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?

[KevB]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Any reason why this kid can't be our breakthrough star in the mold of a Lincecum?

I have my fingers crossed. We're due for some luck when it comes to pitcher development.

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by stonedstooge

Royals will have already peaked for the year in Spring Training. FML

MUST. NOT. GET. HOPES. UP.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by KevB

I have my fingers crossed. We're due for some luck when it comes to pitcher development.

Yes, yes we are.

[Mama Hip Rockets]

Duncan, thank you for taking the Detroit logo out of the OP.

[gblowfish]

Well, Wade Davis is already dinged up. Paging Bruce Chen....paging Bruce Chen....

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Been playing around with MLB The Show 13 the last couple days. The game is just awesome. Beginner mode is too easy, and experienced is too hard unless you are really good. I think the key is to play around with the sliders and gameplay settings to make a custom difficulty where games seem realistic, and the computer still has the ability to beat you without just getting rocked by the CPU all the time, bumping up your sliders and settings as you get better.

I can already tell that "guess pitch" feature is a crutch. I've got it turned off, need to be able to learn how to be patient and take pitches.

I have never played a baseball game on my PS3 and I really don't play video games at all. I hear the learning curve on this game is steep so I might be in trouble!

I will take a look at the sliders but might need to just start on beginner.

How do you most of you play as far as innings per game and simulation? I am assuming most don't have time to play full 9 inning games?

[Old Dog]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Any reason why this kid can't be our breakthrough star in the mold of a Lincecum?

Because we're the Royals?

[Mama Hip Rockets]

Originally Posted by lewdog

How do you most of you play as far as innings per game and simulation? I am assuming most don't have time to play full 9 inning games?

It only takes about 45 minutes to play a full game.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Any reason why this kid can't be our breakthrough star in the mold of a Lincecum?

Command of his secondaries is the only question.

Arm strength is there, and his mechanics made a big jump forward (He's not a max effort guy on every pitch any more).

The curve is a plus pitch, potentially, and his change flashes above-average. If he can command those pitches (and handle a full workload as a starter), the guy has big-time upside.

[Al Bundy]

Bob Dutton ‏@Royals_Report

Hank Conger two-run homer finishes Hochevar. 3 ⅓, 4 runs, 5 hits. Chen coming in. Not usual piggyback style but nobody on. Royals lead 5-4.

[Bambi]

Good to see Hoch is apparently on his way out.

[Canofbier]

17 runs through 6 innings... It's almost cruel how well they are playing this spring, because everyone in the world knows that they can't possibly keep it up through the regular season. Right?

[Al Bundy]

Originally Posted by Wickedson

Good to see Hoch is apparently on his way out.

I doubt it.

[Kidd Lex]

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

I doubt it.

We would only lose $800k if we drop his ass prior to the season. It's time to move on from that asshat. Mendoza would be a far better option until Duffy/Paulino are ready to roll.

[BlackHelicopters]

Why did we resign Hoch again?