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?

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

We could take 2 of 3 from detroit, and they would still be ranked higher.

[AndChiefs]

Originally Posted by Strongside

I haven't been so pumped about a series in a long while. I hope we bury Detroit's dicks in the dirt.

Even crazier they moved up 9 spots on SI's poll from 14 to 5.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mlb...?sct=uk_bf3_a2

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Hosmer and Moustakas are just the latest whipping boys. I'm sure the next time Greg Holland has a rough outing, he'll be right back there.

Yeah, because we're talking about 1 rough outing for the loser duo. Yep. That's it. Nothing to do with 6 straight months of suck from them. It's just one outing. Excellent comparison. You nailed it! High five brah!

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Strongside

I haven't been so pumped about a series in a long while. I hope we bury Detroit's dicks in the dirt.

Wednesday's pitching matchup (Verlander vs Mendoza) is hilariously lopsided. We'll probably be +130 underdogs.

So, naturally we'll probably win that game 9-2 or something crazy like that.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Yeah, because we're talking about 1 rough outing for the loser duo. Yep. That's it. Nothing to do with 6 straight months of suck from them. It's just one outing. Excellent comparison. You nailed it! High five brah!

This is what I'm talking about.

Hosmer and Moustakas are underperforming. Moustakas especially so. But that doesn't mean the guys are losers. It doesn't mean they're incapable of finding their way out of this, and it doesn't mean they're busts.

You keep calling them losers who aren't trying and who have big heads. But if you talk to anybody in baseball, you will hear the exact opposite: Hard workers who give great effort, care a great deal and are big-time bonuses in the clubhouse.

Moustakas' leadership is particularly well-thought of. His baseball makeup is lauded by anyone who spends time with him. I guarantee you that kid is working his ass off to try and get through this.

You can have concerns about them and think they're struggling without immediately jumping to: "They're losers! They suck! Send them down! Cut them!"

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by Strongside

Here's how much repect we get from ESPN...

We take 2 of 3 from the Red Sox, and 1 of 2 from the number 1 team. They move up 8 spots in the power rankings, and we drop 1. Uhhhh....

Peter King whos a BOSOX fan i think? Gave them a nice compliment...



Those Kansas City Royals are a tough out these days. I'm quite sure I've never written that before. Alcides Escobar, the young shortstop, is a gem.

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nfl...#ixzz2RDtwYnJV

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I think Hosmer is getting the Alex Gordon treatment right now. No, he hasn't turned into what we hoped he could be and what it looked like he could be after his rookie campaign. But he also isn't as bad as many here are making him out to be.

It's really sad that this can't-miss future star who played great as a 21 year old has turned into Ross Gload two years later. Just tragic.



(Gload career Slugg: .408. Hosmer: .406)

[Nightfyre]

These guys will get through it and they are a couple years away from being busts. I just wonder if there isn't something going on from a coaching perspective that is holding them back. I know I have beaten this drum repeatedly, but I think there has to be something to the fact that a lineup with so much potential has struggled so mightily.

[Codered]

It's not the dreadful numbers that has me worried about Moose. He just seems lost when he steps up to the plate. I realize we don't have a good option to replace him. I just don't know if it's helping the team or Moose with going to the plate and taking three hacks with no signs of improvements.

I hope it's just an ice cold streak.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by Codered

I realize we don't have a good option to replace him. .

That's not really important. You can replace bad production easily anyway. The key is getting him down to AAA so he can get back on track and get confidence back. I don't see how facing Verlander and Sherzer etc will help him with that.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Wednesday's pitching matchup (Verlander vs Mendoza) is hilariously lopsided. We'll probably be +130 underdogs.

So, naturally we'll probably win that game 9-2 or something crazy like that.

It's going to be a lot more than +130...a LOT more.

Best pitcher in baseball...possibly the best lineup in baseball...in Detroit...against the #5 starter...and a team that can't hit.

[Dartgod]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

It's really sad that this can't-miss future star who played great as a 21 year old has turned into Ross Gload two years later. Just tragic.



(Gload career Slugg: .408. Hosmer: .406)

Good Lord, you're a ****ing reerun.

[Archie F. Swin]

let's hope the All Star Game Verlander shows up

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

That's not really important. You can replace bad production easily anyway. The key is getting him down to AAA so he can get back on track and get confidence back. I don't see how facing Verlander and Sherzer etc will help him with that.

It IS important when you're trying to win 90 games in a season.

If you're an MLB GM and you send down a high-upside guy like Moose or Hosmer who is scuffling, you MUST have a viable replacement waiting in the wings.

[CaliforniaChief]

The ESPN bit was hilarious.

Let me get this straight: The Tigers just got swept by the Angels and climbed a spot. The Royals just split a pair at ATL and won a tough weekend series at BOS and we dropped 1?

Power rankings? Nah. Popularity/speculative? Ok.

Fortunately it means nothing.