Greinke invited to camp

spe725 · 08:04 AM

ROYALS NOTEBOOK
Greinke going to KC's camp
Young pitcher will have chance to make rotation
By BOB DUTTON
The Kansas City Star

As promised, the Royals plan to give right-hander Zack Greinke, their most celebrated prospect in years, a chance to pitch his way into their 2004 rotation.

Greinke heads a list of 11 non-roster players invited to spring training, which opens Feb. 20 in Surprise, Ariz., for pitchers and catchers.

“He's got to pitch his way onto the club,” Royals general manager Allard Baird said. “Right now, he's just a prospect who is coming to big-league camp.”

Greinke, 20, was cited by USA Today as the minor-league player of the year after posting a combined 15-4 record and 1.93 ERA in 23 starts at Class AA Wichita and Class A Wilmington, Del.

Greinke said he expects to start next season in the minors but believes he'll “be given a shot” to make the major-league team.

At this point, Darrell May is the rotation's only fixture, though the Royals are trying to retain free-agent Brian Anderson. Other candidates include Kyle Snyder, Miguel Asencio, Jimmy Gobble, Jeremy Affeldt, Chris George and, perhaps, Kevin Appier.

Snyder, Asencio and Appier are all coming off injuries. Appier is a free agent but is expected to sign with the Royals, though he probably won't be ready for full-time duty until May.

Affeldt must prove the middle finger of his left hand can withstand the rigors of starting without blistering.Gobble was 4-5 in nine starts as a rookie after his Aug. 2 promotion from Wichita. George is seeking to rebound from a disappointing season in which he was demoted to Class AAA Omaha, Neb., just before the All-Star break.

• MORE BULLPEN DEPTH: The Royals continued to build their bullpen depth by signing veteran left-hander Mike Venafro to a minor-league contract.

Venafro, 30, was 1-0 with a 4.74 ERA in 24 games last season at Tampa Bay before he was released in late June. He finished the season in the Houston organization at Class AAA New Orleans, where he was 2-1 with a 3.54 ERA in 23 games.

“He's left-handed,” Baird said, “and we got pretty good reports on him.”

Venafro joins Dennys Reyes as bullpen insurance. Reyes, 26, signed earlier this month. He began last season at Pittsburgh but spent most of the year at Class AAA Tucson, Ariz., in the Arizona organization.

Venafro and Reyes will be invited to camp.The Royals also previously signed free-agent reliever Joey Dawley to a major-league contract.

• OTHER CAMP INVITES: The invitation list includes three players who spent time last season on the Royals' roster — outfielder Brandon Berger, second baseman Brent Abernathy and infielder Gookie Dawkins.

The club is also inviting two of its top picks from last June's draft: catcher Mitch Meier and outfielder Shane Costa.

Berger, 28, is coming off his second shoulder operation in two years. He opened the season in the majors but spent most of the year at Omaha. He hit .219 with the Royals in 13 games but batted .270 with 12 homers and 53 RBIs in 62 games at Omaha.

Abernathy, 26, was claimed on waivers last April from Tampa Bay. He had just two hits in 27 at-bats for the Royals but batted .291 in 92 games at Omaha.

Dawkins, 24, joined the Royals in a July 6 trade with Los Angeles for pitcher Scott Mullen and catcher Victor Rodriguez. He was hitless in two at-bats for the Royals but batted .259 in 33 games at Omaha.

Meier, 21, and Costa, 21, were the club's second and third picks in last June's draft. Meier batted .350 with 45 RBIs in 50 games for the advanced rookie team in Arizona. Costa batted .386 with 24 RBIs in 23 games for the regular rookie team in Arizona.

“They're both advanced college guys who are mature mentally,” Baird said. “Both guys should benefit from being in camp.”Also invited to camp:

• Shawn Camp, 28, a right-handed reliever who was 0-3 with a 4.73 ERA last season at Class AA Altoona, Pa., and Class AAA Nashville, Tenn., in the Pittsburgh organization.

• Eric Thompson, 26, a right-handed starter who was 11-0 with a 2.11 ERA in 20 games after arriving in late May at Class AA Wichita. He previously pitched in the Oakland organization.

• Calvin Pickering, 27, a first baseman/designated hitter who split last season between Vaqueros in the Mexican League and Class AAA Louisville, Ky., in the Cincinnati organization.

11-07-2003, 07:57 AM
spe725 PC load letter? Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Initech Casino cash: $10004900	Greinke invited to camp ROYALS NOTEBOOK Greinke going to KC's camp Young pitcher will have chance to make rotation By BOB DUTTON The Kansas City Star As promised, the Royals plan to give right-hander Zack Greinke, their most celebrated prospect in years, a chance to pitch his way into their 2004 rotation. Greinke heads a list of 11 non-roster players invited to spring training, which opens Feb. 20 in Surprise, Ariz., for pitchers and catchers. “He's got to pitch his way onto the club,” Royals general manager Allard Baird said. “Right now, he's just a prospect who is coming to big-league camp.” Greinke, 20, was cited by USA Today as the minor-league player of the year after posting a combined 15-4 record and 1.93 ERA in 23 starts at Class AA Wichita and Class A Wilmington, Del. Greinke said he expects to start next season in the minors but believes he'll “be given a shot” to make the major-league team. At this point, Darrell May is the rotation's only fixture, though the Royals are trying to retain free-agent Brian Anderson. Other candidates include Kyle Snyder, Miguel Asencio, Jimmy Gobble, Jeremy Affeldt, Chris George and, perhaps, Kevin Appier. Snyder, Asencio and Appier are all coming off injuries. Appier is a free agent but is expected to sign with the Royals, though he probably won't be ready for full-time duty until May. Affeldt must prove the middle finger of his left hand can withstand the rigors of starting without blistering.Gobble was 4-5 in nine starts as a rookie after his Aug. 2 promotion from Wichita. George is seeking to rebound from a disappointing season in which he was demoted to Class AAA Omaha, Neb., just before the All-Star break. • MORE BULLPEN DEPTH: The Royals continued to build their bullpen depth by signing veteran left-hander Mike Venafro to a minor-league contract. Venafro, 30, was 1-0 with a 4.74 ERA in 24 games last season at Tampa Bay before he was released in late June. He finished the season in the Houston organization at Class AAA New Orleans, where he was 2-1 with a 3.54 ERA in 23 games. “He's left-handed,” Baird said, “and we got pretty good reports on him.” Venafro joins Dennys Reyes as bullpen insurance. Reyes, 26, signed earlier this month. He began last season at Pittsburgh but spent most of the year at Class AAA Tucson, Ariz., in the Arizona organization. Venafro and Reyes will be invited to camp.The Royals also previously signed free-agent reliever Joey Dawley to a major-league contract. • OTHER CAMP INVITES: The invitation list includes three players who spent time last season on the Royals' roster — outfielder Brandon Berger, second baseman Brent Abernathy and infielder Gookie Dawkins. The club is also inviting two of its top picks from last June's draft: catcher Mitch Meier and outfielder Shane Costa. Berger, 28, is coming off his second shoulder operation in two years. He opened the season in the majors but spent most of the year at Omaha. He hit .219 with the Royals in 13 games but batted .270 with 12 homers and 53 RBIs in 62 games at Omaha. Abernathy, 26, was claimed on waivers last April from Tampa Bay. He had just two hits in 27 at-bats for the Royals but batted .291 in 92 games at Omaha. Dawkins, 24, joined the Royals in a July 6 trade with Los Angeles for pitcher Scott Mullen and catcher Victor Rodriguez. He was hitless in two at-bats for the Royals but batted .259 in 33 games at Omaha. Meier, 21, and Costa, 21, were the club's second and third picks in last June's draft. Meier batted .350 with 45 RBIs in 50 games for the advanced rookie team in Arizona. Costa batted .386 with 24 RBIs in 23 games for the regular rookie team in Arizona. “They're both advanced college guys who are mature mentally,” Baird said. “Both guys should benefit from being in camp.”Also invited to camp: • Shawn Camp, 28, a right-handed reliever who was 0-3 with a 4.73 ERA last season at Class AA Altoona, Pa., and Class AAA Nashville, Tenn., in the Pittsburgh organization. • Eric Thompson, 26, a right-handed starter who was 11-0 with a 2.11 ERA in 20 games after arriving in late May at Class AA Wichita. He previously pitched in the Oakland organization. • Calvin Pickering, 27, a first baseman/designated hitter who split last season between Vaqueros in the Mexican League and Class AAA Louisville, Ky., in the Cincinnati organization. Last edited by spe725; 11-07-2003 at 08:04 AM..
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