Royals reveal medical staffs
Major League staff:
Nick Swartz will return for his 32nd season in the Royals organization, his 20th in Kansas City and 18th as the Royals Head Athletic Trainer. Swartz is a two-time American League All-Star (1996 and 2006).
Frank Kyte returns for his 20th season with the Royals, his sixth at the Major League level as the Assistant Athletic Trainer. Kyte worked his way through the Royals Minor League system and was an All-Star trainer in 1993 at Memphis.
Jeff Stevenson joins the big league club as an Assistant Athletic Trainer after working the past nine seasons as the trainer for Triple-A Omaha. Stevenson was named Pacific Coast League Trainer of the Year in 2005.
Jeff Blum joins the Royals big league staff as the team's Physical Therapist. Blum comes over from the Atlanta organization, where he served as the Braves' Minor League Physical Therapist for the past six seasons.
Minor League staff:
Kyle Turner enters his second season in the Royals organization, his first as Minor League Medical Coordinator. Prior to joining the Royals in 2007, Turner spent seven seasons in the Texas organization, the final two as Medical Coordinator.
Dale Gilbert enters his sixth season as the Royals Minor League Rehabilitation Coordinator. Prior to his time with the Royals, Gilbert worked seven seasons with the Diamondbacks and was named Texas League Trainer of the Year in 2001 and 2002.
Drew Van Dam joins the Royals organization in 2008 as the new trainer at Omaha (AAA). Van Dam previously worked with the Atlanta Braves since 2002, most recently as the trainer at Mississippi (AA).
Chris DeLucia will spend his second season in the Royals system as the trainer of Northwest Arkansas (AA) in 2008. DeLucia was the trainer for Oklahoma (AAA) in the Rangers organization from 2003-2006.
Dave Iannicca, after spending the 2007 season as the trainer for Burlington-NC (R), will work at Wilmington (A) in the same capacity in 2008. Iannicca has previous work experience in the Braves and Yankees organizations.
Yoshi Kitaura joined the Royals in May of 2003 and will spend his second season as the trainer at Burlington-IA (A) in 2008. Kitaura was the trainer at Idaho Falls (R) from 2004-06.
Masa Koyanagi joins the Royals organization in 2008 as the trainer at Idaho Falls. Koyanagi worked in 2007 as the interpreter for Tampa Bay Rays infielder Akinori Iwamura. Prior to that, he was an athletic trainer in the Milwaukee Brewers organization.
Mark Stubblefield enters his seventh season in the Royals organization and will serve as trainer at Burlington-NC in 2008. Stubblefield worked as the trainer at Wilmington in 2007, Burlington-IA from 2003-2006 and Spokane (R) in 2002.
Tony Medina enters his fifth season at the trainer for the Surprise Royals (R). Medina served as the trainer for the Dominican Republic in the 2006 World Baseball Classic and was 2006 Arizona League Trainer of the Year.
For more information contact Royals Media Relations at 816-921-8000.