Appier Feeling Better About Royals

Kansas City pitcher Kevin Appier, one day after he confirmed that before the All-Star break he told Royal General Manager Herk Robinson he’d just as soon be traded, recanted and said he’d just as soon stay with the Royals.

“I just told him that if they weren’t going to give us a good chance to win here, then I didn’t want to be here,” said the right-hander. “But Herk told me they are committed to winning, and then he showed that just a few days ago.”

Last Friday, Robinson sent outfielder Tom Goodwin to the Texas Rangers for third baseman Dean Palmer.

“I think we have a good core of talent here,” Appier said. “And everything’s looking like they’re going to sign guys and keep trying to get more talent in the future.”

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New York Yankee pitcher David Cone’s sixth-inning strikeout of Mark McGwire made him the 48th player in modern history to reach 2,000. . . . Toronto’s Roger Clemens made Milwaukee’s Fernando Vina his 2,773rd strikeout victim and moved into a tie with Frank Tanana for 14th all-time. . . . The Brewers placed pitcher Jeff D’Amico on the 15-day disabled list because of tendinitis in his right bicep. . . . Outfielder Tim Raines, one of five Yankees on the disabled list, will undergo an MRI exam today on his injured left hamstring. Raines removed himself in the fourth inning of a double-A rehabilitation start Sunday because of tightness in his leg. . . . Baltimore called up left-hander Rick Krivda from triple-A Rochester. He will start today.