Ned Yost has a few not-so-fond memories of Colorado Rockies left-hander Jeff Francis, back when Yost was managing the Milwaukee Brewers.

“He was really good,” Yost said Thursday. “He was always tough against us. He had probably a couple of hours more to his fastball, but his command was very good and his changeup was very good. He spotted the ball very, very well. Velocity is about the last thing on the list you need to have to be a successful pitcher.”

Yost is managing the Royals now and Francis is no longer with Colorado. He was once one of the best pitchers in the National League, winning 44 games from 2005-07, but is 8-16 with a 5.00 ERA the past three years. He missed the 2009 season after having shoulder surgery.

Francis signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Royals last month, but could double his salary in performance bonuses if he makes 30 starts and pitches 200 innings.

“This is the team that is giving me the opportunity to go out and pitch,” Francis said. “That was No. 1 for me. I need to go out there and show that I can be healthy and win some games.”

Is it realistic for Francis to do what he did in 2005-07?

“Why not?” Yost replied.

“He’s real close to being back there right now for me,” Yost said. “He’s healthy. He feels good and he’s throwing the ball very well.”

Francis, who is scheduled to pitch one inning in an intrasquad game Friday, said he has not babied his arm in spring training.

“I’ve been really happy with the way things have gone so far,” Francis said. “I’ve been able to ramp up intensity as we’ve gone along. I feel 100 percent.”

After winning 17 games in 2007, Francis had a sore shoulder the next season and went 4-10 with a 5.01 ERA in 24 starts.

“I wasn’t having any success. I wasn’t sharp. I wasn’t myself,” he said. “I took July off, went on the DL (disabled list), came back in August and threw the ball really well the rest of the year. I think I missed my last two starts because it was pretty badly sore. I couldn’t really throw very well.

“I tried to start throwing in the winter and it hurt real bad. I tried to rehab and work through it all winter long, and then February came around I just couldn’t do it anymore.”

On Feb. 25, 2009, Francis had surgery to repair a torn labrum.

“It’s the start of the season and every one else is getting ready and my season is over,” Francis said. “It was hard, but I was looking forward to 2010.”

Last season in Colorado, Francis went 4-6 with a 5.00 ERA in 20 games, 19 of them starts. He gave up 119 hits and struck out 67 in 104 1/3 innings before going on the disabled list in August with a tender shoulder.

Francis said he did not reinvent himself as a pitcher after the surgery.

“I think I’m still the same guy,” Francis said. “I’ve never been a guy that throws real hard. The radar guns have been really an issue for me. I still throw the same pitches. I still try to do the same things I’ve always had.”

He said his velocity is pretty close to what it was before the injury.

“Whether you throw hard or not, I think command is the most important thing,” Francis said.

Francis, who is from Vancouver and pitched for Canada in the 2006 World Baseball Classic, spent nine years in the Rockies organization before becoming a Royal.

“I’m still getting to know everybody,” Francis said. “I’m the new guy here. I’m still trying to learn everyone’s name.”

SURPRISE, Ariz.—After spending his entire career with the Colorado Rockies, Royals lefthander Jeff Francis isn’t worried about adjusting to a new league.

“It will take some getting used to not having the pitcher come up,” Francis said Wednesday. “But I’m not going to be able to change the pitcher I am.”

Jeff Francis arrived in Kansas City without worries about playing in a new league after spending his career with the Colorado Rockies. (AP Photo)

He is more concerned about staying healthy after missing the entire 2009 season and a good part of 2010 with an injured shoulder. After signing a one-year, $2 million deal and experiencing no setbacks during the offseason, Francis is on track to be the Royals’ No. 3 starter.

Royals manager Ned Yost said Francis is starting to resemble the successful starter Yost saw when he managed the Milwaukee Brewers. Francis won 17 games for the Rockies when they reached the World Series in 2007 but has only eight wins in 43 starts since, including a 4-6 record with a .500 ERA in 2010.

“He was really good, always tough against us,” Yost said. “He probably had a couple more miles an hour on his fastball. His command was very good, changeup was very good and he spotted the ball very well. He’s close to being back there now. He’s healthy, feels good and he’s throwing the ball very well.”

Never a power pitcher, the 87.2 mph Francis averaged on his fastball last season, according to fangraphs.com, was actually a tick above his best statistical seasons.

So, could we see the old NL version of Francis in the AL?

“Why not,” Yost said.