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?

[Brianfo]

As a lifelong Royals fan, today was a heart breaker. Unfortunately, I think our goose is cooked. It was a long shot anyway, but a fun ride. Todays game was a must win. Santana does what he does and we have ample opportunities to score runs. At some point the offense has to win a few games. Elliot Johnson at 3b is a travesty. For that matter any time Elliot and Getz are in the lineup, raise the white flag. I kind of feel bad for both of them, because one of them is gone tomorrow and it was probably their last chance.

Hosmer had two chances today, to blow the game open. He didn't deliver. If youre gonna point fingers, he needs one pointed at him.

This 5 game series at Detroit is probably the biggest series the Royals have played in the last 28 years. They know it, we know it, and I don't think it will end well.


We now have to absolutely take 3/5. Anything less and we come home home 6 games out of the wild card with 5 teams in front of us. Aint happening.


Make me believe again.

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by Brianfo

As a lifelong Royals fan, today was a heart breaker. Unfortunately, I think our goose is cooked. It was a long shot anyway, but a fun ride. Todays game was a must win. Santana does what he does and we have ample opportunities to score runs. At some point the offense has to win a few games. Elliot Johnson at 3b is a travesty. For that matter any time Elliot and Getz are in the lineup, raise the white flag. I kind of feel bad for both of them, because one of them is gone tomorrow and it was probably their last chance.

Hosmer had two chances today, to blow the game open. He didn't deliver. If youre gonna point fingers, he needs one pointed at him.

This 5 game series at Detroit is probably the biggest series the Royals have played in the last 28 years. They know it, we know it, and I don't think it will end well.


We now have to absolutely take 3/5. Anything less and we come home home 6 games out of the wild card with 5 teams in front of us. Aint happening.


Make me believe again.

Great post

[Brianfo]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

Great post

I know you wake up with the royals every day like I do. Baseball is America. Let's do this.

[C3HIEF3S]

Originally Posted by Brianfo

As a lifelong Royals fan, today was a heart breaker. Unfortunately, I think our goose is cooked. It was a long shot anyway, but a fun ride. Todays game was a must win. Santana does what he does and we have ample opportunities to score runs. At some point the offense has to win a few games. Elliot Johnson at 3b is a travesty. For that matter any time Elliot and Getz are in the lineup, raise the white flag. I kind of feel bad for both of them, because one of them is gone tomorrow and it was probably their last chance.

Hosmer had two chances today, to blow the game open. He didn't deliver. If youre gonna point fingers, he needs one pointed at him.

This 5 game series at Detroit is probably the biggest series the Royals have played in the last 28 years. They know it, we know it, and I don't think it will end well.


We now have to absolutely take 3/5. Anything less and we come home home 6 games out of the wild card with 5 teams in front of us. Aint happening.


Make me believe again.

Yep, good post.
I would like to add Gordon to the finger pointing too.
0-5 with 5 LOB isn't going to cut it (Hosmer 2-5, 2 2b, 6 LOB)

[Discuss Thrower]

Well it was fun while it lasted.

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by Brianfo

I know you wake up with the royals every day like I do. Baseball is America. Let's do this.

I live 1,000 miles from KC. I wake up at 6 every morning and turn 810 WHB on my phone to listen to The Border Patrol discuss the previous night's game. I listen to the pre-game show driving home from work. I listen to the 810 and 610 post-game shows.

This ride's been great fun. Hate to see it end.

[Brianfo]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

Yep, good post.
I would like to add Gordon to the finger pointing too.
0-5 with 5 LOB isn't going to cut it (Hosmer 2-5, 2 2b, 6 LOB)

I agree to a certain extent. Gordon resigned with this team and he's a player. Hosmer never will. He's a boras client and he's gonna be a star. Look forward to him playing his twilight years in New York or California. Game is broken and needs fixed.

[penbrook]

Naturals manager Brian Poldberg said Kyle Zimmer was pulled because he was complaining of "stiffness," and they were being extra cautious.

[Brianfo]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

I live 1,000 miles from KC. I wake up at 6 every morning and turn 810 WHB on my phone to listen to The Border Patrol discuss the previous night's game. I listen to the pre-game show driving home from work. I listen to the 810 and 610 post-game shows.

This ride's been great fun. Hate to see it end.

I'm afraid it has my friend. You just never know. Made me believe again, and I took my family to 4 games. Went to opening day at the K and July 3/4. My kids are into it and it's priceless.

[Deberg_1990]

I still maintain they hang around some ams probably end up winning 80-85 games. 3rd place.
Posted via Mobile Device

[siberian khatru]

Originally Posted by penbook

Naturals manager Brian Poldberg said Kyle Zimmer was pulled because he was complaining of "stiffness," and they were being extra cautious.

I'm heading to the highest bridge.

[MVChiefFan]

Dear God guys! Come on! Should we have won this series? Yeah. But let's be realistic here, it would have been impossible to win EVERY series from the all-star break on. This team is capable of winning a lot of games still and we have a lot of baseball left! We're a little dinged up right now but I still feel very confident in this group. Hell, maybe losing a series to the fraking marlins is what this team needs to wake up and realize wins aren't gonna just fall in their laps. Let's cut the negativity and ride this mofo out! What else do we got to do?!!!

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by MVChiefFan

Dear God guys! Come on! Should we have won this series? Yeah. But let's be realistic here, it would have been impossible to win EVERY series from the all-star break on. This team is capable of winning a lot of games still and we have a lot of baseball left! We're a little dinged up right now but I still feel very confident in this group. Hell, maybe losing a series to the fraking marlins is what this team needs to wake up and realize wins aren't gonna just fall in their laps. Let's cut the negativity and ride this mofo out! What else do we got to do?!!!

Lose a series to Boston, Detroit, Baltimore? Fine. This was unacceptable. We have missed two golden opportunities the past two days. If we just don't play terrible we win them and are sitting 3 games back of both wildcard spots and are ahead of all the other contenders.

Instead we are 5 back of both spots and only 0.5 ahead of the freaking Yankees. Add in the fact that the biggest series we have had since 1985 is shaping up to be an absolute disaster, well, it's hard to stay positive right now.

If we don't make the playoffs it is likely by just a few games and these past two turds will be the first ones that we think of on our couch watching the Chiefs matriculate 5 yards at a time instead of watching playoff baseball.

[C3HIEF3S]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

Lose a series to Boston, Detroit, Baltimore? Fine. This was unacceptable. We have missed two golden opportunities the past two days. If we just don't play terrible we win them and are sitting 3 games back of both wildcard spots and are ahead of all the other contenders.

Instead we are 5 back of both spots and only 0.5 ahead of the freaking Yankees. Add in the fact that the biggest series we have had since 1985 is shaping up to be an absolute disaster, well, it's hard to stay positive right now.

****ing this.
Perfect post.

[SPATCH]

When does Moose come back?