Wednesday lineup, Hillman notes

Willie Bloomquist faces his former club for the first time in the regular season today.  Willie, batting .378 on the season, is second in the lineup and playing shortstop.

Here’s the lineup…come out and watch your first place Royals, winners of four straight!

DeJesus – CF

Bloomquist – SS

Teahen – 3B

Guillen – RF

Butler – 1B

Jacobs – DH

Callaspo – 2B

Olivo – C

Maier – CF

Ponson – P

Trey Hillman Interview 

Line-Up Changes

Coco Crisp will be taking his first day off of the season tonight against the Seattle Mariners.  Coinciding with an upcoming off day on Monday, it will allow the starting centerfielder to rest up a bit.  David DeJesus will be leading off tonight. Manager Trey Hillman hopes it will energize the outfielder.  Infielder Willie Bloomquist is starting at shortstop against his old team, and reliever Joakim Soria is available.  Not in the line-up tonight is shortstop Mike Aviles, whose production from a year ago is sorely missed right now.

Don’t call it a Comeback

Who gets all the credit for last night’s exciting win over the division-rival Chicago White Sox?  According to Manager Trey Hillman, it all goes to the Royals bullpen.  “It was quality pitching by our bullpen last night, we don’t win without them”.  Reporters were asking the manager about his decision to take Jacobs and Butler out and put in speed guys. “Very uncharacteristic of me, not really my style, but it worked.”  He later said, we were “going for it” and it was a real “gamble”. 

Japanese Elvis?

Manager Trey Hillman was asked about his time coaching over in Japan and how big a celebrity Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki actually is.  He said, “He is a cross between Elvis Presley and Fonzie (Happy Days).  He is larger then life, you can’t really explain it.