Sonstiges » eone like Alastair Campbell... that rubbed pe

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Sean Manaea never threw a pitch for the Kansas City Royals, who drafted him as a competitive balance pick after the first round in 2013.Yet, Manaea was key to the Royals winning the 2015 World Series.The Royals traded the talented hard-throwing left-hander to the Oakland Athletics along with Aaron Brooks for Ben Zobrist on July 28, 2015. Without Zobrists key contributions, the Royals likely would not have won the World Series. Without giving up a valuable asset like Manaea, the trade probably would not have been finalized.On Wednesday, the Royals will face Manaea for the first time. Royals manager Ned Yost saw the glowing reports on Manaea but was not a witness of his prowess.We didnt see much because he was hurt all the time, Yost said. He went to spring training with high expectations and both spring trainings he was hurt and never pitched much. We never got to see him with our own eyes, but just thought if he ever got healthy, hed be a heckuva pitcher.Manaea has not been injury-free with the As his rookie season. He was on the 15-day disabled list in June with a left pronator strain. He was 2-4 with a 6.02 ERA in nine starts when he went on the disabled list. He is 3-5 with a 3.28 ERA in a dozen games, including 11 starts, since coming off the disabled list.Manaea, however, will be pitching for the first time since Aug. 29, when he left a 6-0 loss at Houston after 3 1/3 innings with a strained left rhomboid after giving up two runs on one hit and two walks while striking out four.As manager Bob Melvin will be cautious with Manaea in his first outing back.I dont like to go out there and say potential pitch count, Melvin said. Its going to be how he feels, and ups are just as important, potentially, as pitches, but it wont be a full complement like weve seen in the past.Manaea has never won on the road. He is 0-6 with a 6.44 ERA and opponents hitting .302 off him in eight away starts. His career-opening road losing streak matches the longest in Oakland history. Mike Morgan lost six straight road decisions from June 17, 1978, to July 24, 1979.Overall, Manaea is 5-9 with a 4.40 ERA, striking out 104 and walking 32, while allowing 120 hits, including 19 home runs, in 120 2/3 innings.The Royals have lost their Kauffman Stadium magic, losing six of their past seven home games.They will counter with right-hander Yordano Ventura, who yielded a season-high 10 hits to the Chicago White Sox in losing his previous start Friday. Ventura is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA against the Athletics in his previous two outings. He has not faced them since April 18, 2015, falling 5-0 at Kansas City.Ventura is 6-3 with a 4.09 ERA this season at Kauffman Stadium, but he has made just three home starts since the All-Star break. He is 2-1 with a 2.55 ERA in those starts.Bob Uecker Jersey . 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On Tuesday, Ottawa placed forward Cory Conacher and defenceman Joe Corvo on waivers as trade rumours swirl around the Senators.Warren Gatland insists the mistakes of the British and Irish Lions last visit to New Zealand that led to fears for the tourists future will not be repeated by him.Sir Clive Woodward was at the helm in 2005 when a bloated travelling party consisting of a record 44 players and unprecedented 26-strong management team was thumped over three Tests.Woodward was criticised for relying too heavily on his 2003 World Cup-winning team despite many of them being out of form, for pre-selecting the Test team and for appointing former Labour political aide Alastair Campbell as a press relations officer.The Lions fell to their first series whitewash since 1983 and questions were asked over their ongoing viability, but Gatland insists New Zealand will encounter a touring party more in touch with tradition next year.There were a lot of Englishmen that went in 2005 and there was a debate about the number, said Gatland, who has been appointed head coach for a second successive tour.I think when Clive did that role he went in with a model to try something different. I think there was a bit too much forward thinking.?Potentially it could have worked, but its not something I will be employing and Im sure if Cllive looks back there are a lot of things he would change.ddddddddddddTaking someone like Alastair Campbell... that rubbed people up the wrong way, in New Zealand as well. This will be very different.The 2005 tour wasnt the greatest experience and in 2009 in South Africa it was about putting some pride back in that jersey.There was a lot of debate after 2005 whether the Lions was dead and was it worth going on tours.Gatland, himself a Kiwi who played against the Lions for Waikato in 1993, believes the 2-1 series defeat in South Africa in 2009 and subsequent success in Australia four years later restored the tourists reputation.People in New Zealand are incredibly excited about the Lions coming next year, Gatland said. They saw 2009 and 2013 and have seen they have done extremely well. New Zealand want the Lions to be strong.We have to turn up as best prepared as we can with the right team playing the right style of rugby to win those games.There will be no one more disappointed than me if we come away from there losing respect - but I cant see that happening. ' ' '