Bob Fescoe spent last week in Surprise, Arizona interviewing Kansas City Royals players and coaches for his morning show on Kansas City’s 610 Sports Radio.

When he was not on the air, he was taking in the sites of early Spring Training and snapping pics that he would later tweet out to his followers.

With Bob’s permission, we share those pics with you below:

Billy Butler BP

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Billy Butler takes BP with Frenchy and Hosmer looking on

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball
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Last week, the Kansas City Royals announced their schedule of promotions and giveaways for 2012. Items like a George Brett Mini Pine Tar Bat, a Royals All-Star Garden Gnome and a Buck O’Neil bobblehead are fantastic giveaways. What Royals fan doesn’t want a Royals Garden Gnome?

However, I can’t help but think the Royals are missing out on some great promotions for their long-suffering fans. The 2012 Royals promotions are set, but here are some promotions I believe would get “butts in the seats” at Kauffman Stadium in future years:

Eric Hosmer Amish Warrior Bobblehead Night: The first 20,000 fans get a bobblehead of the Royals first baseman in Amish livery and carrying a baseball bat. Fans who wear Amish clothing to the game have a chance to meet Eric Hosmer. One lucky female fan gets a candlelit Amish style dinner with Hosmer (the winner will have to help cook the dinner). One lucky male fan will get to hang out with Hosmer during an Amish barn raising (old-fashioned carpentry skills a plus).

Don Denkinger Bobblehead Night (vs. The St. Louis Cardinals): The first 10,000 Cardinals fans get a Cardinals version Don Denkinger bobblehead. When you press a button, Denkinger’s arms fly out and says, “Safe!” and “Get over ’85. You’ve won two World Series since then!” The Cardinals Denkinger bobblehead wears glasses.

The first 10,000 Royals Fans get a Royals version Don Denkinger bobblehead. When you press a button, Denkinger’s arms fly out and says, “Safe!” and “Todd Worrell’s foot was off the bag! Duh!” The Royals Denkinger bobblehead does not wear glasses.

Yuniesky Betancourt Voodoo Doll Night: The first 20,000 fans get a Yuinesky Betancourt Voodoo doll of their favorite Kansas City Royal. Voodoo pins will not be provided since fans would likely use them to stab the real Yuni Betancourt.

Marry A Kardashian Night: The first 10,000 adult male fans get to marry the Kardashian of their choice for 72 seconds, with a marriage license and divorce papers as proof of matrimony and divorce. The first 10,000 adult female fans get the booklet, “The Kardashian Way To Get And Keep A Man For 72 Days.” The Royals Player of the Game gets to marry the Kardashian of their choice for 72 minutes. God have mercy on their soul.

Salute To The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (vs. The San Francisco Giants): Come celebrate with the Royals as they pay tribute to the AAGPBL and their place in baseball history. Players from both teams will don the uniforms of Kalamazoo Lassies and the Grand Rapids Chicks. It’s a night of fun and Major League baseball players wearing skirts you don’t want to miss.

Downton Abbey Night At The K (vs. the Tampa Bay Rays): The hit PBS series Downton Abbey visits the K for a night of Edwardian excitement. The first 15,000 fans get a Lady Edith Crawley bobblehead. Robert, Earl of Grantham (played by Hugh Bonneville) will throw out the first pitch. Players on both teams will wear 1912 era baseball uniforms during the game. Between innings, Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham (played by Dame Maggie Smith), will deliver witty one-liners about the Royals and the Rays on the CrownVision. Fans who dress up as their favorite Downton Abbey characters have the chance to win Royals and Downton Abbey prizes. And during the 7th inning stretch, Carson the Butler (played by Jim Carter) will “sing” Take Me Out To The Ballgame. It’s a night of baseball and Downton Abbey at the K!

Bob Davis Drinking Game Mug: The first 20,000 fans get a 20 ounce Royals/Bob Davis mug to fill with the beverage of their choice. Whenever Royals announcer Bob Davis gets excited about a routine play like a ground ball or a called second strike, you take a drink. (The Kansas City Royals remind you to drink responsibly. Only play the Bob Davis drinking game for one inning per game for the sake of your health.)

Billy Butler Country Breakfast Night At The K: The first 20,000 fans get a limited edition copy of Billy Butler‘s book, “Are You Going To Eat That? Country Breakfast With Billy Butler.” The book has recipes of Billy Butler’s favorite breakfast time meals and gets the ringing endorsement of husky Royals players Jonathan Broxton and Jose Mijares.

Dollar Moose Tacos Night At The K: In honor of Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas, the Royals will feature one dollar moose tacos. Royals players Jeff Francour, Jonathan Broxton and Manager Ned Yost harvested the moose for the tacos so fans can enjoy one of Mike Moustakas‘ favorite delicacies.

Ladies’ Royals Powder Blue Tube Top: The first 10,000 female fans can support their favorite team (among other things) with a Royals powder blue tube top. Get your 70’s on and be the hit of People of Wal-Mart.com with this stylish and tasteful stretch Royals powder blue tube top (in the interest of equality, male cross-dressing fans may also get a tube top by request).

Pretty good ideas, if I say so myself. If anyone in the Royals promotions department reads this and likes what they see, let’s get together and we’ll do lunch. I’ll be waiting.

Who is Jaime Garcia? Really…who is this guy?

I can tell you who he is…

Remember a couple years back when Joe Posnanski wrote a cover story in Sports Illustrated about Zack Greinke being baseballs best pitcher? Greinke was the front man in the worlds largest sports digest. We all remember the photo.

Weeks after that story broke through the press, Greinke slowly started to decline towards mediocrity. Well, to be a little fair, he declined closer to average human, athletic performance. He was no longer pitching like the super hero we made him out to be. He won the Cy Young at the end of the year just as the fire burnt out. The next season, with so much hype and publicity, he was known as the glorified ace on the worst team in the league- the next Maddux, a mastermind at his own craft.

Greinke finished the season last year with 10-14 record and a stingy ERA just above four. If the trend continues, he could finish his career known as nothing more than a one hit wonder in ancient record books of pine tar, maple bats, and bubble gum.

Back to Jaime Garcia. Who is this guy?

After capturing his fifth straight win against the Cubs on Thursday, Garcia made a mark in Major League Baseball. Not only does his team hold first place in the central, but he has also pitched virtually perfect all season long. It leads me to believe he is on his way to big achievements this year.

Jamie Garcia is on the verge of becoming the next great lead story in my mind. We are talking about placing him in a National League class of Roy Halladay, Tim Lincecum, and Josh Johnson. On the brink of big time public exposure as an official national introduction soon waits. Those three names are the three best pitchers in baseball and Garcia is close to being right there with them. I believe that he is a star, and he is going to be a star for some time. I cannot say what the definition of “some time” is, however. I said the same for Zack Greinke, and although the media still identifies him as a star, I don’t really see him that way anymore. He seemed to get a little start stuck and pompous after his move to Milwaukee, and starting the season on the disabled list slowed his momentum down incredibly. He’s not even the best pitcher in his division. Jaime is.

There is a difference in Jaime. Maybe it’s the fact that he plays on a winning team. Maybe it’s the overall team success that makes his talents shine a little brighter than that of Greinke. I think when Zack found stardom, there was a great story to tie to it. Not because he played for a playoff contender, but because he overcame the mental restraints that once took him out of the game-A Josh Hamilton type of story. It was good for him. It was good for the press, and any one else who enjoys a decent baseball tale.

But I think Garcia means business…meaning that he is here to shine and stay here for a while. The guy can flat out pitch the baseball and no one can get a decent bat on the ball. I’d like to see Pujols get his opportunity to face him. Even with confusing spring training numbers, he has truly performed when it matters most. It’s seems to me that he is a little more fiery and competitive than most pitchers he faces. He wants it more and in then end, he usually gets what he wanted. It rubs off on the team and you get a good idea that the offense knows they need to produce because the Garcia kid is going to pitch his butt off.

But in comparison to Greinke, the numbers from Zacks 2009 Cy Young season are similar to Garica numbers this year. No one could hit either of them. They pitched a good amount of innings and the ERA was microscopic. I think Garcia can handle the media pressure as he continues to get better. When he pitches the Cardinals do an amazing job of backing him up which in defense of Greinke, a perk he never had.

All in all, Jamie Garcia is on fire. He is 5-0 and pitching with dominance. Who is going to stop him? Who can stop him? He will obviously not go perfect throughout the season, but he is definitely picking up the slack for Chris Carpenter. After a few rough outings the Cardinals ace is showing signs of slowing down. Is this an indication that Garcia is next in line to be the ace? If you ask me I would say so, but next year with Wainwright coming back and Garcia right up there with him the Cardinals staff is golden. Kyle Loshe is throwing gem after gem this season and Kyle McClellan doesn’t look to shabby either. The Cardinals have the tools to pitch great and when they produce offensively; this team is a lot tougher than people give them credit for.

If Garcia continues his ace type effectiveness, watch out, we might have the NL CY Young award back in Saint Louis.