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?

[KCUnited]

Originally Posted by Zeke

I couldn't care less about that as a starter....

You start a guy that is unproductive because he's lefty over a guy that's productive and a righty? That's absurd.

Edit: And on par for this organization.

Yeah, I was just speculating as to why. I'm sure things could shake out differently as we approach Opening Day.

[duncan_idaho]

Luke Hochevar is going to end up as the fifth starter. I'm done hoping against it and just trying to accept the reality of it.

The "Scout's eye" tells Dayton and Ned that Luke can be a 15-game winner, that the stuff is there (and somehow is blind to how much his stuff degrades once he's in the stretch). And that will land him in the rotation to start the year unless he's hurt in Spring Training.

So Chen vs. Mendoza doesn't really matter.

Only question is if they will really give Hochevar the short leash that is being claimed by official Royals mouthpiece Bob Dutton. I doubt Luke does us the favor of getting a DUI like ol' Hiram did.

[Dartgod]

Originally Posted by Archie F. Swin

Any of you sluts going to Surprise in March?

I sure as hell wanted too. Never been to spring training and my parents are spending the winter in Phoenix this year instead of Texas. But my wife and I have to travel for work around that time, so no go.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Luke Hochevar is going to end up as the fifth starter. I'm done hoping against it and just trying to accept the reality of it.

The "Scout's eye" tells Dayton and Ned that Luke can be a 15-game winner, that the stuff is there (and somehow is blind to how much his stuff degrades once he's in the stretch). And that will land him in the rotation to start the year unless he's hurt in Spring Training.

So Chen vs. Mendoza doesn't really matter.

Only question is if they will really give Hochevar the short leash that is being claimed by official Royals mouthpiece Bob Dutton. I doubt Luke does us the favor of getting a DUI like ol' Hiram did.

I wish he was gone like everyone else, but if he must stay, then I guess hes ok there. Maybe he will thrive once the pressure is off of him being buried there.

[jbwm89]

Originally Posted by alnorth

As of 2 years ago, 16 of them did.

There's no rhyme or reason to it, old ancient franchises, and new expansion teams, winners and losers, have used team slogans or not used team slogans.

I wish the Royals would stop, even though a slight majority do.

I'm with you there, last years slogan was a complete disaster. "Play Ball" is pretty good though, that should be the slogan every year.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

I wish he was gone like everyone else, but if he must stay, then I guess hes ok there. Maybe he will thrive once the pressure is off of him being buried there.

The problem is that with his raw stuff, he should be OK anywhere from 3 down in a rotation, and if he's hitting his potential, he should be a solid No. 2. He just isn't.

Maybe the mental midget willl stop listening so much to the Boras Agency advisers and just start doing what his team/catcher tells him to.

[Chief_For_Life58]

Originally Posted by jbwm89

I'm with you there, last years slogan was a complete disaster. "Play Ball" is pretty good though, that should be the slogan every year.

It's Here

[ChiefsCountry]

Indians signed Bourn.
Posted via Mobile Device

[ShowtimeSBMVP]

Royals Acquire Elliot Johnson
By Ben Nicholson-Smith [February 12, 2013 at 2:04pm CST]

The Royals announced that they acquired utility player Elliot Johnson from the Rays as the player to be named later in the December trade involving James Shields and Wil Myers. The Rays had designated Johnson for assignment last week.

[Jenson71]

KC

Originally Posted by Chief_For_Life58

It's Here

[Infidel Goat]

Originally Posted by ChiefsandO'sfan

Royals Acquire Elliot Johnson
By Ben Nicholson-Smith [February 12, 2013 at 2:04pm CST]

The Royals announced that they acquired utility player Elliot Johnson from the Rays as the player to be named later in the December trade involving James Shields and Wil Myers. The Rays had designated Johnson for assignment last week.

His numbers in Triple A in 2009 and 2010 were impressive. His major league numbers so far are pretty meh, but I guess it gives further credence to the rumor that it's either Getz OR Giavotella.

[Ceej]

ELL-E-UTT.

[lewdog]

So who is taking Frenchy's spot?

[cabletech94]

Originally Posted by lewdog

So who is taking Frenchy's spot?

no one

[CHENZ A!]

Does anyone know where to find cool pics from spring training? There's usually a thread from Chiefs training camp with all these badass pictures, and I wish we had a Royals one.