KANSAS CITY, MO (November 5, 2012) — The Kansas City Royals today announced that Terry Bradshaw was named the organization’s minor league hitting coordinator.  In addition, Jose Castro was named the assistant minor league hitting coordinator while Milt Thompson was named outfield, bunting and baserunning coordinator.

“Terry has been an integral part in the success of our young minor league hitters as they have progressed through our system and reached Kansas City,” said Royals Director of Player Development Scott Sharp.  “He now will have the ability to positively impact our hitters throughout all levels of the organization.”

“Jose is held in high esteem as a hitting coach,” said Sharp.  “We are excited that he will join the Royals and assist Terry in preparing our young players for the challenges of professional baseball.”

“Milt has a tremendous reputation in the game as being one of the best instructors in outfield, base running and bunting,” Sharp continued.  “We are very fortunate to have him join the Royals and know he will make an immediate impact on our young players.”

Bradshaw has spent the past four seasons as a hitting coach for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (AA).  Prior to that, he served five seasons with Triple-A Omaha.  Bradshaw played for parts of the two seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1995 and 1996.

Castro joins the organization from the Seattle Mariners where he served as the minor league hitting coordinator for the past five seasons, including 2010 when he worked in several roles including interim Major League hitting coach and was named Staff Member of the Year.  2012 was Castro’s 24th as a professional hitting coach.  He played 13 seasons in the minor leagues from 1977-89 after being drafted by the Phillies in 1977.  Castro and his wife, Lisa, reside in Miami, Fla., and have two children, Rachel and Matthew.

Thompson has worked the past two seasons as the Houston Astros minor league roving outfield and baserunning instructor.  After retiring from a 13-year Major League career with the Braves, Phillies, Cardinals, Astros, Dodgers and Rockies in 1996, Thompson has served as an instructor and coach for the last 16 years with the Rays, Phillies and Astros.  He joined the Phillies as the Major League first base coach during 2003 and later worked for more than five seasons as the club’s Major League hitting coach, including the 2008 World Series title campaign. As a player, the left-handed hitting outfielder batted .274 with 214 stolen bases in his big league career and was a key member of the 1993 World Series champion Phillies, recording 5 RBI in Game 4 of the World Series.  Thompson resides in Sewell, N.J., with his family.

KANSAS CITY, MO (October 24, 2012) – The Kansas City Royals today named Jack Maloof as the club’s Major League hitting coach and Andre David as the assistant Major League hitting coach.

“We are extremely pleased that both Jack and Andre will be joining our Major League staff,” said Royals manager Ned Yost.  “Both bring valuable experience as Major League hitting coaches.  In addition, they have worked closely with a majority of our young hitters from the moment they signed and that creates a comfort level that should prove very beneficial for all of us.”

“The Royals were fortunate to have a talented group of hitting coaches within our organization,” said Royals GM Dayton Moore.  “Jack and Andre have done a tremendous job developing young hitters throughout their careers and are highly-respected amongst both the players and their peers.”

Maloof joined the Royals in 2008 as the club’s Special Assistant to Player Development and Minor League Hitting Coordinator.  The 2013 season will mark his second stint as a Major League hitting coach, having served with the Florida Marlins in that capacity from 1999-2001.  With Florida, he helped the club’s batting average rise in his first season by 15 points while the Marlins increased their home run production from 114 in 1998, the year prior to his arrival, to 166 in 2001.  In addition to his time with the Marlins, Maloof has also worked in the San Diego and Atlanta organizations.  Maloof played eight minor leagues seasons and one more with the Seibu Lions in Japan in 1979 and was named Topps Minor League Player of the Year in 1971 after batting .402.  He and his wife, Joan, make their home in Chandler, Ariz., and have two children, Justin and Jessica, and two grandchildren.

David will be in his 15^th season in the Royals organization in 2013.  David most recently has worked as the hitting coach with the Surprise Royals in the Arizona League for the past three seasons.  He was the Royals Major League hitting coach from May 30, 2005 to May 1, 2006 and also served several seasons, beginning in 2001, as the club’s minor league hitting instructor.  David played for parts of two seasons in the Major Leagues with the Minnesota Twins in 1984 and 1986.  He resides in Surprise, Ariz., with his wife, Lisa, and their two daughters, Brittany and Tanner.

Under the coordination of both Maloof and David, the Royals have developed several of the top hitting prospects in the minor leagues including 2012 American League All-Star Billy Butler, 2006 Baseball America and Topps Minor League Player of the Year Alex Gordon, 2010 Baseball America Player of the Year finalist Eric Hosmer, 2010 minor league home run leader Mike Moustakas and 2012 USA Today, Baseball America and Topps Minor League Player of the Year Wil Myers.

Jonathan Sanchez recently gave up five runs before he could record an out. I didn’t think anyone could pitch that poorly.

But the next night, Ryan Verdugo did Sanchez one better (or worse) by surrendering six runs in just 1 2/3 innings.

The most horrifying fact of all is that both pitchers were acquired by trading Melky Cabrera to the Giants. That fact doesn’t need to be belabored, as every Royals fan is well aware of it.

So while Cabrera makes a run at an MVP award, the Royals go once again in search of starting pitching.

Dayton Moore needs no one to tell him that he must move to acquire pitching. He knows it. In fact he’s known it, and has been trying to do just that, for about three years now.

Prior to 2010, Moore made a few questionable moves to acquire position players, even trading away a few promising pitchers. But for the past three years, it’s been all about pitching, and he’s made several attempts to trade position players to get pitchers.

But while the Cabrera-for-Sanchez deal is horrifying in its result, the other attempts by Moore to trade for pitching have been nearly as disappointing. Consider the following other former Royals who were dealt for pitching since 2009:

Wilson Betemit: currently hitting .259 for Baltimore with 10 homers and 32 RBIs.

Betemit was traded for two minor leaguers, one a pitcher – Antonio Cruz, who has pitched a total of 18 games at A ball in the Royals’ organization.

Alberto Callaspo: hit .288 with 6 homers and 46 RBIs last season as the Angels’ starting third baseman. He’s still starting, with a little better power numbers this year.

Callaspo netted the Royals Will Smith and Sean O’Sullivan. The Royals have utilized Smith to save their mangled big league staff, but they gave up on O’Sullivan. They dealt him to Toronto for cash. Perhaps he needed the change of scenery. He’s been great for the Blue Jays’ Triple A club thus far.

David DeJesus: started most of the season for the A’s last year, batting .240 with 10 homers and 46 RBIs. This year he’s started full time for the Cubs.

DeJesus brought in a potential starter in Vin Mazzaro. But Mazzaro has suffered some beatings of historic proportions and isn’t trusted much at the big league level. The trade also brought Justin Marks, an average starter at Double A.

Kila Ka’aihue: has split the season between Oakland and the A’s Triple A club. His big league production has been marginal.

The trade of Ka’aihue netted a 25-year-old minor leaguer named Ethan Hollingsworth. He’s set no worlds on fire to date.

Mike Aviles: batted well at the end of 2011 for the Red Sox and continues to succeed as Boston’s starting shortstop. He’s hitting .263 with 10 homers and 47 RBIs.

Aviles supposedly brought the Royals a utility infielder – Yamaico Navarro. Aviles should have been kept in that role with the Royals. Navarro hasn’t done anything yet. The trade did bring the Royals a pitcher in Kendal Volz, who has been solid at the Single A and Double A levels.

Scott Podsednik: has played little, bouncing around with several teams.

The Royals got pitcher Elisaul Pimentel and catcher Lucas May. The Royals gave up on May, and Pimentel is 23 and still laboring along in the minors

Rick Ankiel: chipping in for the first place Washington Nationals.

Perhaps the only good move was when the Royals got Tim Collins as part of a package deal for Ankiel and Kyle Farnsworth.

So Moore can’t be accused of not trying. But for seven big league position players of varying quality, the Royals have gained Tim Collins and some spare parts and minor leaguers. The return has been nothing short of disastrous.

The Royals have tried trading average position players – players who they deemed easily replaceable – and hoped to acquire quality pitchers.

But it appears the exchange rate for a quality pitcher is much higher than expected.

What the Royals have proved is that you must actually trade excellent position players to get passable starters.

They will need to think long and hard about as they attempt to improve their rotation for next year. Do they have the stomach to trade Eric Hosmer, or Wil Myers or some other potential star in hopes of finally acquiring quality starters.

Unfortunately, that may be just what it will take.

Spring Training is underway and the Kansas City Royals begin their 2012 campaign. This year, fans are excited about the Royals young, talented players and their boundless potential to be part of a winning team.

But the players can’t do it alone. The Royals coaching staff has to provide guidance on and off the field to make the Royals a winner. Here’s the men who will lead the Royals into the 2012 Major League campaign.

Manager Ned Yost: This will be the second full season Yost manages the Royals, after replacing Trey Hillman during the 2010 season. Yost managed the Milwaukee Brewers from 2003-2008, leading the Brewers an 83-79 record in 2007, their first winning season since 1992. The following year, the Brewers were 83-67 with 12 games left and on their way to an N.L. Wild Card before a 3-11 September slump and a four game sweep by the Philadelphia Phillies cost Yost his job.

Before managing the Brewers, Yost spent 12 years with the Atlanta Braves Major League staff as a bullpen and third base coach. He also spent parts of six seasons as a catcher for the Brewers, Texas Rangers and Montreal Expos from 1980-1985.

With Yost’s experience managing small-market Milwaukee and his 12 years with the Braves, the Royals believe he is the one who can make the Royals a contender. Whether Yost can led the Royals to the promised land is uncertain, but he will be given every opportunity to succeed since the Royals recently picked up his 2013 option year.

Batting Coach Kevin Seitzer: A Royals player from 1986-1991, Seitzer enters his fourth season as the Royals hitting coach. In 2011, the Royals had a team .275 BA (4th in the A.L.), .329 OBP (5th in the A.L.) and .415 SLG (5th in the A.L.). The team lead the A.L. with 41 triples, second in the A.L. with 325 doubles and third in the A.L. with 1,560 hits. However, the Royals finished 11th in the A.L. with only 129 home runs and 442 walks and 12th in the A.L. with 1,006 strikeouts.

Seitzer’s job this year is to get the lineup to cut down its strikeouts, take more walks, get more men on base and hit for more power, especially home runs. So far the team is buying into Seitzer’s coaching, with Alex Gordon being one of the players he helped make into a better hitter.

Pitching Coach Dave Eiland: With a Major League record of 12-27 and 5.74 ERA over 92 games, Eiland’s career wasn’t stellar. But his five years as a pitching coach in the New York Yankees Minor League system and three years as the Yankees pitching coach from 2008-2010 landed Eiland a job as the pitching coach for 2012, replacing long time pitching coach Bob McClure.

Eiland helped the Yankees win a World Series in 2009, so he knows how to win. However, Eiland has a tough task ahead of him with a suspect starting rotation, but a solid bullpen. In 2011, the Royals finished 12th in the A.L. with a 4.44 ERA, while giving up 557 walks, the most in the A.L. Eiland wants the starting pitchers to pitch into the late innings, using the bullpen to hold leads or give the offense a chance to rally in the late innings if they’re behind. Time will tell if Eiland is up to the challenge.

First Base Coach Doug Sisson: With a long baseball coaching career in college and several levels in the Minor Leagues, Sisson enters his second year as the Royals first base coach. From 2008-2010, Sisson served as the Royals minor league field coordinator, overseeing the Royals minor league system.

In addition to first base, Sisson is also the baserunning and outfield coach. The Royals had a good outfield last year with a career year by Alex Gordon and solid seasons from Jeff Francoeur and Melky Cabrera. Last year, Royals ranked 2nd in the A.L. with 153 stolen bases and caught stealing only 58 times. Sission’s familiarity with the players who came up through the Minors should be an asset to the team.

Third Base Coach Eddie Rodriguez: A baseball lifer, Rodriguez spent six seasons as a Minor League player before having a long and varied career as a Minor League manager and coach. Rodriguez was a coach for several Major League clubs, joining the Royals as the third base coach in 2010.

Rodriguez is also the infield coach and with Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas solidly at the corners, Rodriguez will focus his attention on a middle infield in flux, with projected starters Alcides Escobar at shortstop and Johnny Giavotella at second base. If Rodriguez can help improve the middle infield, the Royals will be a better team this season.

Bench Coach Chino Cadahia: A long career as a coach and manager in the Rangers and Braves Minor League systems, 2012 will be Cadahia’s first season as the Royals bench coach.

Cadahia is also the catching coach and will be responsible for catchers Salvador Perez, Brayan Pena and Manny Pina, depending who makes the Opening Day roster.

In Atlanta, Cadahia spent 2007-2010 as bench coach for manager Bobby Cox. Working with one of the best managers in Major League history and his relationship with Yost in Atlanta should be an asset to Yost and the Royals.

Bullpen Coach Steve Foster: This is Foster’s third season as the Royals bullpen coach, after spending 2007-2009 as the bullpen coach of the Florida (now Miami) Marlins. Foster spent time as a pitching coach in the Marlins Minor League system, a scout for the Tampa Bay Rays and a college head coach and pitching coach. Foster also co-authored the book Lessons From Little League and Life with his father Steve Foster Sr.

Besides answering the bullpen phone properly and making sure the relief pitchers are warmed up and ready to enter the game, Foster will assist pitching coach Dave Eiland and preside over a Royals bullpen which was one of the highlights of the 2011 season.

It’s up to the players to win the games, but it’s up to the coaching staff to make sure the team is in a position to win. If the Royals play well, the coaching staff gets some of the credit. If the Royals stumble, the coaching staff gets a lot of the blame.

Poldberg returning as Naturals’ skipper in 2012
Former Natural Vance Wilson moves up a level to manage Wilmington

In a brief news conference this afternoon, the Cardinals announced their coaching staff for 2012.

Very few surprises here, in all honesty. The only exception being the expected addition of an established coach for the bench. The Cardinals remained within the organization for all positions.

Chris Maloney, who has served as a manager in the minor leagues for the Cardinals, has been promoted and will take over duties at first base for Dave McKay who is being “reassigned within the organization”.

Joining McKay will be longtime bench coach Joe Petini as he is replaced by Mike Aldrete. Aldrete has served as assistant batting instructor and has been rumored for a promotion for some time now.

Meanwhile, third base coach Jose Oquendo, bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist, and hitting coach Mark McGwire will all return under new manager Mike Matheny. Dave Duncan had already confirmed his return and that was reiterated today.

The surprises here come at third base and on the bench for me. I expected the Cardinals to give Matheny a more seasoned veteran at his right hand. Aldrete has put in his time and has a lot of respect within the organization but one has to wonder if this was the right time for his move.

Aldrete started coaching in 2001, working in the Diamondbacks’ minor league system for three years before joining the major league staff in Seattle as a first base coach in 2004. He would return to Arizona as the hitting coach for the following two years before arriving in St. Louis as the assistant hitting coach in 2008.

Oquendo returning to coach third base shows a dedication to the team and confidence from the team. Many felt he was slighted by not being named manager and, hopefully, this shows that there are no hard feelings. It makes one appreciate the Cardinal way of life when you look at the fact that Ryan Sandberg left the Cubs organization when he was passed over for a job that many felt was “his”.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Follow him on Twitter here.

In the midst of the big story that is Cliff Lee, the Cardinals have signed Gerald Laird to become the backup catcher to Yadi Molina, officially ending speculation that Bengie Molina would join his younger brother on the roster. Laird will assume the roster spot left vacant by Jason LaRue’s retirement.

Possibly the most confusing thing about the signing is the change in direction the Cardinals have taken when it comes to the position. Shortly after the season concluded, the Cardinals identified a need to upgrade the offensive ability of the backup catcher role with the departure of Jason LaRue. The idea of a back up catcher that could provide some offensive pop was new to the organizational strategy, as the front office has always shown a desire to have a strong defensive catcher that can handle the major league staff well in that role. The addition of Laird shows a return to the strategy used in the past and an abandonment of the idea of changing those strategies.

Laird was drafted by the Oakland Athletics organization in 1998 and was traded, coincidentally with Ryan Ludwick, to the Texas Rangers organization in 2002. It was 2003 before he would make his debut on the Major League scene, with a short stint with the big club.

2006 would see Laird get his first substantial playing time and he would respond by hitting .296 with 7 home runs and 22 runs batted in, though he struck out 54 times. His success in 2006 would translate into a starting nod the following season. While he would throw out 40% of would be base stealers in 2007, his offensive production would fall of drastically, hitting .224 and striking out over 100 times, though he would hit a career high 9 home runs.

In 2008, the see-saw would tilt the other way, seeing his defensive presence decrease with a 28% success rate of throwing out base runners while his batting average would rise to .276 and his strikeouts would drop to 63. He would play in less games in 2008, and would find himself with a change of scenery for 2009.

An off-season trade sent him to Detroit where he would spend his first season in a Tigers uniform as their primary backstop. He would only strike out 68 times over 477 plate appearances, but he would see his batting average drop to an abysmal .225. He would show an increase in his patience at the plate, working more walks than previously in his career. On the defensive side of things, he realized his potential and showed that he was not a catcher that you could run on, throwing out 42% of would be base stealers. His performance in 2009 would regulate him to back up duty in 2010.

His final season on his contract with Detroit would see him continue to throw out baserunners (34%), continue to underperform at the plate (.207 Batting Average/57 Strikeouts/270 at bats). Detroit would allow him to walk away from his $3 million plus salary and explore free agency where the Cardinals would scoop him up.

The Cardinals have acquired a catcher with a career batting average of .242 that averages 108 strikeouts, 9 home runs, 52 runs batted in and a .300 on base percentage over 162 games. He also sports a .988 fielding percentage, 38% caught stealing rate, and a 4.56 earned run average during innings he has played (ML average is 4.35). As a backup, he obviously will not be looking to put up numbers of that caliber unless Yadier Molina would go down with injury.

Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman broke news of the financial details here:

gerald laird, c, got $1 mil plus 300 grand in performance bonuses rom #cardinals. still money left over for albert.

December 14, 2010 1:28 pm via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@SI_JonHeyman

Jon Heyman

Laird will be looked at to manage a staff in the absence of the primary catcher, provide solid defense and keep the confidence of some very passionate pitchers in the organization. If he can gain the confidence of the pitching staff, it will be a solid signing. If not, Bryan Anderson would have sufficed. When it comes down to it, if the backup catcher plays a significant role in the 2011 success of this team, there are much bigger problems than what Gerald Laird represents.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Follow him on Twitter here.