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.

[alnorth]

Royals starters are done for the night. Cain hit his 2nd homer.

Duffy 3IP 2R 2ER 2BB 2K
Soria 2IP 3R 3ER 0BB 2K
Mijares 1IP 0R 0ER 0BB 0K

Woulda liked to see a better day out of Duffy, since he's competing for a spot. Not worried about Soria yet, he may have been working on something and not necessarily trying to get everyone out.

Gordon 0/2, 1BB
Giavotella 1/3
Hosmer 2/3, 1BB
Butler 0/3
Maier 1/3
Cain 1/3, 1K, 1HR
Betancourt 2/3 (1 double)
Pena 0/2
Falu 1/2

[DeezNutz]

Great news about I'll See Deez. Definitely looking like the Greinke trade might be a big win for DM, and he'll deserve a shit ton of credit.

[SnakeXJones]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Great news about I'll See Deez. Definitely looking like the Greinke trade might be a big win for DM, and he'll deserve a shit ton of credit.

Absolutely plus Greinke was a big head case so thats a bigger win

[tredadda]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Great news about I'll See Deez. Definitely looking like the Greinke trade might be a big win for DM, and he'll deserve a shit ton of credit.

Agree, I think we won and possibly won big in the Greinke deal, especially if Odorizzi becomes a solid starter.

[Dr. Johnny Fever]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

Looks like the Yankees will kick ass in 2018....

Having trouble with that kinder, more optimistic blowfish resolution I take it.

[Dr. Johnny Fever]

Originally Posted by alnorth

I think you've tapped into DM's wildest daydream.

Wild-Ass daydream scenario:

2012: KC finishes 6 games back of Detroit, but grabs the 2nd wild card. They fly down to Texas for the game, but sadly they lose. Playoff baseball in KC has to wait.

2013: The Royals again lose the division, this time in a 163rd tiebreaker game in Detroit. Kansas City hosts the Angels, wins the Wild Card game, then goes on to end their postseason in Tampa Bay.

2014: The Tigers are finally done, not only losing the division to the Royals, but also a Wild Card spot to the Indians and are out of the playoffs altogether. Royals go on to win the American League, but lose the World Series 4 games to 2.

2015: Royals win 117 games with one of the most prolific offensive performances in the modern era. The Royals go on to thrash all comers, winning the World Series in 5 games.

offseason: Moustakas, having blossomed into a good 3rd baseman, though not a perennial all-star, is signed through 2020. Negotiations with Boras go nowhere on Hosmer, but the Royals are not going to consider trading him, not when they have a title to defend.

2016: The offense regresses, but 2 pitchers (no idea who) that definitely took massive steps in 2014 and 2015, finally establishes themselves as a monstrous double-ace threat in baseball. Royals win 119 games in a down year for the AL. Gamblers who want to take the field against Boston, New York, and KC are offered 15:1 odds. Royals win the World Series in 7.

sometime in some offseason between 2014 and 2017: The Royals long-term TV deal with FSKC expires (when the hell does it expire, anyway?), sparking a fierce bidding war for broadcast rights. Royals execs are giddy at finally seeing multiple bidders. (as in more than 1, with the 1 bidder not really all that interested, and grudgingly agreeing to show some games offered up by a KC franchise with hat in hand)

2017: The AL Central greatly improves. Royals win the division by only 2 games, Twins and Indians take both Wild Cards, other divisions are won by Baltimore and Oakland. The White Sox lose 114 games. Royals sweep the World Series.

offseason: Hosmer enters free agency, but the Royals are now awash in TV money and sign him to a long-term deal.

The world can just go ahead and end now so we can pretend that happened. I'll be fine with that dream.

[OmahaChief]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Not worried about Soria yet, he may have been working on something and not necessarily trying to get everyone out.

I think it is time to worry. He was a gas can a good part of last year and his spring training looks like he is some A ball pitcher. I know pitchers work on stuff but I am more worried his stuff is just gone.

[Three7s]

This pitching is shit. We'll have to beat everyone 15-11.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Three7s

This pitching is shit. We'll have to beat everyone 15-11.

Maybe not to that extreme, but this season, if you plan to watch a game, you should probably hope that we score more than 5.

[Demonpenz]

last year even when Soria got saves it always seemed like the ball was hit hard somewhere. I would love to see jefferson in the closer roll because black people look cool anywhere you put them.

[Dr. Johnny Fever]

Originally Posted by Demonpenz

last year even when Soria got saves it always seemed like the ball was hit hard somewhere. I would love to see jefferson in the closer roll because black people look cool anywhere you put them.

Except in a barbershop quartet, but then no one looks good in one of those.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by Three7s

This pitching is shit. We'll have to beat everyone 15-11.

Originally Posted by alnorth

Maybe not to that extreme, but this season, if you plan to watch a game, you should probably hope that we score more than 5.

So basically nothing has changed for 20 years then.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

So basically nothing has changed for 20 years then.

Well, this year we probably will score more than 5 fairly often.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by OmahaChief

I think it is time to worry. He was a gas can a good part of last year and his spring training looks like he is some A ball pitcher. I know pitchers work on stuff but I am more worried his stuff is just gone.

Gas can would be a good way to describe Soria in May, when he blew four saves and had an ERA approaching 9. He went 21-23 in save opportunities the rest of the year, with a 2.58 ERA and 9.6 K/9.

Basically, Soria had a shitty month early, dumped the cutter he had picked up over the offseason because it was not effective, and pitched the rest of the season at his career averages.

The cutter experiment failed horrendously, but at least he dumped it early.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Gas can would be a good way to describe Soria in May, when he blew four saves and had an ERA approaching 9. He went 21-23 in save opportunities the rest of the year, with a 2.58 ERA and 9.6 K/9.

Basically, Soria had a shitty month early, dumped the cutter he had picked up over the offseason because it was not effective, and pitched the rest of the season at his career averages.

The cutter experiment failed horrendously, but at least he dumped it early.

"Mariano Rivera has pitched effectively into his 40's in this league with a cut fastball, maybe I should learn to throw it, too" *one month later* "Wow, that sucked"