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?

[KCUnited]

It's hard to ask a guy not to press and to take a walk when you have Francoeur, Moose, and Getz in the lineup.

Unfortunately, this is probably all we'll be able to get from Glass and I'm afraid Dayton has bungled it up badly enough that Glass will turtle back up financially. Dayton needed to succeed with this payroll and at this point it's looking like another failure. Weather taxed attendance in April and the annual shit show will tax it the rest of the year, something I'm sure Glass was counting on when he upped payroll.

I have yet to attend a regular season game this year. Taking a lulz approach to professional sports in KC has been one of the better long term decisions I've made.

[SPATCH]

Originally Posted by KCUnited

It's hard to ask a guy not to press and to take a walk when you have Francoeur, Moose, and Getz in the lineup.

Unfortunately, this is probably all we'll be able to get from Glass and I'm afraid Dayton has bungled it up badly enough that Glass will turtle back up financially. Dayton needed to succeed with this payroll and at this point it's looking like another failure. Weather taxed attendance in April and the annual shit show will tax it the rest of the year, something I'm sure Glass was counting on when he upped payroll.

I have yet to attend a regular season game this year. Taking a lulz approach to professional sports in KC has been one of the better long term decisions I've made.

I have been taking this approach to the Royals for years; then, like an idiot, I decided I was all in at the beginning of the month.

****in' awesome.

[KCUnited]

Originally Posted by the_spatula

I have been taking this approach to the Royals for years; then, like an idiot, I decided I was all in at the beginning of the month.

****in' awesome.

They nearly had me around the first week of May, but their problems were evident back in April. No power and a bunch of come from behind victories that was never going to be sustainable.

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by petegz28

"Mac" was on 810 this morning and one of the things he said was "knock off the stupid hand gestures.."

This

Good teams are priveledged to do that sort of thing. Bad teams aren't.

EDIT:

2000 posts!

[duncan_idaho]

So...

all my worst thoughts and fears about this team and May becoming real so far.

General thoughts:

1) Yost is clueless, but I don't expect him to get fired any time soon. I doubt Dayton Moore is allowed to hire a third manager.

Moore has handicapped him, but he continues to exacerbate the issues by refusing to deal in reality and his lineup construction has been particularly awful.

2) One of the reasons the Royals don't walk is that teams are not scared of them. It's not coincidence that guys with big power have an easier time drawing walks. Because opposing pitchers pitch them carefully and attempt to be more fine. Why in the world would a pitcher EVER be scared to throw a fastball to Chris Getz, Jeff Francoeur, Elliott Johnson when down in the count?

The Royals hitters are also too impatient and swing at too many pitches out of the zone. That depresses walks. But I don't know that it depresses them as much as pitchers being fine with challenging the Royals in hitters counts.

3) Alex Gordon and Billy Butler both must have "good" years for them (perform at established levels) for this offense to even come close to producing at an average level. Right now, one of them isn't.

4) The way Hosmer and Moustakas are being treated clearly isn't working, but it seems like a lot of people in the organization are plugging their ears and ignoring that. It's fine to give them time on April 21. A month later - hell, two weeks later - it's time to ask some more detailed questions.

5) The starting pitching has been tremendous, and I still enjoying watching Shields, Santana, even Guthrie and Mendoza pitch.

This weekend's start aside, Wade Davis has been disastrous. Worse than when he was a starter in Tampa (where he was at least a league average guy). Incredibly worrisome. If they don't get at least No. 4 production out of Davis...

I'll leave with my current lineup thought, since I criticized its setup earlier.

9 - Lough (I'll leave him there until Dyson is back in a few games)
3 - Hosmer (if he's going to be a slap hitter who walks at a league-average rate, at least put him somewhere that holds some value)
7 - Gordon (L-L-L is not ideal, but Gordon and Hosmer both have good platoon splits against lefties)
DH - Butler (it appears he didn't approach this season with the necessary vigor, but still the best option here)
8 - Cain
1 - Perez
5 - Someone not named Moustakas (he needs time in Omaha at this point)
4 - Elliott Johnson. (Has earned the job unless they call up Gio or Colon)
6 - Escobar (Fits him much better than the 2-hole, where his lack of OBP ability hurts greatly unless he's hitting .300)

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

So...

all my worst thoughts and fears about this team and May becoming real so far.

General thoughts:

1) Yost is clueless, but I don't expect him to get fired any time soon. I doubt Dayton Moore is allowed to hire a third manager.

Moore has handicapped him, but he continues to exacerbate the issues by refusing to deal in reality and his lineup construction has been particularly awful.

2) One of the reasons the Royals don't walk is that teams are not scared of them. It's not coincidence that guys with big power have an easier time drawing walks. Because opposing pitchers pitch them carefully and attempt to be more fine. Why in the world would a pitcher EVER be scared to throw a fastball to Chris Getz, Jeff Francoeur, Elliott Johnson when down in the count?

The Royals hitters are also too impatient and swing at too many pitches out of the zone. That depresses walks. But I don't know that it depresses them as much as pitchers being fine with challenging the Royals in hitters counts.

3) Alex Gordon and Billy Butler both must have "good" years for them (perform at established levels) for this offense to even come close to producing at an average level. Right now, one of them isn't.

4) The way Hosmer and Moustakas are being treated clearly isn't working, but it seems like a lot of people in the organization are plugging their ears and ignoring that. It's fine to give them time on April 21. A month later - hell, two weeks later - it's time to ask some more detailed questions.

5) The starting pitching has been tremendous, and I still enjoying watching Shields, Santana, even Guthrie and Mendoza pitch.

This weekend's start aside, Wade Davis has been disastrous. Worse than when he was a starter in Tampa (where he was at least a league average guy). Incredibly worrisome. If they don't get at least No. 4 production out of Davis...

I'll leave with my current lineup thought, since I criticized its setup earlier.

9 - Lough (I'll leave him there until Dyson is back in a few games)
3 - Hosmer (if he's going to be a slap hitter who walks at a league-average rate, at least put him somewhere that holds some value)
7 - Gordon (L-L-L is not ideal, but Gordon and Hosmer both have good platoon splits against lefties)
DH - Butler (it appears he didn't approach this season with the necessary vigor, but still the best option here)
8 - Cain
1 - Perez
5 - Someone not named Moustakas (he needs time in Omaha at this point)
4 - Elliott Johnson. (Has earned the job unless they call up Gio or Colon)
6 - Escobar (Fits him much better than the 2-hole, where his lack of OBP ability hurts greatly unless he's hitting .300)

You forgot to mention the release of Getz and Francouer.

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by petegz28

"Mac" was on 810 this morning and one of the things he said was "knock off the stupid hand gestures.."

I heard Brett on 610 this morning and he sounded really depressed. The past couple of weeks he's been "you fight through it" and "I always appreciated my manager showing confidence in me," etc. Today, he was very downcast.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Three7s

You forgot to mention the release of Getz and Francouer.

Wasn't that implied?

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

I heard Brett on 610 this morning and he sounded really depressed. The past couple of weeks he's been "you fight through it" and "I always appreciated my manager showing confidence in me," etc. Today, he was very downcast.

Reality finally hit him. Soon, it will start hitting the players, coaches, and our GM, if not already, then everything will be blown up.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Three7s

Reality finally hit him. Soon, it will start hitting the players, coaches, and our GM, if not already, then everything will be blown up.

Only one of those people has the ability to make real changes, and it's unlikely he will.

What really matters is reality hitting the owner.

[Archie F. Swin]

Two weeks ago I dropped a bundle on tickets to this Friday's Royals @ Rangers game. Then, this morning I find out we'll make the 2 1/2 trip to watch Wade Davis pitch.






well shitballs....

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Archie F. Swin

Two weeks ago I dropped a bundle on tickets to this Friday's Royals @ Rangers game. Then, this morning I find out we'll make the 2 1/2 trip to watch Wade Davis pitch.






well shitballs....

Ouch.

Especially since Saturday will be Darvish vs. Shields.

[Prison Bitch]

Greinke has 3 hr in 116 career ab. Here are the ratios for the hilarious losers this year:



No-pop Perez: 1 in 156
Hosmer: 1 in 186
Getz. 1 in 105
Cain. 1 in 156
Frenchy: 1 in 150



Let that stew for a moment.

[Archie F. Swin]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Ouch.

Especially since Saturday will be Darvish vs. Shields.

but.....but.....we'll be there on a Fireworks Friday!

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Greinke has 3 hr in 116 career ab. Here are the ratios for the hilarious losers this year:



No-pop Perez: 1 in 156
Hosmer: 1 in 186
Getz. 1 in 105
Cain. 1 in 156
Frenchy: 1 in 150



Let that stew for a moment.

I think it's safe to say, one of those guys is overperforming as well.