Nothing Flip About Royal Turnaround

Even at 9-0 it may be too soon to be doing any back flips over the improbable start of the Kansas City Royals, but the decision by manager Tony Pena to determine his opening day starter by a coin flip has turned out to be an inspired move, helping to set a tone for the eight wins that have followed.

The story is this: Runelvys Hernandez and Jeremy Affeldt, two young pitchers out of the Kansas City system, had both pitched so well in the spring that Pena was unable to choose between them for opening day and opted to flip a coin. General Manager Allard Baird wasn’t thrilled, and said so.

“I told Tony, ‘You can’t do that,’ ” Baird said. “But he convinced me that the psychology behind it was valid. He said, ‘Listen, we’re dealing with two young pitchers, two guys who really want to [start on opening day] and who are both deserving. Let’s make them both feel good.’ ”

So, Pena told both they deserved the honor and then told them how he was going to decide, and Baird said, “I think it left both feeling positive about themselves and created some confidence going into the season. The only negative was that Affeldt was a little disappointed for having made the wrong decision on the flip.”

Affeldt called heads, making Hernandez the winner with tails, and the 24-year-old right-hander from the Dominican Republic has set the example for his streaking team, going 3-0 while giving up only one run in 20 innings.

With Carlos Beltran, the Royals’ best player, still on the season-opening disabled list, pitching has been the backbone of the unlikely start. The team earned-run average is 2.25, and a third pitcher out of the system, 25-year-old Mike MacDougal, a first round draft choice in 1999, has been virtually flawless as the closer. MacDougal has not given up an earned run in six innings of six saves.

The Royals are now the first team since the 1990 Cincinnati Reds to open the season with nine straight wins, and the Reds of that year may be the perfect role model for the Royals in that they won only 75 games while finishing fifth the year before and won only 74 in finishing fifth the year after. In between, they rode their season-opening hot streak to 91 wins and ultimately swept the heavily-favored Oakland A’s in the World Series, maybe Lou Piniella’s most impressive managing performance.

The Royals, who lost 197 games in the last two seasons, haven’t won more than 77 since 1993 and haven’t been above fourth in the American League Central for the last four years.

Nevertheless, says a voice of experience, look out.

“There is nothing better for winning than the anger and venom you feel inside when nobody respects you,” Rob Dibble, one of the Nasty Boy relievers on the 1990 Reds and now an ESPN analyst, told the Kansas City Star. “Why would anybody have believed in us that year? We stunk, but you get rolling, like the Royals are rolling, and nothing else matters. It doesn’t matter who’s pitching, who’s hitting, it’s just contagious, and you feel like there’s no way you can lose.”

No matter how the coin comes down.

No Relief

Despite the torrid starts of the Royals and San Francisco Giants, it’s unlikely that any division race will be decided in April, although you can’t tell that to the St. Louis Cardinals.

As they try to keep pace with the Houston Astros in the National League Central, the Cardinals haven’t been able to overcome the season-opening absence of Jason Isringhausen, who is still trying to recover from October shoulder surgery. The Cardinals faced the Astros Saturday night having already blown four of six save chances and lost four times in the opposition’s final at bat.

Isringhausen was expected to throw batting practice in Houston Friday night, but experienced discomfort again, returned to St. Louis for an MRI test and will be re-evaluated Monday.

“That’s not maintenance,” St. Louis Manager Tony La Russa said. “I’d call that a setback.”

Junior’s Misery

So, for the third straight season, Ken Griffey Jr. can’t make it past the first week. He dislocated his right shoulder diving for a fly ball and will be out six to 10 weeks. Last year, it was a patella tendon tear. The year before, hamstring problems. A dejected Griffey hasn’t talked to the Cincinnati press corps since this latest setback, but he told teammate Adam Dunn, “Next year, I’m starting my season in May. I’m using April as spring training.”

Griffey had been off to a strong start for the Reds, and close friend Barry Larkin said: “He had put in a lot of hard work on his legs and hamstrings, then he hurts his shoulder trying to save a game for us, and there was nothing to prevent it. I know this year was important to him. People say he’s always hurt, that he doesn’t play hard or work hard, all that negative ... , and he gets hurt going flat out to make a play. It’s unfair.”

Mendoza Line

The question that the Dodgers can’t answer, or afraid to, is this: How much offense can they count on from an infield that hasn’t produced any yet. They go back to work against the Giants today with Fred McGriff batting .227, Alex Cora .229, Cesar Izturis .233 and Adrian Beltre .227. They have combined to drive in 10 runs, putting them only six behind the individual major league leaders, Shea Hillenbrand, the Boston Red Sox third baseman, and Vernon Wells, the Toronto Blue Jay outfielder.