T-Bones Get to Work, Ink Three Spidale comes to Kansas City from the White Sox organization, advancing as far as Triple-A Charlotte last season. In 2004, the former 12th round draft pick was named team MVP of the Class AA Birmingham Barons after hitting .304 and leading the Southern League in runs scored (87). A constant threat on the base paths, Spidale has 150 career stolen bases to go along with a .269 batting average in six professional seasons. Buddy Blair brings a career record of 17-24 into the 2006 season, which will be his fourth in professional baseball. Blair spent the last three seasons in the Cardinal organization after being taken in the 10th round of the 2003 draft out of the University of Oklahoma. The Tulsa native enjoyed his best season in 2004, going 11-11 with a 4.53 earned run average as a starter for Palm Beach (Class A, Florida State League) and Tennessee (Class AA, Southern League). Larry Robles split his 2005 season between the Colorado Rockies Class A affiliates in Asheville (South Atlantic League) and Modesto (California League), compiling a 7-6 record with a 6.01 ERA. A seventh-round draft pick out of Cal State-Dominguez Hills, Robles made 16 starts to lead the Rookie-level Pioneer League in 2003 and went 7-3 in 23 games for Asheville the following season. The T-Bones will conduct work-outs Thursday and Friday before hosting Fargo-Moorhead in a two-game exhibition series this weekend at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. Game times are set for Saturday at 7:05 p.m and Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. Tickets for the exhibition series or any regular season game may be purchased online at www.tbonesbaseball.com, by calling (913) 328-BALL, or by stopping by any Kansas City or Topeka CommunityAmerica Credit Union branch or the CommunityAmerica Ballpark box office. |