Section A·Page 10
The University Daily Kansan
Thursday, March 16, 2000
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Royals pleased with new owner
HAINES CITY, Fla. — Although they dared not anything publicly, the people who run the Kansas City Royals were almost all rooting for former Wal-Mart CEO David Glass to get the team.
The Associated Press
As chairman of the Royals board since the death of team founder Ewing Kauffman, Glass had proven supportive and easy to work for. The expected news Tuesday that Glass had been awarded the team for $66 million was particularly pleasing to manager Tony Muser.
"I think it's great," Muser said. "It's something we've wanted here for a long, long time. I think he's a good man. He showed that he's a lover of baseball, and he's committed to baseball in Kansas City."
General manager Herk Robinson also has found Glass easy to work for.
"David is a delightful guy, and very, very smart," Robinson said several weeks ago, before the board made Glass the winner in bidding against rum heir Facundo Bacardi and New York lawyer Miles Prentice.
"I think if you talked to the people at Wal-Mart, that would tell you the same thing," Robinson said. "David Glass is a very smart man, a very good man."
Muser's loyalty to Glass was cemented in 1998, his first year as manager, after AL president Gene Budig suspended him for eight days following a brawl between the Royals and the Anahem Angels.
The Royals played in Houston the following week and Glass asked for a breakfast meeting with his field manager.
"He came to my room." Muser said.
"We had coffee. He told me he didn't
feel I had done anything wrong, that I supported the baseball team in a professional manner, and that the suspension should not damage my professionalism. I appreciated that and still do. I always will."
As a rookie manager on a team that was losing, Muser naturally felt the unusually harsh eight-game suspension might get him in trouble with his bosses. Glass assured him that was not the case.
"I appreciated that because I was kind of out there on an island all by myself." Muser said.
Although Glass is not experienced in the nuances of baseball, Muser said Glass knew the game.
"I haven't had a ton of conversations with him, but he knows exactly what's going on," Muser said. "He knows other teams. He knows other players. He loves people who work hard and people who play hard."
Team ready to go outside
Continued from page 7A
This new team has made some adjustments, too.
"You have to get used to the elements," Ajayi said. "Indoors the curves are tighter and the track is harder on your shins. Outdoors is more comfortable, and we get fewer injuries because the track is softer."
The track may be softer, but there is still a long season ahead of the team.
"It's hard to keep going because we've been running non-stop since September," Ajayi said. "A lot of us are still dealing with the change of the coaches, and it's hard because we're all tired, but we're ready for outdoors."
The change of coaches Ajayi referred to was the athletic department's decision not to renew the contracts of coach Schwartz and his staff for next year.
Track notes
Kansas' multi-event athletes, including freshmen Shane Weiszbrod and Megan Wray, sophomore Dorian Jordan and juniors Andy Morris and Ashley Pyle, will travel to Texas A&M to compete in the heptathlon and decathlon March 25.
Defensive newcomers get acquainted on turf
Continued from page 7A
"Being from Southern California, I've never seen turf before," Atkinson said. "I never stepped on turf until I came here."
After practicing on the artificial turf, Atkinson rolled down one of his socks and revealed a nasty-looking rug burn on his shin.
"It'll get you," he said. "But other than that, it's a lot faster, so that's nice."
Atkinson is listed on the depth chart as a nose tackle but has experience at all defensive line positions.
"In junior college I played defensive end, I played nose guard, defensive tackle — played every position on d-line, basically," he said.
The defensive line returns only one letterman, nose tackle Nate Dwyer, although in addition to Atkinson, there are several redshirt freshmen linemen participating in
"Being from Southern California, I've never seen turf before."
Ryan Atkinson Kansas defensive lineman
"We haven't put the full pads on yet, so it's hard to make an evaluation on those guys," Allen said. "We should know a little bit more after Thursday."
On the injury front, receivers Eric Patterson and Termaire Fulton, who both had minor surgery in February, are expected to be able to return to full drills after spring break. Redshirt freshman tight end Adrian Jones, who was injured in an automobile accident, will meet with his doctors during spring break and perhaps get clearance to practice.
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