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?

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by theelusiveeightrop

0-11 in March? Who knows what I might say. Just a cautious 28 year pessimist I suppose.

Even if the record was a bit different it wouldn't matter because of how the games are transpiring. We are winning and crushing teams in the first five innings when our everyday players are in. That certainly has to say something.

[Canofbier]

Originally Posted by alnorth

LOL, looks like someone is amped up.

Haha, nice! Glad to see that they care so much.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

Even if the record was a bit different it wouldn't matter because of how the games are transpiring. We are winning and crushing teams in the first five innings when our everyday players are in. That certainly has to say something.

yeah, I might be wrong but I think in prior years when we did well in spring, it was mostly our scrubs beating their scrubs at the end of the game. This year our SP's are striking guys out, and our lineup is crushing their SP's.

[alnorth]

Baseball link of the day: Rany wrote a fantastic article on the 2013-14 New York Yankees. Its long, but worth a read if you hate New York.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Baseball link of the day: Rany wrote a fantastic article on the 2013-14 New York Yankees. Its long, but worth a read if you hate New York.

Loved this nugget:



Yankee fans graduating high school this year have missed just one October in their lifetime

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

Loved this nugget:



Yankee fans graduating high school this year have missed just one October in their lifetime

I loved the footnote referenced by the end of this sentence:

"and the Orioles — well, I suppose it's possible they'll go 29-9 in one-run games again.5"

5. Actually, it's not. It's not possible. Going 29-9 in one-run games is impossible, and I say that knowing full well that they did exactly that last year.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Baseball link of the day: Rany wrote a fantastic article on the 2013-14 New York Yankees. Its long, but worth a read if you hate New York.

From the article:

"Right now the catching duties are to be split between Chris Stewart and Francisco Cervelli, and even as I type those words I can't believe THE NEW YORK YANKEES are going into a season with Chris Stewart and Francisco Cervelli behind the plate."

I love it.

[Chief_For_Life58]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Baseball link of the day: Rany wrote a fantastic article on the 2013-14 New York Yankees. Its long, but worth a read if you hate New York.

entertaining article. Next year when half their team are free agents will be very interesting to see what they do. big changes for the yankees are coming. just in time for the royals to take over the AL

[Old Dog]

Originally Posted by Toadkiller

My friend bet me 50 bucks that the royals make the playoffs. I know this is an easy 50 bucks for me but my heart wants it to be true so I cant take the bet.

Seems like exactly the type of bet I would love to take. If they don't make it, I win $50. If they make it, I win as a Royals fan.......it's impossible to lose.

[Deberg_1990]

I had almost forgotten had bad the Yankees were in the late 80s early 90s. Steve Balboni played with them from 89-90

[CoMoChief]

Originally Posted by Old Dog

Seems like exactly the type of bet I would love to take. If they don't make it, I win $50. If they make it, I win as a Royals fan.......it's impossible to lose.

and you lose $50

[noa]

Seems likely that this is bunk, but I read a rumor that Cano and Granderson might be suspended for PEDs. ARod, too, but that's no surprise.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Jenson71]

Originally Posted by noa

Seems likely that this is bunk, but I read a rumor that Cano and Granderson might be suspended for PEDs. ARod, too, but that's no surprise.
Posted via Mobile Device

That would be insane.

[Chief_For_Life58]

Originally Posted by noa

Seems likely that this is bunk, but I read a rumor that Cano and Granderson might be suspended for PEDs. ARod, too, but that's no surprise.
Posted via Mobile Device

wow....

http://www.sportsgrid.com/mlb/robins...s-this-season/

[BigCatDaddy]

**** You Ryan Braun! Try to lie your ass out of this one again!