The Kansas City Star from Kansas City, Missouri • B3

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With approved credit. INSIDE DEAL now 12 days and counting until left fielder Alex Gordon and the Royals are scheduled to head to an arbitration hearing on Feb. 16. The two sides exchanged figures on Jan. 17.

Gordon is believed to have asked for $5.45 million, while the Royals countered at $4.15 million. Both parties can agree to a settlement up until the point at which the arbitrator issues aruling. But the Feb. 16 date four days before pitchers and catchers report to spring training could also serve as a soft deadline if the club wants to work out an oft-discussed long-term extension for Gordon. Late last week, Gordon told The Star that the two sides had continued communication, and Royals general manager Dayton Moore said those talks still included the possibility of along-term deal for Gordon, the player of the year in 2011.

Gordon, who will turn 28 on Feb. 10, remains under contract through 2013. one wants to go to a Gordon said last week. think something is gonna get done; both sides want to figure it Royals sign outfielder from Cuba The Royals have added some depth to their minor-league system, agreeing to terms with Cuban outfielder Roman Hernandez Jorrin. The deal is not yet official; Hernandez Jorrin, 22, must pass a physical and secure the necessary documents to come to the United States.

However, club officials privately confirmed that contract terms were in place on Friday. Hernandez Jorrin, who defected from Cuba last year, was working out for clubs in the Dominican Republic this winter. He is described as an athletic player with good speed and a strong arm, drawing comparisons to Cuban Dayan Viciedo of the Chicago White Sox. Because of his age and his experience in the Cuban professional league, Hernandez Jorrin could be a candidate to begin his minor-league career at an advanced level, such as Class A Wilmington. To reach Rustin Dodd, send email to ROYALS NOTES Gordon hearing is near Left fielder, team have fewer than two weeks to settle contract before going to arbitration.

By RUSTIN DODD The Kansas City Star SIGNS POINT TO HUDLER Rex Hudler, a former big-league player with extensive broadcasting experience, has emerged as the leading candidate to replace Frank White as the analyst for telecasts on Fox Sports Kansas City. Multiple sources said a decision appears imminent, and many cite Hudler as the leading candidate since former major-leaguer George Frazier was told he get the Royals job. Hudler, 51, spent 13 seasons in the big leagues as a utility player for six clubs during 1984-98. He became the then-Anaheim analyst upon his retirement and held that position through 2009. The Angels and Fox Sports Net West suspended Hudler for a brief period in 2003 after he was arrested at Kansas City International Airport for possession of cannabis and medical paraphernalia.

Dutton, Gordon back to her predecessors the pioneers of the sport and reach for more inspiration. so hard because worked so many days, so many hours to try to solidify a professional Wambach said. just means that we have to work harder. We have to mobilize more people; we have to get more sponsors involved. And as a national team, we think that bringing home a It was late Sunday night, and Abby Wambach was boarding aplane in Vancouver with the rest of her teammates on the U.S.

national soccer team. Wambach, the star striker, had just scored two goals against Canada, becoming the second all-time leading scorer in international soccer, and the U.S. had concluded the CONCACAFOlym- pic qualifying tournament with a4-0 victory. The mood on the plane was joyous. Until the emails started pouring in.

Wambach and the rest of the players were being notified that the Professional League was suspending operations for 2012. been a tough Wambach said Friday, standing outside a hotel ballroom at the Sheraton Crown Center. As Wambach recounted the story, a crowd of high school girls formed a few dozen feet away. They were all here for the 18th annual Win for KC Sports Awards Celebration, where Wambach would serve as the keynote speaker. The theme of the day was the and Wambach noted that it was fitting.

The story of soccer in America has been one of euphoric highs and devastating lows, she said, and the canceling of the WPS season was just another reason to think gold medal (this summer at the Olympics in London) will do just Wambach invoked the same passion during her 20-minute address to a crowd of 1,400 at the luncheon. She talked about growing up near Rochester, N.Y., as the youngest of seven kids, motivated by her older siblings. She encouraged the young girls in the audience to not specialize in one sport, saying that her days playing youth basketball were one reason she became so dangerous in the air on the soccer field. But mostly, she asked the women in the audience to continue the good fight. event has felt different to me than any other ever that been said Wambach, who also spent part of her day speaking to students at St.

Academy. event feels like almost everybody in the room has had some sort of hand in the growth of Also at the luncheon was Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who has made it a habit of attending, as well as a collection of state championship high school teams from throughout the Kansas City area. And once lunch was served, the parade of award winners began. The Evelyn Gates Award Committee including Melinda Minks, Maureen Dahnke, Dianne Schmidt and Betty Seale accepted the BKD WOW Award; Monica Steiner, an Olathe woman who has battled Stage IV breast cancer, received the DST Systems Adversity Award; Judy Swofford of Prairie Village took home the UMB Senior Sportswoman Award; Kelly Pfannenstiel of Olathe received the Hallmark Cards Outstanding Mentor Award; Beth Savidge of Independence received the Sprint Spirit Award; and finally, Frances Neunuebel, a sophomore at St. who battled brain cancer before returning to compete in equestrian and golf, won the Price Chopper Youth Sports Girl Award.

heard the stories, and by these stories, I feel Wambach said. really does inspire me to push myself even harder. When you get to go to different places around the country and actually have a conversation with somebody who is in the dogfight, like we all are, it feels like we all are a Wambach comes away inspired SHANE THE KANSAS CITY STAR Soccer star Abby Wambach (right) met with students at St. Academy on Friday. She was in town to give the keynote speech at the Win for KC Sports Awards Celebration.

Soccer legend speaks at KC awards ceremony but says she was moved by hearing stories. By RUSTIN DODD The Kansas City Star which overlooks turn two of the racing oval, opened to the public, leaving little doubt that the best days lie ahead. (Kansas Speedway) absolutely remains one of the crown jewels of the NASCAR Kennedy said. obviously one of the most modern since it opened in 2001and is one of the more recent ones to And Kansas Speedway has no intention of standing pat lest other venues around the nation catch up. always talk about Kansas Speedway being a unique destination, but we are truly unique now with a destination casino and have a hotel in the not-too-distant Kansas Speedway president Pat Warren said.

an entertainment venue, I would argue there is nothing in the country like what we have right NASCAR and its drivers have taken notice. Clint Bowyer, an Emporia, native who cut his teeth as a driver running on dirt tracks in the region, remembers when the land Kansas Speedway and Village West sit on was nothing but pasture. unbelievable how much difference this racetrack has made in this Bowyer said. next step, and raising the bar once again, is this casino. really brought Las Vegas to turn two of this racetrack.

This is a high-end, ultra casino and an incredible venue to come to. Can you imagine what the atmosphere is going to be like here on race weekend? The wow factor will be pretty Several major infrastructure changes in recent years, including the expansion of grandstand seating coupled with wider seats as well as the addi- tion of lighting to allow night racing, already helped prompt NASCAR to schedule a second Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway last year. The track also landed two races for 2012. The first will be April 22, after which Kansas Speedway will be repaved and reconfigured with a road course added on the infield before the October race, which is part of the Chase for the Sprint Cup. were very happy with the second race Kennedy said.

something we look at on an annual basis, but it was well-supported. Fans in the Midwest are really good. They are really special sports fans, and especially motor- sports fans. For now, continue just the way been doing With the addition of a road course, the Grand-Am circuit will swing through Wyandotte County as part of its 2013 season. got the final layout from our design team and Grand- Am (on Warren said.

itself be done until the day after our April (NASCAR Sprint Cup) race, but it will be done in conjunction with the repave of the oval and reconfiguration of the oval. Both will finish up sometime in The road course will start off the first turn and wend through an open space adjacent to the Nationwide owner lot. It will then run the entire length of the backstretch, finishing with a hairpin turn that brings it back to its exit at turn two, according to Warren. be continuing to grow what we have out said Kennedy, who indicated immediate plans call for breaking ground on a hotel nearthe ca- sino within two years. addition of the Grand-Am race in 2013 will be really big.

It will bring a diverse group to the Beyond that, who knows what might be next at Kansas Speedway? asked me six years ago, I never would have thought be standing on the second floor of a casino overlooking the Warren said. I tell you what else can be done, but I can tell you not To reach Tod Palmer, send email to CASINO: Growth spurt not letting up at Kansas Speedway FROMB1.