KANSAS CITY, Mo. Late Tuesday afternoon, Eric Skoglund pulled up a chair and hunched down at a table inside the Royals' clubhouse. His 6-foot, 7-inch frame sat alone, thumbing at a scouting report, peering down at a piece of paper that featured the detailed game plan for the offense of the Detroit Tigers.
Skoglund, 24, had already met manager Ned Yost for the customary greeting welcome; congrats, kid; good luck and he had already sauntered toward his locker. As he stood, he had contemplated the journey, the one that saw a skinny kid from Sarasota, Fla., transform into a 6-foot-7 southpaw who would traverse the minor leagues and arrive here on Tuesday, starting opposite Justin Verlander on a pleasant May evening in Kansas City.