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?

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Mr. Laz

Seitzer got fired because Hosmer and Moose weren't hitting. imo.


Well Seitzer is gone and they still aren't hitting so Seitzer got the shaft

Don't forget "team leader" and "Great teammate" Jeff Francoeur complaining about him, too. And how Seitzer was holding him back.

That, and all the doubles he hit with Butler on 1B that Butler didn't score on...

[BlackHelicopters]

A winning April? Can it be possible? Dare we dream?

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by Dartgod

Good Lord, you're a ****ing reerun.

Are you calling OPS statistics reeruned? What's reeruned about them? I don't see any reason to hate numbers. Numbers don't have biases. They don't have feelings. Do not hate them.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

It IS important when you're trying to win 90 games in a season.

If you're an MLB GM and you send down a high-upside guy like Moose or Hosmer who is scuffling, you MUST have a viable replacement waiting in the wings.

I really don't follow your logic here. If it's imperative to win now, then you sacrifice development. Right? Isn't that how the game (hell, every game) has been played forever? Now if you want them to develop into everyday regulars then of course you play them through this.


Greinke said he wanted out of KC because we couldn't win so early in Moose & Hosmer's tenure. Said he, Gordon, and Butler all took time. Zack is stating a longstanding belief but I'm surprised you disagree with him.

[Dartgod]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Are you calling OPS statistics reeruned? What's reeruned about them? I don't see any reason to hate numbers. Numbers don't have biases. They don't have feelings. Do not hate them.

Pitt Gorilla is wrong. You don't have a clue how ****ing stupid you are.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Your still talking as if we aren't trying to win this year. We won't win with his replacements, and we can't give him a couple months in Omaha. He's got to figure it out, and he's got to do it right now.

Again, you're missing my point. He and Hos need to go down for a while to get back on track. The alternative is burying them here. It's possible they'll both snap out of it but that's also possible if you send them down. Teams do it all the time with 95% of players having to spend some time down there again, it's not exactly a controversial theory here.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by Dartgod

Pitt Gorilla is wrong. You don't have a clue how ****ing stupid you are.

I can explain OPS to you if you need help.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

Hey now, lighten up on Ross Gload!

For fun, I looked up Dougie Mientkeiwicz career numbers. Same OPS as Gload and Hosmer. Then I threw up in my mouth a little. Oh well maybe Eric will develop that grit that made those players such stars.

[mr. tegu]

Hey guys I think our infield defense would be better with Johnson at third and Tejada at first!

[BlackHelicopters]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

For fun, I looked up Dougie Mientkeiwicz career numbers. Same OPS as Gload and Hosmer. Then I threw up in my mouth a little. Oh well maybe Eric will develop that grit that made those players such stars.

This is nausea inducing.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by theelusiveeightrop

This is nausea inducing.

What's worse: his slug% was a tidy .465 his first year at age 21. But in his last 650 PA has been........351. Yeah: .351 slug % for Hosmer over that long time frame. For an AL corner IF.


He's now simply a slap-hitting, ground ball dribbling, punch & judy hitter.

[KevB]

Napoli still on fire...2 for 2 tonight with a granny and 5 RBI's

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Again, you're missing my point. He and Hos need to go down for a while to get back on track. The alternative is burying them here. It's possible they'll both snap out of it but that's also possible if you send them down. Teams do it all the time with 95% of players having to spend some time down there again, it's not exactly a controversial theory here.

So be it. If they are damaged or ruined here, then they get buried.

On another note, I will say this about you: although you're catching a lot of grief and I disagree with what you are saying, you do stick to your point and you argue civilly for the most part.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by alnorth

So be it. If they are damaged or ruined here, then they get buried.

On another note, I will say this about you: although you're catching a lot of grief and I disagree with what you are saying, you do stick to your point and you argue civilly for the most part.

It's possible they've done all they can at AAA. At their young age though and given such short stints there I would lean against that

[RedDread]

The one issue I have with moving anyone around is how much of a defensive loss it is. It seems like when anyone of our everyday starters sits the replacement is responsible for at least 1 bad play, error and/or run for the games they start. If this team loses any position player for an extended period of time, I would really worry about the defense. Hosmer and Moose may not be able to hit but they are light-years above their replacements defensively. I'd say a .180 Moose is still better than a .250 Tejada.