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?

[Archie F. Swin]

I just happened to get in a baseball discussion on another forum I visit (a drummer's forum), and here's a comment I got from a Rays fan back in mid-May.

"You can thank my favorite team for James Shields. This is going to sound off, and it has nothing to do with how he's pitching right now, but I really wish the Rays would have traded David Price instead of James Shields.

I know they're completely different pitchers, but James is a great leader and really has a knack for creating a brotherhood amongst the pitching staff. He's also an innings eater. It's no wonder Tampa Bay's bullpen has been overused and under-performing. No one could have predicted David Price was going to slump so badly this year. Under contract through 2015 (arbitration eligible in '14 and '15), the Rays could have robbed someone's farm system. As for our end of the Shields/Davis/Johnson trade...it sounds like the Rays will have Will Myers finish his career in Durham. They're so slow to promote position players. All I hear is that "he's not ready"."

[Strongside]

Originally Posted by Coach

Order here:

http://teespring.com/TheHuntForBlueOctober

[Ceej]

That shirt is pretty bad ass.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by Archie F. Swin

I just happened to get in a baseball discussion on another forum I visit (a drummer's forum), and here's a comment I got from a Rays fan back in mid-May.

"You can thank my favorite team for James Shields. This is going to sound off, and it has nothing to do with how he's pitching right now, but I really wish the Rays would have traded David Price instead of James Shields.

I know they're completely different pitchers, but James is a great leader and really has a knack for creating a brotherhood amongst the pitching staff. He's also an innings eater. It's no wonder Tampa Bay's bullpen has been overused and under-performing. No one could have predicted David Price was going to slump so badly this year. Under contract through 2015 (arbitration eligible in '14 and '15), the Rays could have robbed someone's farm system. As for our end of the Shields/Davis/Johnson trade...it sounds like the Rays will have Will Myers finish his career in Durham. They're so slow to promote position players. All I hear is that "he's not ready"."

That dude is not smart.

[Canofbier]

Originally Posted by Strongside

Order here:

http://teespring.com/TheHuntForBlueOctober

Chalk me up. That's a sweet shirt.

[Coach]

[Canofbier]

Originally Posted by CHENZ A!

I've never wavered in my fandom, but I do admit that I was hoping we'd trade Santana. I'm glad I was wrong.

Ditto. I hope that keeping him this year was worth it (it seems to have been so far), and it would be even better if Glass opens up the checkbook and keeps him around beyond this year.

[cookster50]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Click on the name of the person you don't want to see, and you should see an ignore option. Chiefsplanet has a very hands-off relaxed moderation policy, which is what the community wants, but the ignore list still works. I've got 14 names on my ignore list.

Yes, though every now and then I enter into DC to see what muck is being slung around, so I don't want to just ignore every post by some people, just posts outside of DC.
Anyway, back to Royals!

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by cookster50

Yes, though every now and then I enter into DC to see what muck is being slung around, so I don't want to just ignore every post by some people, just posts outside of DC.
Anyway, back to Royals!

His DC posts are as bad as his Lounge posts...and I'm a conservative.

[alnorth]

The last time the Royals won 17 out of 20 games, George Brett went 3-3 with 3 walks to raise his average to .406 and beat Texas, back in 1980.

[Mama Hip Rockets]

Originally Posted by Archie F. Swin

monthly splits to date

Split WP
April .583
May .286
June .593
July .600
Aug .750

If we can just finish the season playing .600 to .630 ball, we'll be in good shape

Holy Christmas. If it wasn't for May, they would be the greatest team of all time.

[Mama Hip Rockets]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

Aaron Crow is 7-3 with a sub 2 ERA. I didn't realize his numbers were that good. His peripherals aren't great, but that's an impressive line.

He has a 2.95 ERA.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by thurman merman

He has a 2.95 ERA.

Meant sub 3...my bad

[Archie F. Swin]

Originally Posted by Archie F. Swin

monthly splits to date

Split WP
April .583
May .286
June .593
July .600
Aug .750

If we can just finish the season playing .600 to .630 ball, we'll be in good shape

Here's the 1985 team

April .579
May .519
June .462
July .630
Aug .556
Sep .600
Oct .667

[Archie F. Swin]

Rangers release Manny Ramirez...