The Kansas City Royals agreed to terms on a one-year contract Saturday with pitcher Bruce Chen. Carson Tinker . The deal also includes a mutual option for 2015. The itinerant Chen seems to have found a home with the Royals, for whom he has played since 2009. Last season, he made 34 appearances (15 starts), compiling a 9-4 record and a 3.27 earned run average. Chen has a career mark of 80-76 with a 4.49 ERA in 385 games -- 218 as a starter -- over 15 seasons with the Braves, Phillies, Mets, Expos, Reds, Astros, Red Sox, Orioles, Rangers and Royals. To clear room for Chen on the 40-man roster, the Royals designated infielder Emilio Bonifacio for assignment. John Cyprien Jersey . Cross-country skier Brian McKeever won the mens visually impaired 20-kilometre race on Monday. Carson Tinker Jersey . - Wednesdays lightweight bout between Canadian Sam (Hands of Stone) Stout and K.The best aspect of the 2011 CFL season has been the emergence of the Canadian football player in high-profile positions on the field. It is based on ability and ratio advantage but to have players with Canadian citizenship actually run the ball, catch the ball and eventually throw the ball makes the game more entertaining and exciting. It is easier for a Canadian football fan to relate to Jerome Messam from Brampton, Ontario than Brandon Whitaker out of Baylor. It is easier to relate to Andrew Harris, who played his youth football for the Victoria Island Raiders than LaMarcus Coker from the University of Hampton. In Toronto, you have Andre Durie, who is the Argos best all-purpose player. In Saskatchewan, people wanted Andy Fantuz back first because he is a good player but also because they can relate to the former Western Mustang. The Roughriders have seven players from the province of Saskatchewan and Riders games are sold out every week. Yes, they come to see the team but they also come and see the people; the people playing pro football that have a similar background to their own. In Winnipeg, general manager Joe Mack and head coach Paul LaPolice have created Canadian content in one year with wide receivers Aaron Hargreaves and Jade Etienne, not only future players but relatable people to Bombers fans who are setting attendance records. Add in Dave Stala in Hamilton, Jon Cornish in Calgary, Calvin McCarty in Edmonton, Marco Iannuzzi and eventually Nate Coehoorn in Edmonton and you have a list of players who can carry or catch the ball and therefore get noticed much more than Canadians who block and tackle. In my career, the structure of the rosster on almost every team had five Canadian offensive linemen, one Canadian weak side linebacker and one Canadian safety (if not safety, it was a field side wide receiver). Marcedes Lewis. Those were your seven positions that Canadians filled. Not anymore. As many teams use two American offensive tackles, other positions open up for Canadians, like running back, middle linebacker, spot receiver and eventually quarterback. When Danny Brannagan made the Argonauts roster, it created attention and when Brad Sinopoli was drafted by Calgary, it created conversation, both because they were quarterbacks and Canadian. I think Sinopoli has a real shot at being a good quarterback and eventually losing the prefix Canadian quarterback. If and when he does, people will come to the stadium to see the Canadian quarterback from the University of Ottawa. Last spring, there was conversation of reducing the ratio from seven to four. I am happy it didnt happen because it takes the Canadian out of the Canadian Football League. It may surprise you but in all my years of football, I have never once heard a player complain about Canadian content. Coaches, managers, owners yes, but not one player. Im not sure what that says other than players understand that Canadian players sell the game and keep the salaries higher than if the game was 100% American. When we receive the rosters with the starting 24 in prime visual position, the first thing I do is highlight the magic seven (sometimes more) of Canadian players who are starting. Not because they are always game-determining but because I can relate. Because Im Canadian like they are. I hope it never changes. ' ' '
