2012 Kansas City Royals Repository Thread

[alnorth]

2012 Slogan: Our Time

A better, more accurate 2012 Slogan: It is Finally Next Year
(from Great Expectations)

An alternative slogan if you don't like that one: Someone has to win this crappy division
(from alnorth)

With the beginning of a new year, it is time for the 2012 version of the Royals Repository Thread. We've got Hosmer, we've got a 2011-dominating Gordon, we've got Moose, we've got hopefully a killer bullpen, we've got a stereotypical slow slugging DH, we've got easily one of the best defensive shortstops in the AL, we've got a promising catcher in Salvador Perez. Hell, we've got offense and promising prospects galore.

We do not have starting pitching.

Oh yeah, we've also got this:



Get ready for, (as of January 2012 anyway), one of the most confusing puzzles of a baseball season in recent Royals history. Will they suck? Maybe, I don't know. Will we be given a year of 0.500 baseball? Possibly, I don't know. Will they win the division and go to the playoffs for the first time in 27 years? For the first time in a long time, it could happen, I don't know. 92 losses, 92 wins, or anything in between would not surprise a lot of us.

Everything goes here except Gameday threads and really big news. If a giant story breaks, the Royals achieve some awesome milestone, or we sign/lose a highly significant player/coach/mascot/whatever, then it might also deserve its own thread. This being Chiefs Planet, please do not clutter the board with new threads about trivial Royals news or you will only annoy those who come here for just Chiefs football. If you aren't sure and its not a Gameday thread, it goes here.

What sort of stuff often goes here? SPchief explained it well, so I'll just copy that:

If you locate something of interest.. ANYTHING.. deals on apparel, best ways in/out of the stadium, giveaways, great stories from this season or from seasons gone by, rumors, trades, anything.... feel free to post it here.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by tk13

This is the problem with expectations, people are worrying about these long term issues after 7 games. It's really crazy. The team is 3-4. You'd think we were 1-6 the way some Royals fans are worrying.

Yeah, at least we're not the Angels or anything.

[Dr. Johnny Fever]

Originally Posted by tk13

This is the problem with expectations, people are worrying about these long term issues after 7 games. It's really crazy. The team is 3-4. You'd think we were 1-6 the way some Royals fans are worrying.

The good news is we actually have expectations finally. The bad thing is it makes a loss that much more frustrating, even maddening the way 2 of them have come.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by Dr. noonanbeermefever

The good news is we actually have expectations finally. The bad thing is it makes a loss that much more frustrating, even maddening the way 2 of them have come.

Yea. What should our expectations be you think? 82 to 84 wins? Has DM stated what.his expectations are?
Posted via Mobile Device

[Dr. Johnny Fever]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

Yea. What should our expectations be you think? 82 to 84 wins? Has DM stated what.his expectations are?
Posted via Mobile Device

.500 would be a 20 game improvement. That would thrill me. If things break right... injurys, people stepping up, luck, other teams faltering... we could do better. If things break wrong... injurys, key players not coming through the way they should... we could do worse. My only real expectation is that we are generally improved and competitive game to game. We'll get some breaks and we'll get some bad bounces. I don't put a number on a win/loss expectation.

[blazzin311]

Originally Posted by Dr. noonanbeermefever

.500 would be a 20 game improvement. That would thrill me. If things break right... injurys, people stepping up, luck, other teams faltering... we could do better. If things break wrong... injurys, key players not coming through the way they should... we could do worse. My only real expectation is that we are generally improved and competitive game to game. We'll get some breaks and we'll get some bad bounces. I don't put a number on a win/loss expectation.

Pretty much this I think.......the Royals finishing the season with a record of .500 or above would be a huge improvement and breath of fresh air as a Royals fan. For the most part I think playing .500 ball seems like a reasonable expectation too, if everything pans out. If the Royals can manage that and then build off it, I see no reason why they couldn't at least compete for a playoff spot next year. Expecting them to compete for a playoff spot this year might be a bit unrealistic perhaps......having said that, crazier things have happened in baseball. We shall see.....we've already seen glimpses, now they just need to be more consistent is all.

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by blazzin311

Pretty much this I think.......the Royals finishing the season with a record of .500 or above would be a huge improvement and breath of fresh air as a Royals fan. For the most part I think playing .500 ball seems like a reasonable expectation too, if everything pans out. If the Royals can manage that and then build off it, I see no reason why they couldn't at least compete for a playoff spot next year. Expecting them to compete for a playoff spot this year might be a bit unrealistic perhaps......having said that, crazier things have happened in baseball. We shall see.....we've already seen glimpses, now they just need to be more consistent is all.

I can tell you why most fans have crazy expectations of this team. The Royals slogan for starters and the amount of air time it keeps getting. You don't make the slogan "our time" without some serious repercussions if it doesn't work out.

Personally, I don't mind .500 ball as long as we're respectable in most every area and have a few DESERVING all-stars for once.

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by tk13

This is the problem with expectations, people are worrying about these long term issues after 7 games. It's really crazy. The team is 3-4. You'd think we were 1-6 the way some Royals fans are worrying.

20 years of futility will do that to a fan.

[keg in kc]

Looks like last night was the right game to forget to watch.

[blazzin311]

Originally Posted by Three7s

I can tell you why most fans have crazy expectations of this team. The Royals slogan for starters and the amount of air time it keeps getting. You don't make the slogan "our time" without some serious repercussions if it doesn't work out.

Personally, I don't mind .500 ball as long as we're respectable in most every area and have a few DESERVING all-stars for once.

Eh, team/ season slogans don't mean much to me.....it's just words. Just watch and hope to be impressed with their actions on the field rather than their words off it. Words, slogans, phrases like that often times make one look like a jackass, especially when you don't back it up. However, I understand many people do buy into team slogans and such and are then let down when it doesn't come to fruition. Like you said, .500 ball with respectable stats across the board, and a few (deserved) new all stars would be acceptable for this season.....at least from my perspective. Now whether that will the vast majority of the fan base would be pleased with that I don't know. I'd gladly take it though.

Originally Posted by Dave

20 years of futility will do that to a fan.

Truth! Nothing leads so straight to futility as literary slogans and ambitions without positive production backing it up.

[jbwm89]

Anyone looking for tickets to tonights game? I decided not to make the trip bc of weather and I don't want the tickets to go to waste.

[DeezNutz]

So, I might not have been clear about this in earlier threads and posts, but the signing of Betancourt was a complete ****ing travesty, and the idea that he would be an adequate second baseman was also, to be kind, misguided. Rany provides solid analysis of one of the key moments in yesterday's abortion that was the first inning:

Shin-Soo Choo singled to right, Brantley and Cabrera scored. This is the turning point of the inning – Choo dribbled a ground ball to the right side, and Yuniesky Betancourt inexplicably was unable to move ten feet to his left to field the ball before it scooted past his outstretched glove.

You know how Alcides Escobar makes a fantastic play from deep in the hole and you have to rewind the play several times to figure out how he did it? This was the exact same thing, only the exact opposite – I had to watch the play over again just to figure how on God’s green earth Yuni didn’t get to this ground ball.

And on this one play, in the first inning of the first game at Kauffman Stadium this year, the concept that Betancourt might be a less atrocious defender at second base than he was at shortstop shattered. It was already fragile, mind you, but all spring long we heard the Royals make the claim that oh-my-God Betancourt is just such a good defender at second base, and we have to get him in the lineup, and you just wouldn’t believe the range he has at his new position.

And then he waves at a groundball that Frank White would have personally escorted to second base. I mean Frank White today. Rex Hudler could have come down from the announcer’s booth in his suit and tie and made that play.

Instead, it went for a two-run single, and the rest of the inning went downhill. If Yuni gets one out on that play, the inning ends with just two runs scoring. There’s no way to know what would have happened in subsequent innings; maybe Hochevar just keeps giving up line drives the next inning. But the arc of the game would have been completely different.

www.ranyontheroyals.com

[alnorth]

I remember that play vividly. I was just staring at second, most of me thinking "I can't believe he didn't get that ball", and a tiny nugget of doubt going "I don't have instant replay. Maybe it was hit harder than I thought, or maybe Yuni was lined up far away"

I just know at the time when the ball was hit and bouncing towards the gap between second and first, but more towards second, I was fully expecting to see Yuni get the ball and make the play, and when he didn't, I was left completely confused, thinking either we were lined up in an unfortunate way that opened that hole, or Yuni's range at second was just as God-awful as his range at shortstop.

Then I forgot about it as the hit parade continued. Didn't think of that play again till now.

[DeezNutz]

The only place where Yuni might not be an inexcusable defensive liability would be third, but Moose makes this moot.

Shocking little note to Royals management: range matters at 2B, too. Dude looks like he's walking in mud every time he moves laterally. Baseball Reference has Getz as replacement level defensively. Sadly, this is an improvement over Yuni, who has absolutely no place on this roster.

But, but...the Brewers! Pop!! No. And ****ing no. Betancourt is a waste of a roster spot and a huge negative on this team.

[DeezNutz]

And he's back in the lineup again today. His very presence on the roster...damn...Barnyard Moore?

[Bowser]

Yeah, Yuni needs to get ejected from the team. I couldn't believe it when they brought him back.