Montreal ? The Kansas City Royals owners of a major league-worst 5.29 ERA fired pitching coach Al Nipper on Tuesday. Triple-A Omaha pitching coach John Cumberland will replace Nipper on manager Tony Pena’s staff. He is expected to join the team today. The 43-year-old Nipper, who replaced Cumberland as Boston’s pitching coach during the 1995 season, had been with the Royals for just a little more than a year.