2009 Kansas City Royals season
| 2009 Kansas City Royals | |
|---|---|
| Major League affiliations | |
|
|
|
|
| Location | |
|
|
|
|
| Other information | |
| Owner(s) | David Glass |
| General manager(s) | Dayton Moore |
| Manager(s) | Trey Hillman |
| Local television |
Fox Sports Kansas City (Ryan Lefebvre, Bob Davis, Paul Splittorff, Frank White) |
| Local radio |
KCSP 610 AM (Denny Matthews, Ryan Lefebvre, Steve Stewart, Bob Davis) |
| < Previous season Next season > | |
The Kansas City Royals' 2009 season began on April 7 with a game against the Chicago White Sox at U. S. Cellular Field, which Chicago won. On April 10, the Royals hosted the New York Yankees in the first game at the newly renovated Kauffman Stadium for the Royals' home opener. Interleague opponents included the St. Louis Cardinals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros and Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Royals looked to improve on their 2008 record of 75–87 and sought their first playoff appearance since 1985, as manager Trey Hillman returned for his second season with Kansas City. The Royals' payroll for the 2009 season was $70.5 million, approximately 25 percent higher than their 2008 payroll (and 21st in the major leagues).
There was much optimism for the Royals heading into the season, with some experts saying they had the potential reach the postseason. After a strong start and 18–11 record, the Royals suffered several losing streaks and fell back to a losing record, finishing with a dismal 65-97 record.
Following the 2008 season, third base coach Luis Silverio and hitting coach Mike Barnett were not retained on Trey Hillman's coaching staff. In October 2008, the Royals hired Kevin Seitzer as the team's new hitting coach and John Gibbons as bench coach. Seitzer served as the hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008, and Gibbons was the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays for five seasons. Both were dismissed from their respective teams before the 2007 season was completed.Dave Owen, the team's bench coach from 2008, will be the third base coach.Bob McClure (pitching), Rusty Kuntz (first base), and John Mizerock (bullpen) were all retained to complete the six-man staff.
...
Wikipedia