Professional – Page 171 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Tickets on sale for international soccer match at Arrowhead Stadium

Posted on February 10, 2015February 10, 2015

Tickets go on sale this week for Arrowhead Stadium’s first international soccer match in five years. The match will pit the Mexican National Team against Paraguay on March 31.

As part of a long-standing club policy, Jackson County residents will have an opportunity to purchase tickets before the general public with a special presale beginning at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10. As a benefit of year-long membership, Chiefs Season Ticket Members will also have a presale opportunity beginning at noon on Tuesday.

The match, set for 8 p.m. CT on Tuesday, March 31, will see the Mexican National Team face Paraguay as part of Mexico’s 13th annual U.S. Tour. Mexico will also play Ecuador on Saturday, March 28 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

This contest marks the first time that Mexico will play in Kansas City. Ranked 20th in the latest rankings, Mexico finished the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil with a 2-1-1 record. They played in one of the most exciting matches of the entire tournament, a tightly contested 2-1 defeat vs. the Netherlands in the Round of 16.

The team also earned the gold medal in the 2012 Olympic Games in London and owns nine total CONCACAF Championships and Gold Cup titles.

Tickets for the match at Arrowhead Stadium start as low as $34 for Lower Level seats. Limited on-field seating will also be available. Tickets for the game will be available from Ticketmaster or by calling 1 (800) 745-3000. Group ticket purchases can be made through the Chiefs by calling 888-99-CHIEFS (24433). Luxury suites and other premium seating options are available for this match through the Chiefs by calling 816-920-4839.

General parking for the contest will be $27 if purchased in advance while Gold parking will be $45 if purchased in advance. On the day of the match, only General parking will be available and will be $30, payable in cash only at the gates.

This match marks the first soccer contest at Arrowhead Stadium since the Kansas City Wizards hosted Manchester United in 2010 in front of the largest soccer crowd in Kansas City history (52,424) and is the first competition between two international teams since El Clasico – Club Deportivo Guadalajara S.A. de C.V. (Chivas) vs. Club America in 2009.

Cardinals sign OF Jon Jay to two-year contract

Posted on February 9, 2015

The St. Louis Cardinals announced Monday that they have reached agreement with outfielder Jon Jay on a two-year contract through 2016 and have thus avoided a salary arbitration hearing that was scheduled for next week. Jay was the last of the Cardinals arbitration-eligible players who were unsigned.

Drafted by the Cardinals in 2006, the left-handed hitting Jay owns a .295 career batting average over the past five seasons (2010-14), ranking 8th among all Major League outfielders in that time span. The 30-year old Miami native had a team-best .303 batting mark in 2014, falling just 34 plate appearances shy of qualifying among the league batting leaders. He continued his solid hitting by batting .483 during the postseason, the 2nd-highest single-season postseason batting average in MLB history.

In 2012, Jay became just the third Cardinals outfielder to play errorless ball over an entire season and he leads all Cardinals fly-chasers with his .995 fielding pct. since 2010. He posted a franchise-record 245-game errorless streak by an outfielder from Aug. 25, 2011 to July 29, 2013.

Jay, who debuted with St. Louis in 2010, was a member of the Cardinals 2011 World Championship team, collecting a key hit and scoring the tying run in the 10th inning of their memorable World Series Game 6 comeback.

— Cardinals Media Relations —

Royals sign “Moose” to one-year deal

Posted on February 3, 2015

The Kansas City Royals announced Tuesday that the club has agreed to terms on a one-year contract with third baseman Mike Moustakas for the 2015 season, avoiding arbitration. Consistent with club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Moustakas, 26, hit 15 home runs last season, while batting .212 with 21 doubles and 54 RBI. He enjoyed a tremendous postseason, blasting a team-record five homers, including the go-ahead roundtripper in Game 1 of the American League Division Series in Anaheim. Moose hit safely in each of his first six playoff games and homered in the first two games of the ALCS at Baltimore’s Camden Yards. He also made a memorable catch in Game 3 of the series, falling over the railing above the dugout suites at Kauffman Stadium to haul in a foul ball off the bat of Adam Jones.

The signing of Moustakas leaves the Royals with five unsigned arbitration-eligible players: pitchers Danny Duffy, Kelvin Herrera and Greg Holland, first baseman Eric Hosmer and outfielder Lorenzo Cain.

(Kansas City Royals)

Former Chief Will Shields elected to Hall of Fame

Posted on January 31, 2015January 31, 2015

HOWARD FENDRICH, AP Pro Football Writer

PHOENIX (AP) — Junior Seau, Jerome Bettis, Tim Brown, Charles Haley and Will Shields, of the Kansas City Chiefs, have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The class of 2015 also includes a pair of contributors, Bill Polian and Ron Wolf, along with senior selection Mick Tingelhoff.

The announcement was made Saturday night.

Shields was a picture of consistency. A 12 time Pro Bowler with the Chiefs from 1993 to 2006. The Kansas City offensive lines that paved the way for Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson in the early 2000s were dominant with Shields leading the way as a highly athletic pulling guard.

Five nominees were eliminated in the final vote: Tony Dungy, Kevin Greene, Marvin Harrison, Orlando Pace and Kurt Warner.

Earlier Saturday, the selection committee reduced the list of 15 modern-day finalists by cutting Morten Andersen, Terrell Davis, John Lynch and coaches Don Coryell and Jimmy Johnson.

The induction ceremony is in August at Canton, Ohio.

Royals bobbleheads to depict signature playoff moments

Posted on January 29, 2015January 29, 2015

The Kansas City Royals bring some of the fun back to fans, as they release new bobbleheads of the team.

According to Sports Illustrated, the team will give away four commemorative bobbleheads that will take fans back to the team’s amazing run to the World Series in 2014. The bobbleheads will depict players recreating the signature moments of last season’s playoffs, rather than the traditional poses.

There’s that diving catch from outfielder Lorenzo Cain. There’s Mike Moustakas diving into the dugout for a catch from the ALCS last season. Salvador Perez celebrates the game-winning hit in the Wild Card game. Yordano Ventura gets a nod, as it were, pitching off the mound in the playoffs.

Royals, Dyson agree to new contract

Posted on January 27, 2015January 27, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals and outfielder Jarrod Dyson have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract for $1,225,000.

Dyson, who is expected to be the Royals’ fourth outfielder, can also make $25,000 for reaching 350 plate appearances and $50,000 if he’s chosen for the All-Star game.

Dyson earned $530,000 last season, $30,000 over the major league minimum. He had asked for $1.6 million this season and the Royals had countered at $900,000.

The former 50th-round amateur draft pick hit .269 with one homer and 24 RBIs in 290 plate appearances last season. But his real value came on the base paths, where he had a career-high 36 steals.

The deal Tuesday leaves outfielder Lorenzo Cain, first baseman Eric Hosmer, third baseman Mike Moustakas and pitchers Greg Holland, Kelvin Herrera and Danny Duffy as Kansas City’s remaining players in arbitration.

Royals Invite 23 Non-roster Players to Spring Training

Posted on January 26, 2015January 26, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Royals have invited 23 non-roster players to spring training, including former fifth overall draft pick Bubba Starling and promising youngsters Miguel Almonte and Raul Mondesi.

Starling, who grew up near Kansas City, has struggled in the minor leagues but will get a taste of big league camp. Almonte, a right-hander, and Mondesi, an infielder, are non-drafted free agents who have become two of the club’s top prospects.

Other notable players headed to camp are infielder Hunter Dozier, the eighth overall draft pick in 2013; pitcher Sean Manea, the 34th overall choice the same year; and outfielder Brett Eibner, a second-round choice in 2010.

Pitchers and catchers report to Surprise, Arizona, for the start of spring training on Feb. 19. The Royals’ first full-squad workout is scheduled for Feb. 25.

Arrowhead Stadium to host Mexican national team vs. Paraguay

Posted on January 22, 2015January 23, 2015

It was announced Thursday that the Mexican National Team will face Paraguay at Arrowhead Stadium at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31 as part of the team’s 13th annual U.S. Tour. The Arrowhead Stadium stop is one of two games during March’s FIFA window which was announced by The Federación Mexicana de Fútbol (FMF) and Soccer United Marketing (SUM). Mexico will also play Ecuador on Saturday, March 28 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

The top players from Mexico, Ecuador and Paraguay are expected to be called up as the teams prepare for key international tournaments this summer, including the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup and the 2015 CONMEBOL Copa América.

“We are extremely excited to have the Mexican National Team scheduled to play it’s first-ever match at Arrowhead Stadium,” Chiefs President Mark Donovan said. “We have put an emphasis on creating a sports and entertainment destination for fans of all ages, interests and backgrounds. We know that the Mexican National Team fans travel extremely well, and we are eager to have new fans experience everything special about Arrowhead and Kansas City.”

Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Thursday, Feb. 12 at 10 a.m. CT. Tickets for the Kansas City game are available via www.Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1 (800) 745-3000. For group sale inquiries please contact Sporting KC at 888-4KC-GOAL.

Iconic Arrowhead Stadium underwent extensive renovations in 2010 and offers a state-of-the-art facility to host athletic and entertainment events of all types. The stadium – Guinness World Record-certified as the loudest in the world – served as the home site of Sporting Kansas City for the club’s first 12 seasons (1996-07) and has hosted numerous international soccer matches, including the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams as well as English Premier League side Manchester United.

— Chiefs Media Relations —

Chiefs backup QB Tyler Bray tears ACL; team signs 19 to future deals

Posted on January 20, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs announced Tuesday that Tyler Bray has torn the ACL in his left knee, putting his future with the franchise in doubt and creating space for Terrelle Pryor at backup quarterback.

Bray spent last season on injured reserve after spraining an ankle in the preseason. The move allowed the Chiefs to keep him along with Alex Smith, Chase Daniel and Aaron Murray. Pryor, a former Raiders quarterback, recently agreed to a deal with the Chiefs.

Among the 19 players Kansas City signed to futures deals Tuesday was wide receiver Da’Rick Rogers. The former college star began his career at Tennessee but transferred to Tennessee Tech after admitting to failing several drug tests. He has played professionally for Buffalo and Indianapolis. In five games with the Colts, he had 14 catches for 192 yards.

The 17 players signed to future deals besides Pryor and Rogers are tight ends Brandon Barden and Adam Schiltz; wide receivers Armon Binns, Corbin Louks and Fred Williams; linebacker Jo Jo Dickson; defensive tackles Herbon Fangupo and Jerel Worthy; tackles Curtis Feigt and Derek Sherrod; long snappers Brandon Hartson and Jorgen Hus; guards Ricky Henry and Jarrod Pughsley; cornerbacks Aaron Hester and Deji Olatoye, and fullback Spencer Ware.

— Associated Press —

Chiefs’ Houston named to AP NFL All-Pro team

Posted on January 2, 2015January 2, 2015

Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Justin Houston was named to the Associated Press NFL All-Pro team Friday.

Houston led the NFL with 22 sacks, finishing just a half-sack off the NFL record of 22.5 set by Michael Strahan of the New York Giants.

Houston was selected by 47 of the 50 voters. He was the leading vote-getter at outside linebacker and only one player at any position, New England tight end Rob Gronkowski, was a unanimous selection.