KANSAS CITY -- When Reggie Sanders took one look at teammate Ross Gload, he immediately broke out into laughter on Tuesday at a sold-out Royals Welcome Home Luncheon.

While all the Royals showed up in suits and ties or sports coats and dress pants, Gload was wearing blue jeans and a casual shirt.

"I don't know how he didn't get the memo," Sanders said. "Everybody else got the memo."

Gload, however, managed to borrow a jacket from a Hyatt employee before the introductions on the podium.

"The coat has Hyatt written on it," Sanders said as the crowd roared.

The luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center was a more festive affair than in previous years because the Royals were coming off a 7-1 Opening Day victory over the Red Sox on Monday.

Gil Meche was brilliant in his Royals debut, holding the Red Sox to six hits and one run over 7 1/3 innings while striking out six and walking one.

Catcher John Buck deadpanned that Meche could do more.

"There were a couple of pitches he didn't listen to me," Buck said. "I didn't tell him to hit [David] Ortiz in the foot. I didn't tell him to give up the double for the RBI. We'll work on that."

Buck will be sharing catching duties with Jason LaRue, who he introduced as his "partner in crime."

"He's a little bit of a redneck, like me," Buck said. "We've been able to get along perfectly. Everybody thinks we're talking about catching, but it's usually, 'What's your draw length on your bow?' We've got all the coaches fooled that we're talking about pitches, but it's really redneck stuff."

While introducing the relievers, Jimmy Gobble called rookie Ryan Braun the "most intelligent guy on the staff" and then made the mistake of giving the microphone to Braun.

"I get razzed as a rookie, but I enjoy it, though, because this is where I want to be," Braun said. "But this whole intelligent thing, I guess it comes with the territory of graduating from college."

The Royals drafted Braun in 2003 after his senior year at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.

"So we're trying to squeeze into a baseball year a group of seven guys [relievers] learning things, but not everybody is getting it the first time around," Braun quipped.

Team captain Mike Sweeney introduced the infielders, but he wondered why. He no longer packs a glove, as he is strictly a designated hitter.

"I don't have much of a chance to play any infield this year, but I'll do my best and introduce the real athletes," Sweeney said. "They call me a part-time player because all I do is go up and hit. I think we've taken infield for about 45 straight days. When we do infield, they get on me because I go straight to the batting cages."

Sweeney first introduced Ryan Shealy, who general manager Dayton Moore acquired last July in a trade with the Rockies for Jeremy Affeldt and Denny Bautista.

"Even though Jeremy Affeldt is one of my best friends -- Dayton, wonderful trade, bud, awesome job," Sweeney said. "Ryan is going to help this team tremendously. He's going to be an anchor at first base."

Sweeney also brought up Alex Gordon's first at-bat on Monday.

"I know Royals fans probably couldn't have got a better way to introduce this young man to the big leagues," Sweeney said. "Bases loaded, 42,000 people in the stands, standing ovation, facing a future Hall of Famer in Curt Schilling -- no pressure."

"A lot of pressure, bud," said Gordon, who struck out in the first inning.

Sanders also had the task of introducing Mark Teahen, who was switched from third base to right field. Sanders was the Royals' 2006 Opening Day right fielder.

"Usually if a guy comes and plays in your position in right field, you say, 'Gosh, I don't like him.' Or 'Should I hate him?'" Sanders said with a laugh. "No. Teahen is a great, great human being. If there is anybody I would want to pass over [right field] to, it is Teahen, because he's a great guy."

After losing their previous two home openers, the Royals were nearly flawless in all aspects of their game in defeating the Red Sox.

"It's nice to have an off-day after a win like that," manager Buddy Bell said. "I'm not sure how many Opening Days for me -- but a lot -- but I still get anxious and still get butterflies in my stomach. I know how they feel. We handled it great. It's nice for them to get it out of the way.

"The energy in the ball park was exceptional. It doesn't get any better than that. Yesterday was as exciting an Opening Day that I've been around in a long time, and it wasn't just because of the win."

The Royals Welcome Home Luncheon was presented by Kansas City Zone Dodge Dealers and co-sponsored by Teva Neuroscience.