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?

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by RedDread

Wow, wonder what the lowest attendance for a MLB game is all time. To Google!

Results:

Ever gone to a sporting event and wondered how the team could survive with so little fans in the stands? Even when this thought crosses your mind, there are usually at least a couple thousand people there. Imagine going to a game and seeing only a few hundred!

How could this happen? In 2011, The Florida Marlins played the Cincinnati Reds and broke the record for the least amount of people at an MLB game. The previous record had been set in 1979 at an Oakland Athletics game with only 653 people. The reason only 347 people turned out was because of Hurricane Irene.

Many of those who had purchased tickets decided to flee the area and save their belongings from the potential damage than attend a sporting event. Justin Cohen, a fan at the game, counted five sections with only three or four people in them and three that were completely empty!

I went to a Jays/Royals game back in Toronto during the SARS outbreak there 10 years ago. There was probably only a few thousand there (although they likely listed it as more considering the attendance figures were based on who bought tickets back then, not who showed up). And by the 9th, there were probably only a few hundred as the Jays were down by 5. Only a few people saw the Royals completely blow it that day:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/bo...00304270.shtml

[Valiant]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

My BIL played basketball at Fort Osage at the same time Pujols was there. He claims he was an absolute beast in the gym, and yes, most believed he was older than he claimed even then.

He was my class until his first hold back. It is no real secret that he is older. I am sure it will come out in a book when he retires.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

Saw this on twitter. This was from a game at the old Mistake By the Lake in 1983...

heh, yea i remember watching some of those Cleveland games on TV when i was a kid. We used to joke there were more people in the dugouts than the stands.

[Deberg_1990]

This is encouraging.....


http://www.kansascity.com/2013/04/04...-the-game.html



In two out of the first three Royals games, the starting pitcher went six innings. In two out of the first three Royals games, the starting pitcher walked one batter.

In two out of the first three Royals games, the starting pitcher gave up one run. In two out of the first three Royals games, the relief pitchers threw nothing but shutout innings.

In two out of the first three Royals games the pitching staff gave up a total of two runs in 18 innings.

I don't spend a lot of time on the internet, but I'm under the impression that there was some panic after the Royals lost their first two games. I've got no clue what's going to happen next, but if the Royals can get that kind of pitching in two out of three games for the rest of the season, I'd be willing to bet they'll do OK.

[Demonpenz]

OK IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH>>>> THEY GOT WE GAVE UP PETENORTH/MICHEYMANTLE ALLIN1 with WILL MEYERS

[Archie F. Swin]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

I don't spend a lot of time on the internet, but I'm under the impression that there was some panic after the Royals lost their first two games.

through the years we've seen teams do well May through August, then shit the bed in September and watch the playoffs from the couch. All we can hope for is that the Royals win more series than they lose. Baseball is a bitch.

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

Saw this on twitter. This was from a game at the old Mistake By the Lake in 1983...

When the Royals games were televised from Cleveland it always looked like that...I remember the guy with the drum pounding on it for the whole game...only crowd noise you'd hear.

[RedDread]

Anyone fire up the gameday thread yet?

[ChiTown]

The really cool news is that, after 3 games, we are only 1 game back of both the divisional and wildcard races.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by RedDread

Anyone fire up the gameday thread yet?

Here ya go.

http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showt...48#post9558848

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by KChiefs1

When the Royals games were televised from Cleveland it always looked like that...I remember the guy with the drum pounding on it for the whole game...only crowd noise you'd hear.

heh, the funny thing is, if "Major League" was remade today, they could use the Royals instead of the Indians.

[Sully]

Originally Posted by Demonpenz

OK IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH>>>> THEY GOT WE GAVE UP PETENORTH/MICHEYMANTLE ALLIN1 with WILL MEYERS

Insert "frozen rope" joke.

[lewdog]

Just finished watching the game from today. Man that was fun!

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by ChiTown

The really cool news is that, after 3 games, we are only 1 game back of both the divisional and wildcard races.

We are tied for the division lead now!

[Demonpenz]

Originally Posted by Sully

Insert "frozen rope" joke.

lol wow