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.

[Mr. Laz]

Jonathan Sanchez has earned a spot in the Royals' bullpen
Posted by Jonathan Bender on Tue, Jul 17, 2012 at 9:19 AM


It can never be said that the Kansas City Royals' refuse to be steadfast in their support of mediocre pitching. And the latest statistical atrocity is Jonathan Sanchez. Brought over from San Francisco in an off-season trade for Melky Cabrera, Sanchez won his first game. Since then the team has gone 2-9 in his starts and his ERA has ballooned to 7.76. In five of those starts, he's given up at least five runs, including last night's contest against the Seattle Mariners when he gave up five runs before recording a single out. And that was a team hitting .230 before stepping in against Sanchez.

The Royals' mantra has long been that there's nobody else to plug in the rotation and Sanchez's salary ($5.6 million this year) makes it difficult to take away his spot. But only lasting an average of a little under 4.5 innings, Sanchez has already made it clear where he belongs. Instead of forcing manager Ned Yost to run through his bullpen, it's time that Sanchez was on the other end of that call, coming in for mop-up duty in a game that's already out of hand.

Sanchez has the highest walk per nine innings (7.4) and lowest strikeout per nine innings (6.1) totals of his career. This is not a small statistical sample. It's half a season. Sanchez will tell you that he's had first half slumps before. And after righting himself in the bullpen in 2009, that's when he was able to come back and throw a no-hitter. He's giving you the answer, Dayton Moore. Let him go to the bullpen and attempt to earn his spot back.

The Royals have trotted out some historically bad pitchers. The late Jose Lima flirted with an ERA of seven back in 2005. Luke Hochevar was at 6.55 in 2009. Kyle Davies had an ERA of 6.75 last year. The team is in the same basic position it's been in the past seven years, 10.5 games out and 12 games under .500. The difference is that the fan base is finally starting to vocalize its frustration.

Whether it was a carryover from the All-Star Game or the fact that Sanchez recorded four outs and gave up seven runs, Royals fans are no longer content to wait it out. They sarcastically jeered Sanchez after Kyle Seager grounded out and became the first Mariner not to reach base in the top half of the first inning. And they gave Yost a standing ovation when he pulled Sanchez in the second. The fans have questioned whether the pitcher even cares, let alone, has a chance to win when he steps on the mound.

I'll happily let you make a case for whomever you want to see on that mound. It can be Everett Teaford or Doug Davis or Will Smith or Vin Mazzaro or Jake Odorizzi. The Royals even have a replacement in the second player acquired in the Cabrera trade. Ryan Verdugo currently has a 6-2 record and a 3.58 ERA for the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers. To keep trotting out Sanchez is to admit that each game no longer matters because whatever reliever is fresh has essentially been called in to spot start after Sanchez has been rocked.

Put him in the bullpen. Give him the chance to try and throw a little harder for a few less innings. There is no worse case scenario because Sanchez is the worst case scenario. Among pitchers with at least 50 innings pitched, only Nick Blackburn has a worse ERA (8.10) in the American League and the Minnesota Twins optioned him to Triple-A two weeks ago. The Twins are a game-and-a-half back of Kansas City.

The Royals can no longer just play out the string. Last night's attendance of 16,697 fans is proof of that. Even if they can't give the fans a postseason berth this year, they can give them some relief from Sanchez.

[mr. tegu]

^ Not what we were really hoping for but it is a start. So this must have come from Yost I take it?

[mr. tegu]

Verdugo and Mazarro are being called up so it would be really sweet to see Verdugo replicate his AAA numbers so we can have at least gotten something from the Cabrera trade. Despite how bad Sanchez has been Verdugo could still salvage the trade, but if he does well it will look even worst on the team for trotting Sanchez out there for so long (it looks bad already anyways).

[Dartgod]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

^ Not what we were really hoping for but it is a start. So this must have come from Yost I take it?

I think that was just the writer's opinion of what should be done.

[Nzoner]

So I just heard on 810 that Sanchez has yet to throw a pitch in the 7th inning after 12 starts

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by Dartgod

I think that was just the writer's opinion of what should be done.

Premature excitement. I didn't read it closely because it just made me too excited

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by Nzoner

So I just heard on 810 that Sanchez has yet to throw a pitch in the 7th inning after 12 starts

Pathetic. DFA this a-hole immediately, and let's forever rid ourselves of his stench.

[DeezNutz]

Dutton tweeted last night that DFAing this turd would cost the Royals $2.5M, and this type of hit my require ownership approval first.

. Same ol' Royals.

And if true, expect Sanchez to the pen so that DM doesn't have to explain away how he completely wasted Glass's precious money.

[Nzoner]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Dutton tweeted last night that DFAing this turd would cost the Royals $2.5M, and this type of hit my require ownership approval first.

. Same ol' Royals.

And if true, expect Sanchez to the pen so that DM doesn't have to explain away how he completely wasted Glass's precious money.

KC Sports...the ****ing laughingstock of the U.S.

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Dutton tweeted last night that DFAing this turd would cost the Royals $2.5M, and this type of hit my require ownership approval first.

. Same ol' Royals.

And if true, expect Sanchez to the pen so that DM doesn't have to explain away how he completely wasted Glass's precious money.

Well, sending him to the pen for middle relief makes perfect sense. Hell, he's generally only going 1-2 innings as starter now.

[Demonpenz]

The Royals typical play right here is to put Sanchez in the pen, he does well in mop up duty for awhile, then earns another start. Royal Way.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Dutton tweeted last night that DFAing this turd would cost the Royals $2.5M, and this type of hit my require ownership approval first.

. Same ol' Royals.

And if true, expect Sanchez to the pen so that DM doesn't have to explain away how he completely wasted Glass's precious money.

If they keep him, im sure Sanchez will look like an Ace once September rolls around and they are 20 games out. He "electrifies" the fanbase, they bring him back and everyone is energized in the spring again for "Our Time"


Same ole Royals....

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Mark something.

Mark Quinn?

His plate discipline made Jeff Francouer's look like Kevin Youkilis's.

I think Quinn also got into the LA/Hollywood thing. Do I remember rumors of a coke habit?

[bsp4444]

If he's giving up this many runs in his first innings pitched, why would he be an asset in the pen? That will be like pouring gas on a fire.

[Demonpenz]

Mark Quinn once went so long without drawing a walk, that when he did draw a walk. They set off the fireworks at the K.