Royals Finalize 2018 Coaching Staff
Daily Clips
November 8, 2017
LOCAL
Royals finalize 2018 coaching staff
November 7, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/260855730/royals-announce-coaching-staff-for-2018/?topicId=27118382
Gordon, Hosmer win Gold Glove Awards
November 7, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/260892242/alex-gordon-eric-hosmer-win-gold-glove-awards/
Eric Hosmer, Alex Gordon win Gold Gloves, two other Royals finalists miss out
November 7, 2017 By Maria Torres/KC Star
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article183373191.html
Royals announce coaching staff under Ned Yost for 2018
November 7, 2017 By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article183208126.html
Royals’ Terry Bradshaw has fun stories of being mistaken for former NFL quarterback
November 7, 2017 By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/for-petes-sake/article183252101.html
MINORS
Royals' Lopez continues to rake in Fall League
November 7, 2017 By Mike Rosenbaum/MLB.com
http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/260887662/royals-nicky-lopez-raking-in-fall-league/
Naturals Wilson promoted to Royals staff
November 8, 2017 By Paul Boyd/Arkansas Online
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2017/nov/08/naturals-wilson-promoted-to-royals-staf/
NATIONAL
Halladay dies in plane crash off Florida coast
Former Blue Jays, Phillies hurler won 2 Cy Young Awards, threw no-hitter in postseason
November 6, 2017 By Bob Dittmeier/MLB.com
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/260880432/roy-halladay-dies-in-plane-crash/
Elite defenders honored with Gold Gloves
Arenado, Heyward, Gordon win for fifth time
November 8, 2017 By Doug Miller/MLB.com
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/260891924/2017-mlb-gold-glove-award-winners-announced/?topicId=27118122
MLB TRANSACTIONS
November 8, 2017 •.CBSSports.com
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/transactions
LOCAL
Royals finalize 2018 coaching staff
November 7, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/260855730/royals-announce-coaching-staff-for-2018/?topicId=27118382
The Royals on Tuesday promoted from within to fill their coaching vacancies, moving Minor League hitting coordinator Terry Bradshaw to hitting coach and assistant to the general manager Cal Eldred to pitching coach.
Also, Double-A Northwest Arkansas manager Vance Wilson will take over as bullpen coach, and Pedro Grifol will continue to serve as catching coach while also stepping in as the newly created quality control coach, which will serve as a liaison between the front office and the coaching staff.
At the end of the season, Kansas City parted ways with pitching coach Dave Eiland and bench coach Don Wakamatsu. The Royals also moved hitting coach Dale Sveum to bench coach.
As expected, Mitch Maier will take over first-base coaching duties, replacing Rusty Kuntz, who serve in the front office in a yet-to-be-decided role. Mike Jirschele remains the third-base coach.
Manager Ned Yost will be back in 2018 in the final year of his contract.
Bradshaw, 48, who has been in the Royals' system since 2000, spent the past five seasons ('13-17) as the Royals' Minor League hitting coordinator.
Eldred, 49, spent the previous two seasons (2016-17) in the Royals' organization as an assistant to the general manager -- player development. He served a similar role with the Cardinals from '13-15. A 14-year Major League veteran, Eldred had a career 86-74 record in 341 games (192 starts) while pitching for the Brewers (1991-99), White Sox (2000-01) and Cardinals (2003-05). He was Milwaukee's first-round pick (17th overall) in 1989 and twice led the American League in starts (1993-94) and once in innings pitched (1993).
Wilson, 44, served as the manager for Northwest Arkansas for the previous four seasons (2014-17), and he led the Naturals to back-to-back Texas League Championship Series appearances in '15-16.
Gordon, Hosmer win Gold Glove Awards
November 7, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/260892242/alex-gordon-eric-hosmer-win-gold-glove-awards/
Royals left fielder Alex Gordon and first baseman Eric Hosmer brought home the gold again.
And 2017 teammates Salvador Perez (catcher) and Lorenzo Cain (center fielder) came up just short.
Gordon won his fifth Rawlings American League Gold Glove Award, as announced on ESPN on Tuesday night. He also won from 2011-14. Gordon beat out fellow finalists Brett Gardner of the Yankees and Justin Upton of the Angels.
Hosmer added to his free-agent resume with his fourth AL Gold Glove Award, having also won from 2013-15. He continued to add to arguably his best season in the Majors, during which he hit a career-best .318 with a .385 on-base percentage, 25 home runs and 94 RBIs.
Hosmer beat out fellow finalists Carlos Santana of the Indians and Mitch Moreland of the Red Sox.
Perez had won four straight AL Gold Glove Awards from 2013-16 before being beat out this season by the Angels' Martin Maldonado.
Cain, now a free agent, was trying to win his first Gold Glove Award and the first by a Royals center fielder since Willie Wilson in 1980.
Cain led AL center fielders in starts (151), total chances (443) and putouts (430), but he was beat out by Minnesota's Byron Buxton.
Kansas City's four finalists were tied for the most in the Major Leagues, matching Boston, Cincinnati, Cleveland and the Angels.
Each manager and up to six coaches on his staff vote on players within their league and cannot vote for players on their own team. In 2013, Rawlings added a sabermetric component to the Gold Glove Award selection process, as part of its new collaboration with the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). The SABR Defensive Index comprises approximately 25 percent of the overall selection total, while the managers' and coaches' vote continues to carry the majority.
Eric Hosmer, Alex Gordon win Gold Gloves, two other Royals finalists miss out
November 7, 2017 By Maria Torres/KC Star
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article183373191.html
Two Royals are Gold Glovers again.
First baseman Eric Hosmer and left fielder Alex Gordon were announced as Rawlings Gold Glove winners Tuesday night on ESPN.
Catcher Salvador Perez was up for his fifth straight award, but the voters chose the Angels’ Martin Maldonado, who was in his first full season as a team’s starting catcher.
Second baseman Frank White is the only player in Royals franchise history to win five straight Gold Gloves.
Two Royals are Gold Glovers again.
First baseman Eric Hosmer and left fielder Alex Gordon were announced as Rawlings Gold Glove winners Tuesday night on ESPN.
Catcher Salvador Perez was up for his fifth straight award, but the voters chose the Angels’ Martin Maldonado, who was in his first full season as a team’s starting catcher.
Second baseman Frank White is the only player in Royals franchise history to win five straight Gold Gloves.
Although he was unable to put together a consistent season at the plate, Gordon was a bastion in left field. He led all left fielders with an ultimate zone rating of 11.5 and was third in defensive runs saved (9). He committed two errors, third-fewest in the majors.
Gordon previously won four straight Gold Gloves during 2011-14. Hosmer, who will become a free agent unless he accepts the Royals’ qualifying offer, won three straight during 2013-15. Hosmer is tied with the Dodgers’ Adrian Gonzalez for most Gold Gloves among active first basemen.
The Royals have won a major-league-leading 14 Gold Gloves since 2011.
The awards are decided by votes from managers and coaches in each league. In addition, a sabermetric formula offered by the Society for American Baseball Research represents 25 percent of the voting.
Royals announce coaching staff under Ned Yost for 2018
November 7, 2017 By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article183208126.html
The Royals tapped into their in-house supply of coaching talent to fill out manager Ned Yost’s staff for the 2018 season, promoting three members of their organization and adding a new role to a current coach.
The club announced Tuesday that long-time instructor Terry Bradshaw will become hitting coach after serving as minor-league hitting coordinator for five seasons. Bradshaw, 48, joined the Royals in 2000 after playing eight seasons in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. He replaces Dale Sveum, who took over as bench coach last month.
Former major-leaguer Cal Eldred will take over as pitching coach after serving as a player development assistant to general manager Dayton Moore for the past two seasons. Eldred, 49, pitched 14 seasons in the majors, going 86-74 in 341 games. He replaces Dave Eiland, who was let go in early October.
Moore said Bradshaw and Eldred were both highly respected in the organization and worthy of promotions. He praised the energy and enthusiasm that each would bring to the staff.
“Both individuals have earned the respect of everybody in the organization at all levels,” Moore said. “That’s the most important thing. They’ve earned the respect
“Terry has worked his way up from a hitting coach (in the minors). He’s been very loyal. He’s had a positive impact on a lot of people. He’s highly regarded. He’s going to bring an energy. He’s going to bring an ability to connect with players and work within their naturalness.”
Former Class AA Northwest Arkansas manager Vance Wilson, meanwhile, will become the bullpen coach, while catching coach Pedro Grifol will return to the staff and take on the additional duty of quality-control coach, a new role designed to alleviate the workload of Yost.
Bradshaw has strong relationships in the front office and throughout the organization, Moore said. He has previously been a candidate for the role of hitting coach.
Eldred, meanwhile, is relatively new to the organization, having spent 2013-15 as a special assistant in the Cardinals organization. He has worked as a television analyst and in other roles since retiring from pitching in 2005 but has never worked as a major-league pitching coach. But Moore cited Eldred’s experience playing for and working with former Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan.
“He worked with Dave Duncan for nine years, at various levels,” Moore said. “He just brings an enthusiasm and a freshness to work with pitchers.”
The Royals were seeking new voices for their staff as the organization begins a period of transition that could be marked by an infusion of younger players at the major-league level. The new direction meant searching for coaches who would embrace working with younger players. It also meant parting ways with Eiland, a well-respected pitching guru who is moving to the New York Mets, and bench coach Don Wakamatsu, who returned to the Texas Rangers as bench coach.
Moore said the club considered outside hires as it searched for a new pitching coach. A slew of highly regarded pitching coaches, including Tampa Bay’s Jim Hickey, Washington’s Mike Maddux and the Chicago Cubs’ Chris Bosio all became available in the last month. Hickey eventually took over in Chicago, while Maddux moved to St. Louis. Yet the Royals eventually settled on Eldred, sticking with a trend of internal hires.
“I think they’re well suited to work with players at all levels and difference experiences,” Moore said of Eldred and Bradshaw. “I think both individuals really know how to connect with players at all levels.”
In addition, Moore said Wilson, a long-time manager in the minors, had “earned” a role on the major-league staff. Wilson has long been viewed as a rising coach in the organization. He managed at Class A Kane County in 2011 and at Class A Wilmington in 2012-13 before taking over at Northwest Arkansas in 2014. A major-league catcher for eight seasons, he played for the New York Mets from 1999-2004 and the Detroit Tigers in 2005-06.
The Royals were also pleased to retain Grifol, who was not under contract entering the offseason. Grifol is entering his sixth year in the organization and fourth full season on the major-league staff.
He took over as the club’s hitting coach midway through the 2013 season before being re-assigned as the club’s catching coach in 2014. In his current position, he has overseen the growth of catcher Salvador Perez, who is in line to win his fifth straight Gold Glove, and handled primary duties as the club’s interpreter.
Royals’ Terry Bradshaw has fun stories of being mistaken for former NFL quarterback
November 7, 2017 By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/for-petes-sake/article183252101.html
The memes started shortly after the Royals announced that Terry Bradshaw is their new hitting coach.
Of course, the Royals didn’t sign the former Steelers quarterback who won four Super Bowls and is now a television commentator. But there were GIFs of that Bradshaw after the Royals’ news was released.
The Royals promoted the former St. Louis Cardinals outfielder who played in parts of the 1995 and ’96 seasons. This Terry Bradshaw has been the Royals’ minor-league hitting coordinator for five seasons.
The Royals’ Terry Bradshaw, however, often has been mistaken for the former Steelers great. In 2011, Bradshaw told Dick Kaegel for an MLB.com story that he’d gotten items mailed to his home that fans wanted autographed for years. He recounted that a fan sent him an action shot of the other Bradshaw and asked for an autograph.
“I mailed it back with a note,” Bradshaw said. “I said, ‘Right guy, wrong sport.’ ”
Bradshaw played in 34 games in his big-league career, and once made a trip to Pittsburgh. Guess what happened? While Bradshaw was staying at the Cardinals’ team hotel in 1996, he had contact lenses shipped to him. Someone in Pittsburgh added a special message on the package for Bradshaw.
“They’d written all over it, ‘Great job in the Super Bowls.’ ‘We love you, man.’ ‘Thanks for the four Super Bowls.’ They thought it was the quarterback,” Bradshaw told Kaegel.
During that trip, Bradshaw had a four-hit game against the Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium.
“And at the bottom of the scoreboard, they put, ‘And not the quarterback,’ ” Bradshaw told Kaegel.
MINORS
Royals' Lopez continues to rake in Fall League
November 7, 2017 By Mike Rosenbaum/MLB.com
http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/260887662/royals-nicky-lopez-raking-in-fall-league/
Nicky Lopez has made a name for himself in this year's Arizona Fall League with his pure hitting ability. On Tuesday afternoon, however, it was the shortstop's power which stood out most as he helped lead Surprise to a 6-1 win over Glendale at Camelback Ranch.
Lopez, Kansas City's No. 11 prospect, belted the third pitch he saw from Glendale starting pitcher Andrew Sopko over the wall in right field for a leadoff home run, his first homer in the Fall League.
"I haven't had [a leadoff home run] in a while, so when I hit that it felt pretty good," said Lopez, who hit two home runs during the regular season while slashing .279/.348/.356 in 129 games between Class A Advanced Wilmington and Double-A Northwest Arkansas.
The left-handed-hitting shortstop would later add a line-drive single to the opposite field before finishing 2-for-5 with two runs scored. He improved his AFL average to .385 in the process, while the pair of hits gives him a league-leading 25 through 16 games with Surprise.