Royals 2013 Kansas City Royals Repository Thread - Page 262

duncan_idaho · 10:01 AM

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?

TLO · 05-09-2013, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alnorth

I am very happy that the Royals are a half game back tonight. The next 7 days will be tough; we have the Yankees and Angels while they have the Indians and Astros.

How many times do they get to play the ****ing Astros?!?!

Discuss Thrower · 05-09-2013, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alnorth

The odd thing was that while the first reliever was making his warmup tosses and after the pinch-hitter went to the on-deck circle, the Houston manager went out and talked to the umpires for a long time. I don't know what in the world he said to convince them to ignore the rules, but when the umpires allowed him to bring in another reliever, then the Angels manager came out and had a long argument.

So, the umpires have some kind of explanation, but I don't see what it could possibly be. Once you start making your warm-up tosses, you are in the game.

Insert long winded and overly worded Joe Torre statement that kinda sorta admits fault but does not offer any sort of definitive statement on preventing such a mishap in the future.

SPchief · 05-09-2013, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alnorth

The odd thing was that while the first reliever was making his warmup tosses and after the pinch-hitter went to the on-deck circle, the Houston manager went out and talked to the umpires for a long time. I don't know what in the world he said to convince them to ignore the rules, but when the umpires allowed him to bring in another reliever, then the Angels manager came out and had a long argument.

So, the umpires have some kind of explanation, but I don't see what it could possibly be. Once you start making your warm-up tosses, you are in the game.

On Baseball tonight they had the Astros manager being interviewed and said he was in the rules committee last year and said that they changed the rule. It's not in the rulebook from what the guys on BT said so IDK what he was talking about. It'll be interesting to see how MLB handles this. The rule hasn't been changed, but the Astros manager said that it was last year.

AussieChiefsFan · 05-10-2013, 02:54 AM

How do the MLB playoffs work? Is it like the NFL where the winner of each division automatically gets a place, and the next two best seeds (in each conference) then get a spot too? Or is it a different way of deciding which teams make it to the playoffs?

Archie F. Swin · 05-10-2013, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alnorth

I am very happy that the Royals are a half game back tonight. The next 7 days will be tough; we have the Yankees and Angels while they have the Indians and Astros.

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/standings/
the Angels are 12-22 (and broke)

Tytanium · 05-10-2013, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AussieChiefsFan

How do the MLB playoffs work? Is it like the NFL where the winner of each division automatically gets a place, and the next two best seeds (in each conference) then get a spot too? Or is it a different way of deciding which teams make it to the playoffs?

Best record from each of the six divisions, plus two of the best overall records from each league. The two wildcard teams from each league play a single game for the wildcard spot.

Fansy the Famous Bard · 05-10-2013, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hootie

Disagree. The object of the game is to score runs. You load your lineup so that the guys who get on base hit in front of the guys with the highest .OPS

Your highest .OPS guys need to be at 3 and 4

your highest SLUGGING guys need to be 3-4-5, Your highest OBP guys need to be 1-2-3... hence your highest OBP + SLG guy (meaning typically your best hitter) is @ the 3 spot.

**alnorth** · 05-10-2013, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tytanium

Best record from each of the six divisions, plus two of the best overall records from each league. The two wildcard teams from each league play a single game for the wildcard spot.

Yeah, you do not want to be a wild card team if you can possibly avoid it now. Winning the division means a lot. We won't have any more situations like a few years ago when the Yankees purposefully stopped trying to win the division to rest their pitchers because they had a wild card locked up.

**alnorth** · 05-10-2013, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPchief

On Baseball tonight they had the Astros manager being interviewed and said he was in the rules committee last year and said that they changed the rule. It's not in the rulebook from what the guys on BT said so IDK what he was talking about. It'll be interesting to see how MLB handles this. The rule hasn't been changed, but the Astros manager said that it was last year.

Well, if the Houston manager snowed the ump with "they changed that rule", at least that makes sense. They were wrong, but at least they weren't insane. You'd think at least one umpire would have the current rules in a back pocket.

CaliforniaChief · 05-10-2013, 07:46 AM

Batting order doesn't mean much to me. I mean, if your guys are hitting, does it really matter where they hit? In general, I would think you'd want your best hitters at the top of the order moving down, so they get a maximum number of at bats. Other than that, who cares?

BigCatDaddy · 05-10-2013, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaliforniaChief

Batting order doesn't mean much to me. I mean, if your guys are hitting, does it really matter where they hit? In general, I would think you'd want your best hitters at the top of the order moving down, so they get a maximum number of at bats. Other than that, who cares?

I agree. The gaping holes in the lineup are more relevant than the order in which the guys hit.

Hootie · 05-10-2013, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeke

your highest SLUGGING guys need to be 3-4-5, Your highest OBP guys need to be 1-2-3... hence your highest OBP + SLG guy (meaning typically your best hitter) is @ the 3 spot.

uhm, no shit

that's exactly what I said

Fansy the Famous Bard · 05-10-2013, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hootie

uhm, no shit

that's exactly what I said

No you didn't, you dumbed it down and stated overall OPS, there's a difference.

Hootie · 05-10-2013, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaliforniaChief

Batting order doesn't mean much to me. I mean, if your guys are hitting, does it really matter where they hit? In general, I would think you'd want your best hitters at the top of the order moving down, so they get a maximum number of at bats. Other than that, who cares?

I love alnorth. Great baseball poster.

I'm never going to agree with him that Barry Bonds should have been at leadoff rather than 3 or 4.

You put your .OPS guys at 3 and 4 because they drive in your .OBP guys. Period.

Not even Billy Beane hit Miguel Tejada at #1. There is a reason for that. Perhaps the math says something else, but you don't lead off with one of your best power hitters. In regards to the Royals...with all the extra base hits Gordon gets...you can't bat him at leadoff. He has to be at #3.

Hootie · 05-10-2013, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeke

No you didn't, you dumbed it down and stated overall OPS, there's a difference.

I didn't dumb it down.

You don't bat Mark Reynonds at #3 because he has a high slugging %.

You bat Frank Thomas at #3 because he has a high slugging % AND he gets on base.

12-11-2012, 09:59 AM
duncan_idaho M-I-Z-Z-O-U Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Kansas City Casino cash: $-1889692	2013 Kansas City Royals Repository Thread 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? Last edited by duncan_idaho; 07-15-2013 at 10:01 AM..
Posts: 22,321

05-10-2013, 02:54 AM	#3919
AussieChiefsFan MVP Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney, Australia Casino cash: $5698501	How do the MLB playoffs work? Is it like the NFL where the winner of each division automatically gets a place, and the next two best seeds (in each conference) then get a spot too? Or is it a different way of deciding which teams make it to the playoffs?
Posts: 13,760

05-10-2013, 07:46 AM	#3925
CaliforniaChief #RIPAce Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: So Cal Casino cash: $10715899	Batting order doesn't mean much to me. I mean, if your guys are hitting, does it really matter where they hit? In general, I would think you'd want your best hitters at the top of the order moving down, so they get a maximum number of at bats. Other than that, who cares?
Posts: 17,443