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?

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by theelusiveeightrop

Did not know Francoeur helped get Seitzer fired. Is this true?

Probably not. If it was, it'd be kept confidential.

[DeezNutz]

Frenchy was absolutely part of the reason Seitz was fired. Heard the interview that duncan is alluding to, and he's related its contents accurately.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

It's a hell of a lot easier to double in a fatass from first base than to knock home an empty set of bags. What a one who sucks the penis Francouer is. At least he ended Boggs.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Frenchy was absolutely part of the reason Seitz was fired. Heard the interview that duncan is alluding to, and he's related its contents accurately.

Seitzer either:

1) Has incredibly huge balls (to be as honest and open as he has about inner workings and etc. and crossing Moore/Yost so much)
2) Is incredibly confident Moore is on his way out soon and won't be in the same position again/won't have much influence or sway with other front office types
3) Doesn't give a F*** if he works in baseball again

Of course, I suppose it's possible it's some combination of 1 and 2 and possibly even a little of 3.

[Bowser]

See all the fun you're missing out on, 'Hamas'? Are you sure you don't want to switch your fandom over to the Royals?

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Bowser

See all the fun you're missing out on, 'Hamas'? Are you sure you don't want to switch your fandom over to the Royals?

I'd rather put my balls through one of those machines that skins cows at a slaughterhouse.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

It's a hell of a lot easier to double in a fatass from first base than to knock home an empty set of bags. What a one who sucks the penis Francouer is. At least he ended Boggs.

I dislike him more than Matt Eberflus, Justin Garrett, and Bruce Walker/Brian Jones all rolled up into one.

To give you an idea.

[KCUnited]

I heard the Seitzer interview with Petro where Francouer talked about hitting behind Billy. It was the same day Seitz was fired. Here is a write up from Greg Hall regarding the interview along with the quote from Seitz.

http://www.greghallkc.com/?p=2980

Kevin Seitzer, in an interview with Soren Petro the same morning he was fired as the Royals’ hitting coach, 810 AM
GH: Petro’s interview with Seitzer, no more than an hour after the news broke that he had been canned – was great radio. Hats off to Petro and his staff for first securing the interview with so little notice and second for getting Seitzer to be so open, honest and forthcoming in discussing this past season with the Royals. Read on.

“[Jeff Francoeur] was complaining about not getting many opportunities. He was hitting behind Billy, Billy could only go one base at a time and couldn’t score on a double. Al of a sudden he starts trying to hit more home runs, drive the ball too much and pull the ball too much to catch up with his numbers. The next thing he knew he was in the middle of a slide that wouldn’t stop.”
Kevin Seitzer, 810 AM

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Sounds to me like Francouer is treated like the ne'erdowell son of the boss. Needlessly promoted up the chain of command in spite of ravenous incompetence, he destroys the morale of the workforce because he's never punished for errors that would result in their firiings, and his smallest non-****ups are lauded as revolutionary successes.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Sounds to me like Francouer is treated like the ne'erdowell son of the boss. Needlessly promoted up the chain of command in spite of ravenous incompetence, he destroys the morale of the workforce because he's never punished for errors that would result in their firiings, and his smallest non-****ups are lauded as revolutionary successes.

Well the Royals bossman did help draft Frenchy when he was in Atlanta.

[Three7s]

**** you, Francouer.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Seitzer either:

1) Has incredibly huge balls (to be as honest and open as he has about inner workings and etc. and crossing Moore/Yost so much)
2) Is incredibly confident Moore is on his way out soon and won't be in the same position again/won't have much influence or sway with other front office types
3) Doesn't give a F*** if he works in baseball again

Of course, I suppose it's possible it's some combination of 1 and 2 and possibly even a little of 3.

He seems definitely to care about being in baseball again. His last interview, when he said that he was "waiting by the phone" for DM to call seemed genuine to me.

I had forgotten how quickly Petro had him on until United's link, so it might be that Petro caught him at a weak moment. Little pissed, ego bruised, bit embarrassed...and thus the dude was far more open than someone in his position would generally be.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Seitzer either:

1) Has incredibly huge balls (to be as honest and open as he has about inner workings and etc. and crossing Moore/Yost so much)
2) Is incredibly confident Moore is on his way out soon and won't be in the same position again/won't have much influence or sway with other front office types
3) Doesn't give a F*** if he works in baseball again

Of course, I suppose it's possible it's some combination of 1 and 2 and possibly even a little of 3.

Was thinking the same thing. He must be set financially in case he gets blackballed by MLB.

[stonedstooge]

GMDM ****ed up last year by not firing Leadhead Ned and putting Seitzer in as the interim manager. I called for it last year, but now GMDM will most likely end up going down with the ship

[BlackHelicopters]

Originally Posted by stonedstooge

GMDM ****ed up last year by not firing Leadhead Ned and putting Seitzer in as the interim manager. I called for it last year, but now GMDM will most likely end up going down with the ship

It's a Viking funeral.