6B
SPORTS
banning
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2007
Boston's Curt Schilling and Kansas City's Gil Meche face off today at Kauffman Stadium. First pitch for the season opener is set for 3:10 p.m.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
High-profile additions ready for opening day
BY DOUG TUCKER
ASSOCIATED PRESS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Some of the most high-profile additions either team has ever had will be in uniform when the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals open their season on Monday.
Curt Schilling, the veteran All-
Star right-hander, will oppose Kansas City's Gil Meche, whose five-year, $55 million free agent contract set a Royals record.
Manning third base for the Royals will be rookie Alex Gordon, last season's minor league player of the year and Kansas City's most highly touted prospect since Carlos Beltran.
Ready to make his much-antici.
pated American debut on Thursday will be right-hander Daisuki Matsuzaka, who cost Boston more than $100 million and will have about 125 Japanese media chronicling his every move.
The Red Sox, third last year in the AL. East after eight consecutive second-place finishes, also will have an expensive newcomer in right field in
Michael Dwyer/ASSOCIATED PRESS
veteran I.D. Drew, and their 13th different opening day second baseman in 14 years in Dustin Pedroia.
"Opening day is 24 hours away," Boston manager Terry Francona said Sunday as the Red Sox went through a light workout. "If you're not optimistic, you're crazy. But I think we have a legitimate reason to be optimistic. We think we've got a pretty good team."
Hitting leadoff for the Red Sox will be another newcomer, Julio Lugo, whose .357 on-base percentage from 2004-06 was fifth among major league shortstops.
Will Chaifetz, 10, of Canton, Mass., right, gazes into a case of autographed baseballs Sunday at a souvenir shop across the street from Fenway Park in Boston. The Boston Red Sox will play their first game of the regular season Monday in Kansas City, Mo. against the Royals.
Next in a potentially potent lineup will be No. 2 hitter Kevin Youkilis, followed by sluggers David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez.
It could all add up to a lot of RBI opportunities for Drew, we'll bat fifth after leading the Dodgers in 2006 with 100 RBI and tying for the team lead with 20 homers.
Four players placed on disabled list Sundav
The 40-year-old Schilling, who also had a good spring, will be hoping to erase memories of his start in Kansas City last Aug. 10, when he lost 5-4 after giving up an AL record-tying 10 extra-base hits.
"His velocity's been a little better.
His command's been a little better."
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals completed their 25-man roster Sunday by placing four players on the disabled list and purchasing the contracts of third baseman Alex Gordon and right-hander Brandon Duckworth from Triple-A Omaha.
"I feel great, right where I want to be as far as everything goes," said Drew, who signed a five-year, $70 million contract. "If I can avoid any major injuries, I think I'll have a good year. I feel like I was able to get a lot of hits this spring and keep myself right where I wanted to be."
Placed on the DL were left-hander John Bale (shoulder strain) and right-handers Scott Elarton (shoulder surgery), Luke Hudson (shoulder strain) and Leo Nunez (bruised wrist).
Gordon, last season's minor league player of the year, will start at third. Duckworth will take the fifth spot in the rotation.
said Francona. "Again, he's not coming back from an injury. I think he was actually better this spring than he was (in previous springs)."
The Royals have had only one winning season in the past 14 years. But they are cautiously confident they have improved enough to avoid a fourth-straight 100-loss campaign.
They did get a setback last week when right-hander Octavio Dotel, signed to close for a bullpen that blew a major league-high 31 saves, came up with a strained muscle on his left side.
Manager Buddy Bell said Dotel, who has been two years coming back from reconstructive elbow surgery, would not be available until Wednesday at the earliest.
Associated Press
"We'll re-evaluate on Wednesday," Bell said. "If he's still having trouble then, there's a chance we might put him on the DL. We don't think it's a long-term situation."
Meche will be the Rovals' sixth
different opening-day starter in six years. The right-hander, 11-8 last year for Seattle, will be making his first opening-day start.
"I'm thrilled to death," the seven- year veteran said.
"I get to take the ball, go against Schilling, and give it all I've got. I've never done this before. I've always watched Jamie Moyer pitch opening day for the most part. I've always been excited to watch the game but now to get to play in it is going to be a lot different."
The muscular, soft-spoken Gordon did nothing in the spring to dampen fan enthusiasm. He hit .317 with 12 RBIs, two triples and two home runs.
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"A lot of Japanese reporters have been asking me about Dice-K since some people are saying he's the No. 1 prospect this year and I'm the No. 2, or whatever," Gordon said. "It'll be exciting to face him. From what you hear, he's got awesome stuff."
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"It's just knowing we're the champions," Bish said. "It's not every opening day that you can do something like this."
Cardinals celebrate championship
Kristin Casey, 27, brought her 4-month-old son, Connor.
BY JIM SALTER ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kristina Bish, 27, was at the game with her fiance, Matt Kahn, 26 — they met buying tickets to the 2004 playoffs.
ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals returned to Busch Stadium Sunday night just where they left off in October, surrounded by the ever-ardering mass of red.
"We can talk about it when he gets older." Casey said. "He was part of the World Series whether he was in the womb or here in Busch Stadium. So it's special."
For this Opening Day, Cardinals fans really had something to cheer about — the teams first world championship since 1982. The last game of the first year at the new stadium ended with Adam Wanwright striking out Detroit's Brandon Inge to end the deciding Game 5 of the World Series.
Outside of the Yankees, the Cardinals — with 10 world championships and 17 pennants — are the most successful team in baseball history. And they're never hesitant to bask in that rich tradition.
"They give me a kick every time I see them," Tony La Russa, Cardinals manager, said.
Such was the case Sunday, as several players from the team's most recent championship seasons — 1982 and 1967 — participated in pregame ceremonies. The list included 1967's Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Tim McCarver, Mike Shannon and Julian Javier, along with manager Red Schoendienst; and 1982's Bruce Sutter, Keith Hernandez, Bob Forsch, Joaquin Andujar and Dave LaPoint, along with manager White Herzog. The loudest applause, though, was for 86-year-old Stan Musial, wearing his traditional red jacket.
The Cardinals unveiled flags atop a scoreboard denoting all 10 World Series titles, along with a big sign, "World Champions." A large pennant noting the 2006 championship was raised just below the American flag
A motorcade of alternately red and white Ford Mustangs carried players, coaches and La Russa around the field to loud cheers. La Russa was greeted warmly despite a drunken-driven arrest earlier last month in Florida. The cars passed the World Series trophy that sat near home plate.
The Budweiser Clydesdales circled the field prior to the game, a tradition unique to St. Louis, home of Anheuser-Busch, which once owned the team.
"We try to downplay what happened last year and we're going to go out and approach them like any other team," first baseman Carlos Delgado said before the game.
Pre-game entertainment was an eclectic mix that included actor Billy Bob Thornton, who grew up a Cardinals fan in Arkansas, serving as co-encue along with Cardinals broadcaster John Rooney; and '70s rockers REO Speedwagon signing the national anthem.
One thing missing from Sunday's ceremony was the handing out of World Series rings. After an off day Monday, the Cardinals get their rings Tuesday — fans also get replica rings.
All the while, a few Mets — who lost in seven games to the Cardinals in the NLCS — mostly seemed to ignore the festivities. A few jogged in the outfield or stretched.
La Russa, entering his 12th season in St. Louis, said the adoration is nice, but it's time to get down to the business of trying to repeat. La Russa and Sparky Anderson are the only managers to win titles in both leagues.
above the left-center field stands.
"There's nothing wrong with enjoying the banner and then the rings, but those all happen before the game," La Russa said. "Then you just switch it off and concentrate on '07."
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