Post by MizzouTiger on Jan 24, 2008 4:25:31 GMT -5
kansascity.royals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080122&content_id=2352790&vkey=news_kc&fext=.jsp&c_id=kc
Around the Horn: Outfield
Flexibility gives Royals plenty of options
By thingy Kaegel / MLB.com
The following is the fourth 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: Outfielders.
KANSAS CITY -- It was all set. The Royals' outfield would have Jose Guillen in left field, David DeJesus in center and Mark Teahen in right.
Then Guillen came to town last week and told manager Trey Hillman he wanted to play right field. It was his normal position, his comfort zone, his home on the range.
That occasioned a powwow between Guillen and Hillman. Detente was achieved but, going into Spring Training, the corner spots now are a tad unsettled.
"One of them is going to be in right, one of them is going to be in left. I just told them to be open-minded, but I appreciated Jose's honesty," Hillman said. "He was professional about it and it's something that we'll definitely take a look at and something that I'll definitely consider."
Teahen, who made the big step of moving from third base to right field last season, took the possibility of moving again to left field in stride. He even welcomed Hillman's notion to spot him at first base occasionally and maybe even at third to give Alex Gordon a break.
"For the most part, outfield is outfield so if I'm in left or right or center, I'm still in the learning process so I'll just make that adjustment," Teahen said.
"But I am excited I can play at first base and maybe mix in some third when need be. I don't want everyone to forget that I can play a good big league third base or first base. For the most part, I'm excited that I might bounce around a little bit. It'll also give my legs a break from playing the outfield."
Teahen played the outfield pretty well last season, getting 17 assists in 138 games and impressing DeJesus.
"He didn't need any of my help. Early on, you could see the routes were a little off, but by the second or third week, he was as good as any outfielder I've played with -- strong arm and he can get to a lot of balls a lot of guys can't get to," DeJesus said.
"It was really a pleasure having him out there because I didn't have to worry so much about the gaps. Where in the past few years, it was like that."
DeJesus covers the gaps well in center field, getting good jumps. Guillen is known as a capable outfielder with a strong arm.
Guillen, though, was obtained because of his right-handed power that produced 23 home runs and 99 RBIs last year for the Mariners. He's hit as many as 31 homers and had as many as 104 RBIs and batted as high as .311.
The outfield trio is expected to fill three of the top four slots in the batting order with second baseman Mark Grudzielanek as the No. 2 man.
"It could go DeJesus, Grud, Guillen, Teahen -- or Teahen, Guillen. I like the sound of that no matter which way we do it," Hillman said.
DeJesus played the most games of his career, 157, last year and went to the plate 704 times. This came after he lost 11 days, strength and weight to a stomach virus during Spring Training. He admits he wore down in August and September and his average plummeted 20 points to a final .260, a career low.
Still he led the club with 101 runs and he relishes the leadoff spot.
"I don't set the lineup but I want to be the guy scoring runs and making things happen," he said.
Teahen batted third most often last year, 113 times, but his production slipped from his robust 2006. Even though he played 35 more games, his RBIs dropped from 69 to 60 and his homers from 18 to seven.
"In reality, it's just something I have to make sure doesn't happen again and just get back to what I was doing the year before and making sure I'm staying strong and the results will happen," he said.
Teahen had surgery on his right shoulder at the end of the 2006 season and that might have cost him some power last year. An offseason weightlifting program should help, he believes.
Fleet Joey Gathright is the fourth outfielder and his presence will enable Hillman to give DeJesus some rest this year.
"Obviously, Joey can play all three positions. Some days we may give DeJesus a day off and play Joey in center and keep David in the lineup in the leadoff spot by DH-ing him and keeping him a little fresher that way," Hillman said.
Gathright got into 74 games last year and batted .307. He had 10 bunt singles, second in the American League, and had 25 infield hits. Gathright also hit .341 in 60 games for Triple-A Omaha and had 25 stolen bases. For KC, however, he had only nine steals in 17 attempts.
Shane Costa, who played 55 games in three different KC stints last year, will have a tough challenge to make the club out of Spring Training. Ditto for prospects Mitch Maier and Justin Huber.
That's because Hillman also plans to work Ross Gload, normally at first base, into left or right field from time to time. In addition, Esteban German and Alberto Callaspo, the likely backup infielders, also can play in the outfield.
"We won't carry more than four or five outfielders," Hillman said.
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: Outfield
Flexibility gives Royals plenty of options
By thingy Kaegel / MLB.com
The following is the fourth 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: Outfielders.
KANSAS CITY -- It was all set. The Royals' outfield would have Jose Guillen in left field, David DeJesus in center and Mark Teahen in right.
Then Guillen came to town last week and told manager Trey Hillman he wanted to play right field. It was his normal position, his comfort zone, his home on the range.
That occasioned a powwow between Guillen and Hillman. Detente was achieved but, going into Spring Training, the corner spots now are a tad unsettled.
"One of them is going to be in right, one of them is going to be in left. I just told them to be open-minded, but I appreciated Jose's honesty," Hillman said. "He was professional about it and it's something that we'll definitely take a look at and something that I'll definitely consider."
Teahen, who made the big step of moving from third base to right field last season, took the possibility of moving again to left field in stride. He even welcomed Hillman's notion to spot him at first base occasionally and maybe even at third to give Alex Gordon a break.
"For the most part, outfield is outfield so if I'm in left or right or center, I'm still in the learning process so I'll just make that adjustment," Teahen said.
"But I am excited I can play at first base and maybe mix in some third when need be. I don't want everyone to forget that I can play a good big league third base or first base. For the most part, I'm excited that I might bounce around a little bit. It'll also give my legs a break from playing the outfield."
Teahen played the outfield pretty well last season, getting 17 assists in 138 games and impressing DeJesus.
"He didn't need any of my help. Early on, you could see the routes were a little off, but by the second or third week, he was as good as any outfielder I've played with -- strong arm and he can get to a lot of balls a lot of guys can't get to," DeJesus said.
"It was really a pleasure having him out there because I didn't have to worry so much about the gaps. Where in the past few years, it was like that."
DeJesus covers the gaps well in center field, getting good jumps. Guillen is known as a capable outfielder with a strong arm.
Guillen, though, was obtained because of his right-handed power that produced 23 home runs and 99 RBIs last year for the Mariners. He's hit as many as 31 homers and had as many as 104 RBIs and batted as high as .311.
The outfield trio is expected to fill three of the top four slots in the batting order with second baseman Mark Grudzielanek as the No. 2 man.
"It could go DeJesus, Grud, Guillen, Teahen -- or Teahen, Guillen. I like the sound of that no matter which way we do it," Hillman said.
DeJesus played the most games of his career, 157, last year and went to the plate 704 times. This came after he lost 11 days, strength and weight to a stomach virus during Spring Training. He admits he wore down in August and September and his average plummeted 20 points to a final .260, a career low.
Still he led the club with 101 runs and he relishes the leadoff spot.
"I don't set the lineup but I want to be the guy scoring runs and making things happen," he said.
Teahen batted third most often last year, 113 times, but his production slipped from his robust 2006. Even though he played 35 more games, his RBIs dropped from 69 to 60 and his homers from 18 to seven.
"In reality, it's just something I have to make sure doesn't happen again and just get back to what I was doing the year before and making sure I'm staying strong and the results will happen," he said.
Teahen had surgery on his right shoulder at the end of the 2006 season and that might have cost him some power last year. An offseason weightlifting program should help, he believes.
Fleet Joey Gathright is the fourth outfielder and his presence will enable Hillman to give DeJesus some rest this year.
"Obviously, Joey can play all three positions. Some days we may give DeJesus a day off and play Joey in center and keep David in the lineup in the leadoff spot by DH-ing him and keeping him a little fresher that way," Hillman said.
Gathright got into 74 games last year and batted .307. He had 10 bunt singles, second in the American League, and had 25 infield hits. Gathright also hit .341 in 60 games for Triple-A Omaha and had 25 stolen bases. For KC, however, he had only nine steals in 17 attempts.
Shane Costa, who played 55 games in three different KC stints last year, will have a tough challenge to make the club out of Spring Training. Ditto for prospects Mitch Maier and Justin Huber.
That's because Hillman also plans to work Ross Gload, normally at first base, into left or right field from time to time. In addition, Esteban German and Alberto Callaspo, the likely backup infielders, also can play in the outfield.
"We won't carry more than four or five outfielders," Hillman said.
thingy Kaegel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.