Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

John Buck

The Kansas City Royals already have one member of the Lexington Legends Hall of Fame, catcher John Buck.

Now they have a second, and indisputedly the most popular player in the Legends’ nine seasons, outfielder Josh Anderson.

Josh Anderson

The Detroit Tigers sent Anderson, 26,  to the Royals for cash Thursday.

Anderson, a native of Eubank in Pulaski County and a collegiate standout at Eastern Kentucky, hit .242 with 16 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 15 attempts for the Tigers this season.

The Houston Astros selected Anderson in the fourth round of the 2003 draft.

At Eastern, Anderson led the Colonels to a second-place finish in the 2003 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. He led the nation with 57 stolen bases, was named OVC Player of the Year and became EKU’s first Louisville Slugger First Team All-American.

After earning New York-Penn League all-star honors with the Tri-City ValleyCats in 2003, Anderson landed on the Legends roster to open the 2004 season.

He stayed only half a season, then promoted to High-A Salem.

In 73 games with the Legends, Anderson hit .324 with four homers, 31 RBI and 47 stolen bases in 56 attempts. He scored 69 runs, and his strikeout total matched his stolen-base total — 47.

Including his time with Salem that season, Anderson was 78-for-91 on the basebaths.

He was named a South Atlantic League all-star.

The highlight of his short stay in Lexington was a still-standing club-record 6-for-6 game in a 13-6 rout of the Greensboro Bats. Facing four pitchers that day, Anderson had five singles and a double, scored five times, drove in a pair of runs and stole four bases.

From Salem, Anderson advanced the Double-A Corpus Christi (2005-06) and Triple-A Round Rock (2007), then joined the Astros for 21 games late in 2007. He hit .358 for Houston, with 11 RBI and a stolen base in his lone attempt.

The Astros traded Anderson to the Atlanta Braves after the 2007 season for pitcher Oscar Villarreal. Anderson split time between Atlanta and Triple-A, setting a Richmond (Va.) Braves and International League-record 27-game hitting streak. He hit .314 at the Triple-A level that season, with 155 hits, 77 runs, four triples and 42 stolen bases.

In 40 games with Atlanta, Anderson hit .294 with three homers, 12 RBI and 10 steals.

The Tigers acquired Anderson last March 30 in exchange for minor-league pitcher Rudy Darrow.

A left-handed hitter, Anderson’s big-league totals include a .283 batting average, three homers and 39 RBI.

Charley Taylor lifted spirits in the Lexington Legends clubhouse by making his first appearance of the season Friday.

Charley Taylor

Travis Driskill

Taylor, who has started all nine of the Legends seasons as pitching coach (he finished one season at Triple-A New Orleans), is recovering from surgery to remove his prostate and cancerous bladder. Travis Driskill, pitching coach for the rookie-league Greeneville (Tenn.) Astros, has filled in admirably in Taylor’s absence. Taylor had hoped to return to coaching this season but Friday, for the first time, said that might not be realistic.

With the Appalachian League prepared to open play June 23, the parent-club Houston Astros have taken steps to fill the void if Taylor is unable to return this season.

Driskill will remain with the Legends.

Rick Aponte

Aponte pitched six seasons (1975-80) in the Astros system, reaching the Triple-A Charleston Charlies and Tuscon Toros.

Bailey, Moore earn Pitcher of the Week honors

Homer Bailey

Cincinnati Reds prospect Homer Bailey, now with the Louisville Bats, has been named the International League’s pitcher of the week.

Tampa Bay Rays prospect Matthew Moore, with the Bowling Green Hot Rods, has earned the same title in the South Atlantic League.

Bailey made two starts last week, winning at Pawtucket and at home against Lehigh Valley. He worked 14 2/3 innings and did not allow an earned run as he improved to 6-4 overall, with a 2.52 ERA. He scattered 11 hits over those two games, striking out 14 and walking two.

Matthew Moore

Moore also pitched twice last week, getting a no-decision against Rome and a win at Asheville. In all, he worked 11 innings, did not give up an earned run, with four hits, 18 strikeouts and three walks. Moore, 3-2 with a 3.12 ERA overall, worked seven no-hit innings at Asheville, where he fanned 12 and walked two.