From the local radio shows as to why the top future MLB GM prospect would come here?

I guess Moore grew up a passionate Royals fan in Witchita, Kansas. He wants to return to the home town team and lead them back to the way they were when he went to games as a kid.

I wondered the same. Baird was very good at everything, except the draft. That seems to be his downfall. He could create players from nothing (Huber and German), but couldn't draft worth a darn. That is why not having Moore conduct the draft makes little sense.

I had heard that Baird wasn't even allowed to draft the players he wanted.

At least most people around here are starting to quit with the revenue excuse.

I dunno. Anyone who doesn't understand why the phones aren't ringing off the hook to acquire Terrance Long shouldn't be a GM. Baird was an improvement over Herk Robinson, and did make some good deals, but in the end, failed (with much help from Glass).

Man I hope this move means the Royals are seriously going to attempt to win pennants and playoff games. I really want to care again.

Here's to coming to KC in July sucking back some cold one's and seeing great baseball in KC! CHEERS!

Never thought I'd see this day.

This could be the first step towards building a Royals team in the mold of those I watched growing up.

The AP says Moore is a done deal:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Kansas City Royals are replacing general manager Allard Baird with Dayton Moore of the Atlanta Braves, The Associated Press has learned.

The Royals reached a deal to hire Moore, an assistant general manager with Atlanta, according to a person close to the negotiations. The agreement will give the 39-year-old Moore complete control of baseball operations for the floundering Royals, who are on pace to lose 100 games for the fourth time in five years.

The source asked not to be identified because an official announcement was not expected until later Wednesday.

See, I'd disagree, I think that's his strength. The first year or two was iffy, but since then our first round picks were Greinke, Lubanski, Maier, Butler, Howell, Gordon... that's pretty good. Even in the first round the baseball draft is usually a total crapshoot. Yet we've gotten people who look like they could contribute some day with every single 1st round pick. That is really impressive in baseball. As Billy Beane says, the draft is so messed up that if you get 2 major league players out of 50 picks you've had a good draft.

It's a move that had to be done... I do kinda feel bad for Baird, just because he's given his life to this organization. He's been in this organization longer than Carl has been with the Chiefs... and it's obvious he truly loved it, which I guess is better than somebody looking to move up the ladder. That's one thing I like about Moore, he seems to geniunely want to be here. Baird will probably land on his feet somewhere, I would agree he probably wasn't as demanding as he needs to be, but he seems to be pretty well respected around the league as a baseball guy, he can probably get a scouting or Assistant GM job somewhere. Really he probably deserves a break though.

I would say that I've thought all along this year wasn't the year to judge Baird though. How he'll be judged in my mind is if in a couple years we have guys like Gordon, Butler, Huber, Teahen, Greinke, Howell, Burgos, etc, etc forming the core of a decent MLB team. That is really how he should be judged... if they do well then he did an okay job, if those guys all bomb then he really was a complete failure.

Moore's a great hire, I'm looking forward to seeing what changes he makes. Be interesting to see if he fires Buddy Bell, I'd have no problem with that. It also makes me a little antsy to know we're going to run the draft through an interim GM who probably knows his days are numbered, too. We'll see what happens.

That's what Bob Dole remembers reading, as well.

He was instructed not to draft certain players because their anticipated salary didn't suit Glass.

i know baird didn't do a great job in kc, but his hands were tied. he's a classy guy and will probably be successful somewhere else. i want him to write a book just for the fans, but i doubt he will.

i used to think the gunther firing via the internet was a classless thing to do, but that pales in comparison to the way glass handled this situation. good luck allard, we know it wasn't all your fault.

How much an improvement Dayton Moore is over Baird is almost secondary. The real reason Royals fan should be excited is apparently Dan Glass can go back to running pawn shops instead of a major league baseball team. With the Glass boys involved in day-to-day operations, the situation was hopeless. Now there is hope!

I'm still hanging with Royals 50 win season.

Confirmation
 

Royals hire Dayton Moore as GM, fire Baird
DOUG TUCKER
Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Dayton Moore, a top executive with one of the most successful organizations in baseball, is headed to Kansas City to try to turn around one of the worst.

The 39-year-old assistant general manager for baseball operations for the Atlanta Braves has agreed to terms to become general manager of the Royals, a source close to the negotiations told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Moore, a native of Wichita, Kan., who joined the Braves as a scout in 1994, will replace embattled Allard Baird, who was fired Wednesday.

The Royals entered Wednesday night's game at Oakland with a major league-worst 13-37 record, despite having won three of their last five. Kansas City lost 106 games in 2005 and 104 the year before and is on pace for 100 or more losses for the fourth season in five years.

Royals owner David Glass vowed on May 4 that he was fed up with losing and would soon make "significant changes," and obviously was talking about Baird, who was put in charge in June of 2000. Moore was considered a leading candidate last year to become general manager of the Boston Red Sox but withdrew after being invited for a second interview.

Glass, who has known almost nothing but frustration since buying the small-market Royals for $96 million in 2000, had targeted Moore from the beginning.

A source who asked not to be identified because an official announcement was not expected until later Wednesday said the agreement with Moore will give him complete control of baseball operations.

A native of Wichita, Kan., Moore joined the Braves as a scout in 1994 and in 2005 was named assistant general manager for baseball operations.

He will assume his new duties next week after the amateur draft June 6-7.

I agree. It's just too bad that Baird didn't get the same working conditions.

Totally agree with tk. Saying Baird can't draft is pretty shortsighted. It's easy for a football fan to look at a team and think, these guys stink, ergo, he can't draft, without understanding how the baseball draft is different, and how like Beane said, if you get one or two guys who make it to the majors in a given year then you have done well.

Not only that, a lot of guys change positions in the minors or take 5 years to make it to the bigs anyways. Zack Greinkes and Alex Gordons are not a dime a dozen. Nobody is behind schedule if they aren't pitching in the majors at age 20 like Saberhagen was.

The draft in baseball is a crapshoot. And we still have some pretty good prospects down in Wichita. Baird's chapter in the team's history hasn't been closed out yet.