Royals Make Roster Moves Following Losses To Blue Jays

After winning four games in a row to pull four games under .500, the Royals have entered a bit of a tailspin, losing five of their last six. Their past two losses to the Toronto Blue Jays have forced the team to make several roster changes as Kansas City looks to get back in contention before the All Star game.

To address both injuries and a lack of production in their pitching staff, the Royals have recalled pitchers Nate Adcock and Louis Coleman from Triple-A Omaha. Adcock is 0-3 with a 3.12 ERA in nine games, including two starts with the Royals this season, while Coleman has a 4.91 ERA in 17 appearances out of the bullpen. After a disastrous last outing, pitcher Vin Mazzaro will be heading back to Triple-A. After being handed a 3-0 lead, Mazzaro gave up six runs and 13 hits in only 5 1/3 innings in Kansas City’s 6-3 loss to Toronto. Mazzaro has gone 3-3 for the Royals this season with a 5.70 ERA. The Royals also designated Mitch Maier for assignment. Maier has hit .172 with two homers and seven RBI in 32 games this year.

The Royals only have four games remaining before the 2012 All Star game festivities hit Kansas City, and it will need to get pick up some wins to stay in contention in the AL Central. Tonight, the Royals will try to salvage a four game split with the Blue Jays, playing at 6:07 p.m. Luke Hochevar (5-8) will start for Kansas City, while the red hot Henderson Alvarez (5-6) will start for Toronto. After wrapping up its series with the Blue Jays, the Royals will travel to Detroit for a three game series before the All Star break.

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.

Mike Moustakas Leads Royals To Rout Over Blue Jays

Mike Moustakas had a huge game, leading the Royals to an 11-3 rout over the Blue Jays. The win improved Kansas City’s record to 36-42 on the year, and the team is only 5.5 games out of first in the latest AL Central standings.

Entering the game, Moustakas was in the middle of his worst slump of the season, hitless in his last 14 at bats. After striking out in his first plate appearance, Moustakas belted a double to score Yuniesky Betancourt in the third. This must have been what got the monkey off Moustakas’ back, as he blasted a grand slam in the seventh to turn the contest into a route. Despite the prior slump, Moustakas is having a very strong season for the Royals, and the offensive barrage in yesterday’s game was just a glimpse of the young first baseman’s power.

While Moustakas grabbed the headlines with his grand slam, several other Royals had strong games as well. Salvador Perez hit a two run homer, and Betancourt and Alex Gordon also drove in runs. As a team, the Royals tallied 14 hits last night, a season high. Also, Kansas City got a good pitching performance from Everett Teaford, who threw seven strong innings against one of the best offenses in the major leagues to earn his first win of the season. Given the Royals' injury woes at pitcher, we will likely see Teaford get a shot to join the rotation on a permanent basis for the rest of the season.

The Royals will try to keep their hot bats going tonight against Toronto, as the Jays’ Brett Cecil (1-1, 6.06 ERA) has struggled this season. Vin Mazzaro (3-2) will start for Kansas City. The game will start at 6:07 p.m.

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.

Fireworks Display Overland Park Leawood by Kansas City News

The skies will be POPPIN' on Wednesday night, as the 4th of July fireworks in Overland Park, Leawood and Kansas City explode into the night at various different fireworks displays in Kansas City, Overland Park, Leawood and there will even be some great 4th of July events at The Kansas City Zoo during the day.

Visit 2013 Fireworks Displays

We will start with the daytime activities for the 4th of July in Kansas City:

Red, White and ZOO!
You can kick off your 4th of July celebration early at The Kansas City Zoo. On July 4, admission is free for all active and retired military personnel with a valid ID. Families of active and retired military personnel will receive $1 off the regular Zoo admission fee. Come visit Nikita the polar bear as he backflips in his cold water pool, or see our African plains exhibit from a new angle when you take our Sky Safari! With more than 1000 animals and 200 acres of land, the Zoo offers ample opportunities to create unforgettable holiday memories. The Kansas City Zoo will be open regular business hours on the 4th of July so bring the kids and come on out!

The City of Overland Park Fireworks Display - Star Spangled Spectacular
Overland Park will kick the 4th of July festivities off with their fabulous fireworks display at 9:30pm. The day begins at 4pm at Corporate Woods in Overland Park, Kansas with food, beverages, beer and activities for the kids. After that they will have a US Citizen's Naturalization Ceremony.  We're not sure what the purpose of that will be, but we're going to have to assume that it has to do with the increasing number of immigrants in the Olathe area in Johnson County. This ceremony seems a little "forced" if you ask us. But then again, all you have to do is visit your nearest Johnson County DMV and you will understand what the reasoning behind this "ceremony" might be - mostly because you will have to PUSH 1 FOR ENGLISH on the computer screen when you sign in.  It is appalling that the City of Overland Park would force everyone who came out to see the fireworks display to witness this Naturalization Ceremony, especially on our Nation's birthday. Congressman Kevin Yoder (R) will also make an appearance and do the official welcome.

The City of Leawood Fireworks Display and 4th of July Activities
The City of Leawood and their marvelous fireworks display will immediately follow the Overland Park fireworks display at 9:45pm. There will be plenty for all to do at the 2012 Leawood Fireworks Display as the gates will open at 5pm and will feature activities and food vendors for the kids and parents alike. At 7:30pm they will feature live music by Kansas City band The Shanks, produced by Adam Blue Productions. Please be aware that the Leawood City Park will be closed to all traffic for the entire day of the 4th of July, and that there will be a shuttle that will transport folks to the festivities from parking lots along Tomahawk Creek Parkway.

Go to 2022 Corporate Woods Star Spangled Spectacular Info

4th of July fireworks displays in Leawood, Overland Park, by 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.

Billy Butler Named To 2012 MLB All Star Roster

Billy Butler won’t have to travel very far to attend his first MLB All Star game. The Royals DH was named to the American League squad for the 2012 MLB All Star game held in Kansas City.

Butler has been the Royals’ best offensive weapon this season, and is a big reason why KC is 35-42 and only a couple of games out of first place. Butler currently has a .297 average with 16 HR and 48 RBI for the season, and he has consistently provided the Royals with clutch hitting late in games. Butler is the only Royals player to make the team, despite strong seasons from players such as Jonathan Broxton, Mike Moustakas and Alcides Escobar.

Broxton still has an opportunity to play for the AL Central, although his fate is in the hands of the fans. Broxton is one of this year’s Final Vote candidates for the AL, joined by Yu Darvish, Jason Hammel, Jake Peavy and Ernesto Frieri.

Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton received 11,073,744 votes, easily breaking the previous record of votes for a player that was held by Jose Bautista. Giants catcher Buster Posey received the most NL votes with 7,621,370.

Butler’s AL teammates also include C Mike Napoli, 1B Prince Fielder, 2B Robinson Cano, 3B Adrian Beltre, S Derek Jeter and DH David Ortiz as the starters. Apart from Ortiz, Adam Dunn of the White Sox is the other AL Designated Hitter on the All Star roster.

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.

Jon Hamm Confirms Appearance In 2012 MLB All Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game

Jon Hamm has confirmed that he will be appearing in the 2012 MLB All Star Legends and Celebrity Softball game. The "Mad Men" star will be joined by other hollywood celebrities such as David Cook and Haley Reinhart from "American Idol."

The 2012 MLB All Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game’s lineup has also been announced, and Royals’ fans will have an opportunity to see many past Kansas City greats take the field. Former players such as George Brett, Bo Jackson and Mike Sweeney will be among the many stars that will be on hand for the game. The game will take place on July 8th, and will be televised on July 9th following the Home Run Derby.

This year’s game is also scheduled to include Ernie Banks, George Brett, Joe Carter, Andre Dawson, Rollie Fingers, Rickey Henderson, Bo Jackson, Mike Piazza, Ozzie Smith, Mike Sweeney and Dave Winfield. For the first time, the game will feature six innings.

Tickets for Taco Bell All-Star Sunday can be purchased via 1-888-FanFest, online at www.allstargame.com, the websites of all 30 MLB Clubs, and at the Kauffman Stadium box office.

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.