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Daily Clips

March 1, 2017

LOCAL

Duffy accomplishes much in spring debut

Lefty starter able to work on slide step, changeup Tuesday

February 28, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan/



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KC's O'Brien crushes third HR of spring

February 28, 2017 By Adam McCalvy/



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Slimmer Salvy vows to keep weight off

All-Star catcher feels great after losing 25 pounds in offseason

February 28, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan/



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Starling still trying to make good on potential

2011 first-round pick struggled in 2016 after promising '15

February 28, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan/



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Danny Duffy makes spring debut as Royals top Brewers 6-3

February 28, 2017 By Rustin Dodd/KC Star



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Royals’ Peter O’Brien leaves teammates in awe with ‘freaky’ power

February 28, 2017 By Rustin Dodd/KC Star



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Mellinger Minutes

February 28, 2017 By Sam Mellinger/KC Star



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MINORS

Royals to Open 2017 vs Kernersville

February 27, 2017 Burlington Royals



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NATIONAL

MLB will limit replay reviews to 2 minutes; Rob Manfred to meet with players

February 28, 2017 By Bob Nightengale/



[pic]Manfred seeks continued talks with MLBPA

Commissioner to meet with union reps soon about potential changes

March 1, 2017 By Jamal Collier/



[pic]MLB TRANSACTIONS

March 1, 2017 •.



LOCAL

Duffy accomplishes much in spring debut

Lefty starter able to work on slide step, changeup Tuesday

February 28, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan/



Royals left-hander Danny Duffy never likes to come out of a game. Not even a Spring Training game.

That's the competitor in him.

But even Duffy had to laugh when manager Ned Yost came out of the dugout to pull Duffy moments after the pitcher allowed a long home run to Brewers shortstop Yadiel Rivera with two outs in the second inning Tuesday. The Royals came back to beat the Brewers 6-3.

"My rule is," Yost said as he reached for the ball from Duffy, "if you give up a bomb, you're out."

Duffy smiled as he walked back to the dugout. Truth is, Duffy already was at 38 pitches anyway, three more than he had been scheduled to throw.

Duffy went 1 2/3 innings, gave up three hits and two runs, with one walk and one strikeout.

"I felt great," Duffy said. "My mechanics were kind of a tick off. And it might be too early to throw in the side step, but I tried to anyway."

Duffy likely will have one more tune-up outing before he leaves March 9 to play for the United States in the World Baseball Classic.

"I just wanted to get my pitch count up today," Duffy said. "I wanted to build up. My side sessions have been really good so far. Normally they aren't this time of year. But I just want to continue to progress. I thought I threw pretty well today."

Duffy also worked on his changeup.

"I think I threw a lot of them today," Duffy said. "I kind of wish I'd have faced more lefties. I wanted to try the lefty-lefty changeup more."

Duffy gave up a leadoff triple to Keon Broxton, then got a strikeout and a popout before allowing a soft single up the middle to Domingo Santana.

"I was really pleased with that first inning," Duffy said. "I got the punchout and the popup and almost got out of it. Just gave up that single."

Duffy wasn't exactly sweating the home run to Rivera, either.

"I've probably given up 30 homers in Spring Training," Duffy said. "Last year I gave one up one on the first pitch of the spring to a lefty. You'll never ever hear me make one excuse for pitching down here, because we all pitch off the same mound.

"But you can't focus on paper results here. You can't."

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KC's O'Brien crushes third HR of spring

February 28, 2017 By Adam McCalvy/



Danny Duffy surrendered a run in each of his first two spring innings, but the Royals slugged their way back to beat the Brewers, 6-3, on Tuesday at Maryvale Baseball Park.

Royals catcher Brayan Pena doubled home two runs in the fourth inning to tie the game, and Ryan O'Hearn homered in the sixth off Brewers right-hander Hiram Burgos for a 3-2 lead. The Royals extended their lead with three more runs against Burgos in the eighth, when Peter O'Brien's two-run homer cleared the 30-foot batter's eye in center field -- O'Brien's third homer this spring.

"He has been fun to watch," Royals manager Ned Yost said of O'Brien. "You see him in batting practice, in games. His power is incredible."

The Royals have won three of their first four Cactus League games.

Duffy, the Royals' likely Opening Day starter, gave up three hits and two runs over 1 2/3 innings in his spring debut. Brewers right fielder Domingo Santana gave the Brewers an early lead with a single to score Keon Broxton, who had led off the bottom of the first inning with a triple. In the second inning, Duffy surrendered a solo homer to Brewers bench candidate Yadiel Rivera that banged off the batter's eye.

Duffy likely will throw once more before leaving March 9 to the join the United States team in the World Baseball Classic.

Right-hander Zach Davies started for Milwaukee after a 22-minute rain delay and worked one scoreless inning with two strikeouts. He would love to start Opening Day, but Brewers manager Craig Counsell has yet to make any announcements.

"I'm going to prepare like it," Davies said.

Royals up next: The Royals will get their first look at right-hander Nathan Karns against the Cubs at 2:05 p.m. CT Wednesday. Karns, acquired from Seattle in the offseason for Jarrod Dyson, is in a battle with Chris Young and Travis Wood for the No. 5 spot in the rotation. Karns will go two innings or 35 pitches.

Brewers up next: Bob Uecker makes his spring debut Wednesday with a radio broadcast of the Brewers-Reds game at 2:05 p.m. CT from Maryvale Baseball Park. Right-hander Chase Anderson is scheduled to make his spring debut against Cincinnati's Losalverto Bonilla.

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Slimmer Salvy vows to keep weight off

All-Star catcher feels great after losing 25 pounds in offseason

February 28, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan/



Of all the Royals who showed up in camp in top shape, none perhaps is more noticeable than All-Star and Gold Glove catcher Salvador Perez.

Perez bought a home in Miami over the offseason, in part to be close to teammate Eric Hosmer so the two could train together.

And the results for Perez are impressive: He dropped from 240 pounds to 215.

"I lost a lot of weight," Perez said. "Twenty-five pounds. It's a lot. I never would have believed it."

But Perez also feels like he added muscle to his upper body.

"I can tell he feels strong," manager Ned Yost said.

Perez is off to a torrid start. In two spring games, he is 4-for-5 with two homers, two doubles and eight RBIs.

"He's as light as he's been in five or six years," Yost said. "He looks fantastic."

Yost isn't surprised that Perez put in the offseason work.

"He did it on his own," Yost said. "We didn't call him up and say 'Lose weight.' We didn't because he's always been productive. His weight never interfered with his game plan. But the lighter you are, it takes the workload off you a little bit. It's easier working with 25 pounds less than 25 pound more. It's to his benefit.

"And Salvy has always been a guy who wants to work hard to be in a position to be the best he can possibly be."

So far, Yost hasn't noticed a significant change in Perez defensively.

"Nah, he doesn't look that different on the field," Yost said. "He's always, for me, been very athletic for a big guy. But [losing weight] will take pressure off his legs.

"And [coach] Pedro [Grifol] always tells the catchers to stay quick and stay light. Sal was always a guy who lost weight during the season. But his focus this year was to lose the weight first and then maintain it."

Perez is determined not to put the weight back on.

"I hopefully can stay like this the rest of my career," Perez said.

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Starling still trying to make good on potential

2011 first-round pick struggled in 2016 after promising '15

February 28, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan/



No one will say it out loud, not even Bubba Starling himself, but the clock is ticking on the former first-round pick.

Starling, 24, is no longer a kid, no longer a bright-eyed prospect so talented out of high school that the Royals made him the fifth overall pick in the 2011 Draft.

For years, the Royals waited patiently for Starling, a gifted athlete with Major League-ready defensive skills, to emerge offensively.

Starling struggled in the low Minors, but in 2015, the breakthrough appeared to come. Between Class A Wilmington and Double-A Northwest Arkansas, Starling hit a combined .269 with a respectable .785 OPS.

Royals officials believed Starling was turning a corner.

Then came 2016. After a quick start, Starling faded at Northwest Arkansas, hitting .185 through 62 games.

The Royals, searching for ways to jump-start Starling, promoted him to Triple-A Omaha, thinking a fresh start statistically might give his confidence a bump. It didn't; he hit .181 there in 47 games.

Starling can't explain what went wrong.

"I think a lot of it is mental for me," Starling said. "I got caught up in different things."

And therefore, improving his mental approach is Starling's new mission.

"Definitely this year my goal is to go out and have more fun," he said, "be a better teammate and just have more confidence."

Talk to Starling long enough and you'll hear him mention the word "fun" repeatedly. Just enjoying the game again could let his tools come to the forefront.

"It's been going good," Starling said, smiling. "It's been fun."

Starling's other mission is to listen to his hitting coaches and especially to the veterans in camp.

"I'll keep working with the hitting coaches," he said. "I want to make sure and try to have some fun, too. But learn from the veteran guys. That's important."

Starling insists there's no pressure on him this camp.

"Not really," he said. "I'm just trying to listen to the hitting coaches and go from there.

"I think it's just another camp. Obviously I want to do well and do the best I can. That's the only thing you can control. There's no reason to worry about it.

"And it's great to be around the older guys and learn from them. That's the biggest thing about being here -- watch what they do and enjoy yourself."

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Danny Duffy makes spring debut as Royals top Brewers 6-3

February 28, 2017 By Rustin Dodd/KC Star



Danny Duffy remained unfazed and encouraged after an unremarkable spring debut against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday afternoon.

The final line included two earned runs allowed in 1 2/3 innings, and a no-doubt homer by Brewers shortstop Yadiel Rivera. The performance, which came in the Royals’ 6-3 victory over Milwaukee, still represented progress, Duffy said.

“I felt great,” Duffy said. “My mechanics were just kind of a tick off.”

Duffy said he tried to incorporate his slide-step and focused on his change-up. The former threw off his timing and the latter left him using the change-up in some unusual counts. On the whole, though, Duffy said he was not discouraged by the effort. He reached his pitch count. His arm felt good. On to the next one.

“My side sessions have been really, really good,” Duffy said. “And this early they normally aren’t, and you just got to translate that in-between the lines. It felt good, though. I want to continue to progress with this.”

Duffy was making his first appearance since signing a five-year, $65 million contract extension in the offseason. The deal came on the heels of his best season, a campaign that featured a 3.51 ERA and career highs in innings (179 2/3 ) and strikeouts (188).

Duffy is now set to make another appearance for the Royals (3-1 in the Cactus League) before departing to compete in the World Baseball Classic on March 9. On Tuesday, Duffy said he was scheduled to make one appearance for Team USA before returning to the Royals to finish his preparation for the 2017 season.

For Duffy, the final tune-up before the WBC will also offer the opportunity to iron out some rough edges.

“It’s an easy fix, man,” Duffy said. “It’s going to be fine.”

The arms

After Duffy exited, the Royals received a slew of strong relief outings. Left-hander Matt Strahm allowed one hit and struck out two in two scoreless innings. Right-handers Peter Moylan, Kevin McCarthy, Yender Caramo and left-hander Eric Stout also logged scoreless innings.

Moylan, a non-roster invitee who is set to depart camp to play for Australia in the World Baseball Classic, has already logged two scoreless appearances in four games.

The regulars

Alex Gordon made a rare start in right field and continued his fast start, finishing 1 for 2 with a walk. Gordon is batting .429 (3 for 7) in a limited sample size.

With Gordon in right, that opened up left field for outfielder Jorge Soler, who finished 0 for 3 and is still hitless this spring.

Mike Moustakas was 0 for 4 while serving as the designated hitter and is still searching for his first hit.

The young guys

The Royals’ Irish contingent did most of the damage Tuesday. First baseman Ryan O’Hearn, one of the Royals’ top position prospects, gave Kansas City a 3-2 lead with a solo homer in the sixth. Peter O’Brien subbed for O’Hearn at first base and crushed his third homer in four games, a towering shot to center field. O’Brien is hitting .375 (3 for 8) with three homers and six RBIs in four games.

Outfielder Terrance Gore also chipped in with a rare double through the hole at shortstop, sparking a three-run rally in the eighth inning. It came in Gore’s first at-bat of the spring. Hunter Dozier, who relieved Cheslor Cuthbert at third base, scored Gore with an RBI single.

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Royals’ Peter O’Brien leaves teammates in awe with ‘freaky’ power

February 28, 2017 By Rustin Dodd/KC Star



Stand inside the batter’s box of George Brett Field, the main practice field at Royals spring training, and you can see a collection of trees sitting beyond the right-center field wall. The trees are surrounded by gravel, maybe 50 feet behind the chain-link fence, and beyond the fence is a side road, named for Kansas City legend Buck O’Neil. This, Alex Gordon says, is where the first baseball landed.

Well, OK, let’s be clear here: This is sort of a guess. Gordon cannot be sure where this particular baseball landed, he says, but it was somewhere out there, amid the desert gravel and shrubs, out where the baseball just bounced and disappeared from view.

In more than a decade with the Royals, Gordon had seen only a handful of baseballs land there — and almost all were launched by left-handed hitters. But then he showed up to Royals camp in mid February and began hearing stories of Peter O’Brien, the 6-foot-4, 235-pound slugger acquired in an offseason trade from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

So on a morning two weeks ago, Gordon ventured out to George Brett Field, found a spot in the outfield and watched O’Brien enter the batting cage during an unofficial batting-practice session. In a few moments, the show began.

“O’Brien has the most pop I've ever seen,” Gordon said. “I told the coaches, ‘I’m not in his BP, because he makes me feel like a high school kid.’ ”

So here is your introduction to O’Brien, the 26-year-old former second-round pick, the catcher turned outfielder turned possible DH, the most intriguing newcomer, perhaps, during the opening weeks of spring training.

In a clubhouse full of All-Stars and veterans, he remains somewhat of a long shot to make the 25-man roster. He lacks a natural defensive position. He has batted just .176 in 37 major-league games. In December, he was designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks before being sent to the Royals in exchange for a little-known minor-league pitcher named Sam Lewis. But there is the power — yes, that power — the tool that makes professional baseball players look on in awe, the gift that turns every batting practice session into a display of majestic blasts and ridiculous clout.

“It’s pretty amazing to see,” Eric Hosmer said.

“The best I’ve ever seen,” Gordon said.

“It’s to all fields and it’s effortless,” Whit Merrifield said. “It’s different.”

It is, of course, the power that attracted the Royals to O’Brien in the offseason. But it was also the long-term potential in his bat and the roster flexibility he offered. O’Brien still has two option years remaining, which means he could log an additional 1,000 at-bats at Class AAA Omaha over the next two seasons. Club officials are hopeful the extra seasoning could unlock his potential and make him a more complete hitter.

O’Brien is hoping to force their hand with his performance this spring. And so far, he has accomplished that goal, hitting three homers in the Royals’ first four Cactus League games, including a mammoth shot Tuesday that cleared a 30-foot batter’s eye wall at the Milwaukee Brewers’ Maryvale Baseball Park.

“Freaky power to all fields,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.

For the moment, O’Brien remains confident in his ability and his future. But the final step to the big leagues has proven to be the most difficult. A native of Miami Gardens, Fla., O’Brien starred at catcher for the University of Miami before drafted by the New York Yankees in the second round in 2012. Two years later, he was shipped to Arizona in a July trade that sent Martin Prado to New York. The Diamondbacks viewed him as a possible answer behind the plate. But defensive questions forced him to the outfield, and O’Brien never found a home in Arizona.

“I think the biggest thing is just: ‘Keep things simple and focus on the process,’ ” O’Brien said. “I have all the tools I need to play up here. I just need to make the game as simple as possible and let everything take care of itself.”

To this point, the numbers suggest a work in progress. In 2016, he balanced a .295 on-base percentage and 24 homers with 147 strikeouts in 105 games at Class AAA Reno. In 28 games with the Diamondbacks, he batted .141 while spending most of his time in left field. The Royals hope to see O’Brien cut down on his strikeouts and make more contact. But at the least, the defensive questions are less pressing. Now he is back in the American League, where the luxury of the designated hitter remains. For O’Brien, it could offer a path to the big leagues.

The Royals are expected to slot left-handed hitting Brandon Moss at the designated hitter spot, but O’Brien could provide a right-handed power bat off the bench.

“He fits into our club in a number of ways,” Yost said. “He’s still developing as a hitter. And the advantage that we have is we still have two (minor-league) options, which is 1,000 at-bats of development left.”

In the early days of camp, the power is hard to miss. But if O’Brien possesses a second premium tool besides the ability to obliterate fastballs, it stems from his childhood in south Florida. The son of a mother from Cuba and a father from Michigan, O’Brien grew up speaking both Spanish and English. His mother Mercedes — a former professional ballerina who left Cuba in 1981 — made sure her son mastered Spanish first. Inside a baseball clubhouse, the skill can help O’Brien maneuver between cultures — even if new Latin teammates are occasionally caught off guard.

“Somebody will say something in Spanish, and then I’ll answer back,” O’Brien said. “And everyone kind of freaks out — the last name O’Brien and my first language was Spanish.”

As camp presses on, O’Brien is still acclimating himself to a new clubhouse and and a new organization. But after three homers in four games, the early returns have been promising — to say nothing of the legendary BP sessions. So in the opening weeks of camp, after witnessing the power up close, Yost sat in his office and told another story from earlier this offseason. After the Royals acquired O’Brien from Arizona, hitting coach Dale Sveum found himself talking to former Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, who helped run the Diamondbacks front office during O’Brien’s days in Arizona.

In all his decades in baseball, La Russa told Sveum, he had only been around two players this caliber of power: Mark McGwire and Peter O’Brien. It was an audacious pronouncement, of course. But after watching a few weeks of batting practice, it didn’t seem so crazy.

“It’s prodigious raw power,” Yost said. “I can’t compare it to anybody.”

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Mellinger Minutes

February 28, 2017 By Sam Mellinger/KC Star



@btoellner: Have Royals shifted hitting strategy? 2015 team built on speed/putting balls in play - 2017 Royals boast more power, less contact

Touched on this in a column a few weeks ago, but there are basically two answers here:

Yes, the Royals have shifted their strengths and specific strategy at the plate.

No, this is not a shift in philosophy or overall organizational strategy.

Dayton Moore has long believed that because of the Royals’ market and ballpark, they needed to be athletic and fast. He got the worse end of it, but the first trade he made was sending left-handed reliever J.P. Howell to Tampa for the speedy and car-jumping Joey Gathright.

Without many exceptions, their major moves have targeted athleticism. The Zack Greinke trade brought back Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar. Alex Gordon signed two long contracts. Eric Hosmer is a foundational piece. Mike Moustakas is a very good defender. Jarrod Dyson. On and on.

But as much fun as it is to watch that athleticism play — Moose’s dive into the dugout suite, Cain scoring from first on a single, Gordon crashing into the wall for a catch — there was always a bottom line logic to it all for the Royals, too.

They could not afford traditional clean-up hitters on the open market. They’ve tried to add it in other ways — power in the draft, and don’t forget Moore wanted to move the fences in when he took the job.

Well, baseball is changing. A guy who led his league in homers was just non-tendered and signed by a second club for one year and $3 million. Power is now affordable for the Royals. The pendulum has shifted, so they can afford to trade for Jorge Soler, can sign Brandon Moss to two years and $12 million, and can make a no-risk trade for Peter O’Brien who has so much power Alex Gordon told the coaches he wouldn’t hit in the same group.

“He makes me feel like a high school kid,” Gordon said, smiling.

So, I don’t know. I like most of their moves, in a vacuum, even if I think the bigger goal — build for the future, win now, and reduce or freeze payroll — is unrealistic.

But I do think they have a legitimate chance to win with this roster. The last Vegas number I saw was 80 1/2 wins, which, maybe I’m drinking the Kool-Aid here, but seems low.

I don’t think they’ll win or lose based entirely on how many home runs they hit or don’t. Health is the most important thing, followed by pitching, I believe. But they absolutely need to score more runs. They’ll still be faster than many teams they play, so they’ll have moments of small ball. But, yes, they will need to mix in more home runs, too.

@JoeInBugaha: what do you see as a fair market value contract to Eric Hosmer?

This is part of why I don’t think a deal will get done: there is a wide gap between what the Royals are likely willing to pay or see as fair value, and what Hosmer and his agent are likely willing to take or see as fair value.

Especially before the season.

I like Hosmer. A lot. I think he’s the Royals’ best hitter, and the one most likely to have a top-five-in-MVP-voting type of 2017 season. I like that he has diverse talents, good athleticism, and basically a spotless record as a leader, teammate, and citizen.

But if agent Scott Boras is looking for more than five years, and more than $20 million per year, that’s a hard price for the Royals to meet and possibly even to justify.

Hosmer hasn’t had a superstar season yet. Actually, hasn’t really had a star season yet. He’s had superstar moments, particularly in the postseason, and he was a crucial part of two pennants and a World Series championship.

But his career year, so far, was batting .297 with a .363 on-base and .459 slugging percentage. Those 25 homers and 104 RBIs last year were nice, but came in an otherwise ordinary season — .266/.328/.433 for a .761 OPS that ranked 14th among 18 qualified first basemen.

Boras and Hosmer won’t see it like that, and they shouldn’t. Hosmer is a terrifically talented player, and still just 27 years old. You would expect his best seasons to be in front of him.

Maybe that season will be 2017, in which case he’d hit the open market with the Yankees and Red Sox and other big spenders presumably in need of a first baseman. if that happens, the Royals will look foolish by many to not signed Hosmer to an extension.

But there’s nothing that suggests Hosmer is willing to take less now for the security, and committing enormous money to one player has been a struggle for teams in similar markets like the Reds, Brewers and Twins.

I guess I always end up looking at it like this: if I was the Royals, I wouldn’t pay what I think Boras and Hosmer will be looking for, and if I was Boras or Hosmer, I wouldn’t sign what I think the Royals will be offering.

But, to answer your question, six years and $110 million seems like a fair deal. I’m guessing Boras will be aiming for something more like eight years and $160 million.

Collin Clements: With baseball season about to be in full swing it would be fun to get a rundown of your favorite ballparks to visit highlighting some signature dishes.

I’ve been to 25 — all but Washington, Miami, Cincinnati, Seattle, and Cleveland (I know).

They’re all great, by the way. The worst ballpark in the world still features major-league baseball, beautiful grass and great players and, actually, since the worst ballpark in the world is the Oakland Coliseum and it’s not even close*, the worst ballpark in the world is five minutes from an In-N-Out**.

* Heck of a thing when the worst stadium in two different leagues is the same place.

** It’s 2017, so I can’t believe I still have to say this, but DO NOT GET THE FRIES. Just get an extra burger. Trust me.

So let’s keep this fairly short — the six ballparks I’ve been to that you absolutely should get to if you haven’t already:

Fenway: Absolutely unique, both in history and setting. The place feels remarkably small when you’re there, and in a good way. Always a fun atmosphere. Always energetic.

Wrigley: Pretty much the same description as Fenway, with the added bonus that you’re in Chicago, and can each all the pizza (I know this is sacrilege there, but I believe the best pizza in Chicago is as good as the best pizza in New York, and is not deep dish).

Camden: Thought this was going to be a disappointment when I went because of the hype, but it’s gorgeous. Wish they’d move the fences back to major-league distance, and wish there were a few more places nearby, but it’s an iconic place for a game.

AT&T: Breathtaking views. Perfectly and uniquely placed on the water, and expertly designed. Maybe the best selection of food of any ballpark in the country, too, though San Francisco is a ridiculous eating town anyway — Casa Flores, Foreign Cinema, Rosie’s, Flour + Water, Hogwash, Slanted Door, on and on and freaking on.

Petco: It’s in San Diego!

PNC Park: Best skyline view in baseball. This stadium was so well designed and built. Such a clean, fun, terrific place. Fries on sandwiches are weird, but there’s a lot of great places to eat in Pittsburgh — Butcher and the Rye, Proper Brick, and Burgatory to start.

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MINORS

Royals to Open 2017 vs Kernersville

February 27, 2017 Burlington Royals



For the seventh consecutive season, the Burlington Royals will host the Kernersville Bulldogs in their first tilt of the year. The June 20th matchup will be the Royals' sole exhibition game before kicking off the 2017 season on June 22nd with a three game home stand against the Kingsport Mets.

After posting a league-best 42-26 record in 2016, the Royals will look to expand on their success in 2017.

The clash with the Bulldogs will mark the debut for manager Omar Ramirez, who will take the reigns of a coaching staff that saw only Pitching Coach Carlos Martinez return following the 2016 season. Scott Thorman, the Royals 2015-2016 manager, is now the manager of Kansas City's Single A Affiliate, Lexington Legends.

General Manager Tyler Borkowski will look to carry forward the momentum of recently departed three-time Appalachian League Executive of the Year Ryan Keur. Keur is now the President of the Daytona Tortugas in the Florida State League. Borkowski is joined by new Manager of Corporate Partnerships and Group Sales, Katie Soraghan. Mikie Morrison remains on staff from last season, Morrison was promoted to Assistant General Manager in October of 2016.

Kernersville, a member of the Carolina Virginia Collegiate League (CVCL) since 2007, amassed a 22-14 record this past season. The CVCL is host to collegiate players ranging from NCAA Division I to NAIA schools and junior colleges.

Standard game times are at 7pm, Monday through Saturday, 6pm on Sundays. 2017 Season Tickets, Bonus Books, and Group Outings are available now. They can be ordered at 336-222-0223 or at

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NATIONAL

MLB will limit replay reviews to 2 minutes; Rob Manfred to meet with players

February 28, 2017 By Bob Nightengale/



Commissioner Rob Manfred and union chief Tony Clark have agreed to meet privately with a small group of players to discuss potential 2018 rule changes, Manfred disclosed Tuesday before the inaugural spring-training game at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.

While clubs are reviewing the new pitch-less intentional walk rule this week that MLB and the union agreed upon, there also are plans to change the instant replay review rules, two officials with direct knowledge of the changes told USA TODAY Sports.

The officials spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity, because the changes have not been finalized.

Managers will be required to signal within 30 seconds whether or not they plan to issue a challenge. If an instant replay challenge is issued, the umpires in the instant replay booth in New York will have only two minutes to make a ruling that would confirm or overturn the call. The changes won’t become official until the clubs formally adopt the revisions.

Those are the only new rules in 2017, and although Manfred would like to implement a 20-second pitch clock, limit mound visits, and eliminate strike calls below the knees in the future, he stressed that he wants to reach an agreement with the union without unilaterally implementing them.

“Look, we negotiated a two-year process in the Basic Agreement,’’ Manfred said. “We made a little agreement in Year 1 [with the intentional walk], we’re going to continue that process in Year 2.

“I hope we have a nice robust dialogue with the players. I hope they come forward with their ideas on what’s going to happen. My biggest single hope is that we make an agreement for what we’re going to do in 2018.’’

Manfred, who voiced his displeasure last week with the union, which adamantly dismissed further rule changes, said he plans to have a private meeting with Clark and several players. He simply wants to discuss the reasoning behind his ideas in hopes they reach an agreement.

“I’d like to have our dialogue with the players privately,’’ Manfred said. “Over the years, it’s served us best to have those conversations in a room. I talked to Tony last week, and we talked about getting together and looking at information with a group of players. …

“It’s always important to have direct communication with players on issues that affect the play on the field, We want an agreement with the players That’s what works best when we’re dealing with something between the white lines. We’re intent on pursuing the process through, and getting ourselves an agreement with them on a set of changes.

“My hope is to get an agreement. If we don’t get an agreement, we’ll figure out where we are at that point in time.’’

[pic]Manfred seeks continued talks with MLBPA

Commissioner to meet with union reps soon about potential changes

March 1, 2017 By Jamal Collier/



Commissioner Rob Manfred plans to continue dialogue with the Major League Baseball Players Association and its executive director, Tony Clark, about any potential rules changes beyond 2017.

Speaking on Tuesday before the opening of the new Spring Training home for the Nationals and Astros, the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, Manfred said he and Clark are expecting to meet in the coming weeks, along with a group of players, to discuss any potential adjustments.

The two sides have already agreed to eliminate throwing pitches for an intentional walk during the 2017 season, and MLB is in the process of circulating the rule to all 30 clubs. That process should be finished shortly, according to Manfred, and once complete, managers could begin utilizing an "automatic" intentional walk in Spring Training.

Manfred also hinted at some additional changes that could be made to the replay-review system before Opening Day with the hopes of increasing pace of play, although he did not go into specifics.

"How long you can be in the booth, how long do you have to challenge, those sorts of issues," Manfred said. "We'll have something on that ready for Opening Day. There could be a limit on the booth and the manager's challenge. We're still having conversations with the clubs."

Although Manfred said at Cactus League Media Day last week that MLB was within its collectively bargained rights to impose certain rule changes for 2018 if the players' union was unwilling to negotiate, he emphasized Tuesday that his preference is to find a consensus that pleases both sides.

"We want an agreement with the players," Manfred said. "That's what works best when we're dealing with something between the white lines.

"We're intent on pursuing the process through, and getting ourselves an agreement with them on a set of changes that makes sense for the game."

[pic]MLB TRANSACTIONS

March 1, 2017 •.



|TEAM |PLAYER |TRANSACTION |

|Seattle Mariners|Caleb Cotham|Signed to a Minor League |

| | |Contract |

|Washington |Joe Blanton |Signed as Free Agent, ( |

|Nationals | |2017)(one-year contract) |

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