KANSAS CITY, Mo. wholesale nfl jerseys . -- Royals ace James Shields is open to staying in Kansas City beyond this season. That news should make the thousands of fans, already flying high over the teams strong finish a year ago, feel even better as they turned out for their annual FanFest on Friday. The Royals exercised their $13.5 million option on Shieldss contract shortly after going 86-76 last season, their best finish since 1989. The durable right-hander was a big reason behind the success, going 13-9 with a 3.15 ERA in an American League-leading 228.2 innings. Shields told a small group of reporters at Bartle Hall that he was willing to discuss an extension, but he said those talks with general manager Dayton Moore have not taken place. "Id definitely be open-minded to it," Shields said. "A player in my position, where I have one more year left before free agency, I mean, Im definitely open to it. I like Kansas City. I like the organization and I like the direction were going." If Shields went to the open market, its unlikely that the Royals would be a player in the chase. There were reports this off-season that he would seek a contract similar to that of former Royals star Zack Greinke, who signed a $147 million, six-year deal with the Dodgers last season. "Thats absolutely not true at all," Shields said. "I have no clue where he got that from, to be honest with you. Ive had no discussions with Dayton at all. "If Dayton wants to talk about it, Im more than willing to sit and talk about it. But during the season, my main focus is trying to win games and get some wins for this team." Pitchers and catchers are due to report to Surprise, Ariz., for the start of spring training on Feb. 14. The first full-squad workout is Feb. 20. Most of the Royals key pieces return from last season, when they contended into September for the first time in a decade. Their two biggest holes were filled by trading reliever Will Smith to Milwaukee for right field Norichika Aoki and signing Omar Infante to solidify second base. "I didnt think our defence could get any better," Shields said, "but theyre definitely filling some holes that we had. And theyre great additions to our lineup." Then theres the starting rotation, where Ervin Santana has become a free agent. While the right-hander has yet to sign elsewhere, the Royals appeared to move on when they signed left-hander Jason Vargas to a contract early in the off-season. Along with Jeremy Guthrie, the first three spots in the rotation are set. That leaves two up for grabs among a handful of candidates, including starters-turned-relievers Wade Davis and Luke Hochevar, veteran Bruce Chen, left-hander Danny Duffy and flame-thrower Yordano Ventura. "Ive just been working hard, resting my arm," said Ventura, who had a 3.52 ERA in three late-season starts in Kansas City. "Ive just been getting ready because I want to get out there and make the team." That doesnt figure to be an easy task given the glut of competition. "Its a competitive game anyway," Davis said. "Why not do it from within a little bit?" Davis said that he spent the off-season in the weight room, and pronounced himself more ready for this season than any previous year. He also said that hes already been throwing some bullpen sessions, giving him a head start on reporting for spring training. "Im definitely going in to start," said Davis, who began last season in the rotation but was demoted to the bullpen when he proved ineffective. "Hopefully I get that opportunity." cheap jerseys . They did take one chance on a free agent-to-be however, and it didnt pay off. Rory Kohlert, selected by the Redblacks in the expansion draft from Winnipeg, has signed as a free agent with the Blue Bombers. nfl jerseys china . Take a look at TSN. A wild postgame brawl following a contentious game between Utah Valley and New Mexico State highlighted the risks when fans and players collide. The Western Athletic Conference suspended New Mexico State junior guard K.C. Ross-Miller for two games and senior forward Renaldo Dixon for one for violating the leagues sportsmanship policy following its review of the melee Thursday night in Orem, Utah. Ross-Miller hurled the ball at Utah Valleys Holton Hunsaker seconds after the Wolverines 66-61 victory over the Aggies. The ball hit Hunsaker -- the son of Utah Valley coach Dick Hunsaker -- in the leg. Some of the fans who stormed the court following the victory got caught up in the chaos and punches were thrown. New Mexico State guard DK Eldridge was in the middle of the scrum before he was dragged away by Aggies coaches as order was restored. With the victory, the Wolverines claimed the top spot in the conference standings -- their first year in the WAC. While the brawl was touched off by Ross-Millers actions, it sparked renewed debate about player and fan interactions, and the dangers posed when fans rush the court. It was one of several incidents involving fans and players or coaches in recent months. Oklahoma State All-America guard Marcus Smart charged into the stands at Texas Tech on Feb. 8 and shoved a fan who called him a "piece of crap." Smart was suspended for three games and the fan later apologized. Also in February, Oregon coach Dana Altman expressed concerns about safety after two of his staffers said an Arizona State student spit at them at halftime of a game in Tempe, Ariz. Ducks guard Jason Calliste had a verbal confrontation with at least one student late in the first half. The NCAA does not have national rules regarding fans rushing the court because conference offices oversee regular season rules in basketball, including discipline. The SEC does ban the practice, imposing a $5,000 fine on the school for the first offence, and as much as $50,000 for subsequent infractions. Reggie Minton, deputy executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, said his organization has discussed the issue in the past and it will be taken up again at meetings in April. "The main concern is for the safety of the visiting players and coaching staff. Rushing the court almost always comes after a key victory or upset by the home team and there are people rushing the court who may or may not understand what sportsmanship is about," Mintton said. cheap nfl jerseys. . "We need to explore ways to eliminate the risk to the players, coaches and staff on the court," he added. "Every school should have a plan in place for end of game situations and make sure there is sufficient security and staff available to take control." The WAC issued its suspensions Friday after reviewing the brawl. "There obviously is no place in the Western Athletic Conference or intercollegiate athletics as a whole for the unfortunate events that took place at the conclusion of Thursday nights game," WAC Commissioner Jeff Hurd said. Hurd also said in a statement that there would be further review of the safety issues involved, and he has additional games management information from Utah Valley. Hurd praised the coaches for both teams. "The situation could have been much worse if it had not been for outstanding effort of both the New Mexico State and Utah Valley coaching staffs," Hurd said. "They were instrumental in separating their student-athletes from what could have been an even uglier situation." Before the WAC weighed in on additional penalties, New Mexico State coach Marvin Menzies suspended Ross-Miller indefinitely pending the WACs decision. The junior starter averages 8.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists. "No matter what provoked K.C. what he did was inexcusable and hence the suspension. It is an honour and a privilege to wear an Aggie uniform and a responsibility comes with that privilege," Menzies said in a statement Friday. The game between the WAC co-leaders at the UCCU centre was attended by a season-high 4,954 fans. Ross-Miller issued a statement apologizing for his actions. "I have way more respect for the university, my teammates and coaches to retaliate in such a terrible way," he said. "I know better to let my opponents and emotions get the best of me and I regret doing what I did, not only because it was stupid and selfish, but because of the situation that I have created for my team, coaches and the university. The Wolverines issued a brief statement via Twitter: "The incident following Thursdays game was an unfortunate and sour endnote to an otherwise brilliant performance by both teams." The team referred all further inquiries to the WAC. Utah Valley (17-10, 11-3) is atop the WAC standings going into Saturdays home game against Texas Pan-American. New Mexico State (21-9, 10-4) visits Bakersfield on Saturday. cheap jerseys from chinacheap jerseys ' ' '
