bale update

Former Southern Miss left-hander John Bale’s surgery to have his thyroid gland removed went well, according to various reports. Bale, competing for a job in the Kansas City Royals’ bullpen, had the procedure on Tuesday and was expected to be back in camp in a couple of weeks. Bale was drafted out of USM in 1996 — has it really been 13 years? — and has had a roller-coaster career in the U.S. and Japan. He spent most of last season on the disabled list with the Royals because of a sore shoulder and a broken hand suffered when he punched a door. His major league numbers: 3-6 record, 4.46 ERA. Not great, but he’s one of those “crafty left-handers” that big league clubs covet. At 34, Bale may not have a lot left in his arm — and he won’t have a lot of time to prove himself in the K.C. camp once he gets back on the hill. But here’s hoping it goes well for him.
P.S. Gotta check out Millsaps, which is 13-1 and ranked No. 14 in the d3baseball.com poll. Jim Page just keeps cranking out great clubs. The Majors have a home series with Austin College this weekend, a twinbill Saturday and a single game Sunday.