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Royals and Fox Sports KC annouce schedule and broadcast team

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The Kansas City Royals and FOX Sports Kansas City Friday announced a 142-game television schedule for the 2012 season, featuring two exhibition games and 140 regular season games.

The Royals and FOX Sports Kansas City are entering the fifth season of a long-term agreement in which FOX Sports Kansas City is the exclusive television home of Royals baseball.  The 140-game regular season television schedule features 66 road games and 74 from Kauffman Stadium.  Every game on FOX Sports Kansas City will be preceded by a 30-minute pre-game show, “Hy-Vee Royals Live,” and followed by the “Boulevard Royals Live” post-game show.  All 140 regular season telecasts will be presented in High Definition.

In the booth, Ryan Lefebvre returns for his fifth season as the play-by-play voice of the Royals on FOX Sports Kansas City and he will be joined in 2012 by former major leaguer Rex Hudler as the analyst.  Also joining the Royals’ broadcast booth this year is play-by-play announcer and Kansas State University alum, Steve Physioc.  Both Physioc and Hudler worked together in the television booth of the Angels for 11 seasons.  Lefebvre and Physioc have each agreed to multi-year contracts, with Ryan slated for 90 regular season telecasts while Steve provides the call on 50 games.

“During the winter months, Ryan relayed to us a desire to expand his responsibilities and have a larger presence in the radio booth, thus bringing in a strong veteran announcer like Steve Physioc enabled us to give Ryan that flexibility,” said Mike Swanson, Royals Vice President of Communications and Broadcasting.  “The addition of Steve brings a familiar voice back home to the Midwest and affords us the luxury of having both he and Ryan on radio and television throughout the season.  As for the addition of Rex, he was a ‘run through a wall’ type of player and brings that same high-energy style to the broadcast booth.  His enthusiasm for the game of baseball is infectious and it translates very well on the air.”

“This is a great day for our broadcast team,” said Lefebvre.  “For me professionally, I get to work with two of the most enthusiastic and respected men in our business, and personally, I’m grateful the Royals have allowed me to return to the Royals radio booth in a larger role.”

FOX Sports Kansas City’s coverage of Royals baseball kicks off with a Spring Training telecast from Surprise, Ariz., on Friday, March 30, when the Royals host the Chicago White Sox at 8:05 p.m. (CDT).  A second exhibition game will be broadcast on Tuesday, April 3, when Kansas City visits the San Diego Padres at PETCO Park in a 9:05 p.m. (CDT) start.

FSKC will air Kansas City’s Opening Day contest on April 6 at the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

— Royals Media Relations —

Kansas City signs 12 players to one-year contracts for 2012

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The Kansas City Royals have announced that the club has agreed to terms on 2012 Major League contracts with right-handed pitchers Nate Adcock, Kelvin Herrera, Jeremy Jeffress, Sean O’Sullivan and Blake Wood; left-handed pitchers Everett Teaford and Ryan Verdugo; catcher Manuel Pina; first baseman Clint Robinson; and outfielders Jarrod Dyson, David Lough and Derrick Robinson.  Consistent with club policy, terms of the contracts were not disclosed.

The Royals now have 12 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 pitchers Tim Collins and 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 —

Cardinals sign RHP Scott Linebrink to minor league contract

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The St. Louis Cardinals announced Friday that they have agreed to terms with veteran pitcher Scott Linebrink on a minor league contract for the upcoming 2012 season.  The deal includes a non-roster invite to the Cardinals Major League Spring Training camp.

Linebrink, 35, appeared in 64 games for the Atlanta Braves last season, seeing his most work since the 2007 season.  The 6-3, 220-pound right-hander finished the 2011 season with a 4-4 won-loss mark and a 3.64 ERA, striking out 42 batters in his 54.1 innings pitched.

Linebrink had an excellent two-month stretch in June and July, going a combined 3-1 with a 1.61 ERA (22.1 IP/4 ER) during that time period before a lower back strain forced him to the disabled list from August 1-14.  He posted solid season totals when pitching with runners on base, limiting the opposition to a .235 BA, including a .182 mark with runners in scoring position and two outs.   He stranded 23 of 33 inherited runners, the 2nd best mark amongst Braves relievers in 2011.

Linebrink is a veteran of 10-plus seasons in the majors, debuting with the San Francisco Giants in 2000.  His career has also included stints with Houston (2000-03), San Diego (2003-07), Milwaukee (2007), Chicago White Sox (2008-10) and Atlanta (2011).  He brings a lifetime mark of 42-31, 3.51 ERA and 8 saves in 607 games into the 2012 campaign.

The Austin, Texas native currently stands fourth in career ERA (3.51) among active Major League pitchers who have made 600 or more career appearances, trailing only Mariano Rivera (2.21), Francisco Cordero (3.17) and Brian Fuentes (3.44).

— Cardinals Media Relations —

Royals sign Alex Gordon to one-year contract

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The Kansas City Royals and outfielder Alex Gordon avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract worth $4,775,000.

Gordon could earn a $25,000 bonus for getting 700 plate appearances, 12 more than his career high set last year.  An arbitration hearing was scheduled for next week. Gordon filed a request for $5.45 million, while the team countered with $4.15 million. He made $1.5 million last season.

Gordon is coming off a breakout season in which he hit .303 with 45 doubles, 23 homers and 87 RBIs. The only other players with at least a .300 average, 45 doubles and 20 homers were Miguel Cabrera, Jacoby Ellsbury, Adrian Gonzalez and Robinson Cano.

Kansas City general manager Dayton Moore has been working a long-term deal with Gordon, who has spent his entire career in the Royals organization. Those negotiations are expected to resume now that the outfielder is under contract.

— Associated Press —

Super Bowl Most Watched TV Broadcast Again

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NEW YORK (AP) — For the third consecutive year, the Super Bowl set a record as the most-watched television show in U.S. history.

The Nielsen Co. said Monday that an estimated 111.3 million people watched the New York Giants beat the New England Patriots on Sunday night.

Even more people watched the halftime show.

That narrowly beat the 111 million who watched last year’s Super Bowl.

NBC was blessed by a competitive game between two teams that played in one of the Super Bowl’s most memorable contests four years ago, with one of them representing the largest media market in the country.

The game wasn’t over until Tom Brady’s last-second heave into the end zone dropped onto the turf. That play itself had the biggest audience of any play in the game, according to the digital video recorder maker Tivo. Nielsen said 117.7 million people were watching during the last half hour of the game.

The last two Super Bowls, along with the 2010 game between New Orleans and Indianapolis and the finale of “M-A-S-H” in 1983, are the only programs to exceed 100 million viewers in U.S. television history.

Madonna has some bragging rights, too. Her halftime show was seen by an estimated 114 million people — a higher average than the game itself — and was the most-watched Super Bowl halftime entertainment show on record, Nielsen said.

“I was rooting for Madonna as much as I was for the Giants,” said Tara Maitra, senior vice president of Tivo, which also monitored viewership trends during the game.

The good news continued after the game for NBC, when the heavily-promoted season premiere of “The Voice” kept 37.6 million people in front of the television.

Its fans were disappointed, but Boston had its highest rating ever for an NFL game on Sunday. It was the second highest-rating ever in the New York market, behind only the Giants’ first Super Bowl in 1986, Nielsen said.

Chiefs officially hire Daboll as offensive coordinator

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The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Monday that the team has hired Brian Daboll to serve as the club’s offensive coordinator.

“Brian is a fine football coach and offensive mind,” said Head Coach Romeo Crennel. “I worked with him when he was a young coach in New England and I am proud of the way his career has developed. We had a very thorough process for this position and it was clear to me that Brian was the right choice. He was coveted by multiple teams and I am glad he will be joining our staff.”

Daboll joins the Chiefs after one season (2011) in Miami where he held the same position for the Dolphins. In 2011, the Dolphins offense had both a 1,000-yard rusher and a 1,000-yard receiver for the first time in franchise history. RB Reggie Bush picked up 1,086 yards on 216 carries and had five 100-yard rushing performances. WR Brandon Marshall caught a team-high 81 passes for 1,214 yards and recorded five 100-yard receiving days en route to a Pro Bowl appearance on the AFC squad. QB Matt Moore finished fifth in the AFC and 12th in the NFL with an 87.1 passer rating. Under Daboll, the Miami offense committed only 39 penalties in 2011, tying for the third best mark in the NFL.

“This is a great opportunity,” Daboll said. “After meeting with Romeo, it was clear to me Kansas City was a good fit. I have a lot of respect for Romeo and a strong appreciation for the Kansas City Chiefs franchise. Romeo and I have similar ideas on the direction of the program and we have a good core group of players to get started with. I’m ready to get in as soon as possible and start working to be a part of something special.”

Prior to joining the Miami coaching staff, Daboll spent two seasons (2009-10) as offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns. The Browns offense saw dramatic improvement in the second half of the season in Daboll’s first year in Cleveland. The Browns saw increased production in points scored (11.1 points per game), total yards (78.2 yards per game), rushing yards (67.1 yards per game), Red Zone efficiency (20.8%), third-down efficiency (14.7%), turnovers (1.9 fewer per game) and time of possession (3:21 more per game) over the final eight games.

Before joining Cleveland, Daboll spent two seasons (2007-08) as quarterbacks coach with the N.Y. Jets. While with the Jets, he helped QB Brett Favre pick up the Jets offense after the quarterback came out of retirement. In his one season under Daboll, Favre garnered a Pro Bowl berth for the AFC squad and ranked fifth in the NFL in completion percentage (65.7).

Daboll spent seven seasons (2000-06) as an assistant coach with the New England Patriots, first as a defensive assistant (2000-01) before taking over as wide receivers coach (2002-06). With the Patriots, Daboll earned three Super Bowl rings working alongside Chiefs Head Coach Romeo Crennel and General Manager Scott Pioli. During his tenure in New England, he helped WR Deion Branch earn Super Bowl XXXIX MVP honors in the Patriots’ win against Philadelphia following the 2004 season. Branch became the first wide receiver to win that honor since San Francisco’s Jerry Rice in Super Bowl XXIII after the 1988 season.

A native of Buffalo, N.Y., Daboll began his coaching career as a restricted volunteer at the College of William & Mary (1997) before serving two seasons (1998-99) as a graduate assistant at Michigan State University. Daboll was a two-year starter at safety at the University of Rochester.

— Chiefs Media Relations —

Report: Chiefs To Hire Daboll As OC; Roaf To Hall Of Fame

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The Chiefs had two things to celebrate on Super Sunday, the announcement from the Hall of Fame Selection Committee, and the possible hiring of a new offensive coordinator.

The selection committee on Saturday announced that offensive tackle Willie Roaf will be enshrined as part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2012.

A ceremony is scheduled Aug. 4 in Canton, Ohio.

Roaf played four seasons in Kansas City (2002-2005).

During that time he blocked for three different thousand-yard rushers, and earned four berths to the pro bowl. He also earned seven Pro Bowl nods with the Saints.

Roaf is among six winners announced Saturday. The others are Curtis Martin, Chris Doleman, Cortez Kennedy, Dermontti Dawson, and Jack Butler. Jerome Bettis, Cris Carter and Bill Parcells were among the finalists who didn’t make it.

Meanwhile, ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting the Chiefs have hired Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator. Daboll emerged as an early candidate. He continues the New England Way in Kansas City. He was in New England with Kansas City general manger Scott Pioli and Kansas City coach Romeo Crennel during the last decade.

He was the Browns’ offensive coordinator from 2009-2010 and he was Miami’s offensive coordinator in 2011. Those offenses struggled. However, Miami’s offense made strides in the second half of last season and running back Reggie Bush had his best NFL season under Daboll’s guidance.

Royals invite LHP Brandon Sisk to spring training

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The Kansas City Royals announced Thursday that the club has invited left-handed pitcher Brandon Sisk to Major League Spring Training in Surprise, Ariz.  Sisk becomes the 17th non-roster player to receive an invitation.  The Royals have now invited eight pitchers, three catchers, three infielders and three outfielders.

Sisk, 26, opened 2011 at Double-A Northwest Arkansas, making 16 relief appearances.  The Elkhart, Texas, resident was then promoted to Omaha (AAA) where he went 4-2 with two saves and a 1.41 ERA in 25 outings, all in relief.  Signed from the Independent Bay Area Toros on July 8, 2008, Sisk was also a part of Major League camp in 2011.

Pitchers and catchers will report to Surprise 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 Offensive Coordinator Bill Muir Retires After 34 Years In NFL

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After 34 seasons in the NFL, Kansas City Chiefs Offensive Coordinator Bill Muir informed the club Wednesday that he will retire from coaching.

“I am excited for Bill as he moves into retirement,” Head Coach Romeo Crennel said. “I have known him for a long time and he is one of the finest coaches I’ve ever been around and an even better person. Bill is a very good friend and I have a great deal of respect for the way he worked. It was a privilege to work alongside him.”


Muir came to Kansas City as the club’s offensive line coach in 2009 and was elevated to the offensive coordinator position in 2011. 

Prior to joining the Chiefs, Muir served as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach for seven seasons with Tampa Bay (2002-08) and was part of a Buccaneers club that posted a 48-21 victory in Super Bowl XXXVII vs. Oakland.

While he was with Tampa Bay, the club won three division championships as the team posted a 3-2 postseason record during that time.

“It has been an honor to be a part of this great league for so long,” Muir said. “Over the years I’ve made a lot of great friends and worked with many talented players and coaches. This was a personal decision for me, the timing was right. The Chiefs are in great hands with Romeo and Scott and I wish them nothing but the best.”

Muir spent seven campaigns with the Jets (’95-01) as the club’s offensive line coach. Prior to joining the Jets, Muir spent three seasons as the offensive line coach with Philadelphia (’92-94). In three seasons with Indianapolis (’89-91), he served as assistant head coach/offensive line coach (’91) and defensive coordinator (’89-90). Before that, he tutored the offensive line with Detroit (’85-88) and New England (’82-84). He originally entered the NFL ranks in the personnel department with Tampa Bay (’78-81) where he served as a pro scout (’79-81) and a scout (’78). Muir served as the offensive line coach with Houston/Shreveport (’74-75) of the World Football League and with Orlando (’68-69) of the Continental League.

Muir also has nine years of collegiate coaching experience. He was an assistant coach at SMU (’76-77), Idaho State (’72-73), Rhode Island (’70-71), Delaware Valley (’66-67) and Susquehanna (’65). He was a standout tackle at Susquehanna and was inducted into that school’s Hall of Fame in ’90 after being named one of the school’s “Top 100” players of all-time.

T-bones Hire Frank White

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The Kansas City T-Bones have hired Royals Hall of Famer and five-time All Star Frank White to their coaching staff.

The move comes less than two months after the Royals dropped him from their game broadcasts.

The club said Thursday that White will join manager Tim Doherty’s staff.

He’s expected to work in a variety of roles from the bench and as first base coach.

He will also work alongside Vice President and General Manager, Chris Browne, who first met White during his years as the Royals bat boy and clubhouse attendant.

White enjoyed an 18-year playing career with the Kansas City Royals from 1973-90. He appeared in five all-star games in that span and was an eight-time Gold Glove award winner, including six straight from 1977-82.

White was selected as ALCS MVP in 1980 and was an integral part of the Royals’ 1985 World Series Championship team. He was elected to the Royals Hall of Fame in 1995 and his National Baseball Hall of Fame status is eligible for review next year.

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