(Editor's note: This has absolutely nothing to do with the Royals or baseball. It is the rambling of a man in need of sleep. Proceed at your own risk.)

Hey, look, it’s the day after the Super Bowl! Or, as it should be referred to, National Hangover Day!

Anyway, no baseball today. We’ll have plenty of that this week, and the week after, and the week after, and the weeks after straight through October.

Word is that Joe Mauer and the Twins are close to agreeing on an extension to make the league’s best player an insanely rich man and longtime Minnesota resident.

Assuming this happens, in the echoes of the news reports, people here in Kansas City will start to think about what this means for the Royals.

In summation, it means the rules have changed. And the Royals are in some ways even further behind now than before.

So here comes Justin Verlander and his five-year, $80 million deal in the wake of Felix Hernandez’s five-year, $78 million deal and it’s easy to think Zack Greinke sold himself short with his four-year, $36 million deal.

Obviously, Zack could’ve been much richer if he’d waited a year to sign his extension.

But there is every chance that Zack – depending on his priorities and, of course, future performance – will end his career with more millions than Verlander.

(Apologies for being a day late with this. Got sidetracked yesterday with a post that, looking back, I wish I’d articulated a little better. The point is the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is a wonderful place that’s in very real trouble, for reasons both self-inflicted and out of its control. It’s in need of help, big help, from ballplayers and citizens and corporations alike. OK, now on to the grumpy look at the 2010 Royals.)

Carlos Pena had excuses not to come. Better excuses than some who skipped, actually. But Pena came anyway.

The Rays' slugger said something in his heart told him he needed to come to Kansas City to accept the Josh Gibson award at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum’s Legacy Awards on Saturday.

“Now I realize why,” he said.

Brian Fuentes came, too. He admitted ignorance about the stories kept alive at the museum, but now that he’s heard them, promises to bring his Angels teammates back.

So it’s Friday, funday, the weekend fast approaching, bringing with it what could be a classic college basketball game in Manhattan, so shouldn’t we all be happy?

Sounds good here, so today is optimism day at Ball Star, which means we’re looking at the 2010 Royals like a souvenir cup half full.

Here then, we present the case for believing in the 2010 Royals*.

* Maybe Monday we’ll present the empty cup case, and sometime before leaving for sunny Surprise, Ariz., we’ll present the realistic one. Either way, do me a solid and don’t take any of this (or Monday) as what I believe will happen.

This should be mentioned from the jump: my opinion on this is in the minority, and quite possibly wrong. Also, this has nothing to do with baseball, or sports.

But while waiting for some returned phone calls on a couple stories and blog posts, it’s hard to escape this thought:

the iPad? Really?

We’ll get back to baseball and sports soon enough. But the iPad is front-page news across the country, and if you need a baseball connection, one of the selling points is that you can watch live games on the iPad.

Happy Greinke Day, and you weren’t expecting that, huh?

But the way-back machine tells us that today is the one-year anniversary of Zack Greinke’s $38 million extension, a contract that, without much hyperbole, is saving baseball hope in Kansas City.

Greinke’s contract paid him $3.75 million last year – less than Kyle Farnsworth – when he had one of best pitching seasons of all-time. He’ll make $7.25 million this year, and $13.5 million in 2011 and 2012.

Rick Ankiel’s first appearance in Kansas City came in a suit with blue tie and blue shirt, no doubt hoping the opportunity with the Royals helps establish him as one of the better outfielders on the free agent market next winter.

Ankiel received heavy interest from Washington and also some from the Marlins and Yankees, but chose the Royals in large part because it gave him the best chance to play center field.

Rick Ankiel’s one-year contract with the Royals was finalized and signed this morning after a physical, and he’s expected to be introduced at a press conference this afternoon.

Ankiel gets a $3.25 million guarantee, plus a mutual option for $6 million in 2011.

The Royals are sending hints that Ankiel’s primary position will be center field, with DeJesus shifting to right, newly-acquired Scott Podsednik in left, and Jose Guillen to DH. Each of those guys will most likely play multiple positions, though, and the Royals will have all of spring training to change their minds.

Tonight is Mizzou vs Kansas, the best rivalry in college sports* and the number one topic around Kansas City cubicles today.

* This opinion is not shared by Dick Vitale or ESPN.

Pretty good place to start for a blog post, too.

Rick Ankiel makes the Royals better in 2010. There should be little debate about that.

He arrives as the Royals’ second best outfielder (David DeJesus), two years removed from a 25-homer season that would’ve led the Royals each season going back to Carlos Beltran in 2003.

He also comes with a ridiculous arm, sort of a lingering reminder of the stud pitcher he used to be.

So, you remember The List, right?

Here’s something pretty cool. David DeJesus and Zack Greinke are helping Heart to Heart International to help the victims of the insanely devastating earthquake in Haiti.

Both guys will be at the Sam’s Club in Independence – 4100 Bolger Drive – to collect donations, though you can drop stuff out any area Sam’s Club this Saturday or Sunday.

Also, DeJesus and Royals Charities are teaming to give $5,000 to Heart to Heart, which will supply 500 care kits.

Before we get started, just want to say that this blog will be much more active now. Sorry for the hiatus, but as many of you hopefully saw, I was busy over at UFR.

The plan for now is to continue over there at times, but whenever I'm writing Royals, you'll find it here. Thanks to everyone who reads it, and I'm looking forward to a fun season -- no matter how the Royals finish.