2012 Kansas City Royals Repository Thread

[alnorth]

2012 Slogan: Our Time

A better, more accurate 2012 Slogan: It is Finally Next Year
(from Great Expectations)

An alternative slogan if you don't like that one: Someone has to win this crappy division
(from alnorth)

With the beginning of a new year, it is time for the 2012 version of the Royals Repository Thread. We've got Hosmer, we've got a 2011-dominating Gordon, we've got Moose, we've got hopefully a killer bullpen, we've got a stereotypical slow slugging DH, we've got easily one of the best defensive shortstops in the AL, we've got a promising catcher in Salvador Perez. Hell, we've got offense and promising prospects galore.

We do not have starting pitching.

Oh yeah, we've also got this:



Get ready for, (as of January 2012 anyway), one of the most confusing puzzles of a baseball season in recent Royals history. Will they suck? Maybe, I don't know. Will we be given a year of 0.500 baseball? Possibly, I don't know. Will they win the division and go to the playoffs for the first time in 27 years? For the first time in a long time, it could happen, I don't know. 92 losses, 92 wins, or anything in between would not surprise a lot of us.

Everything goes here except Gameday threads and really big news. If a giant story breaks, the Royals achieve some awesome milestone, or we sign/lose a highly significant player/coach/mascot/whatever, then it might also deserve its own thread. This being Chiefs Planet, please do not clutter the board with new threads about trivial Royals news or you will only annoy those who come here for just Chiefs football. If you aren't sure and its not a Gameday thread, it goes here.

What sort of stuff often goes here? SPchief explained it well, so I'll just copy that:

If you locate something of interest.. ANYTHING.. deals on apparel, best ways in/out of the stadium, giveaways, great stories from this season or from seasons gone by, rumors, trades, anything.... feel free to post it here.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by doomy3

Broxton was a very good signing for Moore, IMO.

You get a pretty decent first half of baseball and then flip him for a couple of top 15 prospects from another organization who are controllable for several years. I really like deals like this.

Not to mention at a position that we have pretty good options at as well.

[doomy3]

Originally Posted by OmahaChief

Being a team like the Royals it would be one of the things I would try to do each year. Target a guy with upside that might be a good flip and sign him to a one year deal. Then trade for prospects.

They kind of have done or tried to do this most every year.

Last year was Melky. They just missed on the return they got for him, but it was a buy low guy who they should have turned into a pretty good coup, or just kept him.

[mr. tegu]

Please let Myers come up now...

[TLO]

Woot on trade of Broxton and good luck to him in Cinci

[OmahaChief]

Originally Posted by doomy3

They kind of have done or tried to do this most every year.

Last year was Melky. They just missed on the return they got for him, but it was a buy low guy who they should have turned into a pretty good coup, or just kept him.

They tried I would agree. They did it with Grudz and and a couple others I am forgetting. It would be great for the guys we get to actually pan out.

[Mama Hip Rockets]

Good trade. Joseph's numbers are awesome.

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

Please let Myers come up now...

Moore Jr. is still in RF...

[TLO]

Tony Pena Jr's stats are playing in RF.

[DeezNutz]

Anyone paying attention to the talk about stadium leases on 810? Pretty interesting.

[eazyb81]

Moore is still an idiot.

[ShowtimeSBMVP]

Tax payers fund questionable Royals expenses
Jul 31, 2012 -- 1:30pm

By Kevin Kietzman

The Kansas City Royals have requested nearly $17 million of taxpayer money the past five years from the Kauffman Stadium repair and upkeep fund but spent only 9% of the money received on actual repairs and maintenance to the stadium, according to documents obtained by Sports Radio 810 WHB.

The Royals have received at least $12.7 million from taxpayers that was approved by the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority as part of the RMMO provision of the team's lease with the county and spent it on full and part time employee salaries, security, cable tv, first aid, utilities, telephones and even payroll taxes. By using the money for payroll taxes, the team literally collected taxpayer money to pay their own taxes. The Sports Authority approved the expenses and operates separately from Jackson County government.

Calls to JCSCA Chairman Beto Lopez and Royals President Dan Glass were not returned.

Jackson County officials meet and vote Monday, August 6 to nominate Lopez for a new term as Chairman and then send it to Missouri Governor Jay Nixon. Missouri Governors, by law, appoint all members of the JCSCA.

"Their (JCSCA) job is to be a watchdog for the taxpayers and all they're doing is rubber stamping," said a source close to the Authority. "Stamp, stamp, stamp."

Any RMMO Fund disbursements to the Royals under the Kauffman Stadium Lease Agreement requires "reasonable written approval" by the Sports Complex Authority yet the Authority approved over $4 million in salaries and payroll and another $700,000 for the Royals to pay taxes. The RMMO Fund was originally pitched to voters as an account that would collect $8.5 million per year and bear interest over time to accumulate large sums to fund major Kauffman Stadium repairs and maintenance through 2030. The original Kauffman Stadium lease presented to voters did not contain any provisions for "Event Day Operations" but the Royals negotiated it into the current lease dated January 24, 2006, three months before the election. That three-word inclusion into the lease has been worth millions to the team.

The JCSCA has also been cited by Missouri State Auditor Thomas Schweich as recently as December of 2011 for poor record keeping and accounting practices over several years. The audit also concluded the Sports Authority conducted closed door meetings "which were not allowable under the Sunshine Law."

"There is a culture of looseness that exists at the Authority," the source added.

JCSCA Executive Director Jim Rowland did not immediately return a call concerning the findings of the audit.

Records show the Royals needed only $1,540,390 for actual maintenance and repairs since 2008 with the biggest expenses being supplies, Hall of Fame reconfiguration and waterproofing. The remaining RMMO Fund balance as of July 1, 2012 was around $5.6 million

Below is a list of several Royals expenses the JCSCA paid out that are not Repairs and Maintenance to Kauffman Stadium.


10/21/08 Security $287,377
Telephone $83,698
Supplies $657,838
Uniforms $86,301

6/23/09 Salary, Full-Time Associates $975,309
Payroll, Taxes and Benefits-Full Time $365,176
Salary, Full-Time Associates $321,355
Payroll, Taxes and Benefits-Full Time $133,617
Salary, Part-Time Employees $2,618,568
Payroll Taxes-Part Time Employees $200,320

9/10/09 Security $236,113
Telephone $515,696

7/19/12 Stadium Services $691,322
Professional Services-First Aid $241,931
Utilities, Telephone, Cable TV $2,291,385
Day of Game Security $247,528


Just WOW

[Kidd Lex]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Anyone paying attention to the talk about stadium leases on 810? Pretty interesting.

Whats the news?

Glass is selling to local ownership?

[Kidd Lex]

So essentially the Royals are collecting tax payer money for services rendered and pocketing the balance?

[DeezNutz]

Royals negotiated for "Event Day Operations" to be a part of the lease, which has screwed taxpayers.

[Jerm]

Originally Posted by The God Hypothesis

So essentially the Royals are collecting tax payer money for services rendered and pocketing the balance?

Would anyone be surprised if this were true?

This ownership is an embarrassment to K.C.