Kansas City

Billy Butler had started 89 consecutive games for the Royals, but that all ended on Thursday night at Target Field in Minnesota.

Butler hasn't been swinging the bat well, hitting just .176 over the past nine games. In that same span he has only one extra-base hit and three runs batted in.

When a pitcher has a bad outing, you shrug it off. If you get lit up by the Colorado Rockies, you definitely let it go.  Even for a Cy Young Award winner, a bad outing is part of the game.

But when a dominant pitcher gets tagged for eight runs in less than four innings against the team his old catcher plays for, you know what’s going on.

On April 2, we saw one of the Kansas City Royals' final bullpen spots get handed out to a young pitcher who has little service time.

Despite all the talk about pessimism and optimism regarding the Royals , their offseason and the 2010 players they plan to trot out on the field, there is one clear reason for EVERY baseball fan in Kansas City to get excited.

Owner : David Glass

Team : Kansas City Royals

Education : BA, General Business, Missouri State (Springfield, MO)

Last Wednesday, Topps named new Royals acquisition Chris Getz the top rookie second baseman of 2009.

Getz, who played for the Chicago White Sox last season, batted .261/.324/.347 and stole 25 bases while being caught just twice.

At 26, Getz will likely start next season as Kansas City's starting second baseman.

For years we have been hearing about the promise of Billy Butler, though he had never quite lived up to the hype.

Well, at least until 2009, when he got his first full season in the Major Leagues and posted the following line:

608 At-Bats
.301 Batting Average (183 Hits)
21 Home Runs
93 RBI
78 Runs
1 Stolen Base
.362 On-Base Percentage
.492 Slugging Percentage
.335 Batting Average on Balls in Play

Starting pitcher Zack Greinke of the Kansas City Royals has won the American League Cy Young Award, defeating Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners and Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers.

Greinke pitched for the Spokane Indians in 2002 for his first season.

Greinke compiled a record of 16-8, an ERA of 2.16 and a WHIP of 1.073, as opposed the record of Hernandez at 19-5, an ERA of 2.49 and a WHIP of 1.135.

The Kansas City Royals are struggling big time. The pitching has been inconsistent, and the hitting has been horrible.

The Royals need help, but they're running out of answers. It's time for the team to make a move. Could it be to bring up a player from Triple-A? Or possibly make a trade to get a hitter?

My guess, at least for the short term, is they will call up first baseman Kila Ka'aihue.

As I grow a little bit older, I've begun to realize what most people my age start to.

There are now people in our past that have gone on to a better place and we are left with just the memories of them.

Memorial Day can start to really take meaning on all levels of personal importance.

I reflect on memories of my grandmothers, aunt, and my grandfather.

"Gramps" I called him and he was my main man.

I named my son after him and he wears the name proudly.

I'll admit, sports captivate my soul.