Shane Costa #32

Full name is Shane Jeremey Costa....Graduated Golden West (Visalia, Calif.) High... attended Cal State Fullerton and earned Big West Conference Player of the Year in 2003....Finished his college career ranking among the top 10 in NCAA history after being hit by a pitch 57 times in his career....Participated in the 2007 Royals Caravan.

2007

Started the season at Triple-A Omaha before being recalled on May 3...was hitting .378 (34-for-90), third-best in the PCL, with 7 doubles, 2 triples, a home run, 6 RBI and 13 walks at the time of the call up...Recalled with an active 19-game hitting streak, the longest in the minors at the time, and longest since Omaha began keeping those stats in 2000...began the season just 1-for-18, but hit at a .464 clip since then prior to call up...Hit .196 (9-for-46) with 5 RBI in his fi rst stint with the club...was optioned to Omaha on June 13, but was recalled the next day when Mark Grudzielanek was placed on the 15-day D.L...Drove in the game-tying run in the 8th inning with a pinch-hit single on May 18 at Colorado in an eventual 5-2 Royals win...Made just 3 starts and 9 pinch hitting appearances before being optioned to Omaha on July 6...was recalled on Aug. 22 for the remainder of the season...After his recall on Aug. 22, went 9-for-23 (.391) with 5 doubles in his next 7 games (6 starts)...Hit .289 (11-for-38) in 22 games his 3rd and final stint with KC, including .360 (9-for-25) in his 7 starts...Equaled a career high with 2 doubles on Sept. 1 at Minnesota (also May 29, 2006 at Oakland)...Tied career high with 3 hits (4th time) on Sept. 2 at Minnesota...went 3-for-5 with a double and 2 runs scored.

2006

Made an Opening Day roster for the 1st time in his career...had 3 separate stints with the Royals, hitting .274 (65-237), setting career highs in every offensive category...hit 20 doubles and led the team with a double every 11.85 at bats...Posted just a .248 (31-125) average prior to the All-Star break, but hit .304 (34-112) following the break...hit all 3 of his home runs in his 1st 9 games of the season...Hit .294 (42-143) with 14 doubles and 14 RBI at home and just .245 (23-94) with 6 doubles and 9 RBI on the road...hit .310 (49-158) at night and just .203 (16-79) during the day...hit all 3 of his home runs during the day...Recorded 22 multi-hit games including his 3rd-career 3-hit game on Sept. 13 at Cleveland...Went on a career-best 8-game hitting streak April 21-May 19 around a trip to the D.L...hit .407 (11-27) during the streak with 5 of his 9 hits going for extra bases (all doubles)...Placed on the Disabled List April 29 with a left hamstring strain...was leading the team in slugging percentage and ranked 2nd on the team in batting average and home runs at the time of his injury...Reinstated from the 15-day D.L. May 19...went 2-for-5 with a double in his 1st game back vs. St. Louis...Optioned to Omaha on June 16 while hitting .248 with 3 HR and 11 RBI on the season...hit just .185 (12-65) with 0 HR and 3 RBI after returning from the Disabled List...Was recalled by the Royals on July 22...hit .314 (16-51) with 6 doubles and 7 RBI in 14 games, but was optioned to Omaha on Aug. 10...Hit .342 (68-199) with 12 doubles, 4 triples, 10 home runs, 29 RBI and 35 runs in 52 games and was named Omaha Player of the Year...Equaled a career high with 3 RBI on July 26 vs. Baltimore...Recorded doubles in 5 straight games, July 25-29...Recalled from Omaha for the remainder of the season on Sept. 3.

2005

Began the season at Wichita (AA)...hit .274 with 5 homers, 27 RBI, 12 doubles, 14 walks and 10 strikeouts in 45 games for the Wranglers prior to his Royals debut...Had his contract purchased by the Royals on May 31...played in 27 games for the Royals, hitting .235 with 2 homers and 7 RBI...Made his big league debut on June 2 vs. New York...recorded his 1st career hit off Carl Pavano with a 5th-inning single...notched his 1st career RBI on a fielders choice in the 4th...Hit his 1st career Major League home run in the 5th inning off the Dodgers' Jeff Weaver on June 14...also went 3-for-3 in the game for his 1st career 3-hit game...Went 3-for-4 with his 2nd career home run on June 28 at Minnesota...Was mired in a 0-for-17 slump from July 8-17 before being optioned to Wichita on July 20...played 4 games for Omaha (AAA) in September.