Major League Baseball: Kansas City Royals
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Salvador Perez has been on Kansas City Royals teams that were picked to lose 90 games, finish last in the AL Central and struggle so much that a total rebuild would have been apropos.
Matter of fact, a lot like this one.
But those teams usually exceeded expectations, winning the AL pennant one year and the World Series the next, before starting to backtrack. And the veteran catcher with the quick smile and quicker throw to second base believes the Royals can do the same thing this season.
Theyll start that chase on opening day against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday.
It happens every year. Nobody believes in Kansas City. Thats what I saw on my internet, the social (media), said Perez, who will begin the season on the disabled list after sustaining a freak knee injury while carrying a suitcase up some stairs in his home Tuesday night.
We need to come play hard, Perez said, and see what happens after the last out.
The Royals and White Sox both have high hopes, even if nobody else does.
Kansas City lost star first baseman Eric Hos-mer and outfielder Lorenzo Cain as free agents, and big questions remain elsewhere in the lineup. The starting rotation is shaky behind opening day starter Danny Duffy, and nobody in the bullpen seems to have their spot entirely locked up.
Were loving it. We think were going to surprise a lot of people, said outfielder Alex Gordon, who more than perhaps anybody else is desperate for a bounce-back campaign.
I know a lot of people arent expecting a lot out of us, he said. With baseball, any time, youre going to have people leave. Its going to happen and youre going to have changes.
The White Sox have been in that cycle the past few years. But a wave of top prospects, headlined by second baseman Yoan
Moncada, grew exponentially while going 67-95 last season, and manager Edgar Renteria is hopeful that those growing pains will pay off this year.
Its the beginning of whatever story line you want to give it, he said ahead of opening day at Kauffman Stadium. Im sure with ups and downs, but youre always entering it with an optimistic viewpoint. I think were very happy with the way all these guys have gone about their business this spring and youre just ready to get the regular season going.
As the Royals and White Sox prepare to open a three-game series, here are some things to know:
DUFFYS HEALTH:
The Royals ace left his final spring training start with shoulder tightness, but he threw on the side Sunday and reported everything was OK for the opener. Hell be going against his former teammate James Shields, who is the opening day starter for the White Sox.
BIG BOUNCEBACKS:
Gordon continued to struggle throughout the spring, though manager Ned Yost has been steadfast in his corner. In the opposite dugout, White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson hopes to rebound after batting .257 during his first full season in the majors.
I believe in Alex, Yost said. I think he looked really, really good the last couple days in spring training and I was pleased about that.
