Royals Charities donated more than $230,000 to 14 area non-profit organizations during the Spring cycle of its Royals Charities Grant Program.

That amount means the charitable arm of the Royals has donated more than $3 million since 2001...all to local charities! That's a pretty substantial amount of money and we're just getting started...

This season, Royals Charities is hosting several new events as well as revamping many of its existing programs - all in an effort to help out our community in as many ways as possible. So, here's a quick rundown of what the Royals Charities factory is cranking out in 2008:

June 26 - Diamond of Dreams: It's Royals Charities first on-field event and we aren't holding anything back! Diamond of Dreams: Taking the Field for The Dream Factory is Thursday, June 26 - a Royals off day - on the field at The K with all proceeds benefiting The Dream Factory. Since our Boys in Blue will be in town, several of the players as well as GM Dayton Moore and Manager Trey Hillman will be in attendance to mingle with guests, who are encouraged to dress in their most creative Royals attire. Local 80s band favorite The Zeros will entertain from second base, while guests enjoy a Kansas City-inspired food and drink menu. Individual tickets for this event are going fast, so purchase your Diamond of Dreams tickets now... 

May 17 and August 16 - T.A.K.E. Defense: We are inviting all our female fans out to The K to participate in one (or both!) of our T.A.K.E. Defense self-defense classes. The classes are FREE, open only to females and are taking place on the field! The T.A.K.E. Defense program represents a living legacy in honor of Ali Kemp, a 19-year-old Leawood, Kan., resident who was murdered while working as a lifeguard at a neighborhood pool in Johnson County. The goal of the program is to raise awareness and to give women ages 12 and older the self-protection skills they need to avoid becoming the victims of violent crime. All you have to do is register for a class and meet us at The K!

More with T.A.K.E. Defense - Royals Calendars: Sure, April is over, but you can still buy an April-March Royals Players calendar (only $10) to benefit The Ali Kemp Educational Foundation. We are selling them at The K when the guys are in town, but you can also buy them online here. Something we noticed at the last Autograph Afternoon at The K (next one: Sunday, May 11) is that the calendars are great for signing!  

Royals Legacy Brick Program: Have you bought your Legacy Brick yet? If not, here's your chance. The Royals Legacy Brick Program, which benefits Royals Charities (which benefits our community), is giving fans the opportunity to be a part of the tradition of our franchise and leave their marks on Kauffman Stadium. You can order your personalized bricks here.

Royalty Fields: If your baseball/softball fields are in need of repair or revamping, keep sending in those applications for grants through the Royalty Fields Grant Program, which just rewarded these three programs with $5,000 grants:

• Southern Youth Sports, Nebraska
• Lone Jack Athletic Club, Missouri
• Kearney County Community Foundation, Nebraska

Find the Royalty Fields Grant Application here.

Thursday, Aug. 7 - Kansas City Royals Celebrity Golf Tournament: Okay, the details haven't been officially released on this one, so we'll keep it to "save this date on the calendar." Basically, Royals Charities is hosting its first Royals Celebrity Golf Tournament at The National. We all know how baseball players love to golf, so expect the event to involve hitting the links with current and former Royals all raising money for charity. Again, details haven't been released, but you can call (816) 921-8000 to reserve your spot...

The Royals wrapped up a pretty busy homestand Sunday and are on their way to Texas (April 28-May 1) before heading to Cleveland later in the week. Since Monday is an off day and we have time to gather our thoughts, here are some community notes from the front office...

Dandi's Batting Practice Cancelled: Well, it did kind of rain on Dandi "Dan" Mackall's parade this past Wednesday (April 23) when she came out to Kauffman Stadium as the Royals special guest. Dandi, who was once denied the right to be a batboy for the 1961 Kansas City A's because of her gender, was an honorary batgirl for the Royals-Indians 7:10 p.m. game on Wednesday. Out on the field prior to the game, Dandi was hoping to live her dream of being a batgirl, but Mother Nature had other plans for the author of A Girl Named Dan. Rain not only cancelled BP, but it also cancelled the game. Dandi still hung out in the dugout, met some players as well as Manager Hillman and also had her story told on the Royals Radio Network pregame show with Steve Stewart. In between rain drops, she picked up a couple of stray baseballs, too!

Dream Factory Back at The K: Did you see this ESPN article on Trey over the weekend? Toward the end of the piece, reporter Elizabeth Merrill mentions an informal dugout meeting Trey had with some kids...the first Dream Factory Royals visit of the season! The 11-year-old girl mentioned is Erin Dublin and her twin brothers - age 7 - are Will and Jack. Erin's family, along with a few other people including The Dream Factory's Dan Liston, spent Wednesday afternoon hanging around the Royals batting cages and dugouts. Trey topped the list of Royals Erin and her brothers hugged, high-fived, received autographs from and posed with for pictures!

Lemons into Lemonade at The K: Third Baseman Alex Gordon got to The K a little earlier on Thursday to lend his smile and voice to the local chapter of Alex's Lemonade Stand - a nationally known fundraising effort that focuses on pediatric cancer research. It's the second season where our Alex has been the local spokesperson for the program.

On Thursday before BP, Alex joined some young cancer patients to shoot a public service announcement promoting "Lemonade Weekend" at Kansas City-area Hy-Vee stores on June 6-7. It only took a couple of takes for the group to get the lines down...and only one little guy (the one being held in the photo!) tried to make a break for it and run across the field! Fans can visit www.alexslemonade.org to learn more about Alex's Lemonade Stand and - as our Alex said during the PSA shoot - "help fight childhood cancer one cup at a time."

Players Coming to Sprint Store: During the next homestand, Billy Butler and David DeJesus will head to the new Sprint store at The Legends in KCK for a meet and greet with fans. UPDATE: The event is on Saturday, May 10 (sorry we initially left that out!). DeJesus will appear from 11 a.m. to noon before Butler shows up from noon to 1 p.m. Then the guys will head to The K to play the Baltimore Orioles.

A Cold Baseball Equipment Drive: Friday at Kauffman Stadium was pretty cold. But, despite the low, windy temperatures, Betty Kaegel, our director of community outreach, and some Royals Wives - Katie Butler, Ashley Hochevar and Yamel Ros, wife of Jose Guillen - braved the cold to collect baseball equipment for Guadalupe Centers, Inc. We are still accepting donations this week, so official numbers aren't in, but one anonymous fan did drop off several large tubs of equipment prior to the gates opening Friday. Thanks to all who donated items! 

Mother's Day at The K:...is also Breast Cancer Awareness Day at The K! Over the weekend, we announced our plans for celebrating moms on May 11 as well as our plans for honoring breast cancer survivors and supporters of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The special day involves Pink Royals T-shirts to the first 10,000 fans, a breast cancer survivor sitting in the Buck O'Neil Legacy Seat as well as another survivor leading the crowd in the singing of "God Bless America." There will be a special "moms" twist to the Dodge Honorary Lineup and, probably the most fun, we'll have a special "Pinked-Out Zone" for the game. The "Pinked-Out Zone" will be full of breast cancer survivors and Susan G. Komen supporters. Susan G. Komen supporters can purchase specially priced tickets for this section by visiting royals.com/komen - where a portion of the tickets sold will benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  

Speaking of benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Royals Charities is donating a $5,000 donation to the Susan G. Komen Greater Kansas City Affiliate. The RC donation will be made in memory of Donna Stewart, the late wife of Royals long-time scout and 2008 Royals Hall of Fame inductee Art Stewart.

And, finally, when you are out at the ballpark from May 8-11, you'll have the chance to purchase Garth Brook's "Pink Edition" of The Ultimate Hits album for $16 with a portion of every CD sold benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure. If you can't make it out to Kauffman Stadium during that time, you can still help out the cause and purchase a CD by visiting http://ww3.komen.org/garth/.

Okay - a lot to process, remember and mark on the calendar. Enjoy watching or listening to the Royals this week and we hope to see you out at The K when the team is back on May 5!

Royals fan Dave Curtis sang it at the last Royals "610 Saturdays" party (see video here)...now he is on royals.com and is a finalist to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during a Royals game.

Will it be you this Saturday?

The Royals are hosting their second "610 Saturdays" event presented by Miller Lite prior to the 6:10 p.m. contest with the Toronto Blue Jays. This time, 610 Sports has invited 96.5 The Buzz out to the ballpark to host the event. On-air personality Jason of the "Middays with Jason" show will take over the mic for the event, which also feature a live performance by the band The Away Team.

But, let's get back to Dave, our Baby Ruth "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" contest winner...

For the first pre-game "610 Saturdays" party, we had 15 to 20 Royals fans who braved the cold to sing along to the traditional Seventh-Inning Stretch song. But, in the end, it was Dave who took home the title for his rendition of the classic. Now, Dave, along with all the other finalists from the Royals "610 Saturdays" this season, will be featured on royals.com. At the end of the season, fans will vote for their favorite Royals singer and the winner will lead the crowd in "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the Saturday, September 20 Fan Appreciation Night game, plus win two (2) Royals Season Tickets for 2009!

So...do you think you can beat Dave? If so, then we hope to see you at "610 Saturdays"...

The rain never let up Wednesday evening...leading to a rainout and a doubleheader for Thursday. The first game of the doubleheader with the Cleveland Indians begins at 5:10 p.m. Thursday with the second game starting 30 minutes following the conclusion of the first.

The pitching matchups for the DH:

GAME 1: Carmona vs. Tomko
GAME 2: Lee vs. Bannister

Any fans holding a ticket for Wednesday's rainout game can redeem their tickets for any Royals regular season game, including Thursday's DH.

Those of you who were already planning on atttending Thursday's game are getting a treat: your ticket is good for both games!

...to losroyals.com!

Monday afternoon we officially launched losroyals.com - the club's Spanish-language website - entering into a new era in Royals baseball!

You might not realize this, but on the 25-man roster, we have nine Hispanic players - Alberto Callaspo, Esteban German, Jose Guillen, Leo Nunez, Miguel Olivo, Tony Pena, Jr.,  Joel Peralta, Ramon Ramirez and Joakim Soria - as well as one Hispanic coach (third base coach Luis Silverio). That's more than a third of our roster who consider English to be their second language. So, it's only natural that we want to highlight these players as well as recognize our fast-growing Hispanic-fan base...thus, losroyals.com!

The site, which is updated daily, features MLB.com editorial including game stories, recaps, features, photo galleries and more. There'll be special ticket programs offered and details on upcoming promotions and events (Viva Los Royals on Sept. 6!) at Kauffman Stadium. In addition, exclusive content on the site will include a recurring series of video profiles provided by Univision Kansas City featuring our Hispanic players. Just like royals.com and the Royals Report, you can also sign up for the site's official online newsletter, the Royals Boletin. The Royals are among 16 MLB clubs offering Spanish-language websites and the second to do so from the American League Central (joining the Chicago White Sox).

Right as we announced the website launch at the Guadalupe Centers, Inc., Monday afternoon, the first part of a two-part series on Coach Silverio launched on both the Spanish and English sites - a great example of the kind of in-depth pieces you can expect to see on losroyals.com.

And...along with a press release this morning...we also used the afternoon presser to announce the upcoming Royals Baseball Equipment Drive, which is scheduled for Friday, April 25 prior to the Royals-Blue Jays game at The K. The annual drive is collecting new and gently used baseball equipment to benefit the Guadalupe Center Youth Baseball program. As the drive recipients, the Guadalupe Centers, Inc., will also receive a $5,000 grant from the Baseball Tomorrow Fund, which will be presented to them on Wednesday, April 23 prior to the game. For more details on the drive, click here.

So, check out the new site because, as Royals President Dan Glass said during the press conference, "Losroyals.com is a new vehicle the Royals can provide to fans to eliminate another barrier and bring a new culture closer to the team." Enjoy!

We announced the event schedule for the next homestand and, coupled with the great start the team is having, we are pretty sure you will want to be at the ballpark for every game...

T-SHIRT TUESDAY: Don't worry about doing your laundry just yet because we are adding to your T-shirt collection with the first T-Shirt Tuesday of the season! Sticking with the 2008 theme, the first 20,000 fans entering the stadium on Tuesday will receive a "New. Blue. Tradition." T-shirt. It's the first of six T-Shirt Tuesdays at The K this season!

INK COLLEGE NIGHT: Ink, the area's new young professional publication, is making its presence known at Kauffman Stadium by sponsoring our Wednesday College Nights. By showing a student I.D., college and/or high school students can get an Outfield Plaza or View Level Box ticket for just $7 on Wednesdays. Just remember: you can only buy College Night tickets at the stadium on the day of the game and ticket windows open 90 minutes prior to game time.

A "DANDI" DAY AT THE K: Trying to right an historical wrong...we are going to make Dandi "Dan" Mackall's dream of being a batgirl come true! You might not know the story, but in 1961, Dandi won a batboy essay contest for the Kansas City A's. When it came time to cash in on her prize and hit the field, team officials found out "Dan" was a girl and disqualified her from the contest. Well, fast forward to Wednesday night when Dandi will serve as an honorary batgirl during Royals BP! She'll also sit in the Buck O'Neil Legacy Seat for the game, which - by the way - have you nominated any one yet to receive that honor?

DREAM FACTORY: It's another season of hosting Dream Factory at The K and we couldn't be happier to partner up once again and help grant the wish of a Dream Factory child for Wednesday home game! Don't forget to check out each child's Royals experience on the KMBC-TV (Channel 9) 10 p.m. newscast in the "Dream Factory" segment.

FRIDAYS AT KAUFFMAN: Is it really a Friday home game without hot dogs for a $1 and fireworks? We didn't think so either, so we bring you: a Dodge Buck Night-Fireworks Friday double play on April 25!

BASEBALL EQUIPMENT DRIVE: The first of four big drives this season...on Friday, we are collecting new and gently used baseball equipment for Guadalupe Center Youth Baseball Programs prior to the game. The Royals Wives - as well as some volunteers - will be collecting items from 5:30-7 p.m. at Gates A and B of Kauffman Stadium. The Wives will be at Gate B if you want to drop by and say hi!

610 SATURDAYS: The first one was a hit (did you see the photo gallery?) and already it looks as if No. 2 on the 610 Saturdays play list will be just as successful! The Saturday promotion is the Royals Fleece Stadium Blanket (first 20,000 fans, presented by Sprint Wireless) and the fans checking out the 610 Saturdays party will enjoy a live remote from 96.5 The Buzz featuring on-air personality Jason of the "Middays with Jason" show. The event will also feature a special Main Stage performance by the band The Away Team. Don't forget to listen to 610 Sports on Monday to hear the password for the "610 Pen."

AUTOGRAPH AFTERNOONS: It's your first Sunday to score autographs with the Royals Autograph Afternoon event. In case you don't know, Autograph Afternoons is when select Royals players take time out of their pregame routine to meet fans and sign autographs in the lower seating bowl of Kauffman Stadium from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Get there early because the lines fill up quick!

Royals Charities, known for hosting some stellar events throughout the seasons, is taking it to the next level in 2008 by taking it to the field! 

Diamond of Dreams: Taking the field for The Dream Factory will be Thursday, June 26 on the field at Kauffman Stadium. The fundraiser, which is presented by the Kansas City Zone Dodge Dealers, will benefit the local chapter of The Dream Factory and will feature appearances from General Manager Dayton Moore, Manager Trey Hillman and all your favorite Royals players. In addition, the great local 80s band The Zeros will be in attendance and rockin' it out on second base. Guests, who are encouraged to don creative Royals attire for the event, will be treated to Kansas City-inspired food and drink menus as well as a silent auction with one-of-a-kind memorabilia.

Like all good things, there are only a limited number of tickets available and you can purchase yours starting today by calling 816.504.4430 or online here at royals.com/diamondofdreams. For those corporations out there, sponsorship opportunities and corporate packages are available (again, call 816.504.4430) and include a private party tent, event tickets and recognition throughout the festivities, as well as a private meet and greet with a member of the team.

All in all, expect a fun, unique night of dreaming on the diamond with the Royals at Diamond of Dreams: Taking the Field for The Dream Factory!

On Monday morning, our email inboxes were full of photos from team photographer Chris Vleisides...all from Opening Week at Kauffman Stadium! Of course, there are lots of good photos. However, probably the best shot of the week, which welcomed more than 139,000 fans and two sell-out crowds to The K, was this one of pitcher Brian Bannister. 

Bannister tossed a complete game Sunday afternoon to lead the Royals to a 5-1 victory over the Twins and a 3-3 mark for the homestand. The Royals are now 7-5 to start the season and are on their way to the West Coast for a seven-game road trip against Seattle (two games), the Los Angeles Angels (two) and the Oakland A's (three). We are working on several photo galleries highlighting Opening Week at The K that should be posted this afternoon on royals.com. Until then, enjoy a couple of these highlights and feel free to share your thoughts from the Royals first homestand of the season!

WHY SHOULD THE ADULTS HAVE ALL THE "WIENIE" FUN?: For the first time in Kauffman Stadium history, we hosted the "Teenie Wienie" Hot Dog Derby. Soon to be a Kauffman Stadium tradition, the Sunday junior version of the popular in-stadium Hot Dog Derby featured three kids - Adam "Ketchup" Cook (age 10), Molly "Relish" Cook (9) and Logan "Mustard" Darr (8) - who donned mini versions of the costumes and raced down the first base line. The end result: a little win for Ketchup!

FUN RUN FUN FOR ALL: The Royals welcomed back the Sprint Fun Run to Sundays at Kauffman Stadium. For the first one of the season, the fans toughed it out through the cold weather - luckily the game lasted just more than two hours - to run the bases. Although actual numbers have not officially been reported, observers of the Sprint Fun Run noticed several adult Royals fans taking advantage of the opportunity to head down to the field following a Royals win!

AUTISM AWARENESS: The Royals hosted Autism Awareness Night at The K on Friday and, in honor of the evening, had Jason McElwin, a former high school basketball student manager with autism spectrum disorder, throw out the ceremonial first pitch. McElwin obtained national attention in 2006 after scoring 20 points in the final four minutes of a high school basketball game - a story that we found out Royals pitcher Brian Bannister knew pretty well. In fact, as soon as Banny heard that "J-Mac" was throwing out the first pitch he asked to be his catcher...and then asked Jason to send him a copy of his book! 

POWDER BLUE MADNESS: The Billy Butler Powder Blue Replica Jerseys - which went to the first 20,000 fans and were presented by FSN Kansas City - were a huge "hit" Saturday. Reports are that fans began lining up - in practically freezing weather - around 11 a.m., and when the gates opened at 4 p.m., the first-time jersey promotion went quick...within 40 minutes, at least 20,000 fans had entered the stadium and many were already sporting the powder blue top. To all those who came out Saturday, did you take the time to notice who might have been handing you your jersey? That's right, Billy Butler, along with six of his teammates and Manager Hillman, took a break from their pregame routines to greet fans (and thank them for waiting in the cold!) at the entrance gates into The K.

SPEAKING OF COLD...: If you came out to The K at all this past week, we really don't need to remind you of the cold temperatures, right? Pretty sure most of us here in the front office haven't warmed up completely yet! Regardless, we made it through and - as we all cross our fingers and toes - hopefully that's the last frigid homestand of the 2008 season!

CLOSING SHOT: And, as a final note, here is the classic overview shot from the Royals 2008 home opener - enjoy!

As one of several "green" changes at Kauffman Stadium this season, we just announced a new partnership with Rock and Wrap it Up! - a nationally known program that works with sports teams to help fight hunger in the community. The Royals, with help from the club's food service providers Aramark and Centerplate, will distribute all the extra food items from the concession stands and clubhouses to Harvesters - the Community Food Network.

The Rock and Wrap it Up! program was launched in 2003 with help from Mike Maroth, who is currently pitching for the Omaha Royals, and his wife, Brooke. Now, just five years later, several MLB teams - including Detroit (Maroth's former team), Atlanta, Boston, St. Louis and both New York teams - have launched the program at their stadiums.

For more information on Rock and Wrap it Up! check out their website at http://www.rockandwrapitup.org/index/.

We are only three days into the opening homestand at Kauffman Stadium and so much has already happened, including...  

Yup, we have taken the first two against the Yankees to maintain first place in the standings and will try for the sweep - our second of the young season - Thursday evening when lefty John Bale takes the mound against New York's Andy Pettitte, first pitch at 7:10 p.m.

Forecast calls for continued rain...but thanks to our amazing grounds crew, maybe we won't have to worry about the weather holding up the game.

Before the Royals take the field, though, some off-field news and opening homestand highlights for you...

LUNCHEON A HIT: Wednesday's annual Welcome Home Luncheon had a lot of laughs as the players entertained not only the more than 800 guests in attendance but also themselves!

BREAKFAST WITH BANNY: Brian Bannister had a quick night on Wednesday in order to appear at the 33rd Annual Overland Park Mayor's Prayer Breakfast Thursday. More than 500 people were in attendance for the 6:45 a.m. breakfast in order to hear from the Royals right-hander. After being introduced, Banny stated that the last speech he gave was in eighth grade English class, however, by the talk he shared you would have never guessed he wasn't more accustomed to talking in front of large crowds. Discussing his life growing up as a child of a Major League Baseball player (former Royals pitcher Floyd Bannister), walking onto the USC baseball team and battling through life in the Minor Leagues, it is clear Brian was determined to make it as a big leaguer. Even with the early (and we mean, early!) wakeup, Brian delighted the guests, which included local mayors, supporters and others whose goal is to encourage spirituality and morality in the lives of every day citizens. 

FRIDAY CONCOURSE AUCTION: During Friday's series opener against the Minnesota Twins, we will host the first of several Silent Concourse Auctions at Kauffman Stadium this season. Each month, we plan to partner with a different local cause and hold a silent auction featuring Royals memorabilia.

As part of Autism Awareness Month, we are holding the concourse auction for Autism Alliance of Greater Kansas City as well as hosting "Autism Awareness Night at The K." You can start bidding on the auction items (listed below!) as soon as the gates open for the 7:10 p.m. contest. 

• Billy Butler Autographed Baseball
• Gil Meche Autographed Baseball
• Brian Bannister Autographed Baseball
• Luke Hochevar Autographed Baseball
• Joey Gathright Game Used Bat
• Alex Gordon Autographed Bat
• John Buck Autographed Bat
• Mark Teahen Autographed Black Jersey
• Jimmy Gobble Autographed Blue Jersey
• Joakim Soria Autographed Photo
• Jose Guillen Autographed Photo
• Zack Greinke Autographed Photo
  

MORE ON "AUTISM AWARENESS NIGHT AT THE K": The night will also feature several opportunities throughout the evening to raise awareness and support for autism spectrum disorder as well as a ceremonial first pitch thrown by Jason McElwin. McElwin, a former high school basketball student manager with autism spectrum disorder, obtained national attention in 2006 after scoring 20 points in the final four minutes of a high school basketball game. Check out the ESPN story: 

Continue reading 'Royals Odds and Ends...'...

Opening Day at Kauffman Stadium is always an exciting and special day for us here at the Royals, but this year, we had even more than a 5-2 victory over the Yankees to cheer about!

We got to celebrate the arrival of the newest member to the Royals family...

Bridget Lynn Burgess!

Kim Burgess, Royals Sr. Director of Marketing, and her husband, Gary, welcomed Baby Bridget at 11:08 a.m. on Tuesday, four hours and two minutes before first pitch! Baby Bridget weighed in at 7 pounds and 1 ounce and 17 1/2 inches long and baby, Mom and Dad are all doing well!

On behalf of the entire Royals Family...congrats to Kim and Gary for their big "hit" on Opening Day - we can't wait to see Baby Bridget out at The K!

All weather aside...it was an amazing 2008 home opener!

Just in case you haven't heard, the Royals defeated the Yankees, 5-2, in front of a sell-out crowd at The K. Some highlights from the day - both on and off the field:

• Joey Gathright brought his speed home with him and stole three bases. The team stole five total.
• Brian Bannister allowed just two runs and struck out six. His ERA for the season is a nice 1.50.
• And, another impressive pitching note: Four Royals relievers combined to toss four scoreless innnings to close out the game (and the win!) for Banny.
• CrownVision was a HUGE hit! And, we are talking H-U-G-E hit!
• Joakim Soria = lights out! The closer retired all three batters he faced for save No. 4.
• Country music sensation (and home opener National Anthem performers) Emerson Drive announced they will return to The K on July 26 for a special on-field concert. Details here.
• Six Royals players contributed with two-hit performances.
•  A-Rod struck out four times.
• Early morning Greater Kansas City Day newspaper selling was cold and wet, but still a great time for everyone...even mascot Sluggerrr.
• Did we mention? After today's win over New York, the Royals are 5-2 in 2008!

So, pretty great Opening Day at The K, right?

On Wednesday, we host the Welcome Home Luncheon before heading back to Kauffman for round two with the Yankees. Zack Greinke takes the mound against Ian Kennedy at 7:10 p.m. If you aren't out at The K to catch the game in person, tune in to 610 Sports radio or FSN Kansas City...enjoy!

April 8, 2008: Opening Day at Kauffman Stadium!

Opening the season on the road does have its benefits as we get an extra week to get ready for the home opener festivities. However, most of us here in the front office would gladly trade in that week in exchange to have the team back in town and a chance to watch LIVE baseball.  

Finally, though, the wait for another season of baseball in Kansas City is over and our Royals return to Kauffman Stadium with an impressive 4-2 mark to start the season. Now, our Boys in Blue welcome the New York Yankees to town for a contest in front of the home crowd on our busiest day of the season!

It's a 3:10 p.m. first pitch (weather permitting!) and, if you can't make it to The K, you can catch it on 610 Sports and in HD on FSN Kansas City. 

Happy Opening Day at The K - enjoy! 

If you've taken a look at the 2008 Promotions Schedule, you've noticed that we pretty much are hosting a great promotion every Saturday evening at the ballpark this season. We know you love those promotions (golf umbrellas, bobbleheads, camo caps, etc.), but we know you aren't crazy about getting to the ballpark two hours before first pitch to make sure you get those promotions. Well, this season, Saturdays at The K are going to be a little different...

For Saturday home games, we are partnering with Entercom-Kansas City, the parent company of 610 Sports, to host Baseball Night in Kansas City: 610 Saturdays presented by Miller Lite. It's a promotion that features a premium give-away item, exciting pre-game entertainment and a great ticket value!

We are casually calling them 610 Saturdays, but the bottom line is that we want your Saturday nights in Kansas City to be spent at the ballpark. We want you to get to the ballpark early to pick up your promotional item before heading over to the special pre-game entertainment zone - located near Gate A of Kauffman Stadium - to interact with 610 Sports personalities, listen to live music and special guests and take advantage of great food and drink specials. And, to mix it up throughout the season, 610 Saturdays will be co-hosted by different Entercom-Kansas City stations, including 96.5 The Buzz, 106.5 The Wolf, 99.7 The Boulevard, 98.1 KUDL and 98.9 The Rock. So, no matter what your music likes are, we've got you covered in 2008! 

Also, as part of Baseball Night in Kansas City, we are introducing the "610 Pen" seating section. Here's the details: for each 610 Saturday, all seats in View Level Infield section 424 will be available for purchase online at royals.com for just $6.10 (regularly $15). Fans in the "610 Pen" section will be a part of in-game promotions and features. In order to take advantage of this exclusive ticket offer, fans can listen to 610 Sports or visit royals.com/610saturdays beginning the Monday prior to each 610 Saturday. A password that will be announced over-the-air and available online will let fans purchase "610 Pen" tickets.

Okay, so now that you know what 610 Saturdays are you can purchase your tickets for this coming Saturday, April 12 - the first 610 Saturday event, of the year. For the Saturday game against the Minnesota Twins, which also marks the debut of the new powder blue jerseys, fans visiting the 610 Saturdays zone will be treated to a live remote with 610 Sports on-air personality Nick Wright of the "What's Wright" show, activities for kids and a special Royals Alumni autograph session - featuring John Wathan, Dennis Leonard, John Mayberry and Frank White - from 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Oh, and for that great Saturday promotion, the first 20,000 fans on April 12 will receive their own Billy Butler No. 16 Powder Blue Replica Jersey, courtesy of FSN Kansas City. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday at The K! 

A sweep...in Detroit...against the Tigers...to open the 2008 season...

Yup, the Royals are off to a perfect 3-0 start after wrapping up the series finale with a 4-1 win over the Tigers. Here's the box score...enjoy!

HOME OPENER HIGHLIGHTS: With a successful road trip going on now, it's hard to wish the guys home too soon, but we can't wait! We are thrilled with the April 8 home opener lineup we announced Wednesday afternoon. Here's a rundown of some of what you can expect...    

     CROWNVISION DEBUT: Get ready to be larger than life when our in-stadium cameras get a shot of you in the ballpark! The home opener is the debut of CrownVision - that 84 feet by 105 feet, high definition video board you keep hearing about! You know, that one that is the largest HD videoboard in the world!

     BLUE & GOLD FIRST PITCH: Giving a shout out to both sides of the border, we are hosting a gridiron Ceremonial First Pitch to recognize the success of two area college football programs! Mizzou head football coach Gary Pinkel, who is busy plugging away with Spring Practice, will deliver a special video message to fans before KU's head football coach Mark Mangino tosses out the first pitch.

BUCK O'NEIL LEGACY SEAT: The "Buck Seat" program is back and getting off to a great start in 2008 with Royals Senior Advisor to GM Dayton Moore, 2008 Royals Hall of Fame inductee and one of the most respected guys in baseball, Art Stewart, sitting in "Buck's Seat" for the home opener. The ironic thing with Art sitting in Buck's seat, he's actually moving back a row to accept the honor. As many of you know, Art always sits with his radar gun behind home plate in the first row...Buck's seat is in the row behind him! Regardless, Art is thrilled to have the honor and we are thrilled to recognize his dedication to the organization and Kansas City!

     NATIONAL ANTHEM GOES COUNTRY: Country music sensation Emerson Drive will be here to perform the National Anthem. The high-energy band, which hit the Country music scene with hits such as the Grammy-nominated "Moments" and "I Should be Sleeping," recently watched their album COUNTRIFIED climb the Country-music charts.

     A TRIBUTE TO THE RED, WHITE & BLUE: America's colors will be presented by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Kansas City, Mo., Fire Department. The men and women of Whiteman Air Force Base will also coordinate an A-10 flyover before the Royals take over the field for the first time this season!

Gates open at 1 p.m. and you should try and make sure you are in your seats by 2:30 p.m. so you don't miss a moment!

Corny, but true after another great win for the Royals!

Today, Kansas City turned to Brian Bannister and Banny did not disappoint - leading the Royals to a clean 4-0 victory over Detroit! The right-hander threw a gem with seven scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and no walks. Relievers Leo Nunez and Joakim Soria closed the deal for the Royals, who are 2-0 to start the season. Check out the full box score if you haven't already!

Just like Kauffman Stadium, the parking procedures at the Truman Sports Complex are getting a little facelift this season...

Starting April 8 for the Royals home opener, the club will implement a new parking and access system that is in conjunction with the ongoing renovations, but, in reality, is a plan that has been in the works for awhile. Now, we understand that change is hard sometimes - especially when it deals with your favorite sports team - but this new parking plan is pretty harmless and will be a lot more efficient for you...

In the redesigned system, you will be directed to parking lots based on which gate you use to enter the complex. Once inside the complex, there are three categories of parking - gold and blue reserved for season ticket holders, as well as general parking - available on both sides of the stadium. You'll be directed to one of these lots based on where you should be parking...all on the side you entered. Make sense?

Okay...well you're in luck because it is all outlined here on royals.com/parking - with interactive diagrams, maps and routes that are the most efficient and fastest when it comes to getting you into your seat for a Royals game!

In addition, you can find other useful parking information on the website, including a special FAQ section and you can even request an official "2008 Parking at The K" guide - which will be handed out around town and at Kauffman Stadium.

The most important thing to take into consideration is that you should try your best to check royals.com/parking and determine the route you want to take all before heading to the ballpark. Oh, it'll also be a whole lot easier for you if you buy those game tickets ahead of time! 

Let us know what you think about the new parking structure and if you have any questions. After all, we don't want you to have any problems getting out to The K for a game this season!

It's an off day in Detroit - a perfect opportunity to catch up on some off-the-field news...and, of course, to keep celebrating that 5-4, 11th-inning Opening Day victory over the Tigers!

This season, Royals Charities is partnering with 98.1 KUDL to support The Ali Kemp Educational Foundation. It's a partnership that we announced Monday and, bottom line, we could not be more thrilled to be working with this foundation.

For those who aren't familiar, The Ali Kemp Educational Foundation was created in honor of Ali Kemp, a metro teen who was murdered in 2002. T.A.K.E. Defense serves as a legacy to Ali's life and has trained more than 20,000 girls and women across the county in basic self-defense skills. Here in Kansas City, this foundation hits home pretty hard given that many of you either know Ali's family or are familiar with their heartbreaking story. We know it does here in the front office and with Royals Charities, which is why we couldn't pass up this opportunity and we hope you don't either...

A KCasual Look - 2008-2009 Player Calendar
During the 2008 Royals FanFest and Spring Training, team photographer Chris Vleisides snapped some photos that had nothing to do with the guys playing baseball. Dressed in casual clothes (i.e. jeans, T-shirts, sweaters, etc.), the players posed and goofed around (check out the outakes!) in front of the camera...all for a good cause! The end product: A KCasual Look, a new Royals player calendar, to benefit The Ali Kemp Educational Foundation.

The April 2008-March 2009 calendars are available for $10 each and, as of Monday, you can purchase a calendar online here at royals.com/calendars. The calendars, which have Meche, Gordon and DeJesus gracing the covers, will be sold at The K starting April 8 (aka 2008 home opener). The guys look good...it's for a good cause...we all need calendars...so get yours today! 

T.A.K.E. Defense Self-Defense Training
In addition to the calendars...Royals Charities, along with 98.1 KUDL and The Ali Kemp Educational Foundation, is hosting two T.A.K.E. Defense self-defense classes on the field at Kauffman Stadium for our female fans. As we outlined in the press release, the T.A.K.E. Defense classes aim to raise safety awareness and give women self-protection skills they need to avoid becoming the victims of violent crime. Participants will receive safety awareness tips and hands-on training in basic life-saving self-defense techniques during the class.

The T.A.K.E. Defense self-defense classes are free and open to female fans ages 12 and older. Class dates are Saturday, May 17 from 10 a.m. to noon and Saturday, Aug. 16 from 9-11 a.m. and, from what we hear and know, these classes fill up fast! For more information or to register for the classes, please visit royals.com/takedefense.

BUTLER CHAT REMINDER: It's been pretty well documented that Billy Butler might be the best pure hitter on the team, maybe even the league. It's also been pretty well documented that the young DH, who apparently takes the most teasing from the guys, might be the chattiest guy in the clubhouse. Well, you have the chance to find out just how chatty he is at 3 p.m. (CST) today when B. Butler participates in the Royals Relay Chat Series. He'll be logging on from the team hotel in Detroit, ready to answer your questions about his hitting ability, clubhouse teasing and more. Register here to participate in today's chat and enjoy chatting it up with Billy!