Click the links below to hear interviews after the Kansas City Chiefs training camp practice on Tuesday at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph.
Category: Sports
Moustakas, Santana lift Royals past Twins for 7th straight win
Mike Moustakas homered twice and drove in four runs to back another strong start from Ervin Santana, and the surging Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 7-2 Tuesday night.
Santana (7-6) gave up two runs on four hits and struck out eight in seven innings and Eric Hosmer had three hits and an RBI for the Royals, who have won seven in a row and nine of 11 coming out of the All-Star break. At 52-51, they are over .500 for the first time since May 18.
Mike Pelfrey (4-9) gave up four runs on eight hits with four strikeouts in four innings for the Twins. Joe Mauer had two hits and an RBI after missing the last week for the birth of his twin girls.
— Associated Press —
Cardinals get swept by Pittsburgh; fall to 2nd place
Andrew McCutchen clubbed his 15th homer of the season and the Pittsburgh Pirates completed a doubleheader sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals with 6-0 victory on Tuesday night.
Brandon Cumpton (1-1) allowed three hits over seven innings to pick up his first major league win. The sweep propelled the Pirates into first place in the NL Central. Pittsburgh is a season-high 22 games over .500 (64-42).
Tyler Lyons (2-4) gave up four runs, three earned, in six innings. The rookie struck out five and walked one but received no help from a reeling offense. The Cardinals have dropped six straight and have scored five runs in their last 56 innings.
St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina left in the fourth inning with a right knee strain.
The Pirates took the opener 2-1 in 11 innings when Alex Presley’s sharp grounder deflected off the glove of pitcher Kevin Siegrist and rolled into shallow left field, allowing Pittsburgh’s Russell Martin to score from second.
The fortuitous bounces kept coming a couple hours later. The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the second when a rare passed ball by Molina let Jose Tabata sprint across the plate. Molina was done for the night in the top of the fourth when the right knee pain he’s been battling for the better part of a month flared up again. He was replaced by Rob Johnson.
The absence of their leader further weakened the Cardinals, and things quickly fell apart.
While Cumpton kept the NL’s top offense in check, Pittsburgh poured it on with a little help from St. Louis left fielder Matt Holliday. The Pirates took a 2-0 lead on Jordy Mercer’s RBI single before McCutchen stepped in. He drilled Lyons’ pitch deep to left but Holliday appeared ready to track it down at the wall. Instead, the ball caromed into the stands.
Lyons placed both hands on his head in shock while the packed bleachers let Holliday have it. Holliday’s night didn’t get any better an inning later when he overran Josh Harrison’s flyball to the wall, allowing Harrison to make it all the way to third.
Harrison never made it home, but by then Cumpton had all the backing he would require.
The rookie, who made a couple of spot starts earlier this season, needed just 87 pitches to get 21 outs. He received a loud ovation as he headed to the dugout, the latest in a series of unheralded Pirates pitchers to rise from obscurity and help propel the franchise into the midst of a pennant race.
The staff takes its cue from ace A.J. Burnett, who worked seven emotional innings in the opener. Burnett struck out nine and walked three while allowing one run on three hits. He was long gone, however, by the time Presley stepped in with Martin on in the 11th.
”It’s a battle, it’s fun,” Burnett said. ”Let’s roll from here. Let’s keep going.”
— Associated Press —
Kansas City releases cornerback Buddy Jackson
The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Tuesday that the club has waived cornerback Buddy Jackson.
Jackson (6-1, 180) originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Indianapolis Colts in 2012. He spent a portion of training camp with the Colts and then joined the Washington Redskins practice squad for the final seven weeks of the 2012 season. He was claimed off waivers by the Chiefs on May 14, 2013.
Jackson played collegiately at the University of Pittsburgh. The Plantation, Fla., native prepped at Cypress Bay High School in Weston, Fla.
— Chiefs Media Relations —
Audio from Chiefs Training Camp – Monday, July 29
Click the links below to hear interviews after the Kansas City Chiefs training camp practice on Monday at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph.
St. Louis’ skid continues as they lose series opener at Pittsburgh
Clint Hurdle grabbed the brim of his cap and ducked his head. When pressed about what pleased him the most about Pittsburgh’s 9-2 win over St. Louis on Monday, a romp that propelled the resilient Pirates within a half-game of the NL Central lead, the manager thought for a moment and sighed.
”Getting a little picky aren’t we?” he asked with a smile.
Hurdle isn’t. Neither is his team as it tries to shrug off two decades of misery and mediocrity.
Francisco Liriano allowed one run over seven dominant innings, Pedro Alvarez hit his NL-leading 27th home run and the Pirates kicked off a pivotal series by sending the Cardinals to their season-high fourth straight loss.
Liriano (11-4) continued his midcareer renaissance by striking out eight and walking just two to win his fifth consecutive start.
”It’s been a good run for him being able to watch, and that’s pretty much what I’ve been doing,” Pittsburgh center fielder Andrew McCutchen said. ”I don’t get a lot of action when he’s on the mound. It makes it a lot easier for the defense.”
Having some help from an underachieving offense helps. The Pirates came in hitting just .221 with runners in scoring position, the worst mark in baseball. Clint Barmes smacked two doubles and drove in two runs and McCutchen added two hits as Pittsburgh went 5 for 13 with runners on second or third to continue its mastery over St. Louis starter Jake Westbrook.
The veteran right-hander fell to 1-8 against Pittsburgh in his otherwise solid resume. The Pirates touched Westbrook (7-5) for four runs in the first inning, capped by Alvarez’s three-run homer into the first row of seats in right field.
”It was a battle from pitch 1 — and it showed early on,” Westbrook said. ”It’s not really how you draw it up with a walk and a hit batsmen and a single and a homer. Put us in a bad spot against a good team and against a guy who’s throwing the ball really well.”
Hurdle stressed the need to not place too much focus on a late-July series, pointing out two more months remain after the five-game set wraps up on Thursday.
Maybe, but with the Pirates chasing their first playoff berth in 21 years and a chance to make inroads on the team with the best record in baseball, the game had an electricity typically reserved for early fall in cities far away from the one that hasn’t fielded a winner since 1992.
Lower-lever tickets were fetching $100 or more hours before the first pitch, and Liriano did not disappoint the largest Monday-night crowd (32,084) since the park opened.
The left-hander, whose path to stardom veered off track after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2007, had little trouble with the most explosive offense in the majors. He retired the first 10 batters he faced and kept the best-hitting team in the National League on its heels while dropping his ERA to 2.16.
”Frankie can answer,” Hurdle said. ”He’s been in big matchups before.”
So has Westbrook, who still hasn’t figured out a way to handle the Pirates. He was touched for four runs in the first inning of his previous start at PNC Park in April. The game was eventually washed out.
The weather couldn’t save him this time. Neither could Westbrook’s usually solid control. He issued three walks and hit three batters and never appeared comfortable.
”He’s going to go out there and give us whatever he’s got every time and for whatever reason this team’s just given him a tough time and he’s had a hard time in this stadium,” St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said.
Westbrook survived a bases-loaded jam in the second to stay close, but by then Liriano had all the support he would need. His only real mistake came in the sixth, when pinch-hitter Tony Cruz led off with a triple and scored on Carpenter’s single up the middle. A strikeout and a double play followed, and the Pirates broke it open in the seventh against relievers Marc Rzepczynski and Fernando Salas.
Garrett Jones started it with Pittsburgh’s first sacrifice fly to the outfield since May 27 and Barmes clubbed a two-run double as the Pirates batted around.
Even with its best offensive showing since the All-Star break, Hurdle isn’t so sure the Pirates made a statement.
”We’re a confident team,” he said. ”I think we’re a team whose confidence isn’t built on its last game. It’s not shattered by a losing streak. You continue to push through and that’s what we’ve done from Opening Day until now.”
— Associated Press —
Kansas opens against Wake Forest in Battle 4 Atlantis
Kansas will square off against Wake Forest in the team’s first appearance in the Battle 4 Atlantis at Paradise Island, Bahamas, announced by tournament officials Monday.
Villanova, Tennessee, Iowa, UTEP, Xavier, USC join Kansas and Wake Forest to fill out the tournament field that will travel to the Bahamas, Nov. 28-30. Slightly less tropical, the Jayhawks will welcome Towson to Allen Fieldhouse for their first game of Battle 4 Atlantis on Nov. 22.
On Monday, the remainder of the bracket was released, unveiling that KU will play three games in the Bahamas, beginning with Wake Forest on Thursday, Nov. 28 at 2:30 p.m. CT on AXS TV. The Jayhawks will square off next against either Villanova or USC on Friday, Nov. 29. Tip-off times will be 8:30 p.m. CT with a KU victory against Wake Forest or 2:30 p.m. CT should the Jayhawks lose to Wake. The third day of the Battle 4 Atlantis is slated for Saturday, Nov. 30, with four games starting at noon CT and the championship contest beginning at 8:30 p.m. CT.
NBC Sports Network and AXS TV will televise the tournament field which boasts a combined 191 NCAA Tournament appearances, 25 Final Four appearances and five NCAA Championships.
Kansas went 31-6 in 2012-13 and won its unprecedented ninth-straight Big 12 and NCAA-leading 56th overall conference regular-season championship. Head coach Bill Self brings back 10 letterwinners, but no starters, from the team that advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2012-13.
Reloading in a hurry, Self and his staff welcome eight newcomers to the 2013-14 roster – including the nation’s No. 1 recruit in guard Andrew Wiggins. Together, the class of 2013 comprises the second-ranked recruiting class in the country. KU is ranked as high as fifth in the 2013-14 national preseason polls.
Battle 4 Atlantis First Round Schedule – Thursday, Nov. 28
Game 1: Villanova vs. USC (live at 12 p.m. CT on AXS TV)
Game 2: KANSAS vs. Wake Forest (live at 2:30 p.m. CT on AXS TV)
Game 3: Xavier vs. Iowa (live at 6 p.m. CT on NBC Sports Network)
Game 4: Tennessee vs. UTEP (live at 8:30 p.m. CT on NBC Sports Network)
Battle 4 Atlantis Second Round Schedule – Friday, Nov. 29
Game 5: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser (live at 12 p.m. CT on AXS TV)
Game 6: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser (live at 2:30 p.m. CT on AXS TV)
Game 7: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner (live at 6 p.m. CT on NBC Sports Network)
Game 8: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner (live at 8:30 p.m. CT on NBC Sports Network)
Battle 4 Atlantis Final Round Schedule – Saturday, Nov. 30
7th-8th Place: Game 5 loser vs. Game 6 loser (live at 12 p.m. CT on AXS TV)
5th-6th Place: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner (live at 2:30 p.m. CT on AXS TV)
3rd-4th Place: Game 7 loser vs. Game 8 loser (live at 6 p.m. CT on NBC Sports Network)
1st-2nd Place: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner (live at 8:30 p.m. CT on NBC Sports Network)
— KU Sports Information —
Kansas State athletics announces 2013 Hall of Fame Class
K-State Athletics will honor a group of 10 outstanding individuals with induction into its Athletics Hall of Fame this October, school officials announced today.
The 2013 class of the K-State Athletics Hall of Fame, the first since 2008, includes former student-athletes Roy DeWitz (men’s basketball), Yana Dorodnova (women’s tennis), Lauren Goehring (volleyball), Steve Henson (men’s basketball), Jaime Mendez (football), Tammie Romstad (women’s basketball) and Austra Skuyte (track and field), former Athletics Director Bebe Lee as well as long-time supporters Dr. Richard Baker and Jack and Joanna Goldstein.
“Re-engaging our hall of fame process has been an important goal and is an integral step in our vision of a model intercollegiate athletics program,” said Kenny Lannou, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications and K-State Athletics Hall of Fame Chairperson. “Each of these 10 inductees has made a lasting impact on K-State Athletics and Kansas State University, and we look forward to welcome them back to Manhattan this fall for a special weekend.”
The class is the 10th in the history of the K-State Athletics Hall of Fame, including the charter class of 1990, and will be honored during the weekend of K-State’s football game vs. Baylor on Oct. 12.
The official induction of the 2013 class will take place during ceremonies on Friday, Oct. 11. The class will also be recognized at halftime of the football game against Baylor the following day.
More ceremony details, including ticket information, will be announced in the coming weeks.
K-State Athletics Hall of Fame – Class of 2013 Biographies
Roy DeWitz, men’s basketball (1956-58)
A first team All-American and first team All-Big 8 selection in 1958… Helped lead K-State to the 1956 and 1958 Big 7 titles and a berth in the 1958 Final Four… Averaged 9.0 points and 5.6 rebounds in 68 career games… Captained the 1957-58 team that posted a 22-5 overall record and captured the Big 7 title and a trip to the Final Four… Drafted by Detroit in the third round of the 1958 NBA draft.
Yana Dorodnova, women’s tennis (1996-98)
Advanced the farthest of any Wildcat in school history in the NCAA Division I Women’s Tennis Singles Championships, as she reached the quarterfinals of the 1998 event… 1998 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-American, concluded her senior season with a 25-10 record… Completed career with a 57-30 singles record and ranks fourth in school history for career singles winning percentage at .655… The product of Moscow, Russia, ended her career as a two-time All-Big 12 singles honoree and a two-time All-Big 12 doubles recipient… Two-time ITA Scholar-Athlete… Two-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team.
Lauren Goehring, volleyball (2000-03)
2003 AVCA All-America First Team… 2003 Big 12 Player of the Year… Led the 2003 squad to the Big 12 Championship, a No. 3 national ranking and a berth in the Sweet 16… 2002 AVCA All-District Second Team… All-Big 12 First Team: 2003, 2002… Academic All-District Second Team: 2003… Academic All-Big 12 First Team: 2003, 2001 (second team in 2002)… Career Rankings: 1st hitting percentage (.354); 7th kills (1212); 8th block assists (380)… Single Season records: 1st hitting percentage (.409, 2003); 5th hitting percentage (.370, 2002); 7th hitting percentage (.354, 2000)… 1212 career kills are the most by a middle blocker in school history… Has two seasons in the Triple-Triple Club: 100+ kills, digs, blocks (or assists).
Steve Henson, men’s basketball, track & field (1987-90)
A two-time honorable mention All-American and the only player in school history to play in four NCAA Tournaments… Helped lead the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament in 1987-88-89-90, including an Elite Eight appearance in 1988… Earned first team All-Big 8 honors and averaged 18.5 points per game to lead the Cats in scoring in 1989… Led K-State in scoring in 1990, averaging 17.4 ppg… Still ranks No. 5 all time in scoring (1,655 points) and field goals (527) and is the school’s all-time assist leader with 582… Also holds Kansas State career records for three-point field goals (240), games played (127), starts (118) and minutes played (1,243)… Converted 90 percent (361 of 401) of his career free throw attempts and is K-State’s all-time percentage leader… In all, broke 21 school records and etched his name among K-State’s top 10 performers in 41 different statistical categories during his career… A member of K-State’s 10-man All-Century team… Also competed on the K-State track and field team as a decathlete three seasons… Selected in the second round of the 1990 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks.. Went on to play six seasons in the league… Coached in both the college and professional ranks following his NBA career.
Jaime Mendez, football (1990-93)
A consensus first team All-American in 1993 (AP, Kodak, FB News, Athlon’s, NFL Draft Report)… Earned second team All-America honors from UPI in 1993… A three-time All-Big 8 selection at safety, including first team honors in 1992 and 1993… K-State’s 1993 defensive MVP… One of eight semifinalist for the 1993 Thorpe Award (nation’s top defensive back)… Played in both the Senior Bowl and East-West Shrine Bowl all-star games in January 1994… Owns K-State records for both interceptions in a game (4 vs. Temple, 1992) and career (15)… Had six interceptions in both 1990 and 1992, third most on K-State’s single-season chart… Ranks third all-time at K-State in passes defended with 48… Member of K-State’s Football Ring of Honor.
Tammie Romstad, women’s basketball (1978-82)
Ranks seventh on K-State’s career scoring chart with 1,548 points… K-State jersey has been retired… A two-time Wade Trophy finalist in 1981 and 1982… Named to the Kodak All-Region VI team… A third team All-American… Earned WBL region VI All-America honors in 1980… Once held both K-State single-season scoring (686) and rebounding (337) marks… Served as an assistant women’s basketball coach at K-State during the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons… Coached Independence Community College to a third-place finish in the 1993 NJCAA Tournament… Selected as both the Kansas Coaches Association and Region VI Coach of the year.
Austra Skuyte, women’s track and field (2001-02)
Only woman in history to compete at four Olympic Games in heptathlon… Only woman in school history with multiple NCAA Championships… 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist: heptathlon, 2012 Olympics: 5th place… Key to women’s team winning back-to-back Big 12 outdoor championships… 2002 Big 12 outdoor champion: long jump… Competed in 7 different events at 2002 Big 12 Outdoor Championship to tally 25 points toward team total… 2001 Big 12 outdoor champion: heptathlon… Back-to-back Big 12 Indoor Champion: pentathlon 2001, 2002 – score from 2001 is a Big 12 Championship record… 2001 Big 12 Outdoor Champion: heptathlon (6,150 pts is still Big 12 record)… 2002 Big 12 Performer of the Year Indoors… 2002 Big 12 Championship High Point Scorer Indoors… 2001 and 2002 Big 12 Performer of the Year Outdoors… 2001 and 2002 Big 12 Championship High Point Scorer Outdoors… Named to Big 12 10th Anniversary Team… Helped team to 5th place finish at 2002 NCAA Championship… Heptathlon champion and shot put runner-up to score 18 points for team total of 30… Score of 4439 pts in pentathlon at 2002 Big 12 Championship was a collegiate record at the time and held the record until 2008… 4-time All-American… Still ranks in top 10 in school history in nine events… 4-time European Cup Champion in heptathlon – 2002 title was immediately following her senior year.
H.B. ‘Bebe’ Lee, administrator
Athletics Director from 1956-1968… Became the youngest AD in the Big Seven upon his arrival at K-State… The K-State men’s basketball team, under the direction of hall of fame coach Tex Winter, advanced to six NCAA tournaments and Final Four appearances in 1958 and 1964 with Lee at the helm of the department… The Stanford graduate was instrumental in the growth and development of K-State Athletics which included the acquisition of land to build a new football stadium (Bill Snyder Family Stadium) and the eventual location of the Wildcats’ current baseball, track and field, basketball and indoor practice facilities… Hired Vince Gibson as K-State’s football coach… Lee left K-State to start his own business in 1968, as Ernie Barrett stepped in as the Wildcats’ next athletics director.
Jack and Joann Goldstein, contributor
The couple has assisted in a number of K-State athletics facility projects including: Bramlage Coliseum, Vanier Complex renovation, Colbert Hills Golf Course, Football Practice Field renovation and the Academic Learning Center… Also made contributions to the reserve funds of the Athletic Director, Football and Men’s Basketball… One of the most philanthropic families in Manhattan, contributing to but not limited to: K-State Foundation, Mercy Hospital, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, Manhattan Rotary, Meadowlark Hills Retirement Community, Manhattan Arts Council, Manhattan Public Library and the Beach Museum of Art… After Jack’s passing in 2010, family left a legacy of giving through their company Steel and Pipe… Steel and Pipe has made significant contributions to recent facility projects such as the Basketball Training Facility and the West Stadium Center.
Dr. Richard Baker, contributor
Considered the pioneer of K-State Athletics sports medicine… Served as team physician for K-State student-athletes for four decades (1979-2002)… He personally provided medical coverage for all athletics teams from 1979-1982… He and his wife, Shirely, have been Ahearn Fund members and K-State supporters for 35 years… Donated more than 20,000 hours to Wildcat student-athletes during his tenure.
— KSU Sports Information —
Chiefs Chairman Pleased With St Joe Camp, Favors Extending Team’s Stay
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt says he’s pleased with setup of training camp at Missouri Western State University and would be in favor of extending the team’s stay beyond next season. The Chiefs are in the fourth year of a five-year deal to stage training camp in St. Joseph, Mo., about a 90-minute drive north from Arrowhead Stadium.
Many teams have eschewed going away for camp as they build gleaming new practice digs, but Hunt said he appreciates the camaraderie that is built through players living in dorms.
Hunt said it would be possible to have camp in Kansas City, but there would be hurdles to overcome. Dining facilities are limited, and there’s less room for fans.
Hunt said the Chiefs will evaluate their future in St. Joseph after this year.
KU-Texas football game to be broadcast on Jayhawk Television Network
The Jayhawk Television Network will broadcast the Kansas-Texas football game on Nov. 2 in Austin, Texas. The game will be produced by Time Warner Cable’s Metro Sports alongside the Longhorn Network. Kickoff is slated for 2:30 p.m., at UT’s Darrell K. Royal-Texas Stadium.
In addition to the game broadcast, Metro Sports will also be adding a pre- and post-game show for this game, like those scheduled around all home games during the 2013 season.
The Kansas-Texas game will be the second telecast of the 2013 football season for the Jayhawk TV Network as it is also broadcasting the KU season-opener against South Dakota on Saturday, Sept. 7. Game time for the KU-USD game is slated for 6 p.m., at Memorial Stadium.
Statewide coverage plans for the Jayhawk Television Network games will be released soon. JTV is currently available in the Kansas City area on Metro Sports via Time Warner Cable and Comcast, and on WOW in Lawrence.
Kansas opens its 2013 fall camp on Wednesday, Aug. 7.
— KU Sports Information —