Cougars, Royals announce affiliation
Effective today, the agreement does not affect the ownership, management or front office staff of the Kane County Cougars in any manner as the Cougars organization looks towards April 11 -- the first home game featuring the Cougars' new partnership with the Royals. Fans can call the Cougars now at (630) 232-8811 to inquire about partial-season ticket packages, as well as season tickets for the 2011 season.
This will be the fourth different Major League affiliation for the Cougars franchise, which began in 1991 as a Baltimore Orioles farm team and has since aligned with the Florida Marlins and Oakland Athletics. Numerous publications, including Baseball America's Jim Callis, have sung the praises of the Royals as having one of the top Minor League farm systems in all of baseball.
"We are extremely excited about our new relationship with the Kansas City Royals," said Cougars general manager, Jeff Sedivy. "Although the decision to change affiliation is never an easy one, after spending some time with [VP of baseball operations/assistant GM] J.J. Picollo and [director of Minor League operations] Scott Sharp, we felt that the Royals and their philosophies about the Minor Leagues were a great fit for our franchise.
"With the Royals player development philosophy, scouting and player involvement in the community, we felt that they were a perfect fit for our great fan base."
"The Kansas City Royals are extremely excited to partner with the Kane County Cougars in signing a two-year player development contract," said the Royals'Sharp. "Kane County has a long history of community and fan support, and the Royals are excited for our young players to be part of that history."
The Royals began their existence in Kansas City as part of Major League Baseball's decision to expand the league in 1969. That year, the team finished with the best record among the four new teams, led by Rookie of the Year Lou Piniella. The club reached the ALCS four times in a five-year period (1976, '77, '78 and '80), made its first World Series appearance in 1980, and in 1985 celebrated its first World Series title by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Burlington Bees, which previously held the Class A affiliation with the Royals, currently feature six former players on the Major League roster, including pitchers Luke Hochevar, Dusty Hughes and Blake Wood, first baseman Kila Ka'aihue, and outfielders Mitch Maier and Jarrod Dyson. Another half-dozen former Bees were listed among the top 10 prospects in the Royals system, according to Baseball America. That list includes current Royals prospect, 22-year old Mike Moustakas, who finished the regular season tied for the most home runs in all of Minor League Baseball with 36.
The remainder of the Kansas City farm system consists of Omaha (Triple-A), Northwest Arkansas (Double-A), Wilmington (Class A Advanced) and Rookie-level teams in Idaho Falls, Burlington (N.C.) and Arizona. The Royals have previously held Class A affiliations in the Midwest League with Burlington (Iowa), Lansing and Rockford.
Only one former Cougars playerhas made his big league debut as a Royal (Chip Ambres, July 20, 2005), yet a handful of former Cougars have logged time as Royals players during their Major League careers, including Scott Podsednik, Denny Bautista, Hector Carrasco, Todd Dunwoody, Ross Gload and Gregg Zaun.
Kane County Cougars team records by affiliate
Baltimore Orioles (1991-92): 129-143-1
Florida Marlins (1993-2002): 723-655
Oakland Athletics (2003-10): 591-520