KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Royals Hall of Famer Frank White will not be a part of the team’s television broadcasts in 2012, the Royals and FOX Sports Kansas City announced on Friday.

White, a five-time All Star who played second base for the Royals from 1973 to 1990, and longtime producer Kevin Shank did not have their contracts renewed for the upcoming season. In a joint statement, the team and network said that they intend to “go in a different direction” with the positions for next year.

“FOX Sports Kansas City and the Kansas City Royals appreciate Frank White stepping into a larger role as game analyst the last three seasons,” read the statement. “He shifted from a planned part-time role to a near full-time role and performed admirably in the booth at a time of need.  We also want to thank Kevin Shank for his years of leadership as producer of Royals telecasts.”

White’s role on the team’s broadcasts expanded due to the illness of regular Royals broadcaster Paul Splitorff, who died of cancer last May.

The move left many fans, who said that they appreciated White’s insight into the game, shaking their heads.

“I think it’s bad. I think a player like that should have a lifetime job with the Royals,” said fan James Page.

Fan Rick King says that the move to get rid of the popular White was a surprise.

“I’m surprised because of his reputation and the way he was brought up during his play here in KC, he’s definitely a good role model for the community and for KC as a whole, I believe he was a good fit. Quite surprised that he’s gone,” said King.

White had resigned from the club as a senior adviser last January, a position he had held since 2007. Except for a time following his retirement as a player in which he worked as a coach in the Boston Red Sox organization (1992-1996), White had been involved with the Royals organization in one capacity or another since he was signed as an amateur free agent in 1970.

His number 20 was retired by the team and he was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 1995. The team dedicated a bronze statue of White outside of Kauffman Stadium in 2004.

The team said that White had declined a community relations position with the club last January. They added that White continues to be welcome at Royals alumni events, and may serve as a part-time instructor with the team during spring training.

The Royals say that a search for White’s replacement is currently underway.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Royals are getting an early start to the holidays.

Tuesday, pitcher Aaron Crow and other team members served a Thanksgiving meal at the City Union Mission.

It’s the sixth year the Royals have volunteered at the mission but the team said it’s special every year.

“As ball players we’re all very fortunate so you have to realize that some other people aren’t. Everybody in Kansas City gives back to the Royals and they know what’s going on every day with the team so it’s makes you feel good to give back and help these people out,” said Crow.

The City Union Mission serves more than 600 meals during Thanksgiving week.

Earlier this week, the Kansas City Royals announced that there is not yet any deal in place that would change the name of Kauffman Stadium. Of course, this announcement means very little. After five years of working to sell the naming rights, it’s only a matter of time before a deal is finally made and the name changes.

As a Royals fan, I am not at all OK with this possibility. I understand the need for any business to maximize revenue in any way possible, but sometimes it’s just too far. When the name of Kauffman is removed from the stadium, we will be removing something that honored one of the greatest men in Kansas City history. Ewing Kauffman made baseball great in this city, and that is something no fan should ever forget. Every time I go to the stadium for a game, I am reminded of that simple fact. When the name change is complete, that will no longer be the case and future generations will forget the importance of Mr. Kauffman.

As a fan, I see the constant changes as teams look to maximize on every ounce of revenue possible. I see signs popping up in every corner of every stadium. I see that everything is now sponsored by a corporation, including the box score and the seventh-inning stretch. At stadiums, we no longer vote by the loudest cheer, instead we text a number. Heck, at some point in the future some owner will realize that we could even paint a giant ad in the center field grass at Yankee Stadium.

These things are crazy, but I keep my mouth shut. I can barely afford to go to the games, but I keep quiet. Selling the name of my team’s stadium and removing Kauffman’s name from it though is too far. The worst part is the price tag. For $3-6 million a year, the Royals are willing to sell out. For most fans, this is a huge sum, but for an MLB team that’s a drop in the bucket.

I say the Royals should tell whatever corporation they are talking with to keep that money, its not enough to rename the stadium. Instead, put a winning team on the field and fill the stands. That will bring in a great deal more than $3-6 million, and it will honor what Kauffman would have wanted in the first place. If the team is that strapped for cash that it needs to sell out, maybe that center field grass could really be painted. It would be kind of neat to see the “Green Giant” painted out there.

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By Matt Conner

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Nov 8, 2011 – if the Kansas City Royals were to land Carlos Zambrano, Dayton Moore would be two for two on high-upside pitchers who certainly have their detractors. Compared to one another, however, Zambrano is in a class of his own.

Zambrano’s competitive and sometimes petulant nature hasn’t stopped Royals GM Dayton Moore from discussing him in a recent radio interview with 610Sports. In the conversation, the topic comes up on whether or not the Royals would be interested and the answer from Moore was quite positive for what should just be a random rumor.

“We would have to be interested,” said Moore. “We would have to explore it because that’s what you should do. You should explore every opportunity. Carlos Zambrano is a heckuva competitor,” said Moore. “Carlos Zambrano has had a lot of success in the major leagues. Carlos Zambrano is actually a very pleasant, easy going, classy person off the field. Sometimes, as with all of us the competitiveness takes over and brings out qualities in us that we are not proud of. Obviously the Cubs grew tired of some of his outbursts but I believe in our coaching staff and we’ll always take a chance and a risk on certain players. We’ll see how that particular situation unfolds.”

It sounds as if the idea of Zambrano coming over to the Royals isn’t just a pipe dream but something the team has actually thought about. Perhaps not, but Moore’s words seem like the Big Z is a subject the team has addressed internally. Granted, the contract and terms of a trade would have to be worked out, but it’s rare to hear a general manager address a player so openly who’s already under contract with another team.

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It’s been said good things come to those who wait.

That old saying could have been the motto of Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Greg Holland as the McDowell County native, who patiently waited his turn, had a breakout 2011 season with the Royals.

Holland, a 2004 McDowell High graduate and former Western Carolina standout, received his first taste of the big leagues late in 2010, working a handful of games for Kansas City.

But going into the 2011 season he found himself in a battle with several other pitchers, including some highly touted rookies, for an opening-day roster spot.

Unfortunately, Holland was the casualty of the numbers game. The Royals offered some first-year performers spots on the team’s 40-man roster, and Holland ended up as one of the last spring training cuts before the Royals left Surprise, Arizona for the prairies of western Missouri.

“It was a hard pill to swallow early on,” said Holland. “I was hoping to make the club from opening day; that’s always a goal. It took a couple days to recover, but once the season began at Omaha (triple-A) I knew that you have to move on and keep working hard because you never know when you may get that call.”

By May 19, Kansas City was already in need of fresh arms after a heavy workload was placed on the bullpen in the early stages of the season.

So less than two months in, Holland received his second call to the majors, and from day one he made a direct impact that was felt across the Royals bullpen.

The right-handed flamethrower began by tossing 12 2/3 scoreless innings over a period of four weeks, establishing himself as a viable option in the Kansas City bullpen.

That impeccable start caught the attention of manager Ned Yost, and after the all-star break, Holland’s role eventually grew from being just a situational pitcher in the middle innings to being the setup man to closer Joakim Soria.

With an electric fastball averaging in the mid-to upper 90’s and greatly improved command of his off-speed pitches, Holland quietly became one of the most effective relief pitchers in the American League.

“There was a different comfort level the second time around,” said Holland. “I felt like I pitched well the last couple appearances in 2010 and I felt like I had to prove that I belonged. The biggest thing I learned was how to manage tough situations, how to focus on each batter and how not to dwell on something that may have happened earlier. That is a big key; to stay focused.”

Holland’s focus must have been intense.

He finished the 2011 season with a 5-1 record and a tiny earned run average of 1.80. Holland struck out 74 batters – the highest total among Royals relief pitchers – in 62 innings, and recorded four saves. Holland also recorded 18 holds in 2011, which ranked him 13th in the American League.

The rookie picked up his first career save on Aug. 3, tossing 1 2/3 flawless innings in a  6-2 win against the Baltimore Orioles and striking out three of the six batters he faced.

Unfortunately for the Royals, Holland’s emergence as a crucial part of the bullpen rotation didn’t lead to a playoff berth. They finished in fourth place in the American League Central with a 71-91 record.

However, Kansas City featured one of the most improved offenses in all of baseball, ranking sixth in the AL in runs scored (730), fourth in batting average (.277) and second (153) in stolen bases.

The Royals will reportedly look to improve their pitching in 2012, possibly using free agency, but the team will also rely on some young pitchers, including high-round draft picks Luke Hochevar and Danny Duffy, to develop into reliable starters.

Holland said the team is making the right steps to restore a franchise that is rich in tradition.

“We have a good lineup, good outfield and some good pieces in the infield currently in place,” he said. “I feel that we are close to contending for the division. Just about everyone that is on the roster has played together at some point, and I think that provides good team chemistry. We can all see how the team changed this season and we’re all focusing on the same goal of getting the organization back towards the top.”