Yeah I've heard the argument, but I haven't seen enough to buy it. Just because you can't prove statistically that a catcher has the ability improve a pitcher's, or an entire staff's, development, doesn't necessarily mean that it disproves it.

There are too many moving variables to prove it either way - if the team ERA improved this year under Kendall, many would argue that the staff was different, or Hochevar/Banny/etc was due to improve, or improved defense was the main driver, etc.

I just think sabremetricians are going too far when they try and say a catcher can have no positive effect on a pitcher; the problem is that it is practically impossible to accurately measure.

Tried my damnedist to order tickets online for april 5th(foolish i know).....page cannot be displayed, server reset....looks like every ****er in kc is trying to get it. i just quit after 10 min

no way in **** am i paying $50 a ticket to sit in the ****ing sky, i'll go to a bar adn watch

That sucks. Few years back (when I had free time) I'd sit by the home phone, with my work cell phone, personal cell phone, and the wifes celly to get tickets. Waaaaay before I was lucky (and smart) enough to have the web access.
Maybe you could score tickets through a radio station or something, maybe?

Are there really single tickets available? With all the multi-game packages available I'd be surprised if there was anything left.

I wouldn't know i tried connecting and finally got the page to load then i had to click the ticket icon again and it would give me server is busy page cant be displayed, your ****ed go do something else messages

No way im going to pay $50 to skip work....even though i already am i will just enjoy watching from a bar

Actually, it sort of does. This isnt a case of trying to prove God doesnt exist. In this case, we pretty much know everything there is to know about all the games that have been played for the last several decades. When you fail to find a correlation between catchers who supposedly "know how to handle pitchers" and good pitching performances, that pretty much disproves the link.

No one is saying catchers have NO impact on the pitcher whatsoever. They are saying that if there is an impact, it is so insignificant that its not worth mentioning. (aside from just basic competence, like a catcher who doesnt allow tons of passed balls and can throw people out)

or as Baseball Prospectus puts it:

I just bought 5 tickets..It was over the phone and included a $3 service charge but ended up only being 25 a person

Want some really promising news? Read Rany's latest update that provides analysis of Myers: http://www.ranyontheroyals.com/

Opening day? i tried calling and kept getting a ****ing busy wtf

I was only able to buy 1 (I may need another). I had 2 but could not enter all of the info in time. Sometimes it sucks having CP.

yep

Royals are getting an early start to the DL this season.

This just in a half hour ago: Alex Gordon is out 3-4 weeks (broken thumb). Anyone's guess whether he'll be available (or still too rusty) for opening day, but he's going to miss most of spring training.

heh......can we just drop this bum right now?? What a joke he has become.

At some point, probably sooner rather than later, it will be in the best interest of both the club and Gordon for them to part ways.

@Swanee54: 1st bad news of spring, Alex Gordon suffers minimally displaced frac. of rt. thumb. 3-4 wks. 3 minutes ago via Seesmic

Great start....