Sunday, June 6, 2010

Royals put hitting philosophy in place early

Royals put hitting philosophy in place early

Royals put hitting philosophy in place early

Posted: 02 Jun 2010 05:48 PM PDT

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By Dick Kaegel / MLB.com

06/02/10 8:30 PM ET

KANSAS CITY -- The Royals, despite a recent scoring drought, were still second among Major League clubs in batting at .278 after Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Angels.

Beyond that, manager Ned Yost likes the way the Royals are applying hitting basics throughout the organization.

"They're teaching them two-strike approach, they're teaching them situational hitting, they're teaching them how to to bunt, they're teaching them offensive fundamentals and it's the same approach at each level at each team and it has to be like that," Yost said.

"Because when they get here, you don't want to have to teach a kid a two-strike approach. I tried that in Milwaukee and it's tough to do. But these kids here have it and know it."

Yost, who formerly managed the Brewers, sees a different approach by the Royals.

"In Milwaukee, we were bombers, I mean those kids from one to eight [in the batting order] were going to the 25 homers a year but their approach didn't change from the first pitch to the last pitch," Yost said. "These guys [the Royals] take their walks, they try to get in good hitting counts, they go to all parts of the field and it's a learning process and it's easier taught young than old. They do it right here."

Yost likes what he sees from KC bullpen

KANSAS CITY -- Call Royals manager Ned Yost quite pleased with the improvement in the bullpen.

The relievers' ERA is down to 4.66 from 5.19 when he took over the club on May 14. Entering Wednesday night's game against the Angels, the bullpen's ERA in the Yost era was 3.53.

There was a picture-perfect example in Tuesday night's 6-3 Royals victory as Robinson Tejeda and Blake Wood flawlessly set up a save for closer Joakim Soria.

"I think since we got here, we implemented the new pitching program and it's starting to pay some dividends. Woody and Robby both threw on the side before the game to prepare them for the game and the results were pretty obvious when they came in," Yost said. "It's just practicing your craft before the game a little bit and it helps."

Yost and pitching coach Bob McClure have had their relievers practicing off a mound rather than throwing on flat ground as they often did previously.

"Why play catch in the outfield with another pitcher when you can get on the mound and do it in your environment, practice off the plate, focus on commanding your pitch every time," Yost said. "And sometimes it's a 15-to-20 pitch session at 75 percent but you're practicing your craft. I mean we take batting practice every day, we take ground balls every day, what are the pitchers practicing? Get them on the mound and let them practice."

That's not the only reason for the recent improvement, of course.

"I think settling into roles has helped a little bit and they all understand at what spot in the game they're going to be pitching in and those things all add up," Yost said.

One of the key moves has been using rookie Wood as the eighth-inning setup man for Soria.

"He's got a 96 mile-an-hour fastball that I describe as having teeth," Yost said. "It bores in on right-handed hitters hard, it bores away hard on left-handed hitters so it's a very difficult pitch to handle. So he's not going to need much secondary pitches as long as he can command that first one."

Tejeda's season has been a study in contrasts. With his 1 1/3 scoreless innings on Tuesday night, Tejeda had given up just one earned run in his last 18 1/3 innings. In his first 8 1/3 innings this season, he'd given up 12 earned runs.

Pitchers take their hacks for Interleague

KANSAS CITY -- It's pitchers' play time around the batting cage these days, as the Royals prepare for their first Interleague action at National League cities this month. That starts on June 11 at Cincinnati and later they'll visit Atlanta and Washington.

The American League pitchers don't get to hit often and there's a lot of frivolity as they get in their licks. Hitting coach Kevin Seitzer added some humor on Wednesday with a slow curveball that had Luke Hochevar flailing helplessly.

"I thought I'd drop an equalizer on him. When they start getting happy, I've got to go bender, up-and-in cheese," Seitzer said, laughing. "Then all of a sudden, it wasn't that pretty."

Starters Zack Greinke, Brian Bannister and Bruce Chen joined Hochevar in the cage on Wednesday. Kyle Davies was preparing to pitch against the Angels.

"Zack is unbelievable and Banny's got a real good idea of what he's doing in there, too. K.D. is swinging all right and Hoch has made vast improvements, staying in the middle of the field but I had to drop a little bender on him because all they've been hitting is fastballs all week," Seitzer said. "They've been having a good time with it. I try to throw it in their wheelhouse so they can have a little bit of fun."

Chen whistled some line drives around the field.

"He's got a short stroke and, matter of fact, last year he got a start in Pittsburgh and had a walk, a double down the left-field line and hit another ball sharply, if I remember right," Seitzer said.

The Royals don't expect too much from pitchers who normally don't hit.

"We just want them to get a bunt down and maybe put the ball in play to move a runner if need be," Seitzer said, "and whatever we get will be a plus."

Moustakas receives another honor

KANSAS CITY -- Third baseman Mike Moustakas was the Royals' Minor League Player of the Month in May and was awarded the same honor by the Texas League.

Moustakas hit .393 (35-for-89) in 25 games for Northwest Arkansas with 22 runs, seven doubles, nine homers and 32 RBIs. With 15 walks, he had an on-base percentage of .486.

He missed the last four games of the month with a bruised knee.

Worth noting

The Royals Wives Food Drive begins before Thursday afternoon's game and continues on Friday and Saturday nights. Non-perishable food items will be collected at Kauffman Stadium Gates B and D on Thursday from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. CT. ... Alex Gordon hit his ninth homer and raised his average to .376, as Triple-A Omaha won at New Orleans, 9-2. David Lough hit his fifth homer. ... Eric Hosmer's two hits in Class A Wilmington's 3-2 win at Kinston raised his average to .354.

Dick Kaegel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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