"A baseball man is standing 20 feet or so back as Rick Ankiel, dressed in his blue Royals practice jersey, digs in for his new team. Ankiel is important for the Royals.

"Take a look," the man says. "He's got as much raw power as anybody you'll see."

First swing, Ankiel hits a weak grounder to second base. The baseball man winces. He kicks lightly at the ground. It's the opening days of spring training and already Ankiel is matched against an image he may not live up to.

Ankiel, the centerpiece addition to the Royals' 25-man roster, is the best place to start when talking about where they stand entering the fourth year of general manager Dayton Moore's attempt to shed the franchise's long-earned label of laughable losers.

He represents the Royals' hope, but also their anvil. He is the face of their promise, but also their struggle.

"I'm proud of who I am and what I am as a player," Ankiel says.

"He's the full package for me," manager Trey Hillman says.

"There's no question he should and he will continue to get better," Moore says."