2013 Kansas City Royals Repository Thread

[duncan_idaho]

Proposed 2013 Slogan: Tigers: They're what's for dinner
Actual 2013 Slogan: Come to Play
A better, more accurate, or alternative slogan: All in, no panic, we promise.

Dayton Moore has pushed all his chips in and is riding on King/Jack suited, hoping it comes together, he gets some good luck, and he hits the nuts by the river card. There's potential, oh yes, there's potential. There's also risk.

At the midway point, Dayton is left counting on the river card. The flop and turn didn't help him, and he's looking at the Tigers holding a pair of Queens and the Indians holding a pair of 9s. His 2013 plan hasn't failed - yet - but the odds are not in his favor.

Burning questions updates below.

Burning Questions for 2013:

1) Will the improve rotation be improved enough? Does James Shields pitch like a fringe No. 1 away from Tampa Bay? Does Ervin Santana pitch to his highest upside in his walk year? Can Jeremy Guthrie build on his strong performance as a Royal in 2012? Can Wade Davis bring his new mentality- and velocity - back to the rotation?

Midseason check-in: Yes, the rotation is certainly improved enough. Shields has pitched like a fringe No. 1 and Santana is having his best season. Guthrie has horrible peripherals but has continued to perform well at his home park and eat innings on the road. Davis brought neither his kick-ass mentality or improved velocity back to the rotation and is in Luke Hochevar/Hiram Davies territory.

2) When will Luke Hochevar be shown the door?
Midseason check-in: It appears, never, at this point. Hochevar has been solid in non-leverage situations, though pretty much every time he has been used with men on base in an inning, it has been a disaster.

3) Does Hosmer bounce back?
Midseason check-in: It took some time, but Hosmer's performance from June 1 on is probably the most encouraging thing about the 2013 season so far.
4) Can Moustakas hit for a whole season like he did in the first half of 2012?
Midseason check-in: Nope. Moustakas was god-awful, then great for about 3 weeks, then god-awful again. He has been better since he started working with Brett and Grafol but still has a long way to go.
5) Who regresses?
Midseason check-in: Welp, Alicides Escobar is not a surprising name here (though Yost's stubborn insistence on hitting him second is ridiculous). Billy Butler is a surprise. He isn't having a terrible year - still contributing a lot to the offense - but he's not hitting for the average or power he has displayed over the past several years.
6) Who plays 2B?
Midseason check-in: A whole bunch of people, and not that great. Gio is at least getting a shot, though he once again is not doing much with it.
7) Can Jeff Francoeur be at least replacement level, rather than epic horrible level?
Midseason check-in: Hahahahahahahahahahaha
8) Will Dayton Moore survive to see 2014?
Midseason check-in: Outlook uncertain. Probably still around, unless the team completely tanks in the second half and he does something foolish. My guess - he sacrifices Ned Yost this offseason and gets one more shot with a new manager in 2014.
9) Will Danny Duffy come back healthy? And if he does, is he the same, better or worse?
Midseason check-in: Yes. Velocity looks the same, and it looks likely he is the same guy as before.
10) And the big one: Has KC added enough to run down the big-money Detroit Tigers?
Midseason check-in: Doesn't look like it, does it?

[CaliforniaChief]

Now I'm not sure if I want Salvy to hit 35 HR's...

[-King-]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

I'll defecate in a cereal bowl and eat it in front of the entire chiefs planet if sal perez hits 35 homers.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by -King-

Ned Yost this morning said that 6 Royals have the potential to hit 25+ HRs this season. He had Cain and Gordon hitting 20-25. Moose and Hosmer hitting 25-30. Perez hitting 30-35 and Butler hitting 35-40.

And he also talked about being much more aggressive this season on offense and letting the hitters take big swings when they needed to.

If that actually happens, we'll comfortably win the division unless the pitching completely falls apart.

[Three7s]

There is no way this team is gonna hit that many homers. Not a chance in hell.

It'd be one of the best offenses in baseball. Yost and the Royals are just trying to butter everyone up. I guess they haven't realized that we've sucked for 25+ years.

Yost needs to learn how to shut up.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaChief

Now I'm not sure if I want Salvy to hit 35 HR's...

Wicked's been spewing shit since he got here, so should be used to the flavor by now.....

[Prison Bitch]

This is so dumb since Detroit's power hitting duo hit 44 & 30 and won the division with ease. I mean, if Prince "of power" FIelder only hits 30 home runs, who the hell really believes Sal Perez would hit 35? Butler hitting 40?


Ned Yost should be slapped across the face for being an idiot. Gordon aint hitting 25 either, eh's basically become a slap hitter now.

[Hootie]

pocket fours

[Saul Good]

If we're going to use a poker analogy, we have to acknowledge that the Royals are short-stacked. KJ isn't a great hand, but eventually you have to push in chips on your own terms.

[gblowfish]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

I'll defecate in a cereal bowl and eat it in front of the entire chiefs planet if sal perez hits 35 homers.

I think you better pray to Sweet Jesus you are right, because about 50 CPers are going to hold you to this quote.

We ain't talkin' cocoa pebbles, either!

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Gordon aint hitting 25 either, eh's basically become a slap hitter now.

lol. A slap hitter who led the league in doubles. Are HRs far more valuable than doubles? Of course. But let's not go crazy in the other direction in order to prove a point about Gordon's HR capability because it ends up looking foolish.

[Demonpenz]

I've seen butler killing it in the weight room. Watch out Kauffman Stadium

[Ceej]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

If we're going to use a poker analogy, we have to acknowledge that the Royals are short-stacked. KJ isn't a great hand, but eventually you have to push in chips on your own terms.

Jack-King off.

Well played!

[Demonpenz]

Well played.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

lol. A slap hitter who led the league in doubles. Are HRs far more valuable than doubles? Of course. But let's not go crazy in the other direction in order to prove a point about Gordon's HR capability because it ends up looking foolish.

Yeah, those 14 bombs he hit in 650 AB last year were REALLLLLLY impressive. Gosh weren't you just blown away by that power surge? Don't you suspect steroids or something now when a guy hits 14 home runs in a season? What a power hitter!



He's a slap and line drive hitter, not close to a power hitter. He was supposed to be a Ryan Braun and hit 35hr. Maybe he'd fall short and be an Aramis Ramirez and hit 25 every year. Nobody thought he'd have Mark Teahen power. Alex hits line drives and is able to leg out lots of extra bases with his speed & athleticism and intelligence.


But his power is barely existent. He's a shadow of what we thought he'd be. Nobody figured he'd become a 5-WAR player by racking up tons of legged-out doubles and playing great defense in LF. Tht wasn't what we thought we were getting.

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Yeah, those 14 bombs he hit in 650 AB last year were REALLLLLLY impressive. Gosh weren't you just blown away by that power surge? Don't you suspect steroids or something now when a guy hits 14 home runs in a season? What a power hitter!



He's a slap and line drive hitter, not close to a power hitter. He was supposed to be a Ryan Braun and hit 35hr. Maybe he'd fall short and be an Aramis Ramirez and hit 25 every year. Nobody thought he'd have Mark Teahen power. Alex hits line drives and is able to leg out lots of extra bases with his speed & athleticism and intelligence.


But his power is barely existent. He's a shadow of what we thought he'd be. Nobody figured he'd become a 5-WAR player by racking up tons of legged-out doubles and playing great defense in LF. Tht wasn't what we thought we were getting.

I figured he'd be a 15-20 homer guy when I followed him in the Minors. If anyone else expected more, then I don't know what to say. He's a line-drive hitter. If he can bump up his average more, he could be similar to Mauer.