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MWL1 Burlington Bees

Bees Opening Day Roster Set

April 3, 2006 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Burlington Bees News Release


Burlington, IA (April 1, 2006) - Spring training is complete and the Burlington Bees' Opening Day roster is set for the club's sixth season as an affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Jim Gabella returns for his third season as the manager of the team, matching his predecessor Joe Szekely for the longest tenure for a Bees' manager since the organization joined the Midwest League in 1962.

Fans will recognize several names on the infield as third baseman Mario Lisson and first baseman Miguel Vega return from last year's team after both had their seasons cut short by injury. Lisson, rated as the #24 prospect in the Royals organization by Baseball America, hit .250 with 6 home runs, 36 RBI, and 23 stolen bases before a separated left shoulder in July ended his season during his hottest stretch. Vega was limited to just 38 games by a left thumb injury that required surgery during the year. Vega was the #4 prospect in the Arizona League in 2004 after leading the circuit with 10 home runs. Chris McConnell will be the starting shortstop and is the highest ranking player on the BA prospect list this year, coming in at #7 after hitting .331 with six home runs, 39 RBI, and Pioneer League best eight triples for Idaho Falls in 2005. Second baseman Josh Johnson is the highest draft pick on the team. The Royals selected him in the 3rd round in 2004 and he returns to the Bees after appearing in four games at the end of '04. Reserve infielder Jeremy Jirschele is the son of Mike Jirschele, the manager at Triple-A Omaha in the Royals system.

Outfielder Jose Duarte ranks 18th on the prospect list and is rated by BA as having the best outfield arm in the entire organization coming into this season. He also hit .309 with 3 home runs and 36 RBI in just 47 games in the Arizona Rookie League last year. Ethien Santana hit .300 and ranked fifth in the Pioneer League with 20 stolen bases for Idaho Falls last year to earn a spot on the Pioneer League post-season All-Star team. Carlos Arroyo joined the Royals during spring training from the Seattle Mariners organization. He hit .313 with 62 RBI for Inland Empire in the California League last year and returns to the Midwest League after playing for Wisconsin in 2003.

Catchers Kiel Thibault and Jeff Howell were drafted in the 9th and 10th rounds respectively last year and have impressive college resumes. Thibault attended Gonzaga University and was the West Coast Conference Player of the Year in 2004. He hit .310 with 9 home runs and 34 RBI for Idaho Falls last year and was selected as a post-season All-Star. Howell attended Florida Southern and delivered five hits in the title game to help lead his team to the Division II National Championship last year.

On the mound, RH Matt Kniginyzky will be the Opening Day starter and is the only pitcher on the Royals BA Prospect List coming in at #30. Thursday will be his first professional start after making 21 relief appearances with Idaho Falls last year. LH Ryan DiPietro, and RHs David Henninger, Carlos Rosa, and Rayner Oliveros round out the starting rotation. The 6'8 Henninger will also be making his first professional start in his first outing. Rosa returns to the Bees after making eight starts in 2004, only to go down with an elbow injury that ultimately led to Tommy John surgery and forced him to miss all of last year. Rosa was #15 on the BA prospect list heading into 2004. Last year, Oliveros was named the Royals Arizona Pitcher of the Year after tying for the league lead with seven wins, finished fourth in ERA, and second in innings pitched. He made two appearances with the Bees at the end of last season, including one start when he pitched five shutout innings in the final game of the regular season at Clinton

In the bullpen, right-handers Yovany Damico and Kraig Schambough return from last year's team. Damico made the Midwest League All-Star team at mid-season last year and finished the year 2-3 with three saves in 35 appearances. Schambough was 2-2 in 14 appearances to finish the season. LH Gilbert De La Vara gained international experience as a part of Team USA for the 2005 World Cup in the Netherlands. LHs Eliszer Garcia and Adam Kalkhof will give Gabella the most left-handed options in relief in his three years with the team. RH Chris Hayes pitched with the Windy City Thunderbolts in the independent Frontier League after finishing his career at Northwestern University. Schambough is the only reliever on the roster that didn't earn at least one save last season.

Gabella will be joined by familiar faces on the coaching staff. Hitting coach Patrick Anderson returns for his fifth season and Athletic Trainer Mark Stubblefield is back for a fourth year. Pitching coach Steve Luebber and Strength and Conditioning Coach Brock Stone are new to the staff and the Royals organization this year. Luebber has spent the last five seasons as the Texas Rangers' Double-A pitching coach in Tulsa and Frisco. Luebber pitched professionally for 17 seasons and made 66 Major League appearances for the Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, and Baltimore Orioles.

The 2006 season is the 84th year of professional baseball in Burlington and the organization's 45th in the Midwest League. Opening Night is Thursday, April 6th at Community Field. The Bees will host the Clinton LumberKings in a four-game series to start the year. Opening Night is a Sombrero Thirsty Thursday featuring 2-for-$3 specials on Pepsi and beer and fans will receive a free magnet schedule sponsored by Mazzio's. Opening weekend festivities continue on Friday night with a T-G-I Bud Night with 2-for-$3 specials on Bud products and the first of six fireworks shows this year will follow the game sponsored by J&M Displays. For ticket information, fans can contact the Bees' front office at (319) 754-5705 or order on-line at www.gobees.com.

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