**** The OFFICIAL 2008 KC Royals Spring Training Thread ****

[Coach]

http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/new...t=.jsp&c_id=kc

Hillman was at Surprise Stadium at the dark hour of 5:15 a.m. MT on Thursday. The sun hadn't even thought about casting its rays on the White Tank Mountains. About four hours later, though, about 20 pitchers, six catchers and a platoon of other position players were spread across the playing fields of the complex.

It wasn't a mandatory workout -- that doesn't happen until Valentine's Day -- but the volunteers poured into camp. The sun cut through the morning chill, dew covered the grass, Air Force jets thundered overhead and at 9:34 a.m., Hillman watched as a line of pitchers sprinted across the green.

Meche and Luke Hudson were the first pitchers to toe the rubber in the bullpen and fire baseballs into catchers' mitts.

"After I get a delivery in my mind, I'll watch these catchers as much as I do the pitchers to see early and later how much we're hitting the glove," Hillman said.

About half the pitchers threw off the mound on Thursday; the others will toss on Friday. The countdown to Opening Day on March 31 at Detroit was on for Meche and the Royals.

Maybe its my optimistic nature, not last but I really think we are witnessing the resurrection of the franchise.

[blueballs]

off season sucks ehough eith out this

[tk13]

I just read today that apparently they're planning to move the alleys in LF and RF at the K back to 390 feet.

[KUCFChiefs]

Originally Posted by tk13

I just read today that apparently they're planning to move the alleys in LF and RF at the K back to 390 feet.

Great stuff. Let DeJesus and Gathright run that shit down.

[Kraus]

Finally something to look forward to after the miserable Chiefs season.

[eazyb81]

Sweet, I can't wait for this season to start. We're certainly not going to contend for the division this year, but I definitely think we'll be competitive and can finish ahead of either Minny or Chicago.

One player I'll be watching extra close is Banny. If he can follow-up last season with another strong year, it will really solidify this rotation for the future.

[Eleazar]

Read that they are going to try Teahen in left field, and Guillen will supposedly own the right field job.

They also signed a guy, Brian Lawrence, who's a right handed starter formerly of the Padres, had arm surgery and missed most of last season with the Mets. Don't know anything about him, but he figured in their rotation for about 4 seasons and his career ERA is 4.19. Might be able to help.

[Kraus]

I'll be interested to see if Billy Butler and Alex Gordon can pick-up where they finished last year.

[KUCFChiefs]

http://www.kansascity.com/news/break...ry/495003.html

Incumbent Buck will remain Royals' top catcher
Associated Press

SURPRISE, Ariz. | Kansas City Royals Manager Trey Hillman worked Monday to clear up some confusion about who will be the team's starting catcher when the season opens.

While Miguel Olivo thought he was going to be competing for the starting catching job, Hillman said John Buck would remain the Royals No. 1 catcher.

"There was a miscommunication to Miguel," Hillman said Monday. "I'm not going to throw anyone under the bus. Neither Dayton (Moore, general manager), nor myself told Miguel Olivo he was coming in here as the starting catcher.

"We got him for a reason. We want to utilize his skills. We think he's a talented player with a chance to be a starting catcher."

Olivo hit .237 with 16 home runs and a career hit 60 RBIs last season in 122 games with the Florida Marlins. Buck led the Royals with 18 home runs, while hitting .222 with 48 RBIs in 113 games. Buck, however, hit just .195 after the All-Star break and only two home runs in his final 50 games.

Hillman said he's talked to both men about the catching situation. He told Olivo that he was acquired by the Royals in December for a reason.

"Miguel understands the situation," Hillman said. "We got him for a reason. We didn't get him to sit there and let him rot on the bench. He'll get some catching time. We're going to take a look at him in some other places."

Hillman said Olivo "did act surprised" when he told him Buck would be the starting catcher but felt better about the situation after talking to Hillman.

"My agent tells me when I sign here that I come here to fight for a job," Olivo said. "The manager makes the decision. I agree with him. Whatever he says is the way it is going to be."

However, Olivo said he's been a starting catcher his entire career and has no intention of giving up the starting job without a fight.

"In my mind, we're fighting for the job," Olivo said. "In my mind, I'm the starting catcher. In my mind because that's the way I've been all my career. I respect John Buck. He respects me. We talk. We are good friends. Baseball is competition. Everybody comes here to get a job. I come here to fight for my job."

Could Olivo win the starting job?

"Anything is possible, sure," Hillman said. "What I told John Buck is you have to maintain a certain level of performance to maintain your status as a starter. For me, that's a no-brainer. That's for everybody."

[KUCFChiefs]

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/roy...ry/499086.html

Royals camp update: Gathright sees 30 steals as path to regular duty
By BOB DUTTON
The Kansas City Star

SURPRISE, Ariz. | Speedy outfielder Joey Gathright sees a simple path to regular duty in the Royals’ lineup: More steals.

“If I had stolen 30 bases last year,” he said, “I don’t think I’d be having too many conversations about where I would be playing. But I did not. Therefore, my main goal this year is to do what I did last year plus steal a lot of bases.”

A year ago, Gathright concentrated on becoming a better bunter and improving his plate discipline. The results were notable. He batted .307 with a .371 on-base percentage in 74 big-league games and .341 with a .457 OBP in 60 games at Class AAA Omaha.

Even so, he appears in line for nothing more than part-time duty in left field.

Solution: Turn on the jets.

Gathright is generally regarded as one of the game’s fastest players — the fastest, he’ll say — but he has just 19 steals in 33 attempts since joining the Royals in a June 2006 trade that sent pitcher J.P. Howell to Tampa Bay.

The problem, he says, is ex-manager Buddy Bell kept him under wraps.

“It’s just difficult to do things if you don’t have the green light,” Gathright said. “If you look at my numbers in Triple-A and my numbers in the big leagues, you’ll see a big difference.”

Gathright was 25 for 33 in stolen-base attempts last season at Omaha; he was also 38 for 47 in parts of three seasons at Tampa Bay.

“In Triple-A,” he said, “I had nobody telling me when to go and when not to go. When you have the green light, you have control over when you should go. That’s all it is. If you’re not comfortable on first base, you’re not going to be able to steal a base.” Roster move The Royals made a minor roster move before Thursday’s workout by reassigning catcher Kiel Thibault to minor-league camp. Thibault was limited in his throwing because of tendonitis in his right shoulder and will undergo rehab work.

The move trims the camp roster to 61 players, including infielder Alberto Callaspo, who is expected to join the squad for Friday’s workout after resolving visa problems in Venezuela.

[KUCFChiefs]

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/roy...ry/498644.html

Options can decide which Royals stay and which ones go
By BOB DUTTON
The Kansas City Star

SURPRISE, Ariz. | Joey Gathright knows the trap that options present. He knows first-hand that it doesn’t always matter what happens on the field in spring training; knows, too, that he doesn’t have to worry about it anymore.

Gathright is out of options, finally, as he enters his seventh professional season. That means he can’t be shipped to the minors without clearing waivers; without giving every other team the chance to find a place for him on its big-league roster.

“It’s a good thing to have behind you,” he said. “You don’t know what is going to happen, but it’s a comfortable feeling knowing that you’ll probably be in the big leagues.”

Gathright batted .370 a year ago in 21 spring games but opened the season at Class AAA Omaha, primarily because he had an option remaining. That made him the odd man out when the Royals failed in efforts to trade veteran Reggie Sanders.

It is a scenario repeated each spring in every big-league camp. Who stays and who goes often depends on who has options remaining.

Not for everyone, of course. It isn’t likely to matter that Alex Gordon and Brian Bannister have options remaining. But options can be the decisive factor for those on the bubble — reserves, middle relievers and back-of-the-rotation candidates.

“Those are factors,” manager Trey Hillman admitted. “They don’t play into my (on-field) decisions, but they have to weigh into the discussion (in selecting a roster).”

It is technical stuff with most rules having exceptions, but options are often the reason for club decisions that otherwise seem odd or even inexplicable. The Royals are facing several roster issues this spring in which options are likely to be a factor.

Gathright isn’t completely in the clear, either. He has an outright assignment available. More on that in a bit. For now, let’s stick with options:

•First baseman Ryan Shealy has an option, but utilityman Esteban German does not. If the two are battling for the final roster spot, as seems possible, that favors German.

•Relievers Ryan Braun, Neal Musser and Joel Peralta have options remaining. Leo Nuñez does not. Nor does Jimmy Gobble. That suggests Gobble is likely to make the club even if he suffers through a rough spring. It also gives Nuñez a tie-breaker advantage over the three others.

•Left-hander Jorge De La Rosa is out of options. So he either pitches his way onto the ballclub through a crowded field of rotation candidates or he probably heads elsewhere.

•First baseman Justin Huber is also out of options. Injuries slowed his development in the two years since he won the Class AA Texas League batting title with a .343 average at Wichita. But he is still just 25 and showed growing power last year with 18 homers in 286 at-bats at Class AAA Omaha. Even so, unless he beats long odds and makes the club, he figures to be placed on waivers.

“I understand that it’s not only a game but also a business,” Huber said. “I’m not going to get my feelings hurt either way. There is some uncertainty, but you can’t sit around worrying about what decision they’re going to make or whether they like me or don’t like me or whatever.”

Options are a negotiated element of baseball’s labor agreement. In shorthand form, they work like this:

•Once a player is placed on a club’s 40-man roster, he can be moved to the minor leagues through an optional assignment (options) without being exposed to the 29 other clubs.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by Coach

Maybe its my optimistic nature, not last but I really think we are witnessing the resurrection of the franchise.

Verdict is still out IMO.

We definately need Billy Butler and Alex Gordon to develop into stars.

We still finished in last place in 07.

[beavis]

Anyone know anything about Chin-hui Tsao? I've read several places that he might be a surprise guy to make the roster. Apparently his numbers were off the charts, but he's been battling injuries the past couple of years.

[Demonpenz]

Typical royals, moving teahan around, what next olivo in left and hochaver to the bullpen to **** them up. I love the royals but the know how to screw things up...royaly. What what huber will do when the A's sign him

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by Demonpenz

Typical royals, moving teahan around, what next olivo in left and hochaver to the bullpen to **** them up. I love the royals but the know how to screw things up...royaly. What what huber will do when the A's sign him

Guillen is a natural right fielder, Teahen doesnt have a position. Makes more sense to put the guy making more jack in his natural position.