MONDAY,AUGUST 18,2003
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 19B
Pena's outlook helps to lift Royals to top spot in division
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — When Kansas City Royals owner David Glass starts feeling discouraged, he reaches out to the happiest person he knows.
"I just call Tony Pena," Glass said. "You couldn't stay discouraged around Tony if you wanted to."
But amid all the excitement and optimism the perpetually upbeat Pena has created in his first full season as a big league manager, who would want to?
There are 40 games left in what seems to be a charmed season for Missouri's long-woeful American League franchise. But they have already won more games and sold more tickets than all of last season.
Tough, resourceful and amazingly resistant to injuries that cripple most clubs, the Royals remind New York Yankees manager Joe Torre of the Angels team that won the 2002 World Series.
"They may not have as much experience as the Angels did, but they've got some young kids who are believing in themselves," Torre said. "It's the same kind of feisty lineup."
An 11-0 rout of Torre's Yankees on Wednesday night was the perfect illustration of the kind of season the surprise leaders of the AL Central have enjoyed.
Centre have started pitcher was 35-year-old Kevin Appier, released by the Angels last month seemingly washed up. In center field in place of ailing star Carlos Beltran was a 10-year minor league veteran named Aaron Guiel who had played the position only twice.
At second base for the overworked Desi Relaford was journeyman Mendy Lopez, who'd been on the disabled list for nearly
Pena
two months and hadn't hit a home run since 2001.
So Appier pitches six sh u t o u t innings, Guiel plays flawlessly and Lopez
clubs a two-run home run.
And the Royals with their $41 million payroll win a home series from the New Yorkers and their $180 million payroll for the first time since 1993.
"It was just more of the magical season for us," said DH Mike Sweeney.
"For us to win, let alone score 11 runs against the Yankees makes you scratch your head. It just goes to show you that Tony Pena is the manager of the year and we're playing Tony Pena baseball. He tells us, 'Go out and have fun, boys. Don't get nervous, don't feel pressure, just have fun.'
Pena, a longtime national league catcher, was named manager in May, 2002 and began his first full season by pounding home his "believe" theme the first day of spring training.
"Confucius say if you love what you're doing, you don't have to work for the rest of your life," Pena said.
Peta said.
"And I do not have to work for the rest of my life because this is my love and this is my passion and this is why I have so much fun."
Having fun seems to be keeping Pena's players at full capacity.
"The confidence is tremendous," said Appier, who was traded by the Royals in 1999. "It's an extremely relaxed atmosphere. Not lazy-relaxed, but loose."
Another reason the Royals have continued to win is their 306 average with runners in scoring
position, the best in the majors.
"It suggests that they have a plan when they go up to the plate," said Torre. "They're not just going up
there looking for the ball and hitting the ball. They have an idea in their approach to hitting off certain pitchers, what they want to do."
And that, Torre says, goes back to leadership.
"fony's done a heck of a job, not only with the preparation but with making it fun for them," Torre said. "There's a lot of pressure in this game. When your manager shows a lot of confidence in you, it makes it less stressful."
The only possible downside to what Sweeney calls this magical season may be obesity, high cholesterol and every other malady that comes from eating five million doughnuts.
the talk of the town, Krispy Kreme is giving a dozen free glazed doughnuts to anybody who brings in a ticket stub from a game where the Rovals got a dozen hits.
In a promotion that's become
Talk about batter up.
As of Friday, the Royals have hit the dozen mark in 19 home games. If every ticket stub is redeemed and the Royals go into a slump and don't get even one more 12-hit game, fans will waddle off with 5,421,456 of the warm, sugary, high-calorie treats
It gives workers at Krispy Kreme shops another reason to tune their radio to the Royals.
Once the Royals get close to the magic number, "We just start making them as fast as possible," said Christy Norton, who manages a Krispy Kreme near Kauffman Stadium. "Usually within 24 hours after the game, we get a thousand Royals tickets."
Ticketholders who choose to delay their gratification have until Oct. 31 to cash in.
Oct. 14 "I'm scared," Norton said with a laugh. "I'm asking for the 31st of October off."
Date Opponent Time Television
Aug. 18 at New York Yankees 6:05 PM RSTN
Aug. 19 at NYY 6:05 PM RSTN
Aug. 20 at NYY 12:05 PM
Aug. 21 at Minnesota Twins 7:05 P RSTN
Aug. 22 at MIN 7:05 PM RSTN
Aug. 23 at MIN 6:05 PM RSTN
Aug. 24 at MIN 1:05 PM KMCI-38
Aug. 25 Off
Aug. 26 vs. Texas Rangers 7:05 PM RSTN
Aug. 27 vs.TEX 7:05 PM
Aug. 28 vs.TEX 7:05 PM
Aug. 29 vs.Anaheim Angels 7:05 PM
Aug. 30 vs.ANA 6:05 PM
Aug. 31 vs.ANA 1:05 PM RSTN
ROYALS REMAINING AUGUST SCHEDULE
■ RSTN games are broadcast on Sunflower Broadband channel 6. KMCI-38 games are broadcast on Sunflower Broadband channel 15.
Allen Iverson plopped himself down, covered his cornrows with a red, white and blue doo rag and pronounced himself proud to be representing all Americans — especially the troubled ones with whom he has something in common.
Iverson happy to play for national team
"In a lot of people's eyes, I'm not supposed to be here. Talent-wise, people look at it as though
I'm supposed to be here, but personality-wise and who I am, people don't think so," Iverson said.
"I have flaws — just
Iverson
like people in any country. There's a lot of people in all different countries that have flaws and have made mistakes, and I just want to represent that."
Sunday was a special day for Iverson, the culmination of years of waiting and hoping that someday he'd be deemed worthy enough to represent his homeland.
Iverson was out there with the rest of the U.S. men's basketball team as they held their first practice in preparation for an Olympic qualifying tournament later this month in Puerto Rico, and it was somewhat of a strange sight to see the 6-foot Iverson bouncing his skinny, tattooed body around while wearing the letters "USA" on his jersey.
The U.S. basketball federation passed over Iverson for inclusion on last summer's World Championship team, but he was added to the Olympic roster thanks in part to some lobbying from his former coach, Larry Brown.
To Iverson, one of the most fulfilling aspects was making the team without having to remake himself.
"That means everything to me. I don't want to change who
I am, because I'm satisfied with the person my mom raised, and I'm satisfied with being the husband and the father that I am. I still make mistakes, I've got rough edges, I'm human just like everybody else."
Iverson has been picked on for his habitual lateness, his domestic abuse arrest, his rap sheet from his days as an incarcerated teenager, his affinity for firearms, his diet, his choice of clothes and the caliber of the people he hangs around with.
But six years after entering the NBA, he remains as proud of his past and devoted to his roots as he was the day he came into the league as the No. 1 overall pick of the 1996 draft.
"I'm happy I was able to make this team without having to cut my hair off and laser my tattoos off, and wear a suit and all that, and stop hanging with the people who love me," Iverson said. "I'm just happy that I was accepted and picked to be on this team because it shows how far I've been in my career."
Iverson had only 10 teammates on the floor with him as 40-year-old Karl Malone missed practice while traveling cross-country from his new home in Los Angeles.
Malone is expected at practice Monday when Brown should pick up the pace following a Sunday practice that was run at half-speed.
Reporters were allowed to watch the final 30 minutes of practice and got a chance to see Iverson come up with a steal in a scrimmage, drive the middle while splitting three defenders and dish a soft pass to Jermaine O'Neal that bounced off his fingertips for a turnover.
The American team figures to improve over the next 10 days while practicing in New York before the trip to Puerto Rico. They open the qualifying tournament Aug.20 against Brazil.