Luis Mendoza Wins Final Spot In Royals’ Starting Rotation

After a tough battle with Bruce Chen, Luis Mendoza has been named the fifth starter in the Kansas City Royals’ starting rotation. Chen will be moved to the bullpen.

Mendoza had an impressive spring for Kansas City, allowing only one run in 11 innings pitched. Chen struggled in spring ball, giving up 13 runs and 16 hits in 13 and 2/3 innings. Mendoza also had an impressive showing in the World Baseball Classic for his native Mexico. As a result, Mendoza will be joining James Shields, Ervin Santana, Jeremy Guthrie and Wade Davis in the Royals’ starting rotation.

Chen could be a valuable asset to what is already a strong bullpen, and the veteran provides Kansas City with some nice insurance should one of the starters get hurt or struggle. Chen has won 35 games over the past three seasons and has been very reliable for the organization.

The Royals will have to make several other roster decisions in the near future. The team must decide between Brett Hayes and George Kottaras in the battle for the backup catcher position, and between Miguel Tejada and Irving Falu for the utility infielder spot. Kansas City will also have to settle on its bullpen, where pitchers such as J.C. Gutierrez, Francisley Bueno, Louis Coleman, Dan Wheeler and Donnie Joseph are all competing.

KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Royals Win Club Record 22nd Spring Game, Make More Roster Moves

Following an impressive 8-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Kansas City Royals made several more roster moves last night. The team optioned outfielder David Lough to Class AAA Omaha and released infielder Xavier Nady and relief pitcher George Sherrill.

The release of Lough comes as a surprise, as the 27-year-old has put together an impressive spring. Lough is 20 for 44 in 24 spring games, and many felt he could be a replacement for the struggling Jeff Francoeur. The team currently plans on having four outfielders on its major league roster: Francoeur, Alex Gordon, Lorenzo Cain and Jarrod Dyson.

Many Kansas City fans have voiced their displeasure with Francoeur, who struggled from the plate last season and has had a poor spring. If the veteran gets off to another slow start this season, Lough could be brought up to replace him. Lough also provides some nice insurance should one of the team’s other infielders suffer an injury.

The decision to release Nady and Sherrill rather than assigning them to the minor leagues makes both veterans free agents, however Kansas City is expected to attempt to re-sign the pair. Sherill is recovering from Tommy John surgery and has yet to pitch this spring. The Royals are hopeful that he could return to game action sometime in May. Nady has battled a foot injury this spring, and saw limited action in 13 games.

The win over the Dodgers gave the Royals a club-record 22nd spring win. Kansas City has been impressive all of spring training, compiling a 22-6-1 record fueled by strong hitting from several young players and impressive pitching from its off-season acquisitions. The team will face the Seattle Mariners at 3:05 p.m. today. Bruce Chen will get the start for Kansas City – his last chance to impress the coaching staff in his battle for the fifth starter spot with Luis Mendoza. Mendoza will be starting for Kansas City on Wednesday.

KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Royals Spring Training Updates – Hochevar Moved To Bullpen

Despite being a former top overall draft pick, Luke Hochevar has struggled with consistency as a starter his entire career in Kansas City. Now it appears that the right-hander’s days as a starter with the Royals are over, as Kansas City announced that Hochevar will be moved to the bullpen.

Hochevar had been competing with Bruce Chen and Luis Mendoza for the final spot in the starting rotation along with James Shields, Jeremy Guthrie, Ervin Santana and Wade Davis. Now the battle is between Chen and Mendoza. Chen has been steady for the Royals, and has the most wins of any pitcher with the organization over the past three years. Despite Chen’s consistency, Mendoza has to be the favorite. After a rocky start to last season, Mendoza has pitched very well and could be due for a big season.

Hochevar has baffled Kansas City fans with his inconsistency – at times he looks like a dominant starter, other times he looks like he doesn’t belong in the major leagues. Unfortunately, the bad has outweighed the good in his career, and the former top pick has a 5.39 ERA and a 38-59 record in 132 career starts.

While Mendoza and Chen are the front-runners to win the fifth starter’s spot, Will Smith has emerged as a dark horse candidate. Smith has a 1.29 ERA so far this spring and could be a potential starter down the road for Kansas City.

The emergence of Smith may lead to Kansas City considering trading Hochevar, as Kansas City already has a loaded bullpen. Greg Holland’s job as the closer and Kelvin Herrera’s position as his setup man are locks, and the Royals also have Aaron Crow, Tim Collins, Nate Adcock and Louis Coleman as relief pitchers. The loser of the Chen and Mendoza battle could also be used in relief, and it appears there isn’t much room for Hochevar. Don’t be surprised if the Royals try to shop Hochevar over the next couple of weeks.

luke hochevar trade moved to bullpen - KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Royals Undefeated In Preseason

The Royals’ preseason has gotten off to a great start, as the team is the only club in baseball to still be undefeated in exhibition play. Kansas City’s offense has been hot all spring, and that continued yesterday in an 8-2 win over the Oakland Athletics.

Royals fans have to be encouraged from how well the team has hit so far in spring ball. Third baseman Mike Moustakas currently has a .545 batting average, while first baseman Eric Hosmer is hitting .391. Kansas City needs both Moustakas and Hosmer to take the next step this season if the team is going to compete for the postseason, and both are producing so far. Alex Gordon may also be in-line for another good season, as he has hit .471 through exhibition play.

A battle for the fifth starter spot is still taking place between Luke Hochevar and Bruce Chen, and it appears that the Royals are now considering trading the pitcher that doesn’t make the starting rotation (as long as the team’s other starters remain healthy). Both Chen and Hochevar will earn $4.5 million this season, and with the Royals’ payroll at a franchise-record $79 million at the moment, it would make sense to trade whichever pitcher will not be starting.

Several scouts were in attendance for the team’s victory over the A’s to watch both Chen and Hochevar pitch. Chen allowed one run on two hits with zero walks, while Hochevar pitched three scoreless innings with three hits and one walk. Chen has led the team in victories over the past three years, but many feel that Hochevar is the current favorite to win the rotation spot.

Kansas City’s undefeated record in spring ball will be put to the test this afternoon, when the team plays the Arizona Diamondbacks. The game will begin at 1:10 p.m.

KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Royals Spring Training Begins, Competition At Pitcher Heats Up

Royals spring training is officially underway! The team has made several key offseason moves in hopes for contending for the playoffs, and several position battles are taking place that could have a big impact on the upcoming season.

Currently, all eyes are on the pitching rotation, as a battle for the fifth starter’s spot has developed. It appears that Luke Hochevar is an early favorite to land the position, but he will have stiff competition from Bruce Chen and Luis Mendoza. Hochevar has the most upside of the group, and manager Ned Yost is still high on the former top overall pick. However, Chen and Mendoza both had solid seasons in 2012, and while Hochevar occasionally flashes brilliance, he had an ERA north of five last year.

Kansas City has high hopes for its rotation, as the additions of James Shields, Wade Davis and Ervin Santana should provide a much-needed improvement. Royals starting pitchers went 47-69 last season with a 5.01 ERA – good for 26th in the majors. The three new additions will be paired with Jeremy Guthrie, who pitched incredibly well for Kansas City at the end of last season.

If Hochevar wins the fifth starter spot, Chen and Mendoza could be added to the bullpen, which already has several talented pitchers. Mendoza was recently named the MVP of the Caribbean Series while he pitched for Mexico, and Chen has been steady for the entirety of his career in Kansas City. If the Royals ever needed a spot-starter, or if a starter suffered an injury, Mendoza and Chen would both be worthy candidates.

Danny Duffy and Felipe Paulino are both recovering from elbow injuries, but the pair could be back sometime around the All-Star break. Duffy and Paulino were starters before getting hurt, and both have pitched well in that role for the Royals.

KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Walks Once Again Doom Royals In Loss To Angels

The Royals’ pitching staff has struggled all season long, particularly with allowing walks. The team leads the American League with 344 walks this season, and two key walks ended up being difference makers in the team’s 6-3 loss to the LA Angels last night.

Midway through the game, Kansas City was locked in a tight 2-2 draw, thanks to RBIs early in the game from Alex Gordon and Lorenzo Cain. However, once the sixth inning hit, the Royals’ shaky pitching once again reared its ugly head. Howie Kendrick drew a leadoff walk, and then scored on a single by Maicer Izturis. After the Royals tied the game again when Bryan Pena drove in Eric Hosmer, Kansas City’s Greg Holland sunk the team’s chances with an awful walk in the eighth. The Royals had already gotten two outs in the inning, and Holland faced Peter Bourjos, who entered the at-bat with a measly .223 batting average. Holland walked Bourjos on four straight pitches, and then gave up a three-run single to Kendrys Morales that essentially was the ball game.

The Royals have been walking batters an alarming rate this season, and once it again it came back to haunt them in a crucial situation. Holland’s mistake wasted a decent outing from Chen, who gave up three runs and give hits in 5 1/3 innings. Chen is now 0-2 with a 9.25 ERA in his last five starts, after a hot streak in which he went 7-2 over his previous 10 outings.

Kansas City will face the Angels in LA again tonight at 9:05 p.m. Will Smith (1-3) will start for the Royals, while Garrett Richards (3-1) will take the mound for the Angels.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Royals Swept By Cardinals

Just when the Royals had crawled back into contention and found themselves only a few games out of first place, disaster struck. Kansas City’s starting pitching was dreadful all weekend, and the Royals were swept by the St. Louis Cardinals.

The sweep highlights why Kansas City will once again have a sub .500 season – the Royals simply do not have capable starting pitching. Against St. Louis, the Royals gave up 41 hits and 30 runs over three games. The poor pitching performances wasted a great offensive output from the Royals on Sunday, when Mike Moustakas hit two home runs and both Jeff Francoeur and Billy Butler went yard as well.

Injuries have completely decimated the rotation, forcing the team to start players that really have no business pitching in the major leagues. At the moment, Bruce Chen is the team’s best pitcher who is not on the disabled list, and he is sporting a 4.81 ERA for the season. Chen is who he is, a decent option for a fourth of fifth starter, but he shouldn’t be the Royals best option at this point. Luke Hochevar has made it official that he is never coming close to living up to his first overall draft status as well, meaning that Kansas City is going to have to score a lot of runs night in and night out to have a shot. That is simply too much pressure on the offense, and it appears that it will likely be downhill from here for the rest of the season.

The Royals will try to get back on track tonight, when they start a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays. Hochevar (4-7) will start for the Royals, while Alex Cobb (3-3) will take the mound for the Rays. Game one is tonight at 7:10 p.m. at Kauffman Stadium.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Bruce Chen Continues To Pitch Well As Royals Blank Twins

Bruce Chen gave up only four hits and kept Minnesota off the scoreboard, allowing a lone run scored in the second inning to be good enough for the Royals to earn a 1-0 victory over the Twins. The win moved Kansas City’s record to 24-30 on the season, and the team is currently only 6.5 games out of first place.

The big story from last night is Chen, who has rebounded from an awful start to the season to win for the fifth time in his last six starts. With injuries depleting the Royals’ pitching staff, it was imperative that Chen step up and pitch like an All-Star if the Royals were going to have any shot at respectability this season. The veteran has done that and more, and Chen will be a big factor in how far the Royals go this season.

Kansas City’s lone run came off a Bryan Pena RBI single, as Chen’s performance wasted a fantastic effort by Minnesota’s Francisco Liriano. The Royals also got a nice boost from its bullpen, as Greg Holland and Jonathan Broxton both pitched well to preserve the shut out. Broxton now has 14 saves this season.

The Royals will face the Twins again tonight at 7:10 p.m. in Kansas City. Felipe Paulino (3-1), who is in the midst of a phenomenal pitching stretch himself, will take the mound for Kansas City. He will face Minnesota’s Nick Blackburn (1-4), who has really struggled this season and currently holds an 8.37 ERA.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Royals Beat Yankees For Their First Home Win Of The Season

As sad as it is that it came in May, the Royals won their first home game of the season last night, beating the New York Yankees 4-3. The Royals were able to hold on in ninth thanks to a fantastic play at third base by Mike Moustakas, who made a bare-handed grab to throw at Alex Rodriquez to end the game. The win improved the Royals’ record to 8-16 on the season.

Moustakas also contributed at the plate, belting a solo shot in the second inning to give the Royals an early lead, and adding two more RBIs in the fifth. The young third baseman is silently having a very good season for the Royals, hitting for a .318 average this season with 4 home runs and 15 RBIs. He has also played excellent defense at third base, and last night’s game winning throw was just one of several highlight-reel plays he has made at third base this season.

Danny Duffy pitched very well for Kansas City, and improved his record to 2-2 on the season while lowering his ERA to 3.57. The Royals bullpen was solid, save for a shaky outing from closer Jonathan Broxton. Broxton gave up a hit and a walk before a big double play got Kansas City closer to victory.

The big story before the game was New York’s loss of Mariano Rivera, who tore his ACL before the game shagging balls and may be done for his career. Rivera is the greatest closer in MLB history, and his absence surely played a part on the Yankee’s struggles. However, give a lot of credit to Kansas City, the Royals deserved the win and got the winless-at-home monkey off their back.

Kansas City will play New York again tonight at 7:10 p.m. Bruce Chen (0-3) will start for the Royals, while C.C. Sabathia (3-0) will start for the Yankees.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Royals Losing Streak Reaches 10 Games - Kansas City News

After starting the season with a lot of promise, the Royals have hit rock bottom. Kansas City lost its 10th straight game today, falling 5-3 to Toronto. With the loss, Kansas City fell to 3-12 on the season.

Out of all the losses during the losing streak, today's game might have been the best summary as to why Kansas City is off to a terrible start. The offense couldn't generate runs. Danny Duffy threw good pitches, but got rocked in the 5th inning and took his second loss of the season. Kansas City allowed Brett Lawrie to steal home. The Royals went a paltry 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position. The team got two runners on in the bottom of the ninth with only one out, and Bryan Pena hit into a game ending double play. The list goes on and on, but the point remains - this team is playing terrible baseball right now. Kansas City is hosting the 2012 All-Star game, which has allowed Kansas City to receive more regional and national attention than normal. Unfortunately, the team has only made its negative stigma worse this season.

Kansas City will try to salvage a win in the last game of the series tomorrow, which takes place at 7:10 p.m. Bruce Chen (0-1) will get the start for the Royals, while Brandon Morrow (0-1) will start for Toronto. The Royals will start a series with the Indians in Cleveland on Tuesday.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Johnny Giavotella, Bruce Chen Lead Royals To Win Over Tigers

It appears that the Kansas City Royals may have found their second baseman of the future. Johnny Giavotella, who was recently called up from triple A ball, had a monster game today against Detroit, leading the Royals to a 4-3 victory.

Giavotella's start to his big league career has been stunning; since being called up, he has gone 5 for 11 from the plate with a .909 slugging percentage. He has also played very solid defense and has not been intimidated by some of the best pitchers in the American League. Giavotella put up very impressive numbers at Omaha, boasting a .338 batting average, suggesting that his fast start in the big leagues isn't a fluke.

While Giavotella got the Royals' offense going with a homer and a double, Bruce Chen made sure his efforts were not in vain. Chen finally displayed a glimpse of the stuff that made him so effective earlier this season, striking out five over five plus innings while allowing only three runs. Not the most dominating performance, but a significant improvement over his last several outings.

Alex Gordon picked up his 18th outfield assist for the season, breaking the club record shared by Jermaine Dye and Mark Teahen. Kansas City now has 40 outfield assists this season, which leads the major leagues. Jeff Francoeur also picked up an outfield assist in the seventh inning, and has the most assists in MLB since he debuted in 2005.

Royals Fall To Orioles In Hottest Game In Team History

After an impressive series victory over Cleveland, Kansas City fell flat on its face last night. The Royals got hammered at home by the Orioles, 8-2, and fell to 28-30 at home for the season.

Kansas City had no answer for Baltimore's Mark Reynolds, who drove in five runs and outscored the Royals by himself. Kansas City cut the lead to two runs in the eighth inning when Alex Gordon scored on Billy Butler's sacrifice fly, only to watch Reynolds blast a three run homer in the ninth to put the game out of reach.

Bruce Chen picked up the loss for Kansas City, dropping his record to 5-5 on the season. Chen has now lost three of his last four decisions, and appears to have lost the magic he had earlier in the year. Chen has pitched past the fifth inning only once since the All-Star break, and Kansas City may need to sit him or send him down to the minors for a week or two to get it together.

The game time temperature was 107 degrees, which allegedly is a record for a game at Kauffman Stadium. With a record heat wave heating the area, tonight and tomorrow's games will likely be just as hot, and fans at the K are encouraged to stay hydrated and avoid the sun as much as possible.

Royals Can't Keep Up With Red Sox

The Royals enjoyed one of their better offensive games of the season, blasting several homers and notching seven runs by the fourth inning. Only problem was, Boston's offense was even better, and Kansas City fell 13-9.

Early on, it appeared that the Royals were en route to a victory. The team jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, and later took a 7-5 lead in the fourth thanks to home runs by Alex Gordon and Billy Butler. However, Boston had a field day from the plate, and used a monster fifth inning to put the game out of reach.

The game was a polor opposite of Monday night's contest, a pitcher's dual that included a 1-1 tie entering the 14th inning. Kansas City was able to win that game despite scoring only one run in nine innings, yet nine runs weren't even close to good enough last night. Baseball can be a funny game sometimes.

Kansas City will play Boston again tonight at 6:10 PM. Bruce Chen (5-3) will get the start for the Royals. Chen only allowed one run over eight innings in his last start, a no decision against the White Sox.

Royals Take Series Vs. White Sox, Pitching Continues To Impress

After Felipe Paulino and the Royals bullpen shut down the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday, Bruce Chen delivered an even better performance yesterday. Chen only allowed one run in six innings of work, and Kansas City won 4-1. The win gave the Royals a series victory over the White Sox.

Kansas City's offense quickly gave Chen a lead, highlighted by Eric Hosmer's eighth home run of the season. Hosmer now has three multi-hit games in the last four days, and he has given the Royals' offense a major shot in the arm since being called up.

The biggest story of the day, however, was Chen. Time and time again, he was able to escape jams while keeping Chicago's batters off balance all day long. Starting pitching was a major concern a few weeks ago, however Paulino and Chen's recent performances have given Kansas City fans some renewed hope. The team still needs to address its starting rotation if it wants to compete in the future, but the situation doesn't seem nearly as dire as it did earlier in the season.

The Royals begin a new series tonight against the struggling Detroit Tigers. Danny Duffy (1-3) will get the start for Kansas City.

Paulino Leads Royals to Win Over White Sox

Despite failing to pick up a victory, Felipe Paulino has been the best pitcher in Kansas City since the Royals stole him from the Rockies. Paulino finally earned a win last night, once again pitching well in a 5-3 victory over Chicago.

Paulino had a strong game, striking out nine batters over six innings. The win was his first since June 4, 2010, which seems shocking given how well he has pitched in Kansas City. The Royals aquired him for cash considerations after he was designated for assignment by Colorado - a move that is now looking like one of the biggest steals of the season. Paulino has brought consistency to a starting rotation that desperately needed it, and the Royals management deserves credit for finding a diamond in the rough.

Kansas City's bullpen pitched well after Paulino left the game, as Louis Coleman and Joakim Soria both kept the White Sox scoreless over the final three innings. Coleman has been very consistent this season, while Soria seems to be working his way back into all-star form.

Bruce Chen (4-2) will start for Kansas City this afternoon when the Royals face Chicago in a rubber match. The game will start at 1:10 p.m., and Edwin Jackson (5-6) will get the start for the White Sox.

Slumping Royals Drop Second Game to Padres

The Royals' series vs. the San Diego Padres got off to a bad start, as Kansas City dropped game one 4-3. Game two didn't go any better, as the Royals once again couldn't get their offense going, losing 4-2.

Kansas City has a disturbing trend this season of allowing struggling players to have a coming out party, and this game was no different. San Diego pitcher Clayton Richard (4-9), who had been winless in his last 12 starts, absolutely shut down Kansas City's offense. Kansas City got solid pitching once again from Felipe Paulino, who has slowly turned into the best pitcher on the Royals' staff. Paulino (0-2) has yet to record a victory for Kansas City, although that can largely be blamed on a lack of run support.

The lone bright spot for Kansas City offensively was Jeff Francoeur, who continues to make the best case for Kansas City's All-Star representative. Francoeur scored the Royals' first run, and hit a solo homerun in the seventh. He also flashed some defensive skill as well, throwing out Anthony Rizzo in the third inning for an outfield assist.

Kansas City wraps up its series with San Diego today at 2:35. Bruce Chen (4-1) will start for Kansas City, making his second appearance since returning from injury.

Royals Blast Orioles, Take Series

Kansas City's offense caught fire again last night, as the Royals humiliated the Orioles 9-1. The win gave Kansas City the series, and after losing six straight, the Royals have rebounded to win five of its last six.

Bruce Chen had yet another solid start, and has established himself as Kansas City's top starter this season. Chen improved his record to 4-1 for the season, and the lefty has brought some consistency to a rotation that has been up and down all year. Following the win, the Royals announced that top prospect Eric Hosmer will be called up from the minors, while the struggling Kila Ka'aihue will be demoted to Omaha. Hosmer will join an offense that has been one of the best in the majors this season, and his gaudy minor league stats have shown he is ready to take on the big league.

The Royals have gone 14-6 at home this season, and will look to continue its dominance in Kansas City tonight against Oakland. The Royals will face a talented pitcher in Gio Gonzalez, however the A's offense hasn't been anything to write home about this season. I expect Hosmer to give Kansas City a boost, and the Royals should have no trouble at least taking the series from the A's.

Chiefs Shaun Smith Fined by NFL; Royals on Late Season Tear

Chiefs Shaun Smith Fined by NFL; Royals on Late Season Tear

In Sports, there is all kinds of touching between men that is inappropriate on the street. Hugging, ass slapping, and apparently crotch grabbing as our friends in the picture have illustrated (maybe that's only OK in St Louis). Chiefs Defensive Lineman Shaun Smith, or as the media is starting to refer to him, "The Genital Giant", has been fined $10,000 by the NFL for what it termed as "Unnecessary Roughness" for the crotch grab on San Francisco Lineman Anthony Davis. This comes after the second complaint by an opponent after as many games. This time the incident was (sort of) caught on camera. Though you really can't see the actually grab, it is obvious he does something very painful to Davis, who retaliated and was penalized 15 yards in the game. Smith said in an interview that he doesn't recall doing anything like that. You would think a guy would remember grabbing another guy's balls, but OK.

How about your Kansas City Royals. They are in the midst of one of their patented end of the season runs that does nothing but provide false hope for next season. They have won four of their last five (against two of the best teams in the League) and taken the Rays out of first in the American League East. Last night, Bruce Chen, pitched his first complete game shutout in a 12-year Major League Career. Chen took his season record to 12-7, the best on the Royals pitching staff. His ERA is 4.17 - the same as Zach Grienke's. Is Bruce Chen our new ace? God it sucks to be a Royals fan.