TAMPA, Fla. ? Former University of South Florida first baseman, Ross Gload, has signed a two-year, $3.2 million contract with a club option for 2010, with the Kansas City Royals.
As part of his new contract, Gload will make $1.3 million in 2008 and $1.9 million in 2009 and could make an additional $300,000 annually if he were to reach his performance bonuses based on plate appearances. The Royals also hold a $2.6 million club option for 2010.
“It's exciting playing for the Royals right now,"said Gload. “The potential this team has is unbelievable, and there's a buzz going around Kansas City. I'm actually one of the older guys on the team, so it's kind of exciting watching some of the younger guys like [Alex] Gordon and Billy Butler."
Gload, a two-time All-American at USF, appeared in 97 games for the Royals last year, hitting .288 while setting career highs in hits (92), doubles (22), RBI (51) and runs scored (37).
Now in his 11th major league season, Gload finds Kauffman Stadium to be an oasis in the Kansas City area.
“It's a great stadium to play in,” said Gload. “If you ask me, it's kind of a sleeper stadium. The playing surface is great and the fans that come out are great. It also has the fountains which are a nice feature that no other team has.”
Only being with the Royals for only one year, Gload has already become a fan favorite around town.
“I'm happy where I'm at and I go out every day and play hard,” said Gload. “Even in high school, I wasn't the best player on the field, and I wasn't even the best player on the field in college, but I'm still going. I'm the type of guy who always has dirt on his uniform at the end of the day. I'm always playing hard.”
After playing three successful years at USF, Gload was drafted in the 13th round of the 1997 MLB draft by the Florida Marlins. He made his major league debut in 2000 with the Chicago Cubs and has also played for the Colorado Rockies and the Chicago White Sox, where he became the second USF player to earn a World Series ring in 1995 as they went on to sweep the Houston Astros.
“USF gave me a huge opportunity to play in talent-rich Florida,” said Gload. “Coming from New York, it was a big change for me. The competition in Florida is a lot better than it is in New York. All of the hard work I put in at USF definitely prepared me for what was ahead in my career as a professional baseball player.”
Gload finished his career at USF with a .375 career average and still remains the single-season and career leader in home runs with 21 long balls in 1996 and 54 from 1995-97.
