ROYALS TO HOST KIA TIGERS OF THE KOREAN BASEBALL ORGANIZATION IN SURPRISE, ARIZONA

KANSAS CITY, MO (January 12, 2012) — The Kansas City Royals announced today that the club will host the ten-time Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) national champion Kia Tigers at its complex in Surprise, Ariz., from January 16-February 19.

The Kia Tigers, the most successful team in the 31-year history of the Korean Baseball Organization, will bring 50 players to Arizona to prepare for their regular season. The club will be housed in the Royals minor league facilities and train on the back fields of the complex. The Tigers will share the facility with Royals Fantasy Camp during the week of January 30.

Baseball is a funny game. On any given day, history can be made, records can be broken, and players can etch their names permanently into stone. Regardless of a players career, or lack thereof, one game can immortialize them forever.

Courtesy of Minda Haas

That is what every player strives for. A game for the history books. A game that can etch their name into the stone history of America’s Pastime. Such a game happened this week in a Triple-A showdown between the i70 teams. The Memphis Redbirds took on the Omaha Stormchasers in Memphis and Luis Mendoza would take the mound for the Royals minor league affiliate from Omaha. But before the night was over Mendoza would see the unthinkable happen as his name would be erased from the “permanent” record books as quickly as it was etched.

His night was not perfect, he would open the night with a walk to Redbirds leadoff man Jim Rappaport. He would walk Bryan Anderson in the fifth and eight innings as well as Matt Carpenter in the later frame. The bottom of the ninth would bring a moment that has every baseball fan on the edge of their seats. Tyler Greene would hit a line drive to deep left field that would go off left fielder David Lough’s glove and richochet off the base of the wall. As fans, players, and media held their collective breath, the scorekeeper would rule the play an error. The end of the inning would arrive and find the Stormchasers celebrating the first nine inning no-hitter for an Omaha franchise since 1988.

It was five days prior to this no hitter that Mendoza took another into the eighth inning against Oklahoma City. Over the course of a week, the Royals prospect has rattled off back-to-back dominant performances and on this night in Memphis, had put the finishing touches on one of baseball’s elusive moments.

Then again, I did say baseball is a funny game.

Within minutes of the final out, the official scorekeeper reviewed that hard hit ball in the ninth and overturned the error. Greene was awarded a hit and Mendoza would have his second straight one hit outing. Funny how you can etch your name in stone and the baseball gods can find a way to erase it, no matter how permanent you thought it was.

Then again, baseball has a funny way of doing business.

News broke recently that the Memphis coaching staff has filed an official appeal with the league office concerning the scoring decision in the ninth inning. Per league rules, a decision from the league office will be received within 24 to 48 hours. Should the league reverse the scorer’s decision, the game will once again be declared a no-hitter. Should they refuse, the record books will stand with a one hitter for the Royals’ prospect.

Mendoza may see his name etched into stone, erased, and then put back within a matter of days. Time will tell if the player will have his no-hitter reinstated.

Like I said, it is a funny game.