August 14, 2002

Royals report: Kit Pellow called up

By DICK KAEGEL
The Kansas City Star

It's Kit Pellow's time, at last.

Pellow, who was born in Kansas City, was promoted to the Royals' major-league roster on Tuesday after seven years in their minor-league system. He played at Olathe North High School and Johnson County Community College.

A right-handed power hitter, Pellow will turn 29 two weeks from today. He's been added to the roster as backup for first baseman Mike Sweeney and third baseman Joe Randa.

After being bypassed for Chan Perry as the roster replacement for the injured Sweeney on July 24, Pellow went to Class AAA Omaha, Neb., manager Bucky Dent to find out why.

"You want to find out why you got passed up," Pellow said, "and he told me, `You just need to work a little harder, be a little more consistent,' and then I started getting hot. I started swinging the bat a little better with more concentration and I think that's what I needed."

Pellow batted .289 with 27 home runs and 76 RBIs in 105 games for Omaha. But, beginning with Perry's promotion, Pellow went on a .373 (28 for 75) tear with 10 homers and 21 RBIs in 21 games.

In his last game, Pellow knocked in seven runs with two three-run homers and a triple at Colorado Springs, Colo.
"You never can tell why you get hot like that," Pellow said. "You never know, that might have triggered it, might not have. Shoot, you never know."

Whatever prompted it, Pellow was wearing a huge smile after reporting during batting practice on Tuesday.
"It's something I've waited for for a long time," he said.

The Royals also added Luis Ordaz to the roster and he'll be the primary replacement for demoted second baseman Carlos Febles, manager Tony Pena said.

Ordaz, who turned 27 on Sunday, is a versatile infielder who played with the Royals in 2000 and 2001 after parts of three seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals.

This year Ordaz went to spring training with the Chicago Cubs and played for Class AAA Iowa before exercising a contract option and becoming a free agent on July 1. Then he re-signed with the Royals.

"I signed here and played a lot for Omaha," he said. "I've been hitting the ball real good in Omaha. The last few games I was like eight for 13."

Ordaz, a right-handed batter, hit .309 in 35 games, mostly at second base, and had three errors. Including his time at Iowa, his Pacific Coast League average was .288 in 96 games with 15 errors.

He also can back up Neifi Perez at shortstop, his primary position in his career.

"We had good reports on him," general manager Allard Baird said. "And he really embraced running deeper counts and, by doing that, getting more pitches to hit.

"We're not saying he's the answer at second base, but he does deserve a chance to come up here and play on a more regular basis."

Spots on the 40-man under-control roster for Ordaz and Pellow were vacated by infielder Mike Caruso, sent to Omaha, and Perry, sent to Class AA Wichita.

08/14/2002

MLBeat: Pellow's time arrives

By Robert Falkoff / MLB.com

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kit Pellow realized a dream come true Wednesday night when he took the field as the starting first baseman for the Royals.
After seven years of trial and error in the minors, Pellow was finally where he wanted to be.
"It's unbelievable," Pellow said. "You've been playing this game so long. To finally get that callup, it's indescribable."
Pellow, who grew up in the Kansas City area and attended Olathe North High School and Johnson County Community College, earned a promotion from Triple-A Omaha by hitting .289 with 27 homers and 76 RBIs in 105 games.
Pellow has had his share of discouragement since entering pro baseball. But he hung onto the dream while fighting off the effects of constant Major League rejection.
"When you have some good years, put up some good numbers and don't get that callup, it's hard," Pellow said. "But you think in the back of your mind, 'I'm still playing a game and they're paying me.' I wouldn't rather be doing anything else."
Pellow is a lifelong Royals fan.
"I grew up here in the heyday of the Royals," Pellow said. "Seeing them win championships, seeing them in the playoffs all the time. It's one thing to play in the Major Leagues. But to do that in your hometown is a feeling I wish everybody could experience."
Pellow went out with a bang at Omaha, smacking two homers and a triple in his final three at-bats. He has played both third base and first base, which makes him a valuable infielder to have around. Pellow's availability could allow either Joe Randa or Mike Sweeney to take a day off.
"Pellow put up some good numbers at Omaha," Pena said. "We're going to see what he can do."

09/19/2003

Notes: Pellow's catching on

By Thomas Harding / MLB.com

DENVER -- Kit Pellow told manager Clint Hurdle he'd reward him for starting him at catcher on Friday night.

"I told him I've seen you catch a few innings late, I want to see you start and finish," Hurdle said. "He said, 'I'll give you the game ball.' "

If Hurdle can get his hands on it -- center fielder Preston Wilson caught the final out of a 6-5 victory over the San Diego Padres at Coors Field -- he should give it right to Pellow.

Getting a long look from the Rockies after seven minor-league seasons culminating in a brief callup last year with the Kansas City Royals, Pellow went 4-for-4 and knocked a club record-tying three doubles.

Pellow, 30, played corner infield and outfield positions for most of his career with Kansas City and at the start of this season at Triple-A Colorado Springs. But injuries forced him to move to catcher, his position throughout his youth and through college at the University of Arkansas. His ability to move around, catch in a pinch, and hit has caught Hurdle's eye.

"It's just a short period of time here in September," Pellow said. "I'm not going to be in there every day. I've got to try to do something every time I'm out there."

His work will continue this winter.

Pellow said he has played year-round throughout his pro career, and that won't change just because of his extended chance with the Rockies. Pellow will play in Mexico for the fourth straight winter.

"I've played year-round for seven years now," said Pellow, who said the biggest adjustment to catching was getting his arm conditioned for repeatedly throwing the ball back to the pitcher. "This year is a little different from past years because I'm catching now. I'll play outfield most of the time, but there's always an opportunity to catch. If I just let them know that I want to catch a little bit, it won't be a problem.

"I just fell into this opportunity this year. But I'm 30 years old now. I'm not going to let this opportunity slip by, because you never know if it's going to be your last."

Rookie Rockies raring to go

Pellow, Gonzalez wove way to majors

By Troy E. Renck
Denver Post Sports Writer
April 7, 2004

PHOENIX - Baseball begged Kit Pellow to quit. He scrapped for money and became a preferred guest at truck-stop hotels - when he wasn't sleeping in his car.
He runs more the way of Crash Davis than Alex Rodriguez, a 30-year-old gypsy with a baseball passport stamped with locales not regularly featured on the travel channel.
Luis Gonzalez, 24, began chasing his big-league dream eight years ago, playing winter ball in his native Venezuela. He wondered if he was chasing his tail, having spent the past three summers repeating Double-A ball.
Today their paths intersect at the starting lineup for the Rockies, two of four rookies who landed on the opening-day roster along with second baseman Aaron Miles and outfielder Rene Reyes.
"I will be easy to find when they introduce the players - I will be the one with my knees shaking," said Pellow, who will start in left field and bat sixth against Arizona's Randy Johnson. "I just hope I don't puke."
Gonzalez searched for words to describe his ascent from unknown Rule V pick to hitting leadoff today. He wasn't expected to make the team this spring, let alone start. But he never stopped hitting, leaving manager Clint Hurdle committed to shoehorning his bat into the lineup at second base and in the outfield.
"It's such a different experience. I had never been in a big-league camp," Gonzalez said. "This was always what I wanted to do. If I worked hard, I thought it would pay off."
In a clubhouse littered with journeymen and reclamation projects, no one has paid the price like Pellow. A hometown draft pick the Kansas City Royals in 1996, Pellow advanced steadily through the organization, reaching Triple-A in his third year. He was on the fast track - to become mayor of Omaha. He spent four consecutive seasons in the Nebraska outpost, watching as prospects passed him in the express lane from his truck-stop digs.
"I never had an apartment because I wasn't making any money," said Pellow, who topped out at $2,700 a month in 2002. "In Omaha, to live somewhere decent was $1,500. That was about what I was bringing home after taxes."
So Pellow lived in an economy lodge across the border in Council Bluffs, Iowa. And when money was tight, he downsized, taking up residence in his 1993 Dodge Intrepid.
"You learn to travel light," Pellow said. "My sister and mom keep the scrapbooks."
There were exploits that mocked his minor-league status. He hit for power - averaging 25 homers and 83 RBIs - but played the wrong positions. The Royals weren't a very good team, but had two solid corner infielders in Joe Randa and Mike Sweeney. He finally got called up in 2002. It produced a memorable snapshot and little else.
"My high school reunion was during that time. Some of the guys watched me get a pinch hit," said Pellow, who passes the time playing guitar, "then I showed up at the party later."
The clock quickly struck midnight. On a treadmill to nowhere, Pellow became multidimensional and bilingual, spending his winters in Mexico playing for the Culican Tomato Growers. He learned the outfield, dabbled in catching. He is, in many ways, the player Hurdle was at the end of his big-league career.
That versatility and right-handed pop earned him today's start. Pellow will share time in the outfield with Mark Sweeney, Reyes and Gonzalez until Larry Walker returns from the disabled list.
"He deserves the chance," Hurdle said. "We want to see what he can do."
Gonzalez, meanwhile, remained confident despite his discouraging career route. As a kid he loved baseball. Double-A wasn't a dead end - only an opportunity to be seen. The Rockies were convinced he was worth a flier after his strong winter ball season. He led the team in hits this spring, but his performance went beyond stats. He played with confidence.
His bat will allow the Rockies to bring Miles along slowly, protecting him against tougher matchups.
"I don't know if (Gonzalez) has a heartbeat," Hurdle said. "If it does, it's a slow one."
Pellow talks freely about his journey, splicing in one-liners. He hasn't figured out where he's going to live in Denver, probably a hotel, hopefully an apartment. Living in his car is no longer an option. He shipped it back to Mexico. His drive, however, has never been stronger.
"My love for baseball is ridiculous. What else would I do? I got a good education in college, but this is all I know," Pellow said. "It's more than an addiction. It's my life."

Tuesday, May 18, 2004

Mellow Pellow

Former Hog Kit Pellow Finding Success With Rockies

By Bob Stephens

DENVER -- Kit Pellow laughed out loud. No, the former Razorback said, he didn't used to sleep in his car. Not if you don't count that one long trip to spring training.

Pellow has lodged in some unusual locales during his eight-year pro career, though. He spent two years sleeping at the ballpark, on a pullout couch in the clubhouse.

"I was single then and didn't make much money," Pellow explained. "I did it in Omaha and at Wichita. Sometimes other players would stay with me. Life in the minors isn't easy."

He also spent a season sleeping at a truck stop in Omaha, Neb., while playing for the Kansas City Royals' top minor-league team.

"It was right next to the stadium," Pellow said. "It was like a motel, about $200 a week. I'd check in when we got back from a road trip and check out when we left."

Those Spartan days are just memories for Pellow now. For the first time, he made a 25-man major-league roster coming out of spring training, and has played in 28 of the Colorado Rockies' 37 games, 15 as a starter thanks to injuries to right fielder Larry Walker and center fielder Preston Wilson.

Despite his upgrade in status and income, Pellow still walks to the stadium, from his downtown apartment near Coors Field.

"There's nothing better than being at the ballpark," he said before a recent home game against the defending World Series champion Florida Marlins. "I got here at 1:30 (p.m.) today. It was just me and the clubbie (clubhouse man). We didn't stretch (as a team) until 4."

The biggest difference for Pellow comes on payday. Instead of making $2,700 a month, he's earning the major-league minimum of $300,000 a season.

It's a satisfying turn of events for the 30-year-old Kansas City native who was a Razorback in 1995 and '96. Pellow's blood-and-guts style of play has turned heads in Denver.

"Kit's a ballplayer," said Rockies manager Clint Hurdle. "He's a guy that just loves the game, and he'll do anything to play it. He spent a lot of time in the minors and kept working.

"He's shown a lot of character and you've got to admire a guy like that."

Experiencing Life

To ease his financial burden, Pellow began playing winter ball five years ago. He played one season in Puerto Rico and the last four in Mexico for Cullacan, which won the Caribbean World Series. His Rockies teammate, Mexican native Vinny Castilla, plays for Cullacan late in the season and the playoffs.

When Pellow was at Arkansas, his team didn't fare so well in postseason play. Along with Kendrick Moore, who was a roommate and teammate in rookie ball with the Royals, he led the Hogs to a pair of NCAA Tournament berths, but they went 0-2 in Wichita and 0-2 in Lubbock, Texas.

Pellow was glad to hear of Arkansas' current success and said he met current Hogs coach Dave Van Horn several years ago when Van Horn coached at Nebraska.

"I was at Omaha and our field was unplayable," Pellow said. "We bused to Lincoln to play on their field and he knew I was from Arkansas and came out to talk to me. I thought that was nice of him."

Pellow has been married for four years and living in Springdale, but has filed for divorce. While his personal life has gone south, he has finally reached the pinnacle of his profession.

Frustrating Climb to Top

Pellow was hardly an instant success, though. After two seasons at Johnson County (Kan.) Junior College, he earned all-Southeastern Conference honors as a designated hitter in 1995, but was still undrafted by the pros. He was picked in the 22nd round by Kansas City in 1996 and shot up the ladder to AAA after three seasons.

Three years later, though, he was seemingly on a treadmill going nowhere even though he continued to hit well every year and became Omaha's all-time leader in homers (106) and RBIs (337).

"I was playing first base or third and the Royals had Mike Sweeney at first and Joe Randa at third, so they didn't have any room for me," Pellow said. "Especially in the American League, where they don't pinch-hit much, so the bench guys don't play a lot."

Change in Fortune

Pellow got a break in 2003 when the Rockies signed him as a free agent and he then led their AAA team, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, with 19 home runs in 89 games. The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder always had thunder in his bat, but was labeled as a defensive liability who didn't run well.

"That's not true," Hurdle said. "I heard that from people in our organization until I saw him up close. A lot of people in our organization thought he was just a guy who could swing the bat, but we found out he's a pretty good athlete. He runs pretty well and is a good defensive outfielder."

Pellow increased his value by learning to catch the last few seasons. He wore the "tools of ignorance" for 22 games with the Sky Sox while playing first base 50 times, third base seven, left field two and DH two. He's the Rockies' third catcher and that contributed to him making the team.

"He really helped himself by being so versatile," Hurdle said. "He can do a lot of things for this ball club."

Platoon Player

Pellow enjoyed a hot streak about a month ago but his bat has since cooled. He's sharing time in right field with Brad Hawpe, a talented prospect who was MVP of the 2000 College World Series for LSU. Matt Holliday, who also started the season with the Sky Sox, has taken over the left-field job.

"I'm platooning with Hawpe, but we're mostly seeing right-handed pitchers," Pellow said. "We face a lefty, I'm in there."

His average has dropped significantly in the last three weeks to .250 (18-for-72). In the month of May, he's just 6-for-27 but went 2-for-4 on Monday.

"I'm trying to find some hits," Pellow said. "My (adopted six-year-old) daughter Abigale is coming out to visit in a couple weeks. Maybe she'll bring me good luck."

For the season, Pellow has a homer, four doubles and eight RBIs but an on-base percentage of just .316 and 23 strikeouts but only five walks.

"It's been quite an adjustment, not playing every day," Pellow said. "Pinch-hitting late in the game can be tough. But I feel good. I'm playing hard and getting opportunities.

"My confidence level is high. Hurdle still has confidence in me. He puts me in for defense in the ninth and has me pinch-hit in crucial situations."

Not Looking Ahead

Ask Pellow what the future holds and he talks about not planning any further than dinner. Hurdle understands that mentality and figures Pellow should enjoy his time in Denver with the Rockies and make the most of it.

"He had a lot of good years (in the minors) but just didn't get the chance in Kansas City, for whatever reason," Hurdle said. "But this is a good fit for him. He's got great power and this ballpark will be good for him. Our ballclub is a good fit for him."

Pellow isn't looking further than today's game and knows his chance of being a starter will vanish when the high-salaried pair of Wilson and Walker return to action. Pellow also figures he could get sent down to the minors at any time. But for now, he's basking in the limelight.

"It's been a long time coming and I've been through a lot," Pellow said. "I've finally got a team that needs a guy like me after being stuck in the minors year after year.

"This has been my dream since I was a little kid. So I'm just having fun."