NewsRoyals ready for first visit to new park
Kansas City (64-92) at New York (100-56), 6:05 p.m. CT
By Dick Kaegel / MLB.com
09/27/09 6:25 PM ET
KANSAS CITY -- Through the whim of the schedule makers, the Royals are the last club to visit new Yankee Stadium in its inaugural season. So it'll be a new experience for virtually everyone on the roster except outfielder Josh Anderson. He was there this season as a member of the Detroit Tigers."It's nice, it's like a power-wash version of the old stadium," Anderson said.
Certainly old Yankee Stadium could have used some cleaning up despite its glorious antiquity. The new stadium has incorporated some touches of the past.
"It's a nice place, but the ball really does fly there," Anderson said. "Left field is tough there because of the sun, probably one of the toughest in the league I'd think. I'm no real fan of New York, but it's a nice stadium. They've done a good job."
Through Saturday, there had been 228 home runs hit at new Yankee Stadium, including 128 by the home team. That was the most at any venue; second was Rangers Ballpark, with 213, followed by Milwaukee's Miller Park at 198.
"I've heard the ball flies [at Yankee Stadium]," said first baseman Billy Butler.
"Yeah, it's an airport," said manager Trey Hillman said.
"I look forward to taking batting practice and going deep every time," said third baseman Alex Gordon.
Old Yankee Stadium wasn't very kind to the Royals. They had a 67-134 regular-season record there, including just 6-31 starting since the 2000 season. So the change isn't causing teardrops in Kansas City. Bring on the new stadium.
Rookie pitcher Dusty Hughes visited the old stadium just once and as a spectator.
"I played summer league in like 2001 or something and took the train up from Connecticut and stayed overnight in Manhattan," Hughes said. "We sat in the bleachers, way away from the actual action. It was nice. Roger Clemens pitched that night and Jim Thome hit an upper-deck shot off him in the first inning. Thome was my favorite player, so that was awesome for me."
The Royals are looking forward to their own new quarters, of course. The old visitors' clubhouse was, shall we say, a bit cramped and old-fashioned. You expected to look up and see Jimmie Foxx or George Sisler or Lou Boudreau.
"I'm definitely looking forward to a different clubhouse. It was old and had history, but it was pretty tight," Gordon said.
Luke Hochevar pitched once in the old stadium, throwing six scoreless innings on June 9, 2008, before giving up a two-run homer to Alex Rodriguez in the seventh.
"We ended up winning that game. [Miguel] Olivo hit a home run and we won, 3-2," Hochevar said.
So what about all this talk about how the home runs fly out of the new place?
"I'm not concerned, though," Hochevar said, adding with a smile: "The ball flies everywhere if you leave it up."
Pitching matchupKC: RHP Luke Hochevar (7-11, 5.98 ERA)
Hochevar can't find the consistency he needs. After cruising to a complete-game, three-hit shutout at Chicago, he faced the Red Sox last Wednesday night and notched four scoreless innings. However, that was followed by a six-run fifth inning in which Hochevar just couldn't stop the bleeding. He couldn't make the big pitch when he had to and now has just that one victory to show for his past 11 starts. At least Hochevar has avoided the long ball to a great extent, giving up just two homers in his past seven starts. NYY: RHP Chad Gaudin (5-10, 4.78 ERA)
In what seemed like an audition for a postseason start, Gaudin pitched four scoreless innings against the Angels before running into trouble in the fifth. He settled for allowing two runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings, walking two and striking out three, leaving the Yankees to flip a coin between Gaudin and Joba Chamberlain should it come down to that in the playoffs. Now a fully fledged member of New York's rotation, the Yankees have won all four of Gaudin's September starts, as he has posted a 4.05 ERA in 20 innings. He has not faced the Royals this season. Crown points
Head athletic trainer Nick Swartz, who'll retire at the end of the season, threw out the ceremonial first pitch on Sunday as the Royals' players gathered on the field behind him. Swartz threw a strike to his son, Eric. The players made sure he didn't leave without parting gifts. The pitchers gave him a Rolex watch and the position players gave a Hawaiian shirt, his sartorial trademark, and a vacation to the islands for him and wife CeeCee. ... The Royals haven't met the Yankees since the opening series this season at newly renovated Kauffman Stadium. The Yankees won two out of three in that series. ... Zack Greinke will go through the season without facing the Bronx Bombers. ... The "Shirts Off Their Backs" promotion on Saturday night raised more than $25,000 for Ronald McDonald House of Kansas City. Approximately 100 volunteers sold out the supply of scratch-off tickets for the players' jerseys. Tickets
Buy tickets now to catch the game in person.
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• KCSP 610 Up next
• Tuesday: Royals (Anthony Lerew, 0-1, 3.86) at Yankees (A.J. Burnett, 12-9, 4.19), 6:05 p.m. CT
• Wednesday: Royals (Robinson Tejeda, 4-2, 3.41) at Yankees (Joba Chamberlain, 9-6, 4.72), 6:05 p.m. CT
• Thursday: Off-day
Dick Kaegel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
