By DOUG TUCKER, AP Sports Writer December 13, 2005 KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Kansas City Royals are attempting to sign Doug Mientkiewicz, the Gold Glove first baseman best known for taking the ball from the final out of Boston's World Series win in 2004.
"We definitely have an interest and we are pursuing it," Kansas City general manager Allard Baird said Tuesday. "I do not get the feeling that anything is imminent."
Mientkiewicz, who turns 31 in June, is a career .268 hitter with 55 home runs and 305 RBIs. A good contact hitter and a top defensive first baseman, he has only 25 errors in 6,377 chances.
He spent last year with the New York Mets. Slowed by a hamstring injury, he hit .240 with 11 homers and 29 RBIs in 275 at-bats. His best year was 2001 with Minnesota, when he hit .306 with 15 homers and 74 RBIs and won a Gold Glove. In 2003, he hit .300 with 11 home runs and 65 RBIs.
Mientkiewicz would bring stability to one of the many positions where the Royals were lacking in consistency last season while losing a franchise-record 106 games. He could also provide better defense at first than the Royals have had for many seasons.
All-Star Mike Sweeney, one of several players the Royals put at first base last year, would not become a fulltime designated hitter.
"Mike would still get time in the field. We are not thinking of doing anything else," Baird said.
The Red Sox filed suit last month, asking a judge to let the team keep the infamous ball, whose ownership has been in dispute since pitcher Keith Foulke flipped it to Mientkiewicz for the out that gave Boston its first World Series since 1918.
After he was traded to the New York Mets in January, he loaned the ball to the Red Sox for one year. He would get it back "unless the ultimate issue of ownership has been otherwise resolved," the agreement said.
"The Red Sox continue to assert that their former employee, Mientkiewicz, obtained the baseball through the course of his employment, that he acquired no ownership interest and that the Red Sox are the rightful owners of the baseball," the team stated in its suit.
The Royals are have a preliminary agreement on a $700,000, one-year contract with free-agent catcher Paul Bako, a career .239 hitter who would be a backup to John Buck. He played 13 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers last year and underwent surgery on June 24 to repair his anterior cruciate ligament.
"I'd still like to find a starter and improve the outfield situation as well," Baird said.
Sure, we don't have one single 1B that can play defense, but why another 1B when we have 4-5 that can play for the Royals.
Royals 1B: Sweeney, Harvey(all-star last year), Pickering, Stairs(likely to DH or OF), Huber(used to be a C)
and you want Mientkiewicz? Sure, I always liked him as a player but why do we need him?
Are you interested in joining a 28 teams dynasty league? If so, PM me.
TheYanks04 wrote:I suspect the money is right for Mr. Glass.
It's like the Yankees go out and pursuit Eric Chavez, this makes no sense
Yeah but Chavez costs money/has talent and would be redundant.
Mienk is not very good and is a cheap filler option for him I suppose. I agree though, it would seem to be a silly expenditure since his usefulness would be minimal.
KC should run a promotion where every home game they do a random draw and choose a fan to play for them that game.
My apologies. I have a nephew named Anfernee, and I know how mad he gets when I call him Anthony. Almost as mad as I get when I think about the fact that my sister named him Anfernee.
Sure, we don't have one single 1B that can play defense, but why another 1B when we have 4-5 that can play for the Royals.
Royals 1B: Sweeney, Harvey(all-star last year), Pickering, Stairs(likely to DH or OF), Huber(used to be a C)
and you want Mientkiewicz? Sure, I always liked him as a player but why do we need him? [/quote]
We all know Sweeney has a good bat and average glove, Harvey injured himself in the offseason, Pickering may have had his one and only shot at the majors, Stairs is a great guy to come off the bench and fill-in, I agree Huber needs a shot.....but are you going to let the team suffer if he fails too?
Sadlyl, Mientkiewicz may be the best out there for the budget.
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by PlayingWithFire » Tue Dec 13, 2005 9:37 pm 
