Winning 2-3 against a hot Chicago team and 2-3 in Anaheim is impressive to say the least. Great to see them learning how to pull out close wins in late innings. Ned is doing a masterful job with the limited resources he has.

Agreed. Not to get to giddy, but I wouldn't mind seeing what he could do with the guys we got coming through the system in a year or two.....

Baseball is a funky sport. And the stats show (deez) that teams at some point in the season go on winning and losing streaks. Granted our team has taken the losing streaks to the extreme in the past. The fact is we have yet to hit that 7-8 game winning streak. Odds favor that we will at some point in the season. Odds also favor that teams like Minni will hit a losing streak at some point.

The goal is to keep doing what we are doing, which is winning series. If we keep doing just that, and hopefully catch a hot streak at some point, we could find ourselves in a shot for the division. I am real about it and know the odds are not in our favor for such (keep winning series that is). But we are heading in the right direction right now. A little good luck for us and a little bad luck for Minni and we can find ourselves only a few games out.

Also we have played more games on the road than we have at home. If we can start winning at home that sits in our favor.

So if we hit a hot streak and the better teams in our division hit a cold streak, we have a chance.

What are the odds of Detroit and MN hitting a hot streak? The Sox?

Are we suddenly a .600 team, because this is what it will likely take even to have a sniff?

All bullshit aside, anyone want to bet on a rotation that includes Bannister, Lerew, and Davies? And this assumes that Chen is going to continue being consistent. Greinke, of course, is studly.

We're playing pretty decent ball right now, but we still need to be forward thinking, and this includes:

1. Trying to move Farnsworth, Pods, Guillen, and DeJesus (or letting DDJ walk and gladly taking the draft picks).
2. Calling up Kila and Gordon.

If we're no more than 5 back at the break, we have a legit shot. We need to make sure, however, that we don't give up ground at this point, and you'd have to think that our .700 winning percentage, of late, isn't going to continue.

I'm all for trying to move Guillen and Farnsworth, but why DDJ and Pods?

Don't we want SOME pieces to continue building around?

I feel like we've dealt with DDJ's growing pains and now we're going to deal him when he's finally starting to ball.

Yes, but DeJesus isn't a foundational player. Not close.

And Pods is nothing more than a place-holder.

This is exactly why some Royals fans feel it is time to trade him. It's not their fault, they have suffered from over 2 decades of trading players right when they start to get good for players that will be futures trade bait in a few years after we groom them.

I can think of fewer courses of action more foolish than to think the Royals can win the division this year.

:facepalm:

Exactly. Carlos DeJesus syndrome.

Huge pendulum effect brought on by even the whisper of competence from our manager.

Can we win it? Probably not. Will we have a shot at it? IF, IF we keep playing the way we are. I wouldn't hold back on trades, that's for sure. But I wouldn't be cleaning house either. Guillen, Pods, Bannister and Davies are the tops on my trade list at this point. I've taken Farnsworth off that list for the time being simply because he has been a totally different guy since Yost took over and has really helped solidify the bullpen. At this point we need position players. I am content with a Woods, Tejeda, Farnsworth, Soria bullpen. And with the guys that are looking to come up I really would deal for some possible pitching prospects to put into the starting rotation, power hitting OF'er and catcher.

If Gordon can cut it then I'd deal Podz, move DDJ to CF or keep him in RF if we can get another outfielder with some pop.

**** it pass me the Kool-Aide I'm in.

I think we have people that need to be traded before DDJ. We deal Podz and move DDJ back to the leadoff spot and I am content with that decision. DDJ is a solid player we need to keep until we get more solid players up from the farm system.

You can't keep dumping all your good players for future hopefuls. We have been over this time and time again. Moose, Kila and Hosmer are going to struggle when they come up. You have to have some guys on the team that can allow them to struggle while they learn or else you are just going to keep repeating the same cycle we have been.

It is a fool's errand for Dayton to operate like an "IF, IF" is an attainable goal.

Fair enough. This is a very valid point.

If we maintain a .700 winning percentage, we might have a shot.

Go bold.

I agree. Which is why I said you don't hold back on trades. But as I also said, we don't need to clean house either.

Otherwise we are setting ourselves up for more of the same crap. Which is to have a few hopefulls starting and struggling filled in with some overpaid, end of their career stop-gaps.

You deal Podz, AC, Bloomy, Guillen, Bannister and Davies. That's a lot. But if you start dealing the pieces that are helping your team win in players like DDJ then you are taking steps backwards. Even Rany agreed with that.

I'd be willing to trade anybody on this team for the right return, but from what I've heard nobody is willing to give up what DeJesus would be worth or could be worth. DDJ has alot of .310 15 hr seasons in him yet. He's a solid player and he's helped us win alot of games this year. Home grown here, and the fans love him.

We have a house to clean?

They do? All I ever hear about is how much of a pussy he is.

Yet? That's good because he's going to be 31 this off-season and his previous best is .307 and 12. (.281 and 13, too).

Solid career OPS, however. Also solid RAR.

Outside of Greinke, I would have a hard time finding a player that fans loved more than DDJ.

Some would probably say so. When you start talking about dealing DDJ you are approaching the house cleaning method. Or even worse, lets say we traded only DDJ. Then what are we left with? A bunch of old, end of career stop-gap types with Butler and Avilles.

I am not saying DDJ is an all-star, though his numbers this year should have merited him a trip to the show from our team anyway. But he is the solid, reliable, above average player you need in your lineup while you bring up the Kila's and Moose's.

And should Gordon pan out along with the Hosmer, Kila and Moose, suddenly DDJ is a better player who adds an additional solid piece to the lineup. He can't carry the team. But he can help this team win. And with the way baseball is today the Royals are going to have to have players like that. We aren't going to field a roster of super-talent. If we do it will be for 1/2 to 1 season at best before they get scooped up.

So Maier > Ankiel?

I think people tend to overlook his defense. 230 consecutive errorless games. The catches he made against the Angels would rival Torii Hunter on any day. No, he doesn't have Hunter's bat. Which is why I would like to have him back in the leadoff spot. He does work a count, he does hit consistently and has the occasional power. That is not a guy I want to be in a hurry to dump no matter what team he plays for.

At this point, yes. Though if we could trade Maier it wouldn't hurt my feelings.

We'd have to sign DDJ to a new deal for him to be playing with Hosmer, Moose, Myers and Colon.

I am not at all opposed to trading DDJ or letting him enter free agency. I wouldn't trade him just to trade him though. You're certainly correct about the value he'd have as a competent veteran playing with the young guys.

IMO, absolutely yes.

I agree. Plays pretty good D and gets on base. And he's younger. If he develops a little power guy could be money.

Ankiel is our new Juan Gone

We have another game with the Mariners tonight. And what does that mean?

Bad news for the Mariners!

:facepalm:

Does WPI have a Royals forum?

Or I could start royalsplanet.com. It is available, I think. I may just buy it.

I just want us to continue to try and keep winning series and hopefully by years end we have a winnign record.. I do not think our bats have the consistency to get us into a division race with scoring runs.. But anything can happen..

:thumb: You go, girl!

Why I Oughta Stooges

Maybe we should have subsections on the planet like:

royalsplanet.com
jayhawkplanet.com
mizzouplanet.com
meowemawgay.com

etc.

Well I'm off to the game! Last night was a good time and hopefully tonight will be more of the same.

GO ROYALS!