falu 2-5, 2B, 3B, RBI, RS
DH Mike Stodolka 1-3, BB, HR, RBI -- first pro HR, I think

SP Daniel Christensen 4 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 2 H, BB, 4 K, WP
RP Brandon Weeden 2 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 1 H, 3 BB, 2 K, WP -- W, 1-0

*** Ah, a California League game. 18 runs on 23 hits with 4 errors. The Mavs jumped all over IE SP Shawn Nottingham as they got 1 in the 1st on an RBI double by 1B Rusty Brown, 3 in the 2nd on RBI doubles by OF Juan Senreiso, Falu and IF Walter Sevilla and 2 in the 3rd on a Duenas solo shot and a Sevilla sac fly. IE stayed in it with 3 in the 3rd off SP Daniel Christensen but High Desert scored 3 in the 4th on RBI singles by Galloway and Duenas and an error by SS Matt Tuiasosopo that allowed Duenas to score. The Mavs tried to let the 66ers back with 4 in the 7th off Weeden and RP Justin Barnes but got an insurance run in the bottom of that frame on Stodolka's first homer as a non-pitcher. They almost needed that run as IE scored again in the 8th but that was it as Nate Moore pitched the last two innings to get his first save of the season. The Mavs are 2-1. Tuiasosopo was 1-4 with 3 Ks and Yung Chi Chen was 1-3 with a double and 2 RBI.

The Mavs are a game back of Rancho Cucamonga (High-A Angels) and head out to play the Quakes for 4 games beginning Monday. Quakes SP Rafael Rodriguez will start the opener vs. the Mavs' Patrick Hicklen.

Low-A - Burlington: Bees 4, Clinton 2

2B Joshua Johnson 2-4, 2B, RBI, K, RS
SS Valentino Arce 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI
Lisson 1-4, K
Thibault 1-3, BB

SP David Henninger 5 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 3 K
RP Kraig Schambough 3 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K

*** The Bees split the series with Clinton with a win Sunday as David Henninger had a decent opening start. The Bees scored 3 in the 2nd after a fielding error kept the inning alive with 2 outs on an RBI double by Johnson and a 2-run single by Arce. Clinton scored 2 in the 6th off Henninger and RP Adam Kalkhof before Burlington got an insurance run in the 7th on a wild pitch. RP Kraig Schambough shut the door over 3 IP for his first save. The Bees are 2-2 and a game back of first-place Beloit. Nobody had a great game for Clinton Sunday. Clinton SP Jacob Rasner got the loss despite giving up 3 UER over 5 IP.

Burlington heads to play the Kane County Cougars (Low-A A's) for three games beginning Monday. RH Carlos Rosa starts for the Bees against Cougars RH Ken Ray.

To quote Meat Loaf (White Sox 3, Royals 1)

It was a cliche before Meat Loaf made it a hit and set the cliche in stone, but there's a reason "two out of three ain't bad" is used. It's true, especially when you're talking an early season series against the defending world champs and division rivals, the Chicago White Sox. The Royals dropped the series finale, 3-1, despite a good start from Elarton. The team ran into some outs, so really they had their chances today but didn't take advantage. Buehrle took a 1-hitter through the first five or six innings and the only run came on a solo shot by Reggie Sanders off Jenks in the 9th. Reggie was the only Royal with 2 hits and the bullpen worked out of a jam in the 9th. The White Sox got 2 runs on a double by Crede early and then got shut down by Elarton until he gave up a gopher ball to Thome in the 8th. Maybe if he gets some run support he'll win a game this season. Sweeney was back to an 0-fer after Saturday's heroics, Teahen continued his Mario Mendoza imitation with a .111 BA, but he did have a 1-3 day. He got tagged with a throwing error probably caused in part by Graffanino's station at first with Mientkiewicz getting the day off. Berroa made an error and hit into a DP as part of an 0-4 day and continued to refuse to try to work a pitcher for a walk. It was a frustrating day to be a Royals fan but the last two games have taken the edge off so it's probably best to move on to the Yankees series and hope for at least one if not two of three up there. The momentum needs to keep going.

Royals on the Farm 4/8

AAA - Omaha: G1 O-Royals 2, Nashville 0 (7 inn.)

DH Chad Allen 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, K
Huber 0-1, HBP, E
Blanco 1-2
Ambres 0-3, K
Gotay 1-3, RS
Guiel 0-2, BB, RS

J.P. Howell 6 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 5 K
Elder 1 IP, 2 H, K

*** Howell didn't give up a hit until the 4th and got a 2-out, 2-run double from Allen in the 6th to give Omaha a late lead in the truncated 7-inning game because of the doubleheader. RP Dave Elder allowed a couple runners in the top of the 7th but no runs to close it out. The game took 1:41 to play. Gwynn Jr. was 0-3.

G2 O-Royals 3, Nashville 2 (8 inn.)

Huber 0-2, BB -- .000 BA
CF Kerry Robinson 0-2, 2 BB, 2 RS, SB, K
Gotay 1-3, K
Guiel 1-3, 2 RBI
Allen 1-3 -- .300 BA
Ambres 1-3, HR (1), RBI
Blanco 0-3, E

Kyle Snyder 5 1/3 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 4 H, 7 K !!!, 0 BB, balk
Justin Huisman 2 2/3 IP, H, BB, 2 K -- 1-0

*** The O-Royals are in position for the season-opening sweep as they came back from being down 2 early to send the game into extras and winning in 8. Blanco's throwing error led off the game and Nashville used the mistake in scoring 2 in the 1st and putting SP Kyle Snyder down early. Ambres homered to lead off the 2nd and Snyder settled down to hold the Sounds in check. In the 6th, Robinson reached on a throwing error and got to third on a wild pitch. Guiel came through with a single to tie the game, which stayed tied at 2 into the bottom of the 8th. Robinson walked, was sacrificed to second by Gotay, stole third and scored on a Guiel sac fly to end the game. The O-Royals are now 3-0. Gwynn Jr. was 1-4 with a K.

Omaha goes for the sweep Sunday as RHP Runelvys Hernandez goes up against Nashville RH Dennis Sarfate.

AA - Wichita: Tulsa 7, Wranglers 4

Gordon 3-5, 2B, K -- .438 thru 3 games
Butler 0-4, 3 K -- .294
Murphy 1-5, HR, 4 RBI, 3 K, E
Maier 0-5, K
Ruiz 1-3, BB, 2B, K
Lubanski 0-3, BB, RS -- .091 yeesh
Sanchez 1-3, BB, 2B

SP Kyle Middleton 4 IP, 5 R (2 ER), 8 H, 2 K, 0 BB -- 0-1

*** The Wranglers fell behind 3-0 in the 2nd and never contended. Looks like my Wranglers prediction of 80-60 may be way off, unless Tulsa is again a league power. Two of the 3 2nd inning Tulsa runs scored on an error and passed ball on C Mat Tupman. 1B Brett Groves made an error in the 3rd that cost the Wranglers another run as part of a 2-run inning. Tulsa added runs in the 6th and 7th with the 7th-inning run coming partly because of a Murphy error to make the score 7-0. Murphy cranked a grand slam in the 9th off RP Joshua Newman but Maier struck out and Gordon flew out to end the game. The Wranglers are 0-3. SS Troy Tulowitzki was 2-5 for Tulsa and Czarniecki again did damage with 2 doubles. Tulsa SP Juan Morillo held the Wranglers to 4 H through 5 IP with 7 K and a BB.

The Wranglers will try to avert the sweep today as LHP Juan Cedeno will square off with Tulsa's Mark Kaiser.

High-A - High Desert: Inland Empire 9, Mavs 0

CF Ransel Melgarejo 2-4, 2 Ks
SS Irving Falu 2-3
3B Ed Lucas 0-3, E, HBP
1B Mike Stodolka 0-4, 3 Ks -- .000 at new position thus far
2B Wilver (formerly Gary) Perez 0-4, 3 Ks, E

SP Luis Cota 4 IP, 5 R (4 ER), 7 H, 2 BB, K -- 0-1
RP C.J. Woodrow 2 IP, 3 R (2 ER), 4 H, BB, K
RP Adam Rowe 2 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 4 K!

*** Cota's High Desert career got off to a rough start as the 66ers got 2 runs in the 1st and another in the 2nd before driving Cota out of the game with 2 in the 4th to stake a 5-0 lead. Inland Empire added 2 in the 5th and another run in the 6th off Woodrow. Meanwhile, the Mavs strung out 7 hits off four IE pitchers but couldn't push a run across the plate in falling to 1-1. 66ers 2B Yung Chi Chen was 4-5 with 2 2B and 2 RBI from the leadoff spot. 66ers SS Matt Tuiasosopo was 1-3 with a double, RBI, walk and 2 RS.

The teams end their series today. No announced starters, but if I had to guess I'd pick Daniel Christensen as the Mavs' starter.

Low-A - Burlington: G1 Clinton 1, Bees 0 (8 inn.)

McConnell 0-3, HBP
Lisson 1-4, K, E
Thibault 1-4, 2 K, SB

SP Ryan DiPietro 6 2/3 IP, O ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 3 K

*** It was a pitchers' duel between DiPietro and Clinton's Zachary Phillips as DiPietro allowed only 3 hits while Phillips only allowed 4 hits as the game, shortened to 7 innings for the doubleheader, went into extras. Bees RP Chris Hayes gave up a run in the 8th and the Bees loaded the bases with 1 out in the bottom of the 8th but couldn't tie or win the game as Lisson was called out on strikes and Thibault went down swinging to end it. Burlington left 7 on base in the loss. The Bees moved to 1-1. Clinton CF Truan Mehl and SS Matt Smith were 2-4 in the win.

G2 Clinton 2, Bees 0

Thibault 1-3, K
Lisson 0-1, 2 BB, K
McConnell 0-3 -- .000 thus far

SP Gilbert de la Vara -- 4 IP, 0 H, BB, 3 K (must have been on pitch count)
RP Yovany Damico -- 3 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 6 K -- 0-1

*** The Bees nearly got no-hit by Clinton in the nightcap as a 1st inning single was Burlington's lone hit off SP J.B. Diaz or RP Jose Marte. The Bees did draw 5 walks and 2 Clinton errors but the offense struggled to score. Clinton's offense wasn't much better but the LumberKings scraped together runs in the 6th and 7th as Damico walked in a run in the 6th and Clinton got a sac fly in the 7th. The Bees went down with a whimper in the bottom of the 7th to end it and drop to 1-2. Clinton RF Terry Blunt was 2-3.

The Bees end the series with Clinton today. RH David Henninger takes the mound against Clinton RH Jacob Rasner.

180°??? Royals 11, CWS 7; Royals 4, CWS 3

The last time I posted about the major league Royals, they were 0-2 and coming off a horrible loss to Detroit. Three days later they're .500 and going for a sweep of the reigning world champs. If that's not a 180° turn, I don't know what is. How they got set for the sweep is somewhat interesting as they came back from a 6-0 deficit Friday to beat the White Sox and got a late blast from the $11 million man Mike Sweeney to get the win Saturday. Friday's game started much like the entirety of Wednesday's 14-3 loss to Detroit went as wannabe starter or closer Jeremy Affeldt got blasted like Charlie Brown on the mound to the tune of 6 ER on 7 hits over 4 IP. The new pickups chipped in as Reggie Sanders drove in Grudz to start a 4th-inning rally. Brown, Berroa and Buck doubled to bring in the rest of the runs in the 5-run spurt. The Royals tied it at 7 on a wild pitch and then a sac fly by Mientkiewicz, so the momentum was heavily rolling their way. Another Buck double and a DeJesus double gave the Royals a 2-run lead in the 6th and KC tacked on two more runs thanks to Teahen's first hit of the season and Mientkiewicz knocked in a run on a FC. Needless to say, that's a somewhat astonishing turn of events after the 13 innings from Wednesday's game to Friday. Grudz, Sanders, Buck, Berroa and Brown had 2-hit days. Mike Wood got the win after getting torched by Detroit Wednesday before getting ejected. His ERA is still 18.00. Another bad outcome in the game was DeJesus leaving with a hamstring injury that kept him out of today's game.

Then, today, the Royals got a good start out of Bautista and got good bullpen outings from Luke Hudson (once again), Dessens and Burgos. The offense took a while to get going but finally put some runs on the board as Sanders got a clutch 2-run double in the 6th to give KC a 2-1 lead and, after Sisco got touched up for 2 runs to blow his first save of the season in the 8th, the Royals had their backs against the wall. Grudz singled to lead off the bottom of the frame and Mike Sweeney (give credit where it's due) came back from a previous HBP to knock a Cliff Politte pitch into the left field stands and give KC the 4-3 lead. Burgos promptly came in after the Royals did no further damage and struck out Mackowiak and Uribe before getting Ross Gload to fly out to end it. All in all, two good wins. It's easy to forecast this season could be a series of ups and downs -- remember, KC swept the Yankees in 2005 -- but we'll see how Sunday's series finale goes and how the team responds in upcoming series as the true identity of the team is revealed.

Royals on the Farm 4/7

AAA - Omaha: O-Royals 5, Nashville 3

Gotay 0-3, RBI, K
Guiel 0-2, 2 BB, 2 K, RS
C. Allen 1-4, 2 RBI, RS
Ambres 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K
Huber 0-1, 2 BB
Blanco 1-3, RS

Keppel 5 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 4 hits, 3 BB, 3 K
Yarnall 1 2/3 IP, 1 hit, BB, 2 K
Joe Nelson 1 IP, 3 Ks -- !!!, 1-0
Jo. Peralta 1 IP, K -- SV

*** Sounds starter Ben Hendrickson no-hit Omaha through 5 IP and Nashville ran up a 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the 8th. CF Kerry Robinson broke up the no-hitter in the 6th but the Royals didn't get another runner until the 8th, when a fielding error by Nashville shortstop Enrique Cruz helped a Royals rally. Gotay hit a sac fly, DH Chad Allen came through with a 2-run double and Chip Ambres matched that feat to give the Royals a 5-3 lead. RP Joel Peralta put Nashville down quietly in the 9th to end it. The O-Royals are 1-0. Sounds CF Tony Gwynn Jr. was 1-3 with an RBI.

LHP J.P. Howell makes his first '06 start today in the first of two games against Sounds LHP Zach Jackson. In the nightcap, RHP Kyle Snyder will take on LHP Dana Eveland.

AA - Wichita: Tulsa 9, Wranglers 7

Gordon 2-4, RS, 3 SB!!! -- .364 BA, speed demon
Murphy 3-5, 2B -- .364
B. Butler 1-5, HR (1), RBI, 2 K, outfield assist, ejected in 9th -- .385
Maier 1-5, HR (2), 3 RBI
DH Randy Ruiz 1-4, HR (1), RBI, RS, K
Lubanski 0-2, BB, K, RS, HBP
An. Sanchez 2-4, RBI, 2 RS
C Damaso Espino 2 E

SP Ryan Snare 2 2/3 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 6 hits, 2 BB, 4 Ks -- ugly 10.12 ERA
RP Barry Armitage 1 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 3 hits, 2 BB, 1 K -- even uglier 16.20 ERA
RP John Gragg III 3 IP, 1 H, 1 walk -- nice outing
RP Ryan Braun 1 1/3 IP, 2 ER, 1 HR, BB, K -- 0-2 through 2 games, not good

*** Once again a Wrangler comeback went for naught as Wichita came back from a 7-2 deficit to tie it in the 9th only to see Tulsa CF Jordan Czarniecki strike again. After Snare gave up a first inning run, 3B Alex Gordon singled in his first AB, stole second and third and scored on a Sanchez force out to tie it. After Snare gave up another run in the 2nd, Billy Butler tied it on a solo homer -- his first of the season, but the Drillers scored 2 in the third thanks in part to two errors (one throwing, one Jack Clark-style dropped foul pop-up) by C Damaso Espino. Tulsa tacked on 2 in the 4th and another in the 5th off Armitage to take the 7-2 lead. Gordon singled and stole second in the 6th but didn't score. Wichita got back in the game in the 7th thanks in part to an error by Tulsa 2B Matthew Macri. Lubanski scored on a double-play ball by Murphy and RF Mitch Maier followed with a 2-run shot -- his 2nd in 2 games -- to make it 7-5. DH (and new pickup) Randy Ruiz homered to lead off the 8th and cut the lead to 1. SS Angel Sanchez singled to lead off the 9th and later scored on a Maier force out to tie the game. Butler was called out on strikes to end the inning and must have argued because he got tossed. With 2 out in the bottom of the 9th, Braun walked Macri and then gave up a walk-off dinger to Czarniecki (his 3rd in two games against Wichita) to end it. The Wranglers are 0-2 and could just as easily be 2-0. Two games, two tough losses. Tulsa 3B Ian Stewart was 2-4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI. Czarniecki was 2-5 with the HR and 3 RBI.

The series continues today in Tulsa as Kyle Middleton takes the mound for the Wranglers against Drillers SP Juan Morillo.

High-A - High Desert: rainout. This game will be played as part of an April 15 doubleheader. I'll go ahead and assume Luis Cota will make his Mavs' debut tonight against the Inland Empire 66ers. No announced starters (as usual) on the team site.

Low-A - Burlington: Bees 6, Clinton 1

3B Mario Lisson 2-4, 2 2B, RBI, 2 RS, K, SB
C Kiel Thibault 1-3, 2 RBI, K
1B Miguel Vega 0-4, 4 Ks -- ouch

SP Matt Kniginyzky 6 IP, 1 ER, 3 hits, 0 BB, 5 Ks -- 1-0, 1.50 ERA
RP Eliszer Garcia 3 IP, 1 H, 4 Ks! -- SV

*** The Bees had a very successful opener as pitchers Kniginyzky and Garcia shut the LumberKings down and Burlington took advantage of two Clinton errors to get the win. The Bees scored 2 in both the 1st and 2nd on a Lisson double and Thibault sac fly in the 1st and 2 runs on a sac fly by LF Antonio Sabatini thanks to a missed catch error by Clinton 3B John Whittleman. CF Jose Duarte threw in an RBI single in the 4th and Thibault hit an RBI single in the 8th to round out the scoring for Burlington. The Bees are 1-0.

Today's doubleheader to make up the opening day rainout features Bees LH Ryan DiPietro against LH Zach Phillips in game 1 and Bees LH Gilbert De La Vara versus RH JB Diaz in game 2.

NPB Notes -- Intro

I've always been curious about/interested in Japanese professional baseball and, with the Japanese coming off an inaugural World Baseball Classic championship and my interest still intact below the surface of my mind, I figured now might be a good time to start what will hopefully be a regular feature on The Pipeline about major league baseball in Japan. I'm calling it NPB Notes for now but that's subject to change. I remember doing a project on Japan in fourth or fifth grade -- which even involved writing to the Japanese embassy in D.C. and getting a huge thick packet of stuff in return (greatly appreciated). I don't know how much of that info I remember -- I guess some but not nearly all -- but I didn't really go into baseball in that project, unfortunately.

When you're young and reading just about anything about baseball you can get your hands on, there aren't really a lot of references to the Japanese leagues. About all you ever read about is Sadaharu Oh and his feat of hitting more homers than Aaron or Ruth (an eye-popping 868 from 1959 to 1980) and maybe a mention of Masanori Murakami, who pitched 89 innings for the Giants in the mid-1960s. Then you had Warren Cromartie successfully making the trip overseas (at least the first noted success of my lifetime) to play in the 1980s followed by more American exports, known as "gaijin" in the '80s, '90s and today. MLB imported some Japanese players too starting in the mid-1990s with Hideo Nomo and Hideki Irabu and hitting it big with Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui. As many players going either way have failed as have succeeded. For every Ichiro and "Godzilla" Matsui there is a Tsuyoshi Shinjo or Masato Yoshii.

"Pro Yakyu" or Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) is what the Japanese call the major leagues there and the league structure there resembles MLB in several ways. Baseball was introduced there in 1872 and the teams that are now the Yomiuri Giants (kind of like the Yankees and Dallas Cowboys rolled into one) and Hanshin Tigers (somewhat like the Red Sox) were formed in 1934. Since 1958 the NPB has been 12 teams in two leagues of 6 -- the Central and Pacific leagues. That's one point where I think the Japanese may have a leg up on MLB -- they haven't overexpanded over the years. The Central is kind of the equivalent to the National League while the Pacific employs the DH and is therefore equated to the American League. The two winners have met in the Japan Series every year since 1950 with Yomiuri winning 20 titles. Interleague play began last season. There are fewer home runs in Japan and a different strike zone is used than we're used to as it is bigger close to the batter but smaller as you get farther away laterally. The NPB also uses a slightly smaller ball.

The Central consists of the Giants, Tigers, Yokohama Bay Stars (think the Cubs only with 2 recent titles -- in '60 and '98), Hiroshima Toyo Carp (sorta like the Reds), Chunichi Dragons (Dodgers without all the championships but still a winning tradition) and Yakult Swallows (kind of the "small market" team even though they're in Tokyo). The Pacific includes the Chiba Lotte Marines (the reigning champs under the guidance of Lasorda disciple Bobby Valentine -- closest in some ways to the Mariners), the Orix Buffaloes (hard to classify as a newer hybrid team), the Seibu Lions (another traditional power with 12 titles), the Fukuoka Softbank (formerly Daiei) Hawks (managed since '95 by Oh), the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (a partner of the Arizona Diamondbacks) and the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (closest Japan has ever had to an "expansion team"). The merger of the Orix BlueWave (Ichiro's former team) and the Kintetsu Buffaloes (the NPB team with the worst total historical record) after the 2004 season to form the Orix team left an open spot in the Pacific so that lead to the creation of the Golden Eagles, a team that features NPB's first American GM, Marty Kuehnert. Another point to note is that the team names are based on the owning companies and not the towns where they play.

The Pacific League begins play about a week before the Central starting in late March. One big difference between Japanese and American baseball is that they have ties in NPB. No game goes past 12 innings. I guess as Americans we've been trained that there must be a winner since a tie is, as Alabama football coach Bear Bryant once said, "like kissing your sister." That's not the case in Japan. They even have ties in the Japan Series. The teams play 140 regular season games and the PL has a different playoff system than the Central.

I'll probably do some kind of write-up on each team as part of the NPB Notes series along with keeping readers abreast of the CL and PL races in Japan. I may even adopt one team or maybe a team in both leagues to lend the Pipeline's fan support to.

Entering play Saturday (Japan is 14 hours ahead of the U.S. so at midnight it's 2 p.m. there), Chunichi and Yomiuri are tied atop the CL with Hanshin a game back with 6 or 7 games in the books. Seibu is a game and a half up on Softbank and Nippon Ham in the PL with 11 or 12 games played (depending on the team). Valentine's Marines are 4-8 and 4 1/2 games back. Once a find a regularly updated league leaders list, I'll detail some of those.

A couple of sites that were valuable in compiling this and are great sites in their own right are Bob Bavasi's JapanBall.com, Japan Baseball Daily, and the Wikipedia site for NPB. I encourage anyone interested to also check them out. The NPB Notes will be a fun diversion for me and, hopefully, an interesting topic for any readers.

Royals on the Farm 4/6/06

AAA -- Omaha: rainout. Rescheduled for Saturday as part of a doubleheader. That makes today opening day as Bobby Keppel makes his first start in the organization against Nashville Sounds SP Zach Jackson. He is a former 1st rounder from the Mets in 2000 who pitched 27 good innings at AAA Norfolk last season. He's only 23 going on 24 so may be a really good pickup. Winner gets first place in the division as both Iowa and Memphis lost yesterday.

AA -- Wichita: Tulsa 9, Wranglers 8 (16 innings) -- wild one

Gordon 2-7, BB, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 2 RS, 3 Ks
Butler 4-8, 2B, 2 RS, 1 K
Murphy 1-6, 2B, K, HBP
Maier 1-7, HR, RBI, BB, 5 Ks (ouch!!!), E, outfield assist
Lubanski 1-6, 2B, 2 BB, 3 Ks
Tupman 2-6, BB, K
A. Sanchez 1-7, HR, 2 RBI, 2 Ks, E

Redman 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, BB, 2 Ks -- good start
Song 3 1/3 IP, 6 ER on 8 hits, 4 Ks -- 16.20 ERA
Nunez 2/3 IP, 1 ER on 2 hits, 2 BB, 0 Ks -- first blown save
Cody Smith, 3 IP, 1 hit, 3 Ks
Markray 2 2/3 IP, 1 hit, 3 Ks

*** The Wranglers almost got two games for one on opening day. They were ahead, 8-2, at one point and Tulsa had a 5-run 9th to force extras. Not a good bullpen day. Maier homered in his first AB (before K'ing 5 times), Butler singled and Gordon doubled and an error brought both home. SS Angel Sanchez hit a 2-run shot in the 6th and Gordon hit a 3-run shot in the 7th to make it 8-2. RPs Seung Song (another new pickup) and Leo Nunez gave up the damage in the 9th and it stayed tied at 8 until the 16th before RP Ryan Braun gave up a walk-off shot to the first batter he faced in the inning. The Wranglers had a couple chances to score earlier in extras but couldn't get it done. They left 15 on base in the game. They're 0-1. Good news is Redman had a good outing, albeit at AA. Tulsa got good games from SS Troy Tulowitzki (first rounder last season), 3B Ian Stewart (Rockies' hot 3B prospect) and CF Jordan Czarniecki, who had 2 HRs.

Ryan Snare is set to go for Wichita tonight in game 2 against the Drillers' Steven Register.

High-A -- High Desert: Mavericks 6, Inland Empire 2

CF Ransel Melgarejo 3-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 RS
LF Michael Galloway 2-3, 2 2B, 2 BB, RBI
3B Ed Lucas 2-4, RS, 2 Ks, 2 throwing Es
2B Wilver Perez 2-4, RBI, 2 RS, K

SP Billy Buckner 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R (1 ER), 3 BB, 4 Ks -- 1-0, 1.80 ERA
RPs Weeden/Barnes/DeHoyos -- combined 4 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 4 Ks

*** Pretty decent first game for the Mavs as Inland Empire was a thorn in the side in 2005. Buckner had a good first start but the Mavs fell behind, 2-0, before pushing across 2 runs in both the 3rd and 4th. Runs were added in the 6th and 8th on RBI doubles by Melgarejo and Galloway -- both of whom are new to the organization. It was a good day for the pitching staff all-around as the bullpen also locked it down. The Mavs are 1-0. Mariners' hot prospect SS Matt Tuiasosopo was 1-4 with an RBI, was caught stealing and had two errors in the field.

No announced starters again for today's game. I assume today would be Luis Cota's high-A debut for the Mavs.

Low-A - Burlington: rainout. Rescheduled as part of a Saturday doubleheader. SP Matt Kniginyzky gets the delayed start in today's opener. He was a reliever at Idaho Falls last season and was a 2005 23rd rounder out of High Point U in North Carolina. He goes up against Clinton SP Kyle Rogers.

First Royals on the Farm of '06 tomorrow

With the AAA, AA, and high- and low-A seasons starting today, the first Pipeline "Royals on the Farm" report will be posted tomorrow. Looking at the Schematic, which will need just slight tweaks to be up to date, Omaha should have a competitive team (prediction: 77-67) with Huber, C/UT Jared Price, Gotay, Blanco, Ambres and Guiel the players to watch, not to mention J.P. Howell. Wichita could be the killers in the Texas League with Butler, Gordon and Lubanski in the lineup and what should be a pretty decent pitching staff (prediction: 80-60 overall and at least one of the two season half titles) -- also watch 1B Kila Kaaihue, SP John Gragg III, and I almost forgot OF Mitch Maier. High Desert looks weaker than last year's team that made the playoffs but will hopefully still compete with IF Ed Lucas and OF Brian McFall the position players to watch and prospects Luis Cota and Billy Buckner among the starting rotation (prediction: 65-75 overall). Burlington may also be interesting to watch with some prospects from last year's rookie leagues in tow. SS Chris McConnell is probably the biggest name there, but also watch C Kiel Thibault, OFs Jose Duarte and Ethien Santana, IF Valentino Arce and Ps Rayner Oliveros, Matt Kniginyzky (a fun name to type) and David Henninger. (prediction: 72-68 overall)

So there's a short preview. Omaha opens with 4 at home against Nashville (Brewers AAA) with Kyle Snyder getting the first start. Rosenblatt Stadium has a new state-of-the-art video board, which is more than 27 feet high and 56 feet wide and cost over $1.25 million. Stadium renovations have gone wild in the top levels of the Royals organization. Wichita opens on the road with 4 games at Tulsa (Rockies AA). Today's game features a rehab start for new signee Mark Redman as he tries to work his way to KC. High Desert starts with 4 in a mixed home-and-away series with Inland Empire (Mariners high-A). Once again the Mavs' site lived up to my expectations and contains little info about the opener but I assume Cota will get the start today. The Burlington Bees open with 4 home games against Clinton (Rangers low-A). Today's opener is already rained out and will be made up as part of a Saturday doubleheader. Kniginyzky will get the first start of the season tomorrow.

As a side note, I listened to the start of Soren Petro's "The Program" Thursday to hear his take on Wednesday's Royals debacle (seems to be the most popular term for it so far) and, what does he start off pissing and moaning about? The uniforms. Right now the uniforms are the least of the team's worries. He's a supporter of the black unis which have been discontinued. I would like to see them go back to the powder blues myself -- you know, bring back what they used to play well in and contend while wearing. I think the whole black alternate uni thing is overdone, so I wasn't sorry to see it go. Why should KC have them just because it seems like 75 percent or more of the other teams do? I don't care if they're neutral colors and hot sellers as Petro said. It's a dumb topic to argue about anyway. Then he went on to ask why Matt Stairs is even on the team, which I can kind of agree with. If he isn't gonna be in the lineup against Bonderman and put some pop in the lineup, why is he eating a roster spot? Maybe it's because the team once again has too many DHs on the 25-man. At least Harvey is out of the mix finally. Sweeney's salary will keep him in the lineup and neither he nor Stairs can play first like Mientkiewicz, so basically Stairs is taking up space, since he can't play the outfield either.

WU: Jennifer Harris drafted to WNBA

Yeah, I know, it's the WNBA but I thought I'd post about Jennifer Harris, a player from my alma mater, Washburn University in Topeka, a D-II school, getting drafted by Chicago in the second round of the WNBA draft today. Say what you want about women's basketball, but I'm stoked about that. She played like a true champion this past season, helping the Lady Blues to a 51-game winning streak over the last season and a half and the 2004-05 D-II title. They were undefeated this season before losing in the regional championship game of the D-II tourney. She was D-II player of the year in three different publications, so she is definitely a standout. Here's hoping a WNBA rookie of the year is next on her list of accomplishments. Here's a link to her bio:

Jen Harris bio

Congratulations and good luck goes out to Harris from the Pipeline.

Tigers 2,546, Royals 3: the Debacle

I wonder how many voters out there are reconsidering their "Yes" votes on proposition 1 from yesterday's ballot. Today's game goes beyond the word "embarrassment". I like the word "nausea" or "galling" to describe it. Joe Mays gets shelled, Luke Hudson actually comes in for 1 2/3 IP and keeps the Tigers in check, then gets inexplicably taken out by Bell for Stemle, who promptly gives up 4 ER on 6 hits. Gobble comes in for an inning and gives up a jack. Then Wood comes in and gives up 2 HRs without an out and hits Craig Monroe with a pitch to get ejected. Meanwhile, Berroa has his first "Berroa" game of 2006 with a fielding error and baserunning blunder. Is it possible for the wheels to completely come off a season in game 2 of 162????? 'Cause that feels like what's happening today. Could Mike Sweeney maybe get a hit or two -- can Grudz even make contact? Same goes for Teahen. Only a combined 0-fer-11 today for those three. There was nary a good day for any Royal in today's game.

I got an e-mail from royals.com today entitled "Upgrades on way for KC stadiums!" I'd prefer it to say "Upgrades on way for KC's players!" What good is hundreds of millions in stadium renovations for absolutely atrocious baseball? You can paint an outhouse any color you want, but it's still an outhouse. I guess on the flipside it's not a brand spankin' new stadium paid for to play host to atrocious baseball. I didn't think I'd get disillusioned so quickly this season. Hopefully there's nowhere to go but up. I'm seriously considering registering fireallardbaird.com. I brought up firetonypena.com on a Royals Yahoo e-mail group in 2005 and he was out not too long after. It can be the Pipeline jinx. Please let it be so.

Tigers 3, Royals 1

Ah, last place. I hope the stay is as temporary as possible. The Royals got a decent start out of Scott Elarton Monday on opening day but scraped together only 1 run on 4 hits to take the loss. The Tigers got 9 hits but only 3 counted -- 2 HRs by Chris Shelton off Elarton and a Carlos Guillen homer off Sisco. Meanwhile, Grudzielanek celebrated his first official Royals game with the triple sombrero -- 3 Ks and Teahen, Buck and Sweeney went a combined 0-9 with a walk. The Royals just didn't give themselves many chances today. Four hits and one run isn't gonna win you games unless this is 1968 and you've got Koufax and Drysdale. Elarton and Mays don't much resemble Koufax and Drysdale. Elarton threw 92 pitches thru 5 2/3 IP, which isn't good, but only gave up the 2 ER on Shelton's homers. He kept the team in the game -- they just couldn't get the job done at the plate. So after a spring in which the Royals offense looked good and the pitching staff was shaky (at least the starters), the two juxtapose on opening day. Today's game was there for the taking, but at least the defense held strong -- no errors. Rogers pitched a good game for Detroit and refrained from assaulting any cameramen. Rookie Joel Zumaya had 3 Ks over 2 IP in relief and Fernando Rodney shut the door. This is a good game to brush off and forget about. They need to generate some offense off Bonderman Wednesday.

For better or worse...

the Royals are headed into the 2006 season. Over the past week, the KC roster has been pared down to 25, somewhat controversially. Baird/Glass believers have had their arguments for the moves made while the numerous Royals detractors out there have had their fun at the team's expense.
First move -- Tony Graffanino in as utility infielder, Joe McEwing out. Yeah yeah, McEwing had a good spring but he has been and always will be roster filler. If he was gonna show anything in the majors, he would have by now. He's 32 and has a .303 lifetime OBP and .356 lifetime SLG when the games count. Plus he's an average fielder, so he's not bringing enough to the table there to make him a crucial part of the roster. Graffanino isn't a spectacular fielder but he's solid enough and gets on base better with a little more pop in the bat than McEwing. He's a little older but won't be around more than this season, most likely. And if the Royals can get anything out of the Astros in the trade for McEwing, that's fine with me. This one made the least amount of ripples in the news.
Second move -- Shane Costa in as 4th OF, Aaron Guiel to Omaha and Chip Ambres clears waivers to Omaha. This one is a little more open to debate. I don't understand why the organization keeps jerking Guiel around. Last year he had a great year in AAA and couldn't crack the majors for more than 109 ABs. This season he has a great spring and still gets sent down. He is 32 compared to Costa at 24 and Ambres at 26, so that counted against him but I can't think of another reason Baird and Bell would decide he needs to go. Actually, Costa was arguably the weakest option of the three (despite the fact he outhit Ambres in ST) but got picked for the opening day roster. This is the kind of fuel the detractors look for when they want to sling mud on the organization.
Third move -- Relievers Stephen Andrade and Joel Peralta out, Steve Stemle and Luke Hudson in. Stemle had a 5.00 ERA in 9 IP this spring so picking him over Andrade's 3 IP of 0.00 ERA (I'm betting he's the first Omaha call-up) or Peralta's 3.48 ERA in 10 1/3 IP (also a good candidate for an early call to KC) is puzzling to say the least. At least Hudson had a 1.50 ERA in 6 IP and some major league experience to back him up.
Every season you have those moments where you wonder if the powers-that-be in the organization know what they're doing. In 2005 a couple examples were bringing in Hocking and McEwing and letting Lima ring up roster bonuses despite one of the worst SP seasons ever. In 2006, beside the Guiel and Andrade/Peralta moves, the expansion of the weak payroll by signing three mediocre pitchers and the decision to let Matt Diaz go (he made the Braves' roster). The Elarton/Mays/Redman signings have been started off with ST ERAs of 6-plus for both Elarton and Mays and Redman on the DL already. On the flipside, the Mientkiewicz signing looked good in ST and I'm a believer that Esteban German will end up being a good pick-up. I gotta tell the truth on my opinion, though -- the questionable moves made by the front office and/or Bell make me wonder how much improvement can be made with the organization in its current state. My 2006 prediction for the Royals is 70-92.

Spring training stats link:
http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/stats/sortable_player_stats.jsp?c_id=kc

"One Lonely Beastie I Be"

A recent post on RoyalBoard interpolated a Beastie Boys lyric and got me thinking, "I bet I could make a decent '06 Royals preview out of Beastie quotes." There are common threads between the Beastie Boys and the KC Royals, although their paths seem to have diverged recently. The Beasties-owned record label is Grand Royal. They started what is now an over 20-year career (in the mainstream, not counting their early years as a punk band) at about the time the Royals hit their peak with the 1985 World Series. Even the early Beastie years began around the time the Royals were done in by George Brett's hemorrhoids and other factors in the 1980 World Series. The Beasties had an underground classic in Paul's Boutique and then another classic in Check Your Head in the late '80s-early '90s, while the Royals kept playing competitive baseball through that time. The Beasties' Ill Communication album in 1994 preceded a dry time for the group as the Royals went into a nearly permanent funk in the mid 1990s with 1994 as the last year over .500 for a while. Hello Nasty brought the Beasties back in the late 1990s, which roughly equates to the 2003 improbable run for the Royals. The Beasties also had a couple hits in '04 and '05 from their newest album, To the Five Boroughs, so maybe 2006 and the future will give the Royals some high spots to look forward to. Fans can only hope.

1 and 1a. Well, people how you doing there's a new day dawning
For the earth mother it's a brand new morning
For such a long while there's been such a longing
But now the sun is shining let's roll back the awning

and

We can't say enough about all you do
'Cause in the city we're ourselves and electric too

Those two quotes represent an early "D-Day" coming up for the Royals -- the April vote on the proposed stadium renovations at "The K" and the Truman Sports Complex. You have the side, promoted mainly by the team as well as the Chiefs, that wants these to be voted in by Jackson County residents/voters. They're getting promises for All-Star Games and Super Bowls to sweeten this deal up and make it go down easier for the sports-enthusiast voters. But if those people are split and you have the non-sports enthusiasts out there who vote against it, how's it gonna go through? I'm firmly in the camp that says if the taxpayers are gonna lay out that kind of cash, why not just build a new stadium with a retractable roof? Why fix up an older complex when better plans may be found elsewhere -- either downtown or in Kansas (Kansas likely won't happen, though, with all the school finance debate raging on)? Why do you need a 9,500-seat pavilion for concerts with other venues like Verizon Wireless and Starlight around and the Sprint Center soon to come? I don't live in Jackson County so I don't get a vote and my outlook isn't great for the issue. Glass' reaction will be interesting to see if the issue gets voted down. I also love that first lyric, which kicks off "Jimmy James" and therefore the Check Your Head album.

2. Well, Mike D's in the house, what you gonna do
I go A.W.O.L.
Adrock's in the house, what you gonna do
I go A.W.O.L.
Well, MCA's in the house, what you gonna do
I go A.W.O.L.
Well, Hurricane's in the house, what you gonna do
He goes A.W.O.L.

This lyric from "B-Boy Bouillabaise" goes out to Zack Greinke. The once and future staff "ace" left training camp for still unknown reasons and has yet to return. The fans have heard a great deal about Zack's potential but have seen little of it pan out on the mound. Meanwhile he spouts off stoner quotes and comes off as totally medicated in interviews. He is rumored to have been unresponsive to coaching and former pitching coach Guy "The Arm Whisperer" Hansen may have damaged the goods in 2005. The 2006 season could be a make-or-break year for Greinke and his future with the team. He is still young, though, only 22. Rushing him along looks like it may have been another crucial mistake for the Royals' front office.

3. Looking down the barrel of a gun
Son of a gun son of a b****
Getting paid getting rich

That one from Paul's Boutique goes out to two players for different reasons -- Mike Sweeney and David DeJesus. I'm not a Sweeney fan and have posted as such in the past. The $11 million/110 game DH can rest easy in that spot with Doug Mientkiewicz brought in with the glove at 1B. Of course he wants to play the field, which isn't his strong suit. You can also count on any time he starts to go great his body breaks down. He already has a bone bruise and is down for a while. It's only a matter of time until he's on the DL. I don't like thinking that way but he hasn't played more than 122 games since signing the big deal. With him getting older why should '06 be any different? GM Allard Baird did, on the flip side, pull off a good deal by inking DeJesus to a contract that gets the team through his arbitration years. It's nice to lock up a good younger player for a while, for a change. Maybe Baird is learning.

4 and 4a. Weighs in at two seventy five
*so take that and move back catch a heart attack*

and

First you want to battle then you start to whine
You're looking hungry, it must be snack time

So first, Runelvys Hernandez hires Scott Boras as his agent. That's already a step in the wrong direction if you're a Royals fan. Boras' reputation proceeds him. Then, Runelvys shows up to camp looking like a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon. Also not good. It's bad enough he was the team wins leader with *8* in 2005. He's rehabbing from TJ surgery, so you'd think he'd be interested in getting in good shape, not Bartolo Colon shape. Obviously not. Buddy Bell was pissed, reportedly, about Runelvys' gut coming into camp and he'll surely enter the regular season still quite a bit overweight. The team can only hope the weight problems don't make other more baseball-usable parts of his body break down.

5. Like pins and needles and words that sting
At the blink of an eye I will do my thing

This one goes out to Andy Sisco, who made it through his Rule V draft year in the majors with pretty good numbers -- a 3.11 ERA and 76 Ks in 75 IP. A 1.46 WHIP can be improved on, though. He enters this season at age 23 and will start in the bullpen. He may make an arguable option at closer while MacDougal is on the mend from shoulder problems. Burgos has that gig to start the season but Sisco's stuff will keep him in the running. Sisco needs to reprise his 2005 performance and improve on it to give the Royals the bullpen boost they're gonna need. It doesn't look like he has much shot at a starting job this season, but this looks like another good move by Baird.

6. I'm in the lab all day I Scrabble all night

The whole "Scrabble infield" joke about Mientkiewicz and Grudzielanek is already getting tired, but why not drive it into the ground? I was hoping the Royals would pick up A.J. Pierzynski at C, bring Mike Pagliarulo out of retirement at 3B and Buddy Biancalana out of minor league managing at SS to round it out. The duo was brought in as FA signings mainly for their gloves with whatever positive output produced from their bats as gravy. Spring training is fairly meaningless -- Gabe Gross went off for the Blue Jays last season in ST and how did he end up? -- but Mientkiewicz is tearing it up in Surprise (.487 BA, 1.297 OPS, 7 BB, 0 Ks thru 14 games) while Grudz isn't doing that great (.323 BA but only a .731 OPS and 1 walk in over 30 plate appearances -- he also committed 2 errors in one game I listened to on the radio) but hopefully will round into shape in the first couple months. If Minky can keep up with anything close to this, his signing will be a huge steal.

7. If you pick a rose, well you might just bleed

To the 2000 draft, which will be one of those "what might have been" years for the Royals. This is relevant by happenings within the Royals' top 5 picks that year. #4 overall pick Mike Stodolka is finished as a pitcher -- the organization is switching him to 1B at Wichita. We'll see how that pans out. Another top-five round pick -- 3rd-round C Scott Walter -- has retired after a mediocre '05 at Omaha. At least DeJesus was a fourth-rounder that year and has panned out. A quick glance at the draft that year shows the Royals could have had Rocco Baldelli, Chase Utley, Sean Burnett or Aaron Heilman in round 1; picked Mike Tonis (gone from the system) over players like Xavier Nady in rd 2; Grady Sizemore went one pick after Walter in round 3; Cliff Lee went one pick after DeJesus and Yadier Molina and Laynce Nix also went in round 4; and fifth round P Zach McClellan, also no longer in the system, went ahead of Garrett Atkins and Bobby Jenks. Sigh. I won't go any further.

8. I got supplies of beats so you don't have to wait
'Cause I'm the master blaster drinking up the Shasta

2006 may see the major league debut of born-to-be-a-DH Billy Butler, who will start the year at Wichita but will likely work his way to Omaha by mid-season, by my estimation, if he isn't called up directly to the pros from AA as the Royals love to do. Butler has absolutely raked wherever he has been stationed and has absolutely sucked in the field wherever he has played. He was moved to LF last year and did somewhat better there than at 3B but that was mainly because there was slightly less damage to be done in left. I just hope to God he starts figuring things out in the field so the team doesn't have another Sweeney on its hands. The Royals need to hire a special outfield coach just for Butler -- a private tutor -- and pound the fielding prowess into him somehow. It'll be an exciting moment to see him at the plate for KC, though. Also, Beastie fans are free to finish this lyric with the line "My voice sounds sweet 'cause it has ta". What's another word for Pirate treasure? I think its "booty."

9. I'm getting intense, not talking nonsese
I made up my mind, not sitting on the fence
I don't always know the right from the wrong
I do my best to figure it out and work it out in the long
I try to do a lot more than I can chew
I balance out my ambitions it's what I've got to do

We enter 2006 with Jeremy Affeldt's role on the team once again in question? Is he a starter or a reliever? Will he be traded before the all-star break or not? Will he be the closer again at some point? The team does need to stop jerking him around and go one route or another with him. All things considered, I'd like to see what the Royals could get in trade for him. I don't like that he whines to the media whenever he doesn't like what's going on. Like with Sweeney, Affeldt has problems with injuries every year. He gets injured or doesn't perform in the role he's given then bitches when the job goes to someone else. I can do without it. If he is on the team, he's gonna have to step up and do well in whatever role he is given. He may deserve a chance to be a starter but the front office and coaching staff need to make up their minds.

10. I've got more rhymes than I've got grey hairs
And that's alot because I've got my share

The Royals have two players on the squad that are children of the '60s. Matt Stairs is back for another year as 1B/DH/wherever Bell decides to put him. He produced all right in 2005 with an OPS over .800 and was third on the team in RBI. The only question is how he fits into the lineup with Sweeney and Mientkiewicz. I guess he gets Sweeney's ABs during the inevitable DL stint. The other "old man" on the team is Reggie Sanders, a FA signing that fans should hope doesn't hearken back to the many times the Royals have signed a player a year or two too late -- let's hope he's not another Juan Gone. He's had some back problems in recent years and, as Sweeney can attest, those are hard to deal with at times. When he was healthy in 2005 he raked for the Cardinals at a .546 clip in slugging % so hopefully he can cross Missouri on I-70 and repeat that for the Royals. His OPS has been better than park-adjusted league average for five years running and KC needs that streak to roll on. Unfortunately the team's abundance of DH-able players will most likely keep Sanders from taking advantage of that role in the lineup. On the bright side, his deal is for two years and not a ton of money, so Baird got that part right. As for the lines, "Sure Shot" was one of the hands-down best songs on Ill Communication.

11. It's not how you play the game it's how you win it

This will be Buddy Bell's first wire-to-wire (I'm expecting) season as Royals manager unless they go 0-162, in which case he may be gone, but I doubt it. Baird and Glass let Tony Pena screw around with the team long enough and I'm sure Buddy Bell will get plenty of rope. Needless to say, I wasn't a big fan of the Bell hire. I thought there were much better candidates out there -- I wanted Larry Dierker as skip -- and, if none of them were up to taking it on in mid-season, why not let Schaefer or somebody else finish out the season and move on? Buddy Bell has one winning season under his belt as manager and that was 82-80. Of course he had some sucky Rockies and Tigers teams but if we can't judge him by their lack of improvement, what can we judge him by? He seems to like coming into dire situations and trying to turn things around. That just hasn't happened for him yet. If the Royals get it turned around, it'll be the first time for Bell.

12 and 12a. Let me get some action from the back section
We need body rockin' not perfection

and

People always say my style is wild

The bullpen was a noted strength of the '05 Royals and will have to do its part again. Luckily, the same crew is back for KC and hopefully the weaker points (Nunez and Gobble, to name two) have improved to shore it up. Nunez needed much more minor league seasoning and hopefully will get a full season of that in 2006. Burgos has still had his wild points (the wild pitch late in the White Sox game the other day was horrible) but has the heat and the stuff to make a difference. At least Shawn Camp and Nate Field and Jaime Cerda are gone for good, from the way things look. Sisco, Burgos, MacDougal (if and when he gets healthy and can keep his head right and the ball where it needs to be), and whoever shakes out of the rotation fight in camp will hopefully be able along with Gobble to hold things down on the back end of the games. It'd be nice to have starters that can consistently keep you in the game for 6 or 7 innings, though. Also a great couple of lines from Body Movin' on Hello Nasty. Had to get a line in from Intergalactic, too, since that was a great song. That second lyric was meant especially for Burgos and MacDougal, who sometimes seem to have as little clue as the batter where the ball is going after it leaves their hands.

13. Sense the power in the air as it starts to move
You get a real good feeling that you just can't lose

2005 first rounder Alex Gordon has come into camp and proved his worth to the team and fans. Through 15 games he has hit .414/.528!!!/.483 and thrown in 3 SBs to boot. He may be able to put some pressure on Teahen at third to push Teahen to improve. Gordon will start the year at Wichita and you figure for promotional reasons, much less for talent reasons, he'll finish at Omaha since he's huge in Nebraska. He could very well be in KC's opening day lineup in 2007. As time passes, it becomes more obvious the #1 pick in 2006 has to be a pitcher for KC. Hopefully that player will also pay off as well as Gordon looks like he may.

14. Life comes in phases take the good with the bad
You bought those coins on the street and you got had

The much-debated (among fans) Carlos Beltran deal will continue to be a topic of dispute throughout 2006 as Mike Wood, Mark Teahen and John Buck will fill three of the team's 25 MLB spots. Buck hasn't hit his way out of a paper bag in any more than short-term spurts. Teahen hit well in the second half of '05 after struggling through the first half. Wood was the best of the three in 2005 and had a 4.46 ERA and 1.57 WHIP in 115 innings. Youth is on the side of all three players, though, and development is still to come. Of course, with Beltran's paltry performance in 2005, it made that deal closer to a wash but those three will have "the trade" hanging over their heads until they prove they belong in the majors.

15. You've been in the game, your career is long
But when you break it down you've only got 2 songs

The other three free-agent signings by Allard Baird -- Mark Redman, Scott Elarton and Joe Mays -- yielded three 30-something (close with Elarton) pitchers, one of whom is already on the shelf with leg problems and had a horrible second-half in 2005 (Redman), one of whom is the opening day starter despite a 4.61 ERA in 2005 and a 6.55 spring ERA in 3 games (Elarton) and the other, who is in his second year coming back from TJ surgery and has had one year with an ERA under 4.40 (Mays). None of the three has shown much in ST but pitchers get a little more time to round into shape. The WBC, if nothing else, showed that not all the major league pitchers (*cough-Dontrelle Willis-cough*) were ready for prime time. Of course, Dontrelle pitched a lot better than any of these guys last year. I just hope none of the three has an ERA over 5 and I doubt that's gonna happen.

16. Because mutiny on the bounty's what we're all about
I'm gonna board your ship and turn it on out

The first lines on the first song of the first Beastie Boys album, Licensed to Ill, go out to Allard Baird. You have to wonder if the Royals tank and lose 100 games for yet another season if Baird will be gone. I was calling for his ouster after 2004 but that didn't happen. He has his sympathizers that make excuses for some of the moves he's made. For every Bautista there's a Neifi Perez, though, and I haven't seen much improvement on the field for the Royals in recent times. There are good things going on in the organization, however, and Baird and Glass did make an effort to make some smart, cheap moves in the offseason to bolster weaker parts of the team. I'm not one of the low payroll whiners -- you can't win with a $37 million payroll and if you can't generate more revenue to spend more than that, get out of the game. The performance of the team along with the results of the stadium issue may have major effects on the franchise in 2006.

18. Until your back's up against the wall
You never know yourself that much at all

Denny Bautista had an injury-plagued 2005 after a great early start against the Angels and struggled to come back. He's back in camp and had a 3.50 ERA in 18 IP before spinning a gem today against the Padres with only 1 hit allowed through 5 IP. If he can get in good physical shape to withstand the wear and tear of 30 or more starts in a season and can get locked down consistently as in the Angels start last year and Padres game Thursday, he could do family member Pedro Martinez proud in KC. Hopefully he's just not another Royals pitching casualty. This lyric could also apply to SS Angel Berroa, who frustrated fans in 2005 with inconsistent pop in his bat and numerous gaffes in the field. Hopefully Bell will also be smart enough to not bat him high in the lineup since he CAN'T TAKE A WALK. He's like Joaquin Phoenix's character in "Signs" -- he must feel it's wrong not to swing at pitches. If Blanco can stay healthy and hit at Omaha or new acquisition Esteban German (a Pipeline favorite, by the way) hits like he did last year in AAA for Oklahoma City, either may push Berroa to step it up. If either does and Berroa keeps with his free-swinging, seldom-making-contact ways, Berroa could be playing for another organization soon. If German is at all adequate in the field and proves himself at the plate, I'm all for Berroa's shipment out.

19. Hate filled people wanna keep us in check
Tearin' down each other is what they expect

The Royals were a great organization to grow up with in the 1980s. You started the decade off with a World Series appearance and had Brett, White, Leonard, Quisenberry, Wilson as bedrock. Then you had great years in 1984 and 1985 -- a World Series ring speaks for itself. It makes it hard to be a fan when you see that team become the laughingstock it was in 2005. I hate Jay Leno's comedy enough without him shooting his mouth off about the Royals. ESPN isn't much better -- if the Royals can even crack the highlights. The only thing that will turn the situation around is wins. The AL Central has been there for the taking for years but the front office down to the players can't get the job done. 2006 will be either a step in the direction of improvement or another year at the bottom of the barrel. How many hits can the organization take before something changes?

20. One final set of lyrics to kick the season off:

Season's change when it comes their time
Falls brings the winter and on back to springtime

Here's hoping for a 2006 to remember for Royals fans.

Schematic updated

Dropping a note that the Schematic organizational depth chart is up to date as of tonight. Hopefully will have a couple more posts up by the end of the week.

http://www.freewebs.com/steelcurtain88/schematic.htm

On first glance I gotta say the organization looks improved top to bottom. It's probably not an A but it's not in the somewhat sorry shape it was last year. Some nice additions at the major league level to give the young guys time to develop; some actual young talent at Omaha along with the usual refried retreads; major upgrades at Wichita with Gordon, Butler, Angel Sanchez, and maybe Chris Lubanski? Haven't heard on Lubanski; also not locked in on rosters for High Desert or Burlington yet. Wichita signed a load of pitchers recently, including former Expo Seung Song, former Padre Junior Herndon and former somewhat known prospects (not the most ringing endorsement) Ryan Snare and Shane Loux. On the other side of the coin, Greinke has gone Colonel Kurtz on the team and is somewhere in the Everglades with an army of jungle natives slaughtering cattle and reading poetry with Dennis Hopper running around with a camera. I envision Buddy Bell getting drunk in a hotel room in his underwear breaking a mirror with his fist doing karate and weeping loudly while wrapped in a sheet. Maybe it's time for the Royals to eliminate Greinke "with extreme prejudice." Macdougal has also continued the team's "bad luck" run of pitching injuries with a bum shoulder that's putting him out for 6 weeks. Yeah, bad luck. Two or three times is bad luck. Umpteen is bad handling. Anyway, I'm looking forward to 2006. I hope that feeling lasts past May 1.