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.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

acquiring guys like davies\mazzaro\bannister etc isn't the problem. It's sticking with them for YEARS after it's shown it won't work. Forcing the fans to watch the same guys run out constantly.

And I beg to differ on your comment they were better than anything else.

KC had a guy 2 years ago they got off the waiver wire that put up good numbers in Omaha. He was given a glimpse of the big leagues.. and didn't do poorly. However, getting Bannister, Davies and O'Sullivan their starts was more important. -> Phil Humber

They are there... This is just one example that encompasses 3 of the 4 mentioned.

[KevB]

Originally Posted by KevB

But, what if he's being told not to add material $ to payroll right now? What if he wanted Edwin Jackson in the off-season but Glass wouldn't allow it? We're never going to hear about that, because the underlings aren't going to bite the hand that feeds.

I have no idea if that is or isn't happening, but it's plausible. There's clearly a systemic problem with the organization, and at this point blame has to fall at the feet of the owner, period. [Not that there isn't enough blame to be spread around of course]

Don't take my post above and translate to = DM is a good GM. All the points being made against him, well most of them, are valid. But Glass should be target #1 IMO, despite his recent surge in spending on the farm. There are too many other instances where "small market" teams have won; clearly there's something from the top on down that permeates this org and continues to foster a culture of losing.

[KevB]

Originally Posted by Zeke

acquiring guys like davies\mazzaro\bannister etc isn't the problem. It's sticking with them for YEARS after it's shown it won't work. Forcing the fans to watch the same guys run out constantly.

And I beg to differ on your comment they were better than anything else.

KC had a guy 2 years ago they got off the waiver wire that put up good numbers in Omaha. He was given a glimpse of the big leagues.. and didn't do poorly. However, getting Bannister, Davies and O'Sullivan their starts was more important. -> Phil Humber

They are there... This is just one example that encompasses 3 of the 4 mentioned.

Probably went too long with Davies, but the guy did have pockets where he was a very competent pitcher. Same for Bannister. I understand why they stuck with, albeit too long. We're going down the very same path with Hochever.

O'Sullivan, hell if I know why he every got more than a cup of coffee.

All of the criticism regarding trades that have been completed are overblown IMO, as Duncan has said. The bottom line is very simple --- we haven't developed young pitching. DM understands the importance, he said when he got the job that pitching is the currency of baseball. He came from the Braves organization, that thrived by developing young pitchers. But we have almost nothing to show after six years. Therefore, we've been broke.

[Archie F. Swin]

Any of you concerned that Butler could become a bargaining chip? I haven't heard any chatter to support, but .... he would be very valuable.

[DeezNutz]

DM seemingly overvalues the shit out of his own prospects.

[ShowtimeSBMVP]

Roch Kubatko ‏@masnRoch

Told that #orioles were showing serious interest in KC reliever Jonathan Broxton over the weekend. Pretty aggressive. Not as much now though


Thank God

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Zeke

acquiring guys like davies\mazzaro\bannister etc isn't the problem. It's sticking with them for YEARS after it's shown it won't work. Forcing the fans to watch the same guys run out constantly.

And I beg to differ on your comment they were better than anything else.

KC had a guy 2 years ago they got off the waiver wire that put up good numbers in Omaha. He was given a glimpse of the big leagues.. and didn't do poorly. However, getting Bannister, Davies and O'Sullivan their starts was more important. -> Phil Humber

They are there... This is just one example that encompasses 3 of the 4 mentioned.

That's really what I said re: stubborn refusal to give up on guys until well after they've proven to be ineffective.

I forgot to mention this on Bannister, but considering what they gave up for him, that was a VERY effective trade for KC. He had a few good seasons for the Royals.

Humber had a miracle season with the White Sox last year but has returned to suckittude this year. You can nitpick about bringing him up for the handful of starts O'Sullivan got in 2010, but Humber wasn't setting the world on fire at Omaha that year, either.

Again, not defending Moore blindly or anything. There's plenty to criticize. I just think picking at trades like Ambiorix Burgos for Brian Bannister or Alberto Callaspo for Sean O'Sullivan and Will Smith is taking too shallow/easy a look at things.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

DM seemingly overvalues the shit out of his own prospects.

Yes.

Those guys were CONVINCED over the offseason that Mike Montgomery would rise quickly this year and put his past struggles behind him. Blinded by the upside, ignoring the realities. They could have used Montgomery as the centerpiece of a package for Gio Gonzalez last year (something that, honestly, I disagreed with on a minor level).

Hindsight.

On Mooore... If he had been GMing the Rays in 2007, for instance, I'm SURE he would have refused to part with Delmon Young in the deal for Garza/Bartlett. And the Rays would not have made the WS that year.

[KevB]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Yes.

Those guys were CONVINCED over the offseason that Mike Montgomery would rise quickly this year and put his past struggles behind him. Blinded by the upside, ignoring the realities. They could have used Montgomery as the centerpiece of a package for Gio Gonzalez last year (something that, honestly, I disagreed with on a minor level).

Hindsight.

On Mooore... If he had been GMing the Rays in 2007, for instance, I'm SURE he would have refused to part with Delmon Young in the deal for Garza/Bartlett. And the Rays would not have made the WS that year.

On the other hand, they may not have been convinced Myers would completely return to form or they wouldn't have signed Frenchy. Oh hell, who am I kidding. They'd have signed Frenchy even if he was blocking Bryce Harper or Mike Trout.

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by ChiefsandO'sfan

Roch Kubatko ‏@masnRoch

Told that #orioles were showing serious interest in KC reliever Jonathan Broxton over the weekend. Pretty aggressive. Not as much now though


Thank God

You've become a smug bitch this yr.

A little Oriole success went straight to your head.

[ChiefsCountry]

The trouble with Frenchy is the extentsion for next season. He was the perfect stop gap for the team, but its run its course. Myers needs to be up, unless there is some reason we don't know publically about.

[Ceej]

Originally Posted by Dave

You've become a smug bitch this yr.

A little Oriole success went straight to your head.

Yeah, he's an idiot. And plays it off like he's not trolling. Like we're all incompetent.

Also, with Johnson -- why would the O's want Broxzilla?

[CoMoChief]

Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry

The trouble with Frenchy is the extentsion for next season. He was the perfect stop gap for the team, but its run its course. Myers needs to be up, unless there is some reason we don't know publically about.

....there's no such thing as a "stop gap" with this franchise.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by Undertaker

....there's no such thing as a "stop gap" with this franchise.

Instead they're called "cornerstones"

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by Undertaker

Frank White is who we need.

Won't ever happen though.

Love me some Frank, but ****a Please! Frank is good with player development at the minor leavue level, but has not EVER shown the ability to truly manage a team. He showed no patience to work his way up the food chain. Forget about Frank at this point. It is NEVER going to happen.