You make a good point. Bo Jackson was the most extraordinary athlete I've ever seen and, really, I only watched him play baseball -- not football. There is no doubt that if Jackson had concentrated on baseball, he would have become a great player. He was just fine-tuning his baseball skills and instincts when the left hip injury from football short-circuited his career.

The highlight tapes that you still see today captivate his amazing attributes: Crushing enormous home runs, flying through the air for a Superman catch, launching the unbelievable throw in Seattle, climbing the outfield wall. Bo had power and speed, muscle and smarts. Besides that, he was a fine gentleman and he always treated me, as a reporter, with great respect.

In his five years for the Royals, Jackson was a .250 hitter with 109 home runs and 313 RBIs. He really had just four full seasons with them before his injury caused him to be released on March 18, 1991. You're right, his stats alone will not get him into the Royals Hall of Fame. He was a .250 hitter with 109 homers and 313 RBIs for the Royals.

Yet he hit the longest home run in Kauffman Stadium history -- 475 feet -- and four others of 450 feet or more. He was the MVP of the 1989 All-Star Game. The memorable feats mentioned above, and others, stamp him as a legendary figure that transcends bare statistics. Jackson's dazzling aura has endured the passage of time and last year, for the first time, I voted for him as a Royals Hall of Famer. He did not make it and perhaps never will but, in my opinion, he deserves consideration because of his lasting impact. Bo would fit right in alongside the scout who signed him -- Art Stewart.

I often remember "The Throw" at Seattle, where Bo, from the warning track, threw a strike to catcher Bob Boone and nailed Harold Reynolds -- who was running from first base at the crack of the bat -- at the plate. Afterward, I found Reynolds in the Mariners' clubhouse watching the videotape of the play over and over again. "How did he do that?" Reynolds kept saying. That pretty much sums up Bo: Too incredible to believe.

When was the last time a Royals closer had 40-plus saves?
-- Johnson J., Topeka, Kan.

That's happened just three times in club history. Jeff Montgomery's 45 in 1993 was the latest. Dan Quisenberry had 44 in 1984 and 45 in 1983. With 33 as of Monday, Joakim Soria already has the most in 10 years, and he has a shot at the 40 plateau.

Have a question about the Royals? E-mail your query to MLB.com Royals beat reporter Dick Kaegel for possible inclusion in a future Inbox column. Letters may be edited for brevity, length and/or content. First Name, Last Initial: Hometown: Email Address: Question:

With Mike Aviles hitting so well this year, I was wondering what the qualifications are to be batting champion?
-- Clint M., Overland Park, Kan.

The Major League champion needs 502 plate appearances or an average of 3.1 in a 162-game schedule. Since you submitted the question, Aviles' average has gone down a bit, to .317 on Monday, although that compared favorably to the .321 of co-leaders Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox and Joe Mauer of the Twins. Aviles does not currently qualify to be listed among the official leaders and will fall far short of the necessary plate appearances, probably finishing with about 400 if he plays every day.

I've been following Kila Ka'aihue for a while in both Double-A and Triple-A. He is destroying opposing pitching anywhere he goes. When is he going to get his chance in the big leagues?
-- Matt K., Kansas City, Mo.

Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. A September call up is always possible, of course, but there are guys who probably should get another look ahead of him. Most notably Ryan Shealy, another first baseman, has done well enough to deserve a reassessment. When the active rosters can be expanded on Sept. 1, pitcher Carlos Rosa, catcher Matt Tupman and outfielder Shane Costa could get a call because they're already on the 40-man roster. It would require some 40-man roster changes to bring up players who aren't on it, such as pitcher Yasuhiko Yabuta, catcher Brayan Pena and outfielder Mike Stodolka. That's also the case with Ka'aihue, and it's probably a long shot that we'll see him in a Major League uniform this year.

Are they going to continue to allow Tony Pena Jr. to sit the bench and be a defensive replacement the rest of the year? Why don't they send him to Omaha and get him some at-bats? Is he out of options?
-- Doug P., Claremore, Okla.

Pena is out of options. For him to go to Omaha, he'd have to clear outright waivers, and those are irrevocable. If another club would claim him, he's gone. So that's a risk the Royals don't want to take because they haven't given up on him. A shortstop who can field like Pena is hard to find. So they're hoping he can recapture the bat he showed in the first half of 2007. Sure, he needs some competitive swings and, hopefully, he can get a bunch in winter ball. Don't forget, one middle-of-the-infield possibility for 2009 is Pena at shortstop and Mike Aviles at second base.