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?

[TomBarndtsTwin]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

I wish the Royals could get Altuve from the Astros. I know it would cost a lot, but he would fit in perfectly at 2b.

Yes, that would be nice. He'd be a great fit on our team and fill a pretty big hole, although we have guys in our system that might fill that spot in a couple seasons.

But, as you stated, the cost would be a little prohibitive.

[Demonpenz]

Royals WIN.

[CaliforniaChief]

Screw that Wild Card noise. We're coming at Detroit, and we're coming hard.

We're in the toughest part of our schedule, they're in the easiest. And yet we're hanging with them game for game.

We have young players that should improve. They are old.

Verlander is Billy's little bitch, and Gordon's grand slam is still in the air.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Sannyasi

Its time to start aiming for the wild card. Detroit's pitching is absolutely monstrous this year.

I'm not giving up yet. Our offense still needs to step up, but our rotation is performing as if we had 3 #1's, a #4/5, and a #5.

If we settled for, say the 2nd wild card, we could end up flying to the Bronx, lose the wild card game 5-4, and we're out without having a single game of playoff baseball at the K.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin

Yes, that would be nice. He'd be a great fit on our team and fill a pretty big hole, although we have guys in our system that might fill that spot in a couple seasons.

But, as you stated, the cost would be a little prohibitive.

Just saying, if the Royals are going to try to get Utley, they may as well kick the tires on Altuve first to at least get a price tag.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Sannyasi

Detroit has a +52 run differential. Scherzer, Sanchez, and Verlander are in the top 4 in FIP in the ENTIRE LEAGUE. While we're having our plucky come from behind wins Detroit is rolling over teams.

And that run differential was +23 through 26 games before the Astros series (when you beat a team by a average score of 9-2 in a four-game series this close to the start of the season, 30 games into the year, it skews that number a little bit).

Detroit is very good. I don't think they're quite as good as that run differential suggests.

[TomBarndtsTwin]

I had forgotten they played 4 against the Stros. I was thinking 3 games. That makes the run differential even less impressive . . . .

[DeezNutz]

Talk about giving up aspirations of the division title is premature, at best.

[TomBarndtsTwin]

I would be curious to know what the difference was between the run differential of the Tigers versus the Royals, prior to the Astros series???

I realize Detroit was probably higher, but how much higher at THAT point versus now?

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin

I had forgotten they played 4 against the Stros. I was thinking 3 games. That makes the run differential even less impressive . . . .

They play them 3 more times this week, while we get the Orioles and Yankees.

I expect to lose ground this week, but we still have our Astros games in the future. If we stay within 3 games by the time Sunday is over, we'll be fine. If we're within 2 games, I'll be very happy.

If, somehow, we're actually in 1st place after Sunday, then Detroit will have some ground to make up, but thats unlikely.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin

I would be curious to know what the difference was between the run differential of the Tigers versus the Royals, prior to the Astros series???

I realize Detroit was probably higher, but how much higher at THAT point versus now?

The Royals have played 27 games. The Tigers have played 30, or 26 before the Astros series.

They were +23 in 26 games before that series.

The Royals were +17 in their first 26 games this season.

[CaliforniaChief]

Ceding the division to Detroit now would be like ceding an election to the Republicans after hearing that the polls in Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, and Kentucky have closed.

Just wait until the schedule evens out.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin

I would be curious to know what the difference was between the run differential of the Tigers versus the Royals, prior to the Astros series???

I realize Detroit was probably higher, but how much higher at THAT point versus now?

That series started on Thursday. On thursday morning, Detroit had 127 RS and 104 RA (+23). KC had 113 RS and 98 RA (+15)

[CaliforniaChief]

Man, I want to sweep Cock Harrelson and the White Sux right out of town. Beating Sale would just be clutch.

[Hootie]

Originally Posted by Archie F. Swin

not Royals related but baseball. Prince Fielder argues a strike out call TWICE in the same game, and gets nothing more than the stink eye from the home plate ump. Yet, in a different game, Bryce Harper strikes out on a check swing called strike three, argues the call and then gets tossed by the third base ump.

weird stuff
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...s_mlb&c_id=mlb

I was appalled by that ejection. It was literally an ego induced ejection, and it made no sense. You're not paid to be the show...just call him out and turn the **** around. Stupid.