Kansas City Royals

Quick note - I wrote this around mid-day Sunday, but couldn't post until now due to some technical complications. Sorry... I'm new here. The Royals are off to a fairly good start in 2013, holding a 20-19 record entering their 40th game today, and sitting just 2.5 games back of first place in the Central. (Entering Sunday's games) The offense however, has struggled in the early going. The Royals currently rank 13th in the American League in runs, so it has really been the pitching that's been the Royals' key to success thus far. There are a few bright spots offensively, as Alex Gordon continues to show that he can hold down the heart of the order, leading the team in most offensive categories. Another player that has shone so far this season is 27 year-old Lorenzo Cain. Cain was drafted by the Brewers in the 17th round in 2004, and came to Kansas City in December 2010 as a part of the Zack Greinke deal. Now in his first season as an everyday player, Cain is thriving. His slash line of .310/.378/.426 is pretty good, but he has been even more productive than this suggests. Miguel Cabrera currently leads the league in batting average w/RISP, holding a .500 average in such situations. Miguel Cabrera is really, really good. However, second on that leaderboard you will find Kansas City's own Lorenzo Cain. Cain is currently hitting .457 with runners in scoring position, totaling 22 RBIs to this point. Although 22 is no where near Cabrera's astounding 42 RBIs, Lorenzo is making the most of his chances. Cain has also done terrifically well in the pressure situations. In 20 "high leverage" plate appearances, Cain has totaled 7 hits (.389 average), producing 9 runs and 7 RBIs while walking twice. The 9 runs and 7 hits in such situations is tied for the team lead with AG4 (does anyone call him that?), while his 7 RBIs places him behind only Butler (8) and Gordon (14). His .389 average in high leverage situations places him 4th among American League outfielders. (The first 3 are all Orioles. Go figure.) Furthermore, Lorenzo Cain has been the most productive Royal hitting out of the 5th spot this season. In his 68 at-bats out of the 5th spot, Cain is hitting .324 and has collected 13 of his 22 total RBIs, while scoring 19 runs. Everybody else is doing... well, less. Other Royals hitting from the 5th spot have had 77 at-bats, but are only hitting .260 and have so far only produced 3 RBIs and 6 runs. So yeah. Thanks, Lorenzo Cain, for being really good. Here are a few GIFs of Lorenzo Cain having a bad day. via sportsgif.com Quick note - I wrote this around mid-day Sunday, but couldn't post until now due to some technical complications. Sorry... I'm new here. The Royals are off to a fairly good start in 2013, holding a 20-19 record entering their 40th game today, and sitting just 2.5 games back of first place in the Central. (Entering Sunday's games) The offense however, has struggled in the early going. The Royals currently rank 13th in the American League in runs, so it has really been the pitching that's been the Royals' key to success thus far. There are a few bright spots offensively, as Alex Gordon continues to show that he can hold down the heart of the order, leading the team in most offensive categories. Another player that has shone so far this season is 27 year-old Lorenzo Cain. Cain was drafted by the Brewers in the 17th round in 2004, and came to Kansas City in December 2010 as a part of the Zack Greinke deal. Now in his first season as an everyday player, Cain is thriving. His slash line of .310/.378/.426 is pretty good, but he has been even more productive than this suggests. Miguel Cabrera currently leads the league in batting average w/RISP, holding a .500 average in such situations. Miguel Cabrera is really, really good. However, second on that leaderboard you will find Kansas City's own Lorenzo Cain. Cain is currently hitting .457 with runners in scoring position, totaling 22 RBIs to th

Royals catcher Salvador Perez left Monday’s game against the Astros after slamming into the fence in front of the home dugout at Houston’s Minute Maid Park while trying to track down a foul popup. Perez has been diagnosed with a deep right hip bruise, according to beat writer Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star,… View full post on Yahoo! Sports – MLB – Kansas City Royals News

In sticking up for one of his struggling players over the weekend, Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost introduced a neoclassical term to the world. Coming into play Tuesday, third baseman Mike Moustakas was batting .240/.294/.384 with 29 home runs in 1,130 career plate appearances. This season alone, his numbers are much, much worse. It appears Royals brass has overreached in expecting Moustakas and first baseman Eric Hosmer to develop into reliable corners this season. But it’s too soon to give up on Moustakas — even for a while, by demoting him to the minors — Yost said to Kansas City Star reporter Bob Dutton : “You know what?” Yost said. “Maybe when we get home, I can go to the third base tree and pick another third baseman. … Obviously, third basemen who can hit and hit with power, they must grow on trees.” There it is. “The Third Base Tree.” Soak it in, in all of its grandeur. If he contributes nothing else in his managerial career, either on the field or in a press conference, Yost has borne fruit by conjuring a mystical tree from which any major league team can pluck a ripe stud for the hot corner. • Miguel Cabrera would be the trunk. • David Wright, Adrian Beltre, Evan Longoria and ( UPDATE ) Manny Machado (who someday will cross-pollinate over to the Shortstop Tree) would be the biggest branches. • Kyle Seager would be a blossoming bud. • George Brett would still be attached, double-tapered and tan. • Moustakas would be a fallen leaf. • ( UPDATE ) Jeff Keppinger is poison oak. Later in the interview, in case you weren’t sure that Yost’s quote didn’t drip with sarcasm, he broke it to everybody: View full post on Yahoo! Sports – MLB – Kansas City Royals News

After having been thunderstruck by Jose Veras and the Houston Astros last night, the Royals are reeling, having recorded a mere three wins in their past 14 games and dipping below .500 for the first but likely not last time since the sixth game of the season. While the Royals had been scuffling mightily for the preceding fortnight, there was a glimmer of hope heading into the top of the ninth inning with the top of the order coming up to the plate. Unfortunately, Jose Veras put the fear of God into the Royals as he headed to the mound with the most menacing closer introduction man, woman, or child has ever seen playing across the sparsely populated but entirely agog stadium. This included the Royals who were reduced to tittering infants at the sight and sound of a Jose Veras appearance. With this harrowing experience fresh in their minds, the Royals will hope to overcome their potentially crippling fear, turning to Cool Stuff Davis to attempt to quell the feisty Astros. The Astros will turn to "Kenny" Bud Norris, who has never faced the Royals but has been said to have been emboldened himself by his teammate's psych-out thunderstriking, going so far as to lobby the Astros for his own special audio/visual terror-inducing introduction centered around Sufjan Stevens's "John Wayne Gacy" complete with insane animations by the team that brought you Aeon Flux.

1987 Topps #203 Mike Kingery RC - Beckett Value: $.10 Photo: 5/10 One glance at this photo and you've had one glance too many. Mike Kingery may be the most generic looking baseball player of all time. Seriously, I challenge you to find a more typical All-American boy than this. The only un-American part of Mike is his Made-In-China polyester softball top with a fat brown spot on the right shoulder. I can't decide if his jersey is filthy or if it's just really poor camerawork. Since this is his rookie card, I like to think he had just been introduced to Skoal and while attempting to spit over his right shoulder... well you get the picture. The majority of baseball cards were shot at spring training, including this one. The easiest way to tell is the tiny palm tree you see over the back of his neck. That or he had some gnarly back hair. Why is he in a batting stance right up near the left field wall? Because it's Mike Kingery and who cares. Design: 7.5/10 If I spoke ill of the 1987 Topps design then it would be blasphemy. The 1987 Topps set is probably the most iconic set of the 1980's. The wood panel border makes me cringe with joy! Card Back: 7.5/10 Mike toiled in the minors for almost a decade before receiving the call-up in 1986 where he was utterly worthless. Except for one time. During one game he had a game winning RBI, the first and only of his career. I have no idea when or how that RBI happened, but it HAD to have been magical. Why else would it get its line of dedication? Anybody care to do some research? I like the layout and the angles of the polygon borders. I also love random trivia, especially when it's about a random star that no one has thought about in years like Mark Belanger. Overall Score: 6.5/10 Mike Kingery's 1987 Season: Mike actually spent the 1987 season with Seattle after being included in the trade that brought Danny Tartabull to Kansas City. Kingery received a nice salary bump up to $92,000 from $60,000 in 1986. I wish I could get a 50% raise for having a -.6 WAR... He set a career high 9 HR's in '87 over 395 PA. For what he lacked at the plate he did not make up for on the basepaths. Mike recorded 7 SB's and was caught stealing 9 times. Remarkably, Mike set the world on fire in 1994 with a .349 average for the Rockies, good enough to land him third in the NL. He quickly came back down to earth the following season and was out of baseball by 1997. Today Mike works as a motivational speaker in his homeland of Minnesota while also heading up his family's gospel band. 1987 Topps #203 Mike Kingery RC - Beckett Value: $.10 Photo: 5/10 One glance at this photo and you've had one glance too many. Mike Kingery may be the most generic looking baseball player of all time. Seriously, I challenge you to find a more typical All-American boy than this. The only un-American part of Mike is his Made-In-China polyester softball top with a fat brown spot on the right shoulder. I can't decide if his jersey is filthy or if it's just really poor camerawork. Since this is his rookie card, I like to think he had just been introduced to Skoal and while attempting to spit over his right shoulder... well you get the picture. The majority of baseball cards were shot at spring training, including this one. The easiest way to tell is the tiny palm tree you see over the back of his neck. That or he had some gnarly back hair. Why is he in a batting stance right up near the left field wall? Because it's Mike Kingery and who cares. Design: 7.5/10 If I spoke ill of the 1987 Topps design then it would be blasphemy. The 1987 Topps set is probably the most iconic set of the 1980's. The wood panel border makes me cringe with joy! Card Back: 7.5/10 Mike toiled in the minors for almost a decade before receiving the call-up in 1986 where he was utterly worthless. Except for one time. During one game he had a game winning RBI, the first and only of his career. I have no idea when or ho

School let out on Friday and I’m amped to get home and get back to the K. I’m planning on seeing 5-7 games before June 5th rolls around because I’ve got a lot of catching up to do. The regulars are all at about 150 plate appearances and we’ve already got some pretty strong opinions about the direction each player seems to be heading. Let’s just hit the 1-4 hitters based on the lineup card Ned Yost submitted in today’s disappointing game against the Astros and we will tackle the last half of the lineup later this week. (All stats are current through the first 40 games of the season.) 1. Lorenzo Cain – Compare .308/.376/.423/.799 in 40 games to .262/.308/.397/.705 in his first 40 games in 2012. Last season he got hurt early on, so he didn’t make it to 40 games until mid-August. It’s been so nice to have Lorenzo playing regularly despite the fact that I wince when the man sneezes because, who knows? He might injure himself that way. He’s been producing and I hope he does so all season. Stay healthy, Zo! 2. Alcides Esobar – Esky has a line of .250/.278/.345/.624 through 40 games, but has really struggled in the last 15 games where both his average and OBP have dropped over 40 points each. Through 40 games in 2012, Alcides had a line of .301/.342/.418/.760. I think everyone expected Alcides’ offense to flatten out a bit, but he’s better than the line he has at the moment. Hopefully he’ll break out of the slump he’s been in for the past 2 weeks. 3. Alex Gordon - A1* is raking right now with a slash line of .343/.367/.535/.902. Some concern regarding his plate discipline has been voiced as he’s been known to do a good job of working counts the last few years but has swung earlier and more often this year. As far as I’m concerned, if you’re producing like he is, I won’t be upset. I’m not too worried that he’s going to change his approach dramatically. I think it won’t be long before he starts seeing more pitches and taking more walks. As long as he’s driving in runs/getting on base consistently. I have no complaints. Last year, Gordon had a line of .231/.320/.363/.683 after 40 games, so it’s hard for me to really do anything but (very quietly grumble) about how he has seemed to walk less so far this year. WHISPERS:  (But just so you know…Alex had 20 walks in the first 40 games of last year but has only 7 in 40 games this year. On the other hand, he already has 29 RBI’s which is 11 more than he had this time last year. Circular reasoning is circular.) *It’s hard not to gush about Gordon….nothing beats a Scobee gush, of course….but still. 4. Billy Butler - .273/.378/.439/.817 with 8 doubles and 5 home runs. Compare this to .297/.357/.523/.879 with 11 doubles and 8 home runs. Billy had 10 walks in the first 40 games of the 2012 season and has more than doubled that number in the first 40 games of 2013 with 22. I love Billy’s plate discipline, I always have. However, I’m really hoping he will get/take the opportunity to drive in more runs as the season progresses. Especially due to the fact that his getting a walk this year is often nullified by the inconsistencies of his teammates hitting behind him.* If Hosmer and Moustakas can’t produce, his walks won’t mean as much. *Excluding Sal Perez who is doing well and will be discussed in a follow-up post. There’s the first half of the lineup. These guys don’t look too bad aside from a slumping Escobar who could easily turn things around with a good week. However, I’m not looking forward to seeing what the back end of the order has to offer. Until later this week…..

We're a microwave society. We want it right now.-- Trey Hillman, October 2, 2008 In our immediate gratification society, everybody wants to point fingers.--Dayton Moore, September 4, 2009 It all goes back to what we all get judged on - wins and losses - because that's what counts in our world and in our culture of immediate satisfaction and what have you done for me today.-- Trey Hillman, September 15, 2009 I know what the fans want. They want it, and they want it now. Instant gratification just doesn't work in baseball.-- Ned Yost, May 18, 2013 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Congratulations, Ned. You just joined the ranks of Trey Hillman and Dayton Moore in the annals of telling the Royals fans they need to be patient. Because, you know, instant gratification just doesn't work. Just another day when someone from the Kansas City Royals opens their mouth and inserts their foot. Another day when someone tells me - a fan of nearly 35 years - to be patient. To stop wanting... To stop demanding this team improve. Because, damnit, instant gratification just doesn't work. There's a timetable to this. And if it doesn't jive with our expectations as fans, tough cookies. Enough. At the end of this month, Dayton Moore will celebrate his seventh year in charge of the Royals. Seven years. Lest I be accused of unfairly piling on our erstwhile GM, I should point out that in the last four years, the Royals have shown steady improvement. I mean, in 2009 the Dayton Moore Royals won just 65 games. Yet they rallied under unbelievable pressure from the instant gratification society to add two wins to their total in 2010. Yes, 67 wins! And the next season, they got even better. Instant gratification be damned, the Dayton Moore Royals won 71 games in 2011. They said it couldn't be done. Yet the team improved yet again in 2012. Amazing. Who among us doesn't remember the instant gratification we felt when we celebrated a 72 win team? In the span of four seasons, Dayton Moore and Ned Yost - with an assist from SABR Trey Hillman - have pushed the win needle upward. Consistently. By seven total wins! This must have been how Sir Edmund Hilary felt when he conquered Everest. Not every team can be as fortunate as to be led by a visionary combo like Moore and Yost. We are lucky. And if you doubt that, they'll be sure to tell you. Be grateful this dynamic duo are piloting the course. The losing, I can take. I am a Royals fan, after all. But it's the constant attempt at justification that this is part of The Process that drives me bananas. The sanctimony. It's brutal. Dayton Moore has been preaching patience since the day he took the job. And when he began a rebuilding project, he was granted that patience. I have no doubt the state of the farm system and scouting and player development departments were barren. I think he's improved the farm system. The infrastructure and the personnel are miles ahead of what the previous regime left. Yet over the course of the last seven years, there is nothing to show. We have seen prospect after prospect fail. Patience gets you only so far. At some point, you need to show results. In my opinion, we crossed that threshold a couple years ago. Mike Moustakas has over 1,130 major league plate appearances and his career line is .240/.294/.384. This season, his line is .178/.252/.311. He's not getting better. He's worse. And it's not just his offense. His defense has gone backwards. Eric Hosmer has over 1,300 major league plate appearances and his career line is .261/.320/.402. This season, his line is ..252/.329/.326. Our regular first baseman has a lower slugging percentage than his on base percentage and has completely lost the ability to turn on a baseball. And Yost has the audacity to lecture the fanbase that we need to "give them time to develop." Seriously? Both players are the alleged cornerstones of this fra

HOUSTON — The Houston Astros figured they had something special in third baseman Matt Dominguez, but, as a whole, their infield defense has provided a bright spot in an otherwise dreary start to the 2013 season. View full post on Yahoo! Sports – MLB – Kansas City Royals News

Royals fans let’s face it, the team is a bust-has been a bust for decades, there is something ingrained in the very fabric of the KC Royals that undermines any motivation,any initiative that has or might develop in the club house,what it is that drives this team to the cellar is a mystery to me. I have been a KC Royals fan from day one,loved the years of George Brett,Frank White Dick Howser, but those days are long gone.the caliber of player that made up those teams is not to be found in today’s KC Royals. The media, the management hyped up this year as being the year of possibly a contender for the Division Champ’s, well hell we can all see that the Royals are heading back to familiar digs (the cellar) or close to it. KC Royals have a terrible manager,the front office is no better, let’s face it , this is just going to be another disappointing season. Question is "JUST HOW MANY MORE DISAPPOINTING SEASONS CAN WE KC ROYALS FANS TAKE"? Royals fans let’s face it, the team is a bust-has been a bust for decades, there is something ingrained in the very fabric of the KC Royals that undermines any motivation,any initiative that has or might develop in the club house,what it is that drives this team to the cellar is a mystery to me. I have been a KC Royals fan from day one,loved the years of George Brett,Frank White Dick Howser, but those days are long gone.the caliber of player that made up those teams is not to be found in today’s KC Royals. The media, the management hyped up this year as being the year of possibly a contender for the Division Champ’s, well hell we can all see that the Royals are heading back to familiar digs (the cellar) or close to it. KC Royals have a terrible manager,the front office is no better, let’s face it , this is just going to be another disappointing season. Question is "JUST HOW MANY MORE DISAPPOINTING SEASONS CAN WE KC ROYALS FANS TAKE"?

The first of the Royal prospects shipped to Tampa Bay in THE TRADE came up today, and it was not Wil Myers.  Jake Odorizzi made his first start against the Blue Jays, and did a respectable job of it.  He went 5 innings on 92 pitches, nothing to write home about, but after struggling through the first two innings he settled in to retire 10 of the last 11 batters faced.  His final line of 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, and 6 Ks is not too bad.  A 1.20 WHIP and more than a strike out per inning will normally net a much better ERA.  His ascendance to the big leagues could be viewed in a couple of ways. The Rays have been the most disciplined team in the majors when it comes to holding prospects down in order to get extra years of service or avoid super two status.  That makes a move like bringing Odorizzi up look a little odd before June.  It could be taken that he is seen by them as a marginal starter at best, so they are not concerned about him reaching arbitration early.  So far this year he has okay, but not spectacular numbers in AAA.  Most evaluations I have ever seen on Jake have his ceiling as a middle to back of the rotation starter.  No reason to worry about $10 million arbitration deals, so super two and an extra year of arbitration are less costly.  If his service time is greater than Myers’, then it also makes it less likely that Wil is in the super two this year. Another way to look at it is that the back end of the Rays rotation has been bad.  They are off to a rough start as a team (4.5 games back of NY and 4 behind Boston), and Odorizzi becomes their 4th best starter immediately.  Odorizzi realizing his potential now could be very valuable in helping Tampa Bay keep in the AL East hunt.  Wil Myers might be up already in that case except that he has not lit the world on fire in the minors.  A 28.3% K rate has lead to a .250 average and sub-400 slugging.  That is not how Myers hit last year, and Tampa Bay might think that the 22 year old needs some more time for development. Either way this is an interesting and unexpected development.  No one was really planning on Odorizzi coming up and giving a lot of value to the Rays right away.  The talk of THE TRADE all hinged on Myers.  Also, Wade Davis having a hard time transitioning back into the rotation for the Royals could make  Odorizzi having success this year sting a bit.