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?

[RockChalk]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

It's based off of radio interviews with Seitzer and Moore right after they fired him.

Moore cited Seitzer's inability to get Hosmer and Francoeur going as reasons for the move.

Seitzer also provided some hilarious insight on "Team leader" Jeff Francoeur throwing him and Billy Butler under the bus.

Damn...I usually listen to Seitzer's interviews. I missed the part where he threw Jeff and Billy under the buss

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by RockChalk

Damn...I usually listen to Seitzer's interviews. I missed the part where he threw Jeff and Billy under the buss

It was right after it happened... I remember hearing Seitzer talk about how Jeff was always complaining about hitting behind Butler, because he couldn't score from first on a 2B by Francoeur, so he was always trying to hit it out in those situatons, blah blah.

I thnk Frenchy's leadership factor is probably overrated.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

It was right after it happened... I remember hearing Seitzer talk about how Jeff was always complaining about hitting behind Butler, because he couldn't score from first on a 2B by Francoeur, so he was always trying to hit it out in those situatons, blah blah.

I thnk Frenchy's leadership factor is probably overrated.

He's absolutely a selfish player, as evidenced by his strike zone "awareness."

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

He's absolutely a selfish player, as evidenced by his strike zone "awareness."

I think that's mostly indicative of how poor his pitch recognition is. He's just bad. And he's guessing more to try and compensate for his physical gifts degrading.

Watching him try to hit fastballs right down the pipe is like watching the end of "trouble with the curve" when the highly touted prospect (Bo Gentry, but young Billy Butler probably fits) knows what's coming from the unheralded kid, but still can't touch it.

I honestly think you could tell Francoeur a fastball was coming, and as long as it was 93+ MPH, he still couldn't touch it.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

It's based off of radio interviews with Seitzer and Moore right after they fired him.

Moore cited Seitzer's inability to get Hosmer and Francoeur going as reasons for the move.

Seitzer also provided some hilarious insight on "Team leader" Jeff Francoeur throwing him and Billy Butler under the bus.

Is there a link to the Seitzer interview? I'd love to read what he said in full...

[SPATCH]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

It was right after it happened... I remember hearing Seitzer talk about how Jeff was always complaining about hitting behind Butler, because he couldn't score from first on a 2B by Francoeur, so he was always trying to hit it out in those situatons, blah blah.

I thnk Frenchy's leadership factor is probably overrated.

FRANCOUER MUST DIE.


That is infuriating, guys.

[BlackHelicopters]

Originally Posted by Bowser

Is there a link to the Seitzer interview? I'd love to read what he said in full...

Many of us would like to read this.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Bowser

Is there a link to the Seitzer interview? I'd love to read what he said in full...

I looked for it, but I couldn't find it in the 810 archives. I think that's where it was from.

[BlackHelicopters]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I looked for it, but I couldn't find it in the 810 archives. I think that's where it was from.

Thanks for looking.

[BlackHelicopters]

No leaders, no responsibility, no accountability. Bad baseball. Starts with GMDM.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I looked for it, but I couldn't find it in the 810 archives. I think that's where it was from.

The interview from the other day is in the podcasts.

http://www.stationcaster.com/player_...=375&f=1472551

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

The interview from the other day is in the podcasts.

http://www.stationcaster.com/player_...=375&f=1472551

That's not the one I'm thinking of, but it's a good interview.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

The interview from the other day is in the podcasts.

http://www.stationcaster.com/player_...=375&f=1472551

I had forgotten how difficult it was to listen to this interview.

Sucks.

[BlackHelicopters]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

The interview from the other day is in the podcasts.

http://www.stationcaster.com/player_...=375&f=1472551

Sad.

[duncan_idaho]

General thoughts:

I hope that whoever the next GM is considers bringing Seitzer back. He clearly wants to come back, and I buy 100 percent his plan/analysis of what's going on with the hitters.