chiefqueen
05-09-2006, 11:00 AM
Independent team throws down gauntlet
Even with 70 fewer games, Rox think they’ll win more
By JEFFREY FLANAGAN
The Kansas City Star
It’s come to this: Now minor-league independent teams are taking shots at the Royals.The Brockton (Mass.) Rox of the Canadian American Association are betting that they will win more games than the Royals this season.Keep in mind that the Brockton Rox only play a 92-game schedule compared with the Royals’ 162-game slate. And they’re at zero because they haven’t played.“We almost beat them last year,” Rox president Jim Lucas said by phone Monday. “We wound up with 50 wins and they had 56. I like our chances this year because we have an even better team, and by the looks of it, the Royals may not get past 56.”Lucas is so sure that he is putting up $500 on the bet, which he says would go to the YMCA of Greater Kansas City. But if the Royals lose the bet, Lucas wants them to put up $5,000 toward the Brockton YMCA Challenger Division of Little League Baseball.Lucas and the Rox have sent e-mails to the Royals but have not heard back.“I have no response to that,” said Royals vice president of communications Dave Witty, who was aware of the challenge.But it seems apparent that the Rox feel they’ve got a shot to overtake the Royals’ win total.“Our season ends on Sept. 4, and we think if we have about a 10-game lead by then, we’ll be safe,” Lucas said. “We do have another condition to the challenge: The Royals can’t purchase any Brockton player when they expand their rosters in September just to try and catch us.”
Even with 70 fewer games, Rox think they’ll win more
By JEFFREY FLANAGAN
The Kansas City Star
It’s come to this: Now minor-league independent teams are taking shots at the Royals.The Brockton (Mass.) Rox of the Canadian American Association are betting that they will win more games than the Royals this season.Keep in mind that the Brockton Rox only play a 92-game schedule compared with the Royals’ 162-game slate. And they’re at zero because they haven’t played.“We almost beat them last year,” Rox president Jim Lucas said by phone Monday. “We wound up with 50 wins and they had 56. I like our chances this year because we have an even better team, and by the looks of it, the Royals may not get past 56.”Lucas is so sure that he is putting up $500 on the bet, which he says would go to the YMCA of Greater Kansas City. But if the Royals lose the bet, Lucas wants them to put up $5,000 toward the Brockton YMCA Challenger Division of Little League Baseball.Lucas and the Rox have sent e-mails to the Royals but have not heard back.“I have no response to that,” said Royals vice president of communications Dave Witty, who was aware of the challenge.But it seems apparent that the Rox feel they’ve got a shot to overtake the Royals’ win total.“Our season ends on Sept. 4, and we think if we have about a 10-game lead by then, we’ll be safe,” Lucas said. “We do have another condition to the challenge: The Royals can’t purchase any Brockton player when they expand their rosters in September just to try and catch us.”