royal pain management

O.K., so Kansas City manager Ned Yost, the former Jackson Mets catcher, got a contract extension through 2013. That’s not the big news as the Royals head to spring training. This is: Dayton Moore, the onetime Atlanta Braves farm director, has put together a club that looks ready to contend for a playoff berth. After years and years of irrelevancy, KC is a team to watch in 2012. And there are a number of players with Mississippi ties who figure prominently in the Royals’ plans. Reliever Louis Coleman, the pride of Pillow Academy, had a solid debut in 2011: 2.87 ERA in 48 games. Lefty Tim Collins, a former Mississippi Brave, put up a 3.63 in 68 games out of the pen. Ex-M-Braves right fielder Jeff Francoeur enjoyed a resurgence in 2011, batting .285 with 20 homers and 87 RBIs. Jarrod Dyson, a Southwest Mississippi Community College product, stole 11 bases in limited opportunities last season and will vie for the center field job. Onetime M-Braves starting pitcher Zach Miner, on the mend from Tommy John surgery, could make the Royals’ staff with a good spring. Kansas City was just 71-91 last year under Yost but has a core group of young talent that could improve significantly on that mark this season. Long-suffering Royals fans certainly hope so.