It's been a long time coming, but Aaron Crow can't begin to
explain how excited he is to be on the mound again.  The process
of beginning his professional career has been long and bumpy --
he did not come to terms with the team that drafted him in 2008,
and did not sign with the club that selected him in 2009 until
the last moment. It's been nearly a year and a half since Crow
ended his college career and his competitive time on the mound
has been limited to a handful of independent league innings this
spring. Now, however, he's a Kansas City Royal, and is thrilled
to put the past 18 months behind him and focus on the future.
"I remember the first couple of days I was down here thinking,
'This is awesome. I really missed this,'" Crow said from the
Royals' instructional league facility in Surprise, Ariz. "It was
a great experience, being out on the field again, practicing.
"Once the actual season starts next spring, getting into games
that count, that should be even more exciting. I can't wait to
get that st