Post by MizzouTiger on Jan 19, 2008 14:35:59 GMT -5
kansascity.royals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080115&content_id=2346401&vkey=news_kc&fext=.jsp&c_id=kc
Around the Horn: Middle infielders
Youth and experience will serve Royals up the middle in '08
By thingy Kaegel / MLB.com
The following is the third in a series of weekly stories on MLB.com examining each Major League club, position by position. Each Wednesday until Spring Training camps open, we'll preview a different position. Today: Middle infielders.
KANSAS CITY -- Tony Pena Jr. was fresh out of the box and Mark Grudzielanek was older, but certainly not going stale.
Together they meshed into a trustworthy product in the middle of the Royals' infield last year. They're up for an encore run in 2008.
Not everything went perfectly, of course. Grudzielanek was twice interrupted by knee surgery, but he came back to play each time. Pena started out slowly at the plate, but caught fire before slumping late in the season.
Both were reliable in the field. At shortstop, Pena made nine errors in his first 40 games, but just 14 in the next 111. A Gold Glove winner in 2006, Grudzielanek made just six errors in 116 games at second base.
"I was satisfied, but right now I'm working on every part of my game to try to get better. I know I have to work on some things offensively and defensively," Pena said from the Dominican where he's playing winter ball.
"I know I can be better on ground balls that I had problems with. I'm just trying to stay more focused on routine ground balls. And I'm working on my bunting, trying to improve that, because those are the kind of things that's going to help our team win ballgames."
Pena, normally a ninth-place hitter, had problems getting down sacrifice bunts and manager Trey Hillman wants him bunting for hits more this year.
Pena, despite a .315 average in a 75-game stretch, wound up at .267. Even so, that was more than the Royals really expected from a guy whose career average in seven Minor League seasons was just .252.
"Pena has been one of the those guys who gets better every year," general manager Dayton Moore said.
Grudzielanek, who missed the latter part of Spring Training and a chunk of 19 games during midseason because of left knee surgery, still hit .302. In fact, after returning in July, he batted .332 in his last 64 games. Mostly, he was in the No. 2 hole and that's where Hillman expects to bat him this year.
Grudzielanek is 37 but the Royals offered him a contract late in the season and he accepted.
"One of my interests this year is to make sure I'm communicating, but especially with Grud," Hillman said. "Not because of the age, but more because of the knee from last year. He's got production from the bat and I want to make sure I'm on the same page with him of what he's going to need to be at his best."
In short, Hillman doesn't want to overplay Grudzielanek and risk more knee problems.
That's one reason the Royals dealt for infielder Alberto Callaspo, giving the Diamondbacks promising pitcher Billy Buckner for a possible second baseman of the future. A switch-hitter, Callaspo hit well in the Minors for the Angels and the D-Backs.
"We've got Pena and Grud, along with [Esteban] German and the addition of Callaspo, it gives us some latitude and there's four pretty good ones right there," Hillman said.
German's best position is also second base, but like Callaspo, he also can fill in at third base, shortstop and the outfield.
At last report, Callaspo was hitting .331 in Venezuela with just nine strikeouts in 154 at-bats for Zulia.
"He's certainly aware of the strike zone and he's difficult to strike out. Those are two nice things," Hillman said.
Pena was obtained from the Braves last spring when the Royals soured on shortstop Angel Berroa, their 2003 American League Rookie of the Year. Demoted to Triple-A Omaha, Berroa hit .300 and fielded well and Moore said he'd be invited to Spring Training as a non-roster player.
"We'll see it unfolds. You never know," Moore said. "There's a new manager and we're open-minded about everything ... but we're committed to Pena at this point in time."
The Royals' primary backup at shortstop last season was Jason Smith, but after clearing waivers and being assigned to Omaha, he was pondering his right to free agency. He'll have to let the Royals know his decision by Thursday.
The Royals also have shortstop Angel Sanchez, a hot prospect since 2001, even though he's just 24. Sanchez missed last season because of elbow surgery and is probably headed for a Minor League assignment as he comes back.
For now, the Royals are depending on Grudzielanek and Pena to plug the middle.
"Grud helped me out a lot, because when you're coming up and you're playing with someone different, you've got to know where he likes the feeds and everything else and I think we got to know each other pretty quick," Pena said.
"Working with him was unbelievable. I know he made me better."
Grudzielanek has 13 years of experience in absorbing hits at second base and banging out hits at the plate to share with Pena and others.
"A voice of experience in the middle of the infield sure does help," Hillman said. "He's the consummate professional and a hard-nosed, gritty guy, the kind of guy I want in the middle, no doubt."
thingy Kaegel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Around the Horn: Middle infielders
Youth and experience will serve Royals up the middle in '08
By thingy Kaegel / MLB.com
The following is the third in a series of weekly stories on MLB.com examining each Major League club, position by position. Each Wednesday until Spring Training camps open, we'll preview a different position. Today: Middle infielders.
KANSAS CITY -- Tony Pena Jr. was fresh out of the box and Mark Grudzielanek was older, but certainly not going stale.
Together they meshed into a trustworthy product in the middle of the Royals' infield last year. They're up for an encore run in 2008.
Not everything went perfectly, of course. Grudzielanek was twice interrupted by knee surgery, but he came back to play each time. Pena started out slowly at the plate, but caught fire before slumping late in the season.
Both were reliable in the field. At shortstop, Pena made nine errors in his first 40 games, but just 14 in the next 111. A Gold Glove winner in 2006, Grudzielanek made just six errors in 116 games at second base.
"I was satisfied, but right now I'm working on every part of my game to try to get better. I know I have to work on some things offensively and defensively," Pena said from the Dominican where he's playing winter ball.
"I know I can be better on ground balls that I had problems with. I'm just trying to stay more focused on routine ground balls. And I'm working on my bunting, trying to improve that, because those are the kind of things that's going to help our team win ballgames."
Pena, normally a ninth-place hitter, had problems getting down sacrifice bunts and manager Trey Hillman wants him bunting for hits more this year.
Pena, despite a .315 average in a 75-game stretch, wound up at .267. Even so, that was more than the Royals really expected from a guy whose career average in seven Minor League seasons was just .252.
"Pena has been one of the those guys who gets better every year," general manager Dayton Moore said.
Grudzielanek, who missed the latter part of Spring Training and a chunk of 19 games during midseason because of left knee surgery, still hit .302. In fact, after returning in July, he batted .332 in his last 64 games. Mostly, he was in the No. 2 hole and that's where Hillman expects to bat him this year.
Grudzielanek is 37 but the Royals offered him a contract late in the season and he accepted.
"One of my interests this year is to make sure I'm communicating, but especially with Grud," Hillman said. "Not because of the age, but more because of the knee from last year. He's got production from the bat and I want to make sure I'm on the same page with him of what he's going to need to be at his best."
In short, Hillman doesn't want to overplay Grudzielanek and risk more knee problems.
That's one reason the Royals dealt for infielder Alberto Callaspo, giving the Diamondbacks promising pitcher Billy Buckner for a possible second baseman of the future. A switch-hitter, Callaspo hit well in the Minors for the Angels and the D-Backs.
"We've got Pena and Grud, along with [Esteban] German and the addition of Callaspo, it gives us some latitude and there's four pretty good ones right there," Hillman said.
German's best position is also second base, but like Callaspo, he also can fill in at third base, shortstop and the outfield.
At last report, Callaspo was hitting .331 in Venezuela with just nine strikeouts in 154 at-bats for Zulia.
"He's certainly aware of the strike zone and he's difficult to strike out. Those are two nice things," Hillman said.
Pena was obtained from the Braves last spring when the Royals soured on shortstop Angel Berroa, their 2003 American League Rookie of the Year. Demoted to Triple-A Omaha, Berroa hit .300 and fielded well and Moore said he'd be invited to Spring Training as a non-roster player.
"We'll see it unfolds. You never know," Moore said. "There's a new manager and we're open-minded about everything ... but we're committed to Pena at this point in time."
The Royals' primary backup at shortstop last season was Jason Smith, but after clearing waivers and being assigned to Omaha, he was pondering his right to free agency. He'll have to let the Royals know his decision by Thursday.
The Royals also have shortstop Angel Sanchez, a hot prospect since 2001, even though he's just 24. Sanchez missed last season because of elbow surgery and is probably headed for a Minor League assignment as he comes back.
For now, the Royals are depending on Grudzielanek and Pena to plug the middle.
"Grud helped me out a lot, because when you're coming up and you're playing with someone different, you've got to know where he likes the feeds and everything else and I think we got to know each other pretty quick," Pena said.
"Working with him was unbelievable. I know he made me better."
Grudzielanek has 13 years of experience in absorbing hits at second base and banging out hits at the plate to share with Pena and others.
"A voice of experience in the middle of the infield sure does help," Hillman said. "He's the consummate professional and a hard-nosed, gritty guy, the kind of guy I want in the middle, no doubt."
thingy Kaegel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.