Originally Published: April 12, 2005

Royals banking on youngsters

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Crasnick By Jerry Crasnick
ESPN Insider
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Fresh off a 58-win fiasco in 2004, Kansas City general manager Allard Baird told everyone that the team's season-opening trip to Detroit and Anaheim was of paramount importance. Ten players on Kansas City's 25-man roster had never experienced a major-league Opening Day before this year, and the last thing they needed was to christen the season by getting flogged.

"I said before the season that we couldn't come back from the trip at 1-5 or 0-6," Baird said. "We have so many young, inexperienced guys here. It was important for us to have some success so people didn't start questioning whether they belong."

Kansas City's 3-3 start had 41,788 fans, the largest crowd ever for a Royals home opener, all pumped up for Monday's game with Seattle. So naturally, the Royals went out and got thumped 8-2.

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