We have a brand new updated website! Click here to check it out!

Category: Professional

Cardinals sign Molina to five-year contract extension

Posted on

The St. Louis Cardinals announced Thursday the signing of All-Star catcher Yadier Molina to a new five-year contract that extends from 2013 through the 2017 season.  The new pact also includes a mutual option for 2018.

Molina, 29, is a four-time (2008-11) Rawlings Gold Glove award recipient and a three-time (2009-11) National League All-Star.  He was also voted the recipient of the Rawlings Platinum Glove award in 2011, recognizing him as the top defensive player among all players in the National League.

Yadier posted a career-high .305 batting average last season, leading the team and ranking 8th in the National League.  He became the first catcher to pace the team in batting since Ted Simmons did so in 1973 and he was just the fifth Cardinals catcher to collect 30 or more doubles in a single season. Appearing in 139 games, Molina also had career-highs for home runs (14) and RBI (65) in 2011 and was a key contributor down the stretch for the Redbirds, batting .342 in August and .341 in September.

“Yadier possesses game-changing ability both in the field and at the plate,” said Cardinals’ Senior Vice President/General Manager John Mozeliak, who made the announcement at the team’s Spring Training headquarters in Jupiter, Fla.  “From his dramatic homer in the 2006 NLCS, to his handling of pitchers and controlling the opponent’s running game, Yadier has proven to be a special talent when it comes to the all-important challenges of the catcher position.  We look forward to having Yadier continue to serve as a cornerstone for our ballclub.”

Drafted by the Cardinals in 2000, Molina has established himself amongst the top all-around catchers in the game.  Molina leads all Major League catchers in both catcher’s stolen base pct. (39%) and pick-offs (38) since 2005, and he ranks among the National League’s top clutch-hitting catchers in that time span; posting a .297 (1st in N.L.) batting mark with runners in scoring position.

Molina’s career totals include a .274 batting average, 55 HR’s and 390 RBI in 944 games.  He ranks 4th all-time among Cardinals in games played at catcher (928), trailing only Ted Simmons (1,440), Del Rice (1,018) and Tim McCarver (960).

The right-handed hitting Molina ranks 4th on the Cardinals all-time list for World Series leaders in batting (.341) and he’s 2nd among franchise batting leaders in League Championship Series play with a .329 career mark.

Molina continued his postseason success during the Cardinals 2011 run to a World Series title, batting .299 with 12 RBI.  His 20 hits in the postseason were the most by a catcher since 2003 (Ivan Rodriguez, 21) and his 9 RBI in the World Series were the most by a catcher since 1997 when the Cleveland Indians Sandy Alomar, Jr. had 10.

— Cardinals Media Relations —

Royals’ single-game tickets go on sale March 3

Posted on

Single-game tickets for the Kansas City Royals 2012 season, including a limited number of Opening Day tickets, will go on sale on Saturday, March 3 at 10 a.m.  Tickets will be available online at www.royals.com, by phone at 1-800-6ROYALS, at the Kauffman Stadium Box Office and at metro-area Hy-Vee stores. Please note that Opening Day tickets will not be available at the Hy-Vee stores.

Fans who choose not to use the club’s convenient online and phone ticketing options and plan to purchase tickets at Kauffman Stadium on March 3 instead must enter the Truman Sports Complex through Gate 1, located off of Blue Ridge Cutoff on the east side of the complex, the Bus Exit/Premium Entrance, off of Stadium Drive on the west side, or the Gate 5 Truck Lane off Raytown Road.  All other gates will be closed to fan traffic.  Fans should park in Lot M or Lot J and enter through Gate B.  Overnight camping will not be permitted.  The complex will open at 7 a.m. on March 3.

The Royals will implement a random drawing procedure for purchasing tickets at Kauffman Stadium on March 3.  Fans wishing to take part in the random drawing must obtain a wristband at the Gate C lobby on Thursday, March 1 (noon to 6 p.m.) or Friday, March 2 (noon to 9 p.m.) or at Gate C on Saturday, March 3 (7-9 a.m.).  There is no advantage to collecting a wristband early within this time frame.  On March 3, any fan that does not have a wristband will be in a second line behind the fans with wristbands.  The drawing to determine line order will be held at 9 a.m. on Saturday and tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m.  Fans taking part in the random drawing will be able to purchase up to four Opening Day seats, while supplies last.

To mark the March 3 on-sale date, the Royals are inviting fans to Kauffman Stadium for an Open House from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Fans will have the opportunity to view available season ticket locations, purchase 2012 Sluggerrr’s Blue Crew Kids Club packages, and enjoy complimentary coffee and donuts in the Diamond Club Lounge.  All guests will have a chance to enter into a raffle for a Bruce Chen autographed jersey, and fans purchasing a season ticket package during the event will receive a free gift.  In addition, the Royals Majestic Team Store will open for fans at 9 a.m. on Saturday and remain open until 2 p.m.

For more information, please visit www.royals.com/openhouse.

On Saturday, March 3, the Kauffman Stadium Box Office will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. or fans may place their orders by phone from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.  The Box Office will also be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 4.  Also beginning March 4, phone operators will be available from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week.

The Royals will continue its variable pricing structure for all single-game sales with an adjustment for 2012, as games will be categorized as a premier, select or value game.  In addition, the club will join a number of other MLB clubs and implement dynamic pricing, a practice that is becoming standard across sports and entertainment industries, for a select number of games in 2012.

Working with Qcue, the industry leader in dynamic pricing software, the Royals will establish ticket prices for the selected games and adjust them on a game-by-game basis based on a variety of market conditions such as team performance, opponent, pitching matchup, weather and day of the week.

Among the goals of dynamic pricing is broadening the ticket-buying fan base, rewarding fans for purchasing tickets earlier in the season and protecting the value of season tickets.  Please note that the dynamic pricing structure affects the sale of select individual game tickets only and does not affect the sale of season tickets.  Through the system, the Royals ensure that single-game ticket prices for the select games will never be lower than the price offered to Season Ticket Holders.  Season Ticket Holders will continue to pay a set price for their tickets, which provides substantial savings over individual game ticket prices.

— Royals Media Relations —

Chiefs sign defensive back Jacques Reeves

Posted on

The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Friday that the club has signed free agent defensive back Jacques Reeves. He has six years of NFL experience with the Houston Texans (2008-09) and Dallas Cowboys (2004-07).

Reeves (5-11, 188) has seen action in 88 games (35 starts) with 164 tackles (146 solo), six interceptions returned for 145 yards, 45 passes defensed, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He has 25 career special teams tackles and has returned 13 kickoffs for 199 yards (15.3 avg.).

Reeves played in 28 games (21 starts) during his two seasons with Houston, totaling 77 tackles (69 solo) with five interceptions returned for 127 yards, including one TD, 26 passes defensed, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. In 2008, he started all 16 games and recorded 49 tackles (46 solo) with a career-best four interceptions returned for 108 yards, including a 44-yard touchdown, 19 passes defensed, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

During his first four NFL seasons with Dallas, Reeves played in 60 games (14 starts) with 87 tackles (77 solo), an interception, 19 passes defensed, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. He became a starter in 2007, registering a career-high 60 tackles (52 solo).

He saw action in all 49 games during his collegiate career at Purdue (2000-03), totaling 140 tackles, seven interceptions, 17 passes defensed, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He also competed as a sprinter for Purdue’s track team.

— Chiefs Media Relations —

Royals agree to terms with Escobar and Giavotella

Posted on

The Kansas City Royals have announced that the club has agreed to terms on 2012 Major League contracts with infielders Alcides Escobar and Johnny Giavotella.  Consistent with club policy, terms of the contracts were not disclosed.

The Royals now have three unsigned players on the 40-man roster with zero to three years of service time: right-handed pitcher Vin Mazzaro; left-handed pitcher Danny Duffy and catcher Salvador Perez.

The Royals first full squad workout for the 2012 campaign will take place tomorrow afternoon in Surprise, Ariz.  The Spring Training opener is on Sunday, March 4 against the Texas Rangers at 1:05 p.m. CT.

— Royals Media Relations —

Chiefs sign former Raiders CB Stanford Routt

Posted on

The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Monday that the team has signed free agent CB Stanford Routt.

“Stanford has a proven record of success in the NFL,” Head Coach Romeo Crennel said. “He’s a talented player that has spent seven seasons in the AFC West, so he is familiar with us and our division opponents. We are excited to have Stanford join the team, and we are looking forward to getting started.”

“We are excited that we were able to come to terms with Stanford,” General Manager Scott Pioli said. “He is a talented player, and as we have said in the past, we are always looking to add competition at every position year-round. Stanford’s experience and level of play will make him a solid addition to our defense.”

Routt (6-1, 195) has appeared in 110 career regular season games (53 starts) in seven seasons with the Oakland Raiders (2005-11). Based on press box totals, he has recorded 201 tackles (171 solo), 10 interceptions, including one returned for a 22-yard touchdown, 52 passes defensed, 2.0 sacks (-22.0 yards) and one forced fumble. Routt recorded a career-high four INTs in 2011 and added a team-best and career-high 15 passes defensed. He originally entered the NFL as a second-round draft pick (38th overall) of the Raiders in the 2005 NFL Draft.

The University of Houston product played in 47 games during his collegiate career with 27 starts. While starring in a Cougar uniform, Routt registered 111 solo tackles, with three tackles for loss, seven interceptions returned for 96 yards, 23 passes defensed, a fumble recovery, a blocked kick and three kickoff returns for 36 yards. A multi-sport athlete at Houston, Routt was a sprinter for the Cougars track and field team and was named the 2004 Conference USA Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Year. Routt attended Connally High School in Pflugerville, Texas.

— Chiefs Media Relations —

Royals sign Cain, Hosmer, Mendoza & Moustakas to one-year deals

Posted on

The Kansas City Royals have announced that the club has agreed to terms on 2012 Major League contracts with right-handed pitcher Luis Mendoza, infielders Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas, and outfielder Lorenzo Cain.  Consistent with club policy, terms of the contracts were not disclosed.

The Royals now have seven unsigned players on the 40-man roster with zero to three years of service time: right-handed pitchers Louis Coleman, Greg Holland and Vin Mazzaro; left-handed pitcher Danny Duffy; catcher Salvador Perez; and infielders Alcides Escobar and Johnny Giavotella.

Pitchers and catchers will report to Surprise, Ariz., next Monday, February 20.  Workouts for pitchers begin the following afternoon, Tuesday, February 21.  The remainder of the squad will report next Friday, February 24 and begin workouts for the 2012 campaign on Saturday afternoon, February 25.

— Royals Media Relations —

Royals sign LHP Tim Collins to one-year contract

Posted on

The Kansas City Royals have announced that the club has agreed to terms on a 2012 Major League contract with left-handed pitcher Tim Collins.  Consistent with club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

The 22-year-old Collins made 68 appearances for the Royals in 2011, his rookie campaign.  The lefty was 4-4 with a 3.63 ERA, striking out 60 and walking 48 in 67.0 innings.  Collins was acquired by the Royals from the Atlanta Braves on July 31, 2010.

The Royals now have 11 unsigned players on the 40-man roster with zero to three years of service time: right-handed pitchers Louis Coleman, Greg Holland, Vin Mazzaro and Luis Mendoza; left-handed pitcher Danny Duffy; catcher Salvador Perez; infielders Alcides Escobar, Johnny Giavotella, Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas; and outfielder Lorenzo Cain.

Pitchers and catchers will report to Surprise, Ariz., on Monday, February 20.  Workouts for pitchers begin the following afternoon, Tuesday, February 21.  The remainder of the squad will report on Friday, February 24 and begin workouts for the 2012 campaign on Saturday afternoon, February 25.

— Royals Media Relations —

Chiefs sign defensive back Kyle McCarthy

Posted on

The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Tuesday that the club has signed free agent defensive back Kyle McCarthy. He spent the last two seasons with the Denver Broncos, where he saw action in 12 games with four tackles (two solo) and three special teams stops.

In 2011, he played in four contests with two solo tackles and one special teams stop. He had two tackles (one solo) and two special teams stops in eight games as a rookie in 2010 after originally entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Broncos.

He saw action in 50 career games (26 starts) at Notre Dame, totaling 240 tackles (147 solo) and eight interceptions returned for 108 yards. He started every contest in his final two seasons and became the first Fighting Irish defensive back to eclipse the 100-tackle mark in a season with 110 tackles (64 solo) in 2008 and 101 tackles (66 solo) in 2009.

McCarthy was a two-way standout at Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown, Ohio, where he received first-team all-state honors at quarterback and was named Tri-County Player of the Year as a senior.

— Chiefs Public Relations —

Chiefs finalize coaching staff for 2012 season

Posted on

The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Tuesday that Head Coach Romeo Crennel has finalized his coaching staff for the 2012 season. New additions to the Chiefs coaching staff include: Jack Bicknell Jr. (Offensive Line), Jim Bob Cooter (Offensive Quality Control), Brian Daboll (Offensive Coordinator), Tom McMahon (Special Teams Coach) and Derius Swinton (Special Teams Quality Control).

Kansas City promoted Nick Sirianni to Wide Receivers Coach and retained the following coaches: Maurice Carthon (Assistant Head Coach), Mike Clark (Strength & Conditioning), Gary Gibbs (Linebackers), Bernie Parmalee (Tight Ends), Anthony Pleasant (Defensive Line), Brent Salazar (Assistant Strength & Conditioning), Otis Smith (Defensive Quality Control), Emmitt Thomas (Defensive Backs), Adam Zimmer (Defensive Assistant/Assistant Linebackers) and Jim Zorn (Quarterbacks).

“We were able to add a handful of strong additions to an already talented group of coaches, and I am excited to get started,” said Crennel. “I am looking forward to sitting down as a staff, evaluating what we have, what we need, and moving forward towards the 2012 season.”

Below is a complete list of the Chiefs 2012 coaching staff.

NEWCOMERS

Jack Bicknell Jr. (Offensive Line) – Bicknell spent the last three seasons (2009-11) as the assistant offensive line coach with the N.Y. Giants, which included a victory in Super Bowl XLVI. Before entering the NFL coaching ranks, Bicknell was the assistant head coach/offensive line coach (2007-08) at Boston College, his alma mater. Prior to joining BC, Bicknell had an eight-year stint (1999-2006) as the head coach at Louisiana Tech. He was the offensive line coach at Louisiana Tech for two seasons (1997-98) after 10 seasons (1987-96) as an assistant at the University of New Hampshire, where he coached both the defensive (1987-92) and offensive (1993-96) lines. He broke into the coaching profession as a graduate assistant at Boston College (1985-86) following a playing career for the Eagles.

Jim Bob Cooter (Offensive Quality Control) – Cooter enters his first season as the offensive quality control coach with Kansas City in 2012. Before arriving in Kansas City, he worked on the offensive staff of the Indianapolis Colts (2009-11), most recently holding the title of assistant to the offensive coordinator for the 2011 season. Prior to joining the Colts, Cooter spent two years (2007-08) as a graduate assistant at the University of Tennessee. He was a quarterback at Tennessee (2002-06), appearing in six career games and earning academic All-SEC honors four times.

Brian Daboll (Offensive Coordinator) – Daboll joins the Chiefs after one season (2011) in Miami where he held the same position for the Dolphins. Prior to his time in Miami, Daboll spent two seasons (2009-10) as offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns. He also spent two seasons as the QBs coach for the New York Jets (2007-08) and seven seasons (2000-06) as an assistant with the New England Patriots.

Tom McMahon (Special Teams) – McMahon comes to Kansas City after a three-year stint (2009-11) with the St. Louis Rams as special teams coordinator. Prior to joining the Rams, he spent two seasons (2007-08) as assistant special teams coach for the Atlanta Falcons. Before joining Atlanta, McMahon spent one season at the University of Louisville (2006) after 11 seasons (1995-2005) at Utah State.

Derius Swinton (Special Teams Quality Control) – Swinton joins the Chiefs as the club’s special teams quality control coach after three seasons with the St. Louis Rams. In St. Louis, he served as the team’s quality control/special teams coach under newly-named Chiefs Special Teams Coach Tom McMahon. Prior to his tenure in St. Louis, Swinton was as a defensive graduate assistant (2007-08) with the University of Tennessee. He played free safety at Hampton University in Virginia from 2003-06.

COACHES RETAINED/PROMOTED

Maurice Carthon (Assistant Head Coach) – Carthon is an 18-year coaching veteran who will enter his fourth season with the Chiefs. Prior to joining Kansas City, Carthon spent two seasons (2007-08) as the running backs coach for the Arizona Cardinals. He also has previously served as the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns (2005-06), Dallas Cowboys (2003-04) and Detroit Lions (2002). Carthon owns 11 years of playing experience and was a member of two Super Bowl championship teams (1986, 1990) with the New York Giants.

Mike Clark (Strength & Conditioning) – Clark will begin his third season with the Chiefs and his ninth in the NFL. Before coming to Kansas City, Clark held the same position with the Seattle Seahawks for six seasons (2004-09). Prior to joining the NFL ranks, he enjoyed a 14-year stint (1990-03) leading strength and conditioning efforts for Texas A&M. He also coached collegiately at Southern California (1988-89), Oregon (1983-87), Kansas (1982) and Wyoming (1981).

Gary Gibbs (Linebackers) – A 29-year coaching veteran, Gibbs enters his fourth season in Kansas City. Prior to joining the Chiefs, Gibbs served a three-year stint (2006-08) as the defensive coordinator with the New Orleans Saints. He entered the NFL ranks as linebackers coach with Dallas (2002-05). Gibbs broke into the coaching profession at his alma mater, the University of Oklahoma, as a graduate assistant in 1975 and was eventually promoted to linebackers coach (1978-80), defensive coordinator (’81-88) and head coach (1989-94). He also served as defensive coordinator at Georgia (2000) and LSU (2001).

Bernie Parmalee (Tight Ends) – Parmalee begins his third season in Kansas City and his sixth in the NFL. Before joining the Chiefs, he spent five seasons (2005-09) as an assistant at Notre Dame. Prior to that, he had a three-year stint (2002-04) with the Miami Dolphins in a variety of roles. Parmalee enjoyed a nine-year (1992-2000) NFL playing career with the Dolphins and the New York Jets.

Anthony Pleasant (Defensive Line) – Pleasant enters his third season coaching the Chiefs defensive line. He owns 14 years of playing experience as a defensive lineman, seeing duty in 202 regular season games (157 starts) with Cleveland (1990-95), Baltimore (1996), Atlanta (1997), the New York Jets (1998-99), San Francisco (2000) and New England (2001-03).

Brent Salazar (Assistant Strength & Conditioning) – Salazar begins his sixth season in Kansas City as the assistant strength and conditioning coach. Prior to joining the Chiefs, he spent one year (2006) as the assistant director of athletic performance at the University of the Pacific.

Nick Sirianni (Wide Receivers) – Sirianni was promoted to wide receivers coach after spending three years as the club’s offensive quality control coach. Prior to joining the Chiefs, Sirianni spent three years as the wide receivers coach at Indiana University – Pennsylvania (2006-08). Before his stint with the Crimson Hawks, he was the defensive backs coach at Mount Union and helped the Purple Raiders win the 2005 NCAA Division III National Championship.

Otis Smith (Defensive Quality Control) – Smith begins his third season as Kansas City’s defensive quality control coach after spending part of the 2009 season assisting the Chiefs defensive backs. Smith joined the Chiefs after serving as the assistant secondary coach with Philadelphia in 2008. He also served an NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship with Philadelphia (2007) and New England (2006) after 13 seasons as an NFL defensive back with Philadelphia (1990-94), the New York Jets (1995-96, 1997-99), New England (1996, 2000-02) and Detroit (2003).

Emmitt Thomas (Defensive Backs) – Thomas enters his third season as the Chiefs defensive backs coach in 2012. He is in his 32nd season as an NFL assistant coach and begins his 45th overall NFL campaign. Thomas spent 13 seasons playing cornerback for the Chiefs. Prior to joining the Chiefs coaching staff in 2010, he spent eight seasons coaching with the Atlanta Falcons (2002-09), including a stint as interim head coach for three games of the 2007 campaign. Thomas was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a player in 2008.

Adam Zimmer (Defensive Assistant/Assistant Linebackers) – Zimmer begins his third season as Kansas City’s defensive assistant and assistant linebackers coach. Prior to arriving in Kansas City, Zimmer spent four seasons in New Orleans (2006-09) assisting current Chiefs linebackers coach Gary Gibbs, who served as the Saints’ defensive coordinator. Zimmer earned a Super Bowl ring with New Orleans following the Saints’ victory in Super Bowl XLIV.

Jim Zorn (Quarterbacks) – Zorn enters his second season in Kansas City as the club’s quarterbacks coach in 2012. Before joining the Chiefs, Zorn spent the 2010 campaign as the Baltimore Ravens quarterbacks coach and he served as the head coach of the Washington Redskins (2008-09). He is entering his 16th season as an NFL coach and he spent 11 seasons as an NFL quarterback with Seattle (1976-84), Green Bay (1985) and Tampa Bay (1987).

— Chiefs Media Relations —

Royals exercise contract option on Yost for 2013

Posted on

The Kansas City Royals announced Tuesday that the club has exercised the 2013 option year with manager Ned Yost.  Consistent with club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Yost was named the 16th full-time manager in Royals history on May 13, 2010.  He then signed a two-year extension through 2012 with an option for 2013 on July 31, 2010.

The Royals have accumulated a 126-163 (.436) record since he took over the club.  He is 583-665 (.467) in an eight-year managerial career with Milwaukee (2003-08) and the Royals.

— Royals Media Relations —

Copyright Eagle Radio | FCC Public Files | EEO Public File