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Category: Professional

Royals win third straight spring training game behind Moustakas’ 2 HR

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RoyalsMESA, Ariz. (AP) — Mike Moustakas homered twice, Eric Hosmer added three hits and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago Cubs 5-3 on Sunday.

Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro left after the first inning with a slight strain of his right hamstring. He hurt himself trying to steal a base after he was hit by a pitch.

Moustakas hit a drive off Cubs starter Edwin Jackson leading off the second inning and a two-run shot off Carlos Villanueva in the third.

“It’s about seeing as many pitches as you can,” Moustakas said. “I’ve been seeing the ball pretty good as of late and I am trying to keep seeing the pitches, working the at-bats and fighting with two strikes.”

Hosmer doubled twice, and Lorenzo Cain had two hits for the Royals. Kansas City starter Wade Davis gave up one hit in two scoreless innings.

Javier Baez and Justin Ruggiano each had two hits for Chicago.

The game at Cubs Park drew a Cactus League-record crowd of 14,680.

— Associated Press —

Holliday hits two doubles as Cardinals defeat Mets, 7-1

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CardsJUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Matt Holliday doubled in both at-bats and drove in two runs Sunday for the St. Louis Cardinals in a 7-1 win over the New York Mets.

Holliday didn’t play in the Cardinals’ spring training opener on Friday. He singled and walked in two plate appearances as the designated hitter Saturday.

“I feel good,” said Holliday, who played left field for the first time this spring. “It’s two days into spring training, so I don’t put too much into it, but having good at-bats is always a positive. You just try to roll it into the next day.”

Holliday’s first double came off starter Daisuke Matsuzaka, who’s competing for the fifth spot in the Mets’ rotation.

“I gave up a run in the first inning today, but I think all my pitches are very good at this point of the year except for my slider. I think that needs a little bit more work,” Matsuzaka said through a translator.

A 30-pitch first inning that included two walks kept Cardinals starter Michael Wacha from getting out of the second. He reached his pitch cap after retiring the first two batters of the second without allowing a run.

“I was happy with it,” Wacha said. “Arm felt great. Body felt great. Command wasn’t where I wanted it to be. Hopefully that will come along.”

— Associated Press —

Priest Holmes to be inducted into Chiefs Hall of Fame

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ChiefsKansas City Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt announced on Saturday that Priest Holmes will be the 2014 inductee into the Chiefs Hall of Fame. Holmes is the 44th player to earn this coveted honor which will be celebrated this evening at the 44th annual 101 Awards banquet in downtown Kansas City. The official enshrinement ceremony to the Chiefs Hall of Fame will be held during Chiefs Alumni Weekend at Arrowhead Stadium this fall.

“It is an honor to announce the induction of Priest Holmes into the Chiefs Hall of Fame,” Hunt said. “On behalf of my family and the entire Chiefs organization I would like to congratulate Priest on a remarkable career. As the Chiefs franchise all-time leader in rushing yards, total touchdowns and rushing touchdowns, Priest set a standard for excellence on and off the field during his time in Kansas City. We are grateful for his contributions to the team and the community.”

Holmes spent seven years on Kansas City’s roster (2001-07), after a four-year stint in Baltimore (1997-2000), where he originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 1997. Throughout his tenure with the Chiefs, Holmes was selected to three consecutive Pro Bowls from 2001-03 and named All-Pro for those three years by numerous national media outlets. He was also presented with the club’s MVP award following the 2001 and 2002 seasons.

While with the Chiefs, Holmes recorded 6,070 rushing yards with 76 touchdowns, and tallied 83 total touchdowns, breaking franchise records in all three categories. During the 2003 season, Holmes scored two or more touchdowns in 10 games, which is tied for the NFL’s best mark with former running back LaDanian Tomlinson.

Maybe more impressive was Holmes’ ability to put up these statistics while entering the league as an undrafted free agent. In 2001, his first season with the Chiefs, Holmes was the NFL’s leading rusher with 1,555 yards, the only undrafted player to do so, until running back Arian Foster accomplished the feat in 2010.

Other accolades Holmes was bestowed with include NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2002), Phil Simms All-Iron Team (2001-02), Ed Block Courage Award (2004), as well as being a part of Baltimore’s Super Bowl XXXV championship team (2000).

A San Antonio, Texas, native, Holmes played collegiately at Texas, where he rushed for a career total of 1,276 yards with 20 touchdowns, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. He is a member of the University of Texas Hall of Honor, the Texas High School Sports Hall of Fame and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. He prepped at Marshall High School in San Antonio, where he currently resides and heads the Priest Holmes Foundation.

— Chiefs Media Relations —

Royals sign closer Greg Holland to one-year deal to avoid arbitration

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RoyalsKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Royals and All-Star closer Greg Holland agreed on a $4.675 million contract Wednesday, which means all of Kansas City’s arbitration-eligible players are signed ahead of spring training.

Pitchers and catchers are due to report to Surprise, Ariz., on Friday.

Holland asked for $5.2 million after going 2-1 with a 1.21 ERA and 47 saves last season, while the Royals offered $4.1 million. They settled on a figure that represents a big bump from the $539,000 he made in 2013, and includes a $50,000 bonus for making the All-Star game.

The deal means that Royals general manager Dayton Moore still has never gone to arbitration with a player. The last Royals player to go to arbitration was outfielder Emil Brown in 2006, the offseason prior to Moore’s hiring as GM.

— Associated Press —

Chiefs sign WR Weston Dressler, release DB Dunta Robinson

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ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs announced on Friday that the club has signed wide receiver Weston Dressler and released defensive back Dunta Robinson.

Dressler (5-7, 179) joins the Chiefs after six seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 2008-13. He registered 442 receptions for 6,531 yards (14.8 avg.) with 43 touchdowns. He added 48 carries for 286 yards (6.0 avg.) with two rushing touchdowns. Dressler tallied 92 punt returns for 907 yards (9.9 avg.) with one touchdown and 31 kickoff returns for 634 yards (20.5 avg.). In 2013, he caught 70 passes for 1,011 yards with nine touchdowns to help the Roughriders to a Grey Cup title. He has recorded 1,000 or more yards in five of six CFL seasons and set career highs in receptions (94), yards (1,206) and touchdowns (13) in the 2012 season.

The Bismarck, N.D., native played collegiately at the University of North Dakota, playing in 39 games (22 starts), recording 167 receptions for 2,110 yards (12.6 avg.) with 25 touchdowns. He prepped at Bismarck High School where he was a three-time all-state and all-conference selection and was named the 2003 Gatorade Player of the Year.

Robinson (5-10, 183) has played in 139 games (128 starts) in 10 NFL seasons with the Houston Texans (2004-09), Atlanta Falcons (2010-12) and Kansas City Chiefs (2013). His career numbers include 593 tackles (503 solo), 5.5 sacks (-36.5 yards), 17 interceptions for 194 yards with one touchdown and 91 pass breakups. Robinson played in eight games (two starts) with the Chiefs in 2013. He tallied 13 solo tackles, four passes defensed, and one fumble recovery.

The Athens, Ga., native originally entered the NFL as a first-round draft pick (10th overall) of the Houston Texans in the 2004 NFL Draft. Robinson played collegiately at South Carolina. He prepped at Clarke Central High School in Athens, Ga.

— Chiefs Media Relations —

Mike Sweeney returns to Kansas City as Special Assistant to Baseball Operations

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RoyalsThe Kansas City Royals announced Friday that the club has named former first baseman Mike Sweeney to the front office staff, carrying the job title of Special Assistant to Baseball Operations.

“We’re thrilled as an organization that Mike will be joining our baseball operations department,” Royals Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations/General Manager Dayton Moore said.  “He’s a tremendous leader and I’m confident that he will impact our players and staff in positive way.”

Sweeney, 40, was a five-time American League All-Star with the Royals, whom he played with from 1995-2007 after being drafted in the 10th round in 1991 out of Ontario (Calif.) High School.  Sweeney was a .297 career hitter with 325 doubles, 215 home runs, 909 RBI and 759 runs scored.  He capped his playing career with the Oakland Athletics (2008), Seattle Mariners (2009-10) and Philadelphia Phillies (2010).

The club record holder for RBI in a season with 144 in 2000, Sweeney ranks in the top six all-time in Royals history in 17 offensive categories, including second in average (.299) and home runs (197).  He narrowly missed winning the 2002 A.L. batting crown, hitting .340 in 2002, the second-highest single-season average in club history to George Brett’s .390 mark in 1980.  Sweeney represented the Royals as an American League All-Star five times (2000-2003, 2005).  He is joined by George Brett (13), Amos Otis (5) and Frank White (5) as the only players in club history to make five or more All-Star appearances.

“It’s a great honor to have played in the Kansas City organization for 20 years. To be welcomed back by the Glass family, Dayton Moore, Ned Yost and the entire staff is a dream come true for me,” said Sweeney.  “The only thing I was unable to accomplish during my playing days was to bring October baseball back to Kansas City.  With this new position, my goal is to do as much as I can to help the Royals get back to being one of the prized organizations in baseball, as it was in the 1980’s.”

— Royals Media Relations —

Chiefs hire Brock Olivo as Assistant Special Teams Coach

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ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs announced on Thursday that the club has hired former University of Missouri and NFL running back Brock Olivo to serve as the club’s Assistant Special Teams Coach.

Olivo joins the Chiefs after two seasons (2012-13) as an assistant coach with Coastal Carolina where he coached the running backs and assisted on special teams. Under Olivo’s tutelage at Coastal Carolina, senior RB Lorenzo Taliaferro shattered a number of Chanticleer single-season rushing records, including yards (1,729), attempts (276), touchdowns (27), yards per game (115.3), all-purpose yards (1,882), 100-yard rushing games (nine), multi-rushing touchdown games (eight), points scored (174) and most total touchdowns scored (29). In 2012, the Chanticleers averaged 199.2 rushing yards per game to rank 25th in the Football Championship Subdivision and in 2013, Coastal Carolina ranked eighth among FCS teams, averaging 252.1 rushing yards per game. Prior to joining Coastal Carolina in 2012, Olivo spent the 2011 season as running backs coach for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League (UFL).

Before joining the Omaha Nighthawks, Olivo served as head coach and offensive coordinator of the Italian National Football Team. He was also the head coach, offensive coordinator and special teams coordinator of the S.S. Lazio Marines, a Serie A1 team which competes in Italy’s IFL, the country highest level of American football.

He spent four seasons (1998-01) with the Detroit Lions, serving as a running back as well as a captain of the Lions special teams units. During his NFL career, he appeared in 44 games, registering two carries and seven receptions, and added 15 kickoff returns for 263 yards (17.5 avg.). He also recorded two career special teams fumble recoveries. After his final season in Detroit, he played one season for the S.S. Lazio Marines.

A product of the University of Missouri, Olivo set the then-school career record for rushing yards with 3,026 from 1994-97 and led the team in scoring in three straight seasons from 1994-96. Olivo was also the nation’s first recipient of the Mosi Tatupu Award, an honor bestowed on college football’s top special teams player. He became just the seventh player in Missouri football history to have his number (27) retired. A 1998 graduate, he received his degree in English. While at Missouri, Olivo played for a Tigers coaching staff that included Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub, who held the title of strength and conditioning coach and defensive line coach for more than a decade (1989-00). Following his NFL career, Olivo worked three years at the National Italian American Foundation.

— Chiefs Media Relations —

Cardinals sign RHP Pat Neshek to minor league contract

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CardsThe St. Louis Cardinals have signed right-handed pitcher Pat Neshek to a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League camp for Spring Training.

Neshek pitched over seven Major League seasons with the Twins (2006-10), Padres (2011) and most recently Athletics in 2012-13.

The 33-year old Madison, Wis., native has made 226 career appearances, all in relief, compiling a 16-9 record with a 3.07 ERA while averaging over a strikeout per inning fanning 216 batters in 214.1 innings.

He appeared in a career-high 74 games during his second season with the Twins in 2007 while posting a 7-2 record and a 2.94 ERA.

Neshek held right-handed batters to a .182 batting average over 494 career at bats and has limited the opposition to a .192 average with runners on base and .183 with runners in scoring position.

He has played in two post-seasons first with the Twins in 2006 and then the Athletics in 2012, making three relief appearances.

The Cardinals will have 58 players in camp including non-roster invitations with this transaction.

— Cardinals Media Relations —

Kansas City announces “Be Royal” ad campaign for 2014

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RoyalsStill riding high from their best season in recent years, the Kansas City Royals are cranking up the excitement with the introduction of their new advertising campaign and tagline, “Be Royal.”

“Last season, the Royals came to play,” said Michael Bucek, Royals Vice President-Marketing and Business Development. “Our ballclub was exciting and played meaningful games until the end of the season and our fans responded with energy and passion. As a team and a community, we proved to ourselves that we have what it takes to live up to the name on the front of our jerseys.”

Kansas City-based ad agency Walz Tetrick, now in their second year with the club, helped develop a campaign that highlights the leadership, poise and pride the Royals players bring into the clubhouse and onto the field and an unrivaled fan base that is second to none.

“We have a great tradition of baseball here in Kansas City,” said WTA president Charlie Tetrick. “So when you put on a Royals jersey, that means something. It means you’re going to play with confidence. And when fans put on their jerseys, they’re going to come out to The K, make noise, support their team and create a true home field advantage. That’s what baseball in Kansas City is all about. It’s in our blood. That’s what it means to Be Royal.”

The ‘Be Royal’ campaign will be seen throughout the preseason and regular season in TV and radio ads, outdoor boards, newspaper ads, online banners and social media.

Season tickets are currently on sale and available online at royals.com, by phone at 816-504-4040 or at the Kauffman Stadium Box Office.

— Royals Media Relations —

Kansas City signs Aaron Crow to one-year contract

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Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Aaron Crow (43)The Kansas City Royals announced Friday that the club has agreed to terms on a one-year contract with right-handed pitcher Aaron Crow for the 2014 season, avoiding arbitration.

Consistent with club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Crow, 27, posted a 7-5 record last season with a 3.38 ERA (18 ER in 48.0 IP) in 57 relief appearances.  His seven victories out of the bullpen were tied for second in the American League, trailing only the eight victories by Texas’ Neal Cotts.

In his three-year career with the Royals, Crow is 14-10 with three saves and a 3.19 ERA in 187 outings.  He was named an All-Star in 2011 during his rookie season.

The signing of Crow leaves the Royals with just one unsigned arbitration-eligible player: right-handed pitcher Greg Holland.

— Royals Media Relations —

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