but...but...I thought he didn't have any power? I thought he was on steroids and 2008 was a fluke?

Yeah, I agree with you guys. Ankiel needs to go and if we make these moves and Kila keeps it going in the bigs then we may have something. But, like you say, this is the Royals.

I am sure they will try Kila in CF

Nice start for Monty in AA ball

NW Arkansas
Player IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Montgomery (W, 1-0) 5.2 2 1 1 4 8 0 1.59
Coleman (H, 1) 2.1 1 0 0 1 3 0 3.07
Hardy, B (S, 2) 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0.00


Naturals win sixth straight Wednesday
Montgomery fans eight in Double-A debut
By Frank Novak / Northwest Arkansas Naturals05/05/2010 4:11 PM ET

SPRINGDALE, AR- Mike Montgomery was a little wild but fanned eight and allowed just two batters to hit safely as he and two relievers combined on a three-hitter as the Naturals beat the Springfield Cardinals 3-1 Wednesday on the first of three Swepco School Kids Daygames.
Hits were few but walks and wild pitches were aplenty on the sun-splashed afternoon, as the two teams' staffs combined to yield just nine hits and four runs, but tossed four wild pitches and issued fifteen walks.

Three of those wild pitches were thrown by Springfield starter Shaun Garceau (0-5), and the Naturals capitalized on two of them. Garceau uncorked a wild pitch with runners on second and third in the bottom of the second inning, giving the Naturals an early 1-0 lead.

After Springfield tied it up in the third on an RBI single from Andrew Brown, Garceau's wildness cost his team the lead again in the fifth. He plunked Kurt Mertins to start the frame, and then walked Mike Moustakas. After consecutive groundouts by Clint Robinson and Nick Van Stratten, the Cards elected to walk Tim Smith intentionally to load the bases and set up a force at each base with the struggling Ernesto Mejia at the plate. Garceau fired off another wild pitch which rolled to the backstop, scoring Mertins for what would end up being the winning run.

Mike Moustakas hit a solo homer to right with one out in the seventh off Cardinals reliever Blake King to give the Naturals a 3-1 lead and provide some insurance. It was Moustakas' team leading sixth homer of the season for the third baseman who joined the club just two weeks ago.

That was more than enough offense for Montgomery (1-0) and the Naturals' bullpen. Montgomery was pulled after 5 2/3 innings. Springfield drew four walks off the southpaw, running up his pitch count, but managed to get two hits and just the lone run. The youngest pitcher ever to make a start for the Naturals, the 20-year old Montgomery fanned eight in his debut.

Louis Coleman and Blaine Hardy blanked the Cardinals offense the rest of the way. Hardy, who hasn't allowed an earned run in 17 innings from the Naturals pen this year, earned his second save of the season.

It was the sixth straight win for Northwest Arkansas (17-8), which ties the franchise's longest team win streak. Springfield (13-13) falls to the .500 mark as they've lost 9 of 11. The Naturals now have a 4 1/2 game lead in the Texas League North Division.

Game three of the series is Thursday evening with first pitch coming at 7 P.M. Left-hander Everett Teaford (3-1, 4.34) will get the start for Northwest Arkansas. He'll oppose left-hander Nick Additon (1-2, 4.91) for Springfield. If you can't make it out for the game, you can listen to the it live on ESPN 92.1 The Ticket or online at nwanaturals.com.

The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale. The Naturals have a toll-free ticket hotline (1-877-444-2637) for fans to purchase Naturals tickets. Our website, nwanaturals.com offers fans the opportunity to purchase tickets online and avoid lines at the ticket windows by printing their tickets at home or at the office.

There is hope in the minors. A lot of guys are looking pretty good so far this year.

Wayy to obvious for Hillman to figure out

I still am a little skeptical of his power potential (most of his track record shows mediocre - yes, even minimal for a 1B/DH - power)...

But like I said, I'm a Royals fan. So if Kila proves my gut feelings about him wrong, I'll be OK with it.

Speaking of minor leaguers... wonder how the guys claiming Moore should be fired for drafting Moustakas and Hosmer feel right now.

:D

Moore should be fired with horrid MLB moves

I'm not sure if Moore will survive long enough for his draft picks to really start making an impact (or even sure he should survive)...

But the job he has done in the minors is looking pretty strong right now.

New interview with Dayton Moore. Some dude who does online reporting on the Omaha Royals for Omaha Examiner (the website where they let anyone who can type be a reporter for them) got one-on-one time with Dayton. Wow.

http://www.examiner.com/x-15807-Omah...r-Dayton-Moore

We passed on Heyward too??

I hope Mous pans out

Moore: "[Matt] Wieters and [Rick] Porcello were two guys we couldn’t afford."

As I've been saying for years, "signability" is still an applicable term in Kansas City's drafts.

A lot of teams passed on him because they hadn't seen him hit like Atlanta had. He drew a lot of walks when scouts were at games and didn't do a lot of pre-game batting practice on the field, and the Braves put out misinformation about his size, vision, and ability to scare off other teams. Even that Marlins who actually had scouted him a fair amount passed on him because they only saw him walk a ton.

we've had thousands of players over the last 10 years and only 1 super star. blows

Yeha that hurts. Heyward is fucking raking. And he's 20. Kid is gonna be a star.

Can any of you guys tell me if what you think of Mike Aviles? For my fantasy pool I'm hurting at the SS position (Erick Aybar) and looking to take a flyer on someone. I see he's been called up and has played well the past couple of games. Thanks.

I think he's a pretty good player, probably not as good as he was in 2008, but above average -- and certainly better than Yuni.

But that's the problem. So long as Yuni is there, Aviles' playing time will always be at risk.

Strange, does Aviles also play 2b? The Yahoo! depth chart has him as the starter there. Win/win for fantasy poolies if he gets the duel position availability.

I think he will play 2b as well as SS, i bet he could be 2b and SS soon.

As for the Royals, i was listening to nick wright and he brings up a good point about Guillen and Ankiel blocking players. This season isn't going anywhere anyway, Maier, and Kila should start so we can see if these guys are apart of the future. It won't happen cause DM is trying to fool us thinking these loser vets that won't be around are worth playing. I think i initially liked the ankiel signing, but its worthless, if anything i hope they are all released or traded before the deadline. I was pretty irritated with Bloomy starting for Maier, the guy has no business starting, hell Maier probably doesn't either but we may as well have him play this season.

He won't be good. I'd drop him

Yeah, he is playing 2nd base tonight.

Rany's latest

Sunday, May 9, 2010
Hillman's Last Stand.

I know I owe you some vaguely optimistic words about the callups of Mike Aviles and Kila Ka’aihue. But that will have to wait. There are times for childish fantasies like gingerbread houses and sugar plums and young Royals with upside, but this is not one of them. This is a time to have a very frank, sober, adult conversation.

Trey Hillman has crossed the point of no return in Kansas City.

Yesterday’s game was an exhibition of managerial malpractice almost unparalleled in the history of the franchise. Hillman could hardly have damaged the Royals’ chances to win the game more if he had tried. It is exceedingly important that every Royals fan understand the extent to which Hillman hurt both his team’s chances of winning last night, and his most well-paid pitcher’s chances of earning his generous contract for well into the future.

Some background is necessary to understand why Hillman was the talk of the baseball twittersphere last night.

Let’s start with the trivial stuff. Yuniesky Betancourt, as you probably know, cost the Royals (and Zack Greinke) a run on Friday night when he nonchalantly dropped a routine pop-up with a man on second and two outs. The photograph of his muff – I believe it was on the front cover of the Star’s sports page – should be the emblem of the Royals season. (It’s picture #11 in this montage.)

It has it all – terrible form (Yuni, as you may have heard, likes to catch pop-ups at chest level, with one hand), terrible vision (as the ball is bouncing off his glove, Yuni is staring up at the sky, possibly distracted by a passing robin, or maybe looking for the North Star), and a kind of nonchalant insouciance that suggests that catching pop-ups is beneath a man of Yuni’s talents.

It was a bad, unforgivably bad, play, and it cost Greinke yet another unearned run.

Afterwards, Hillman said that he would take “action” against Betancourt. The appropriate action should be quite obvious – bench him for the next game. Instead, Betancourt started, while Mike Aviles had his first day off in five games. But don’t worry – Betancourt was fined a few bucks, so Hillman’s point was made. Never mind that Betancourt is making $3 million this season, so a fine of, say, $1000 would be the equivalent of a $20 fine for someone who makes $60,000 a year. That’s not even a slap on the wrist; it’s more like punishing him with a tickle fight.

Naturally, Betancourt rewarded his manager’s confidence by going 0-4 last night, batting with a man on base all four times, and with a man in scoring position three times. And once again, he failed to drive home a runner on third with less than two out. In a game the Royals lost by one run.

While Hillman benched Aviles in favor of Betancourt, he did see fit to give Ka’aihue his first start of the season, moving Billy Butler to DH and giving Jose Guillen the day off. Ka’aihue didn’t have a good day, going 0-for-3, before Hillman pinch-hit for him with Guillen against a left-hander in the 7th. That, by itself, was a perfectly defensible move. But after Guillen made an out to keep the game tied, Hillman decided he had to keep Guillen in the game, setting off a ridiculous sequence of musical chairs.

Guillen stayed in at right field, forcing David DeJesus to left field, forcing Scott Podsednik to center field, forcing Mitch Maier to first base.

Maier had never played first base before in the majors. He had never played first base before in the minors. But Hillman decided that the late innings of a tie game was the perfect time for him to get his first opportunity, not to mention downgrading the defense significantly at two other positions. It didn’t cost the Royals in the end, but it was a curious decision. If Willie Bloomquist isn’t on the roster to keep the Royals from playing three players out of position, then why is he here?

These two moves were just the appetizers to the main course, a sequence of events so baffling that even now I keep hoping that the official scorer in Arlington was strung out on meth and that none of what I’m about to recount ever happened.

Starting for the Royals last night was the artist formerly known as Gil Meche, the artist who, after the Royals criminally allowed him to throw 121 pitches despite a self-acknowledged “dead arm” on July 1st of last year, had allowed 53 earned runs in 54 innings. The same Gil Meche who missed time in spring training with tightness in his shoulder. The same Meche who, coming into the game, had a 9.89 ERA this season and had allowed more walks (18) than strikeouts (14).

The Royals have been in denial that something’s still wrong with Meche all season. After his last start, we get this: “He was almost over the hump,” Hillman said. “If the breaking ball (to Rios) with two strikes doesn’t get through the left side … it’s a lot better line for him.” Meche allowed 9 hits and 5 runs in 5 innings in that start; he walked 3 batters and he struck out 2. That performance can’t be explained away by a couple of groundballs with eyes.

Was Meche still hurting? “The only thing I can go on is what comes out of his mouth and the mannerisms you see when he’s pitching,” Hillman said. “Most of the time you see something different in the mannerisms. I haven't seen anything different.”

It is with this background in mind that Meche took the mound last night, and gutted his way through 7 strong innings. I say “gutted” because he wasn’t dominant, or even in control, by any stretch of the imagination. He walked 5 batters and struck out only 3. In the sixth inning, Vladimir Guerrero led off with a single, but was then thrown out by Maier when he tried to advance to third on Ian Kinsler’s single, allowing Meche to get out of the inning unscathed.

But still, through 7 innings and 104 pitches, Meche allowed just 2 runs in 7 innings. The bullpen was fairly rested, thanks to Greinke – only Kyle Farnsworth had thrown the day before, and just one inning. Furthermore, the team has a day off on Monday. With the top of the Rangers’ lineup due up, there was no reason to push Meche any further – get a fresh arm in there.

Hillman sent Meche to the mound to start the bottom of the eighth. Meche promptly walked Elvis Andrus on five pitches. The heart of the Rangers’ order – Michael Young, Josh Hamilton, Guerrero and Kinsler – was due up. Alarm bells were going off on the mound.

The Rangers regifted the baserunner back to the Royals, as Andrus was thrown out trying to steal with Young at the plate. Meche returns the favor again, walking Young on six pitches. He’s now thrown 115 pitches, and walked the last two batters he’s faced. The alarm bells were now accompanied by red and blue flashing strobe lights. There’s a meeting on the mound. "He just came out and asked how I felt," Meche said. "Basically I said, 'I've been in here this long, let me battle my way out of this.' He just said basically, 'Let's go. The ball four is killing us.'" Hillman leaves Meche in.

Hamilton beats out an infield single on Meche’s second pitch. Meche has now thrown 117 pitches. The last three batters he’s faced have reached base safely. The go-ahead run is on second base with one out. A speaker pops out of the pitching rubber and a muffled voice states, “Please pull over into the visitor’s dugout.”

Meche stays in to pitch to future Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero. On the third pitch, Guerrero nails a ball to deep center field, which Podsednik runs down as Young cruises into third base. 120 pitches.

Meche pitches to Kinsler. Kinsler works the count to 2-2, fouls off a pair of two-strike pitches, and Meche hangs a curveball. Kinsler bangs it to right field to plate the go-ahead run. 127 pitches.

At this point, sure, why the hell not leave Meche in? We’ve already reached the point of absurdity – what’s one more batter going to do? David Murphy mercifully flies out on the first pitch. Neftali Feliz and his 100 mph fastball come in to pitch the 9th, and despite a pinch single from Aviles, Feliz puts the game away.

So to recap: Gil Meche, who started complaining of a tired arm after throwing 132 pitches in a complete game last June, and who has been consistently awful since throwing 121 pitches with a dead arm last July, and who wasn’t pitching well so much as pitching lucky on this night, was allowed to throw 128 pitches – the longest outing by any major league pitcher this season – on Saturday night. He was left in to complete the 8th inning, despite a fresh bullpen, and despite the fact that he allowed the first three batters to reach base safely.

Oh, yeah - and as a result, Meche surrenders the game-winning run.

Does anyone remember what happened in that game on July 1st? Because Hillman clearly doesn’t. Meche started the 6th inning that day, in a game tied 2-2, having thrown 99 pitches. He allowed the leadoff hitter to reach base. With two outs, he then allowed a walk, putting men on first and second with two outs. Hillman left him in to pitch – TO JOE MAUER – and Mauer hit the go-ahead single. Meche has never been the same since.

Last night, facing a virtually identical situation, Hillman made the exact same decisions. It’s as if the game of July 1st never happened. It’s as if I and Joe Posnanski and a hundred other bloggers – Royals fans and non-Royals fans – hadn’t immediately declared Hillman’s decision to be one of the dumbest moves of the season. It’s as if we weren’t immediately proven correct when Meche’s season went into the tank. It’s as if Meche didn’t miss the entire month of September. It’s as if those who do not learn from history are not actually doomed to repeat it.

But they are. Ten months ago, Trey Hillman made perhaps the worst decision of his managerial career, and ruined – perhaps irrevocably – his second-best starting pitcher. Yesterday, faced with the same choice, he made the exact same decision. There can be no stronger evidence that Hillman hasn’t learned a thing on the job.

The old me would now proceed with a few thousand words filled with choice insults and all but demanding that when the Royals return home today, that Hillman be left behind in Arlington along with his retired number. The new me is trying to be a little less emotional and a little more analytical. So I’m not going to insist that the Royals fire Hillman on the spot.

I’m not going to argue that Hillman should be fired. I’m just going to predict that he will be. Probably soon.

It doesn’t take an archaeologist to read the writing on the wall of this cave. Hillman’s contract expires at the end of the season; he was conspicuously not given a contract extension over the winter, cementing his lame-duck status. The Royals are 11-20 and fading fast. As Royals fans we’ve become inured to losing, but it’s worth pointing out that the Indians, who inspired this classic media meltdown the other day, actually have a better record than the Royals.

And trust me: David Glass is getting pissed. Most fans still have this image of Glass as this soulless, bean-counting owner who cares about the accounting ledgers more than the standings. But I stand by what I’ve written since Dayton Moore was hired: David Glass has been a model owner for the last four years. He hired the man who was considered the #1 GM prospect in the game by Baseball America, he’s let Moore run the team without interference, and he has opened his wallet when Moore asked him to.

The team’s payroll may still be low, but it’s no longer among the lowest in the game, and the Royals have spent more money in the draft over the last two years than any team but the Pirates. And part of the reason the payroll is so low is that the Royals simply didn’t have any players worth spending millions of dollars on. Since Moore took over, the Royals haven’t lost a single player to free agency that they wanted to keep. Instead, they’ve signed a pair high-profile free agents from other teams (Meche and Guillen), and several more mid-range free agents like Kyle Farnsworth, Juan Cruz, Willie Bloomquist, and Horacio Ramirez.

The money spent on those players has almost uniformly been wasted – but that’s just it. It’s Moore’s fault for spending the money – not Glass’s fault for not spending the money.

And I have it on good authority that Glass is getting pissed off. It wouldn’t surprise me if the decision to release Juan Cruz outright was a reflection of that (although it might also have something to do with the fact that Cruz, in addition to pitching terribly, was a gigantic pain in the ass.) But Glass is starting to realize that his front office isn’t wearing any clothes, and I expect that pretty soon Moore will have to make a more substantial sacrificial offering.

Since the Royals’ magical, mystical 18-11 start last season, they have now played 164 games – a full season plus two more games. They’re 58-106 in that span. That’s astonishing. In 2005, the year before Moore was hired, the Royals reached the absolute nadir of their existence by going 56-106. Five years later, despite a payroll more than 50% higher, despite millions being invested in the farm system, the Royals are exactly as bad now as they were then.

And they show no signs of getting better. On the contrary, as Posnanski wrote on Friday, they show all the signs of a team about to fall into the abyss. He wrote that the day before Hillman launched his second sneak attack on Gil Meche’s shoulder.

I didn’t expect much from the Royals this season, and I suspect most of you didn’t either, but so far the Royals are failing to meet even my meager expectations. It’s been clear for a long time that Hillman wasn’t part of the solution, but now we have overwhelming evidence that he’s a part of the problem.

The Royals have 21 games left in May as I write this. If they play under .500 in that span – say, 9-12 or worse – they’ll be 20-32 or worse after Memorial Day, and the Hillman Watch will begin in earnest. I put the odds that he gets cashiered before Flag Day at about 30%; the odds that he’s gone by the trading deadline have to be around 70%. And the odds that he returns next year? Jose Guillen has a better chance of coming back.

Sayonara, Trey. I had high hopes for you when you were hired, so believe me when I say I’m sorry it didn’t work out. But they didn’t. It’s in the best interests of everyone for you to move on.

Especially Gil Meche.

Ouch.

Exactly....i'd say last night sealed it. The whole 'DM hasn't given trey shit' excuse is gone even if true. He obviously is ready to become Tony Muser part 2 by not managing his players and killing our $55 million dollar arm. I am ready for Trey to go so we can start the DM watch.

Awesome

The only surprise is that Rany had meager expectations. This is a 100-loss team, period.

Said it before Spring Training, saying it with even more confidence now. And Trey will pay the price for Dayton's incompetence.

Nice column.....

So anyone know a good Manager out there thats available that can turn this ship around???

I figured that you would be surprised (and disagreeable) with Rany's assertion that Glass has been a "model owner" during the last 4 years.

That person doesn't exist.

Ask again when Dayton Moore is fired.

Tough to argue the three points that Rany lists. Naturally, I want Glass to spend more, and I sure as hell don't want to hear about not being able to afford someone in the draft (see: Porcello, Wieters), but we should definitely be much improved.

We're not in '05 mode, save for on-field performance.

I don't know what the heck Hillman was thinking last night. But... this is a 75 win team that's gonna lose 105 games because DM gave him absolute squat in the bullpen. Maybe Hillman's just lost his mind... the last bullpen failure might have sent him off the deep end. I know I've harped on it all year but it's amazing.

The numbers Rany mentions from the 2nd half of last season to now was when our bullpen really fell apart. I think we blew saves the first 6 or 7 games of the 2nd half last year... and it still hasn't stopped. I would love to see the statistic of 1) how many of those games we held a lead and 2) how many of those games we led in the 7th or 8th inning or later.

I'd bet you it's at or near 20. If not more. Not that the rest of the team is great... but you can look at one single small aspect of our team that has probably made a 20 to 30 game difference over the last 162. That's astronomical. And people say sure it won't make a difference... but it's a lot easier to make a couple moves to leap to the playoffs with a 75 win team than it is with a 55 win one.

Frank





White

Trey knows this is it for him, so why give a shit if he blows out meches arm trying to get a win?

Coming to the royals is managerial suicide.

I agree, man. It's frustrating (and shocking) to see Moore flippantly disregard the 'pen.

You must absolutely hate White if you're truly advocating for him to take the job with Moore as the GM.

I agree that White could be a good manager, but he needs to work for, at least, a mediocre GM. Currently, we have the worst in the league.

No way I would put White out there till DM is gone, period.

Stop pissing on my dreams!!!!! :cuss:

DM has been giving all of us fans a golden shower since he got here...hopefully glass will provide the toilet paper to clean us off soon enough

There isn't a manager in the galaxy that can fix DM and DG.

Anybody advocating Frank White for this job should be summarily shot though the heart.

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/05/09...on-appeal.html

Posted on Sun, May. 09, 2010
Royals missed chance on appeal not known until after game
By BOB DUTTON
The Kansas City Star

ARLINGTON, Texas | It wasn’t until after the game Sunday that the Royals learned their inattention to on-field action resulted in Texas scoring two additional runs in the third inning.

That’s two runs that needn’t have scored in a 6-4 loss that served as the final blow in a four-game sweep at the Ballpark in Arlington.

“I’m familiar with it now,” manager Trey Hillman admitted. “More often than not, you pick it up from the dugout. But when there’s going to be a play at home plate, you follow the play at home plate.”

Let’s reset:

The Royals led 2-1 with one out in the third inning, but the Rangers had runners at first and third. Vladimir Guerrero hit a fly to short left. Scott Podsednik made the catch for the second out, but his throw to the plate was off-line, which allowed Elvis Andrus to score the tying run.

The runner at first, Josh Hamilton, went toward second base on the fly. When Podsednik’s throw went to the plate, Hamilton just continued into second instead of retreating to first and tagging up as required under the rules.

“He didn’t wander off,” first-base umpire Jeff Kellogg said. “He went about halfway.”

Had the Royals appealed Hamilton’s advance with a throw to first base, he would have been out, and the inning would have ended. The tying run, though, would have counted.

“It would have been the third out,” third-base umpire Mark Carlson confirmed, “but the run would’ve scored because it’s not a continuous play on the batter-runner at first base.”

First baseman Billy Butler wasn’t aware of the missed opportunity until informed after the game by Hillman.

“It should be (caught),” Hillman said. “You would hope your first baseman would catch that. More often than not, they do. And a lot of times, somebody picks it up in the dugout. We were all pretty well located to see that play. I didn’t see it at the time it happened.

No appeal meant the inning continued.

Luke Hochevar hit Ian Kinsler with a pitch and, after a double steal, Kinsler and Hamilton scored on David Murphy’s double to right. Two more runs.

“That’s my priority,” Butler said. “You can put that one on me. The fact of the matter is they scored (two) more after that in that inning. That’s on me.”

Under the weather

Hochevar started the game despite battling severe flu-like symptoms that had him throwing up in the bullpen during his warm-up preparation.

“I haven’t been feeling well for the past couple of days or so,” he said, “but it wasn’t this bad. But I can still throw strikes. I don’t care how bad it is. Regardless, I’ve got to keep us in that ballgame better than I did.”

Hochevar lasted only 2 2/3 innings before exiting in the Rangers’ four-run third inning. He allowed three runs on four hits and four walks. Hochevar also hit a batter.

“They felt like they got enough fluids in him (before the game),” Hillman said. “In spots, he looked pretty good.

“A lot of times when guys are sick, they back off the adrenaline factor a little bit, and they have their best performances. I’ve seen that happen plenty of times.” Aviles over Getz

Mike Aviles continued to solidify his spot in the lineup by getting three of the Royals’ eight hits. He is 10 for 23 in six games since returning from Class AAA Omaha.

On Sunday, Aviles replaced slumping Chris Getz at second base for the third time in four games. Getz has only four hits in 23 at-bats in seven games since returning from the disabled list.

“It looks like (Getz is) caught a little bit in-between,” Hillman said. “I was in the cages (Saturday) as he did his drill work, and his drill work was very good. So I still think it’s in there.

“But we’re in a situation, obviously, where we want to get as many bats in the lineup as we can.”

DeJesus available?

Trade rumors are already flying. The Boston Globe reports David DeJesus “is more than available for teams needing a left-handed-hitting outfielder.”

Royals officials say it’s wrong to suggest they are looking to dump DeJesus, but they don’t deny a willingness to entertain offers.

DeJesus, 31, is making $4.5 million this season with a club option next year for $6 million. That option includes a $500,000 buyout. He is batting .264 with four homers and 12 RBIs while playing in all 32 games.

The Mariners, Braves, Red Sox and White Sox are all know to be actively searching for offensive help. The Royals want a legitimate front-line prospect in return and would like any deal sweetened with a reliable ready-now bullpen arm.

Minor details

It wasn’t a good day for two of the organization’s better pitching prospects as Springfield roughed up Aaron Crow and Blaine Hardy for a combined nine runs and 10 hits in seven innings in a 9-0 victory over Class AA Northwest Arkansas.

Crow, 1-2, got the loss after surrendering seven runs and seven hits in five innings as his ERA jumped to 4.54. Hardy had not permitted a run in 17 innings over his previous eight appearances before allowing two runs and three hits in two innings.

Looking back

It was five years ago Monday — May 10, 2005 — that Tony Peña resigned unexpectedly as the Royals’ manager following a 3-1 loss at Toronto. The Royals fell to 8-25 after that loss.

Peña left the team the following day. Bench coach Bob Schaefer was appointed interim manager and guided the club to a 5-12 record before Buddy Bell was hired as Peña’s permanent replacement.

Roy Halladay beat Zack Greinke in the game at the Rogers Centre. Both pitched complete games. Greinke fell to 0-4 that season despite a 3.38 ERA. It was the first of his 10 career complete games.

I think if the Royals are asking for bullpen arms for dejesus, that is stupid. We all know how well bullpen arms can do 1 year and then suck the next. You ask for a legit prospect on the field or a SP type. No relievers

I'm glad I didn't make it out to any of the games this weekend. What a ****ing piss poor showing. Not only did they not give Grienke any run support but they let C.J Wilson punk them for a complete game.

I heard wrong, basically a front line prospect with a BP arm to sweeten the deal.

Lets hope a solid deal can be made.

So Dayton might not be involved? Sweet.

ROFL

Holy !@#$

They missed an appeal at 1b where the runner went halfway down the line? Are you ****ing kidding me?!?!

That's worse than Betancourt dropping a fly ball, IMO. The fly-ball is an error in execution and poor fundamentals. Missing that appeal is just F'ing braindead little league stuff that would've gotten me benched at any level of ball I've ever played (including Tee-Ball).

How the hell does an entire team, complete with a manager, bench coaches, bench players, bullpens and starters MISS AN OBVIOUS APPEAL!

I'd broom the whole front office/coaching staff if I were Glass and I'd do it tomorrow. More than anything we've seen, that's an indictment on coaching and management. That's a team that's poorly coached and completely lacking focus. Everything a manager can do to hurt a team is exposed on that play.

Unbelievable.

You are correct except for your last sentence. It is very believable.

your exactly right....these are not your Daddys Royals.

I just feel like a guy that walked up to someone he hasn't seen in awhile and asked how his family's doing, only to hear they died in a housefire or something a few days ago.

"Sorry man...I..I just didn't know..."

**** me, that's just awful.

This isn't royals related but could be....with guillen and dejesus on the block

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5178137

Though he may be 40 years old now, sometimes "The Kid" needs to sleep.

Seattle Mariners star Ken Griffey Jr. missed a chance to enter an unspecified game last week as a pinch hitter because he was asleep in the clubhouse, according to a report from the Tacoma News Tribune.

When pressed following the game as to why he had not used the left-handed slugger as a pinch hitter, Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu was evasive.

But according to two unnamed younger Seattle players who are both fond of Griffey, the future Hall of Famer had fallen asleep.

"He was asleep in the clubhouse," one player told the Tribune. "He'd gone back about the fifth inning to get a jacket and didn't come back. I went back in about the seventh inning -- and he was in his chair, sound asleep."

The second player, who is reported to know Griffey better, claims the scuffling slugger has had difficulty sleeping at home.

"He doesn't sleep well at night, he's away from his family, he's comfortable in the clubhouse," he told the Tribune. "They could have awakened him."

Griffey is batting .208 with just five RBIs for a last-place Mariners club that has struggled mightily in trying to get runs across the plate this season.

vote of confidence in effect...

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/print.jsp?ym...=.jsp&c_id=mlb

05/10/10 7:05 PM ET
Moore believes Royals will step it up
GM doesn't have any moves on tap for slumping squad

By Dick Kaegel / MLB.com
KANSAS CITY -- What's next for the slumping, shell-shocked Royals? Apparently no personnel changes before they open a home series against the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night.

Royals general manager Dayton Moore said during Monday's off-day that no player moves were expected.

"No, nothing planned," he said. "There shouldn't be anything in the works tomorrow unless there's something unforeseen."

The Royals limped home after a 3-8 trip that began promisingly with a four-game split at Tampa Bay. But they won just one of three at Chicago and were swept in four at Texas.

Moore has not lost confidence in manager Trey Hillman.

"I think Trey's done a terrific job," Moore said. "We all are evaluated and he evaluates himself harder than anybody else. But we left Spring Training very prepared, not as healthy as we wanted to, but we're prepared every day to play regardless of the outcome. I mean, the players have to play. And I'm confident our players will play."

The Royals are 10 games under .500 at 11-21, the worst 32-game record in Hillman's three seasons. They are last in the American League Central, already 10 games behind Minnesota. A year ago, they were 18-14 and tied for first place. In 2008, the mark was 14-18 and they were in fourth place but only 2 1/2 games out.

Manager Buddy Bell's last team in 2007 was also 10 games behind at this early point with a 10-22 mark.

"The best teams make mistakes every night, but they overcome them," Moore said. "And we're not in that position yet."

Although right fielder David DeJesus and designated hitter Jose Guillen are names that have surfaced in early trade rumors, Moore indicated that no deals are in the offing.

"We're confident in the group we have on the field," he said

Close games have been a staple. The Royals have the most one-run games in the Majors (13 with a 5-8 record) and they've also played five two-run games (2-3), so 18 of 32 games have been decided by one or two runs.

"We're just a couple hits away, a play away, a pitch away, a call that goes your way. But you can't make excuses. It is what it is. You've got to win games," Moore said.

"We've got 130 games left, and it's a big boy game and you've got to step it up and perform."

Moore: "I'm confident our players will play."

Well, that's a relief.

Im confident you will be gone soon.

Rany is so awesome.

Have I been banned?

LMAO

Tonight Mike Montgomery 6ip 4h 2er 3ks with the W

Moose goes 4-5 2 runs

Hillman is failing at turning the Royals around

By SAM MELLINGER
The Kansas City Star

Trey Hillman hasn’t failed. Not yet, not final, not past tense. There is still hope.

But Hillman is failing. Right now, in Kansas City’s conversation and the present tense. Hope is fading, and school’s not even out.

The calls for Hillman’s job as Royals manager are building steam, a justifiably frustrated fan base wanting something — anything — to save what looks like another lost season.

Hillman won’t be fired as long as it’s general manager Dayton Moore’s call, but Hillman’s contract is up after the season, and right now he’d have a rough time getting another one. Play out the steps, and it’s hard to see him being in the big leagues at all next year, so his future may well depend on making last weekend’s embarrassing sweep in Texas this season’s low point.

The problems go deeper than Hillman, but he’s the easiest place for fans to start. And the case against him is becoming easier and easier to make.

This isn’t two years ago, when the Royals were transitioning with an awkward blend of old and new, and José Guillen’s $36 million contract was the clubhouse’s strongest voice.

This isn’t last year, when the Royals could overestimate the impact of injuries that turned a possible .500 team into the most disappointing season in franchise history.

This is 2010, Hillman’s third as a big-league manager, and he’s in charge of a roster that fits his tendencies and style better than either of the previous two. He likes speed and athletic ability, and the Royals finally have some.

Judging a manager’s worth is endlessly tricky. Most times, it’s probably overrated. But here, where has Hillman improved the Royals?

He arrived as a hope to improve fundamentals. Before he ever managed a game, he talked about playing good defense and finding ways to manufacture runs. People would mention that he puts a lot of focus on the little things, and he’d quickly correct them. There are no little things, he’d say.

Well, in his third season and managing his kind of roster, the Royals rank last in defense and base running. Their run production doesn’t match up to their level of hitting, let alone exceed it. These are the areas Hillman was supposed to help. At best, he’s been ineffective.

The Royals’ fundamentals so far are best illustrated by a shameful moment in Texas where the Rangers’ Josh Hamilton forgot to tag up — as if he didn’t know he had to — and no Royals player or coach noticed.

Their defense so far is best illustrated by two dropped pop-ups — one in the first inning of the first game, and another that was so sloppy the Royals actually fined Yuniesky Betancourt. Somewhere, Kerry Robinson is checking his bank account to make sure the Royals’ fines-for-failures program is new.

It’s important to keep in mind that the Royals could fire Hillman and they’d still have a broken roster. If he’s gone, someone else has to try to win in the American League with a lineup that can’t score, a defense that can’t field and a pitching staff that can’t throw strikes.

But managing in the big leagues is about wins and losses, and Hillman has lost 54 more than he’s won. He was the manager of the most disappointing team in Royals history last season, and this year’s team is on pace to lose even more. You can say that the players are responsible for that, but in the major leagues it’s the manager and general manager who are accountable.

GM Dayton Moore is taking his share of criticism, and justifiably so. The team is currently burdened by the third year of José Guillen’s contract, the second of Kyle Farnsworth’s and the decline of Gil Meche.

But Moore has other successes, and besides, he was brought in to fix the minor-league system. He deserves the opportunity to see that through, and there are positive signs now.

Hillman was brought in to help the Royals improve their fundamentals. That just hasn’t happened, and signs aren’t trending up.

Really, it puts everyone in an uncomfortable position. Hillman manages for his big-league future on limited time, Moore may have to fight to keep the manager he handpicked, and fans have 130 games left to watch a manager that a growing number of them don’t want.

I want Mellinger to stfu....

I disagree with him totally about DM seeing it through. As for hillman, no doubt he will be gone, he wont last all season.

I'm looking to take my kids to the game on 6/17 - what's the best place to get tickets?

When I purchase tickets I usually just go through the Royals.com site. I believe it uses ticketmaster.

By then you should be able to walk right up the box office 5 minutes before game time and get any seat you want.

Agreed....hes had plenty of time now to turn this ship around.

This team is no better now then when he came aboard.

I might try that. I hate that I have to buy a ticket for my 2 year old.

personally, I would disagree on both points.

Tell me how they are better?

Butler and Grienke were both from the previous regime.

Dayton Moore is "better" only because Glass is devoting respectable resources toward the team.

Anyone with Moore's budget for the draft and Latin America would be able to yield the same results. He's a terrible, terrible GM.

Dayton has been a bust for the most part. Hochevar? Meh, slightly aobve average but not a 1st round pick. Hosmer and Moosetacos? See you in 5 more years. Crips was not a bad signing but inuries bit us on that. Jacobs was a bust. Blowing up our bullpen was a bust. Kendall was not a bad signing but not good for how they are using him. Yuni? Bust. Getz? Meh. Hillman? Bust. Davies? Average at best.

It was a natural choice. Same colors and all.

Ah, you saw what I did there....:)

Yep, no need to waste your money on ticketmaster fees at that point. You will be able to get tickets at the box office very easily and they will be cheap.

Kendall was a ****ing atrocious signing, pete. We spent more to get less.

In fact, it's a perfect microcosm of Moore's shocking level of incompetence.

I'd say hochevar was a horrible pick, we'll be lucky if he becomes a pitcher with an era in the 4's. I expect a Kyle Davies like career if he doesn't fix it. No way he lives up to his draft pick. Moore is a horrible horrible GM. The money used was an absolute waste. Ankiel, Kendall, and Farnsworth shouldn't be here, period. Pods wasn't a bad signing imo, but yes DM is horrible.

Allard Baird would've probably done alot better if he had the resources DM has.

Kendall was a waste, we could have kept Olivo or Buck for about the same money and got better production (never thought I'd miss either of those guys, but Kendall's made it happen).

Even worse than signing him is playing him every freaking day. Pena may or may not be the future, but Kendall sure as hell isn't.

Olivo and Buck both suck out loud. Good riddance to both. Play Pena!

This year was clearly a crap year and we knew it. I think Pena should start all season. Hell anyone young should play this season and get rid of the vets. Keep Guillen till the trade deadline and dish him off.

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/05/11...n-getting.html

Posted on Tue, May. 11, 2010
Gordon getting high early marks in transition to left field
By BOB DUTTON
The Kansas City Star

The early word on Alex Gordon’s transition to the outfield from the man who makes first-person reports to Royals general manager Dayton Moore:

Wow.

Asked to elaborate, Rusty Kuntz offered, “more than wow” after spending the last week at Class AAA Omaha primarily to accelerate Gordon’s learning curve in making the move from third base.

“Finally, I can compare him to somebody,” said Kuntz, a special assistant to the general manager who specialties include coaching the organization’s outfielders.

“Put Eric Byrnes in Alex Gordon’s body, and that’s how he plays the outfield. He’s flying all over the place, and diving for every ball he think he has a chance to get.”

Kuntz said he saw improvement each day.

“Two things you’re looking for when a player makes a position change,” Kuntz said. “One, he wants to do it. And two, he’s got enough effort to become good at it. The latter is a no-brainer. Nobody outworks Alex Gordon.

“And he is just absolutely ecstatic about going out and playing the outfield. Every day I was there, when Alex walked in, two things he did: One, he had a huge smile on his face. And the second was he always asked me, `What do I need to do to get better?’

“He was already there at noon each day wanting to come out for early work. I told him we’d start at 2.”

Normal workouts typically start at 4 p.m.

“Every day after a little chalk talk,” Kuntz said, “he got a better idea of where he’s supposed to be. I’ll give you an example:

“The third game, ball down the right-field line, Jordan Parraz picks it, and I look over from the dugout to see if Alex has moved yet. I can’t find Alex…because Alex is already backing up third.

“Some people have asked me if this is going to work. Why not? All of the ingredients are there.”

Steady duty for Aviles

Mike Aviles played second base Tuesday for the fourth time in five games and started overall for the sixth time in seven games. Yuniesky Betancourt started at short, which put Chris Getz on the bench for the fourth time in five games.

“If Mike keeps hitting,” Hillman said, “Mike will keep playing somewhere. We’ll continue to monitor the other pieces.”

Aviles went two for four in Tuesday’s loss and is 12 for 27 since his May 2 recall from Omaha.

“He’s earned the right to stay in there,” Hillman said. “He’s a good defender, and he’s swung the bat as well as anybody has the last four or five games.”

The issue then becomes who sits: Betancourt or Getz?

“We’ll see how Yuni continues to do,” Hillman said. “He’s at about .280 right now. He’s still getting his hits here and there. The focal point was the (zero-for-21), but there were some bad statistics (for a lot of people) against that Tampa Bay staff.

“For me right now, because of Yuni’s production and his coverage and the way he’s played defense, (Aviles) is a better fit at second.”

100 and counting

Right-hander Brian Bannister made his 100th major-league appearance when he started Tuesday’s series opener against the Indians. All but two of those games have come as a starting pitcher.

Bannister has made 92 appearances, all starts, since joining the Royals in a Dec. 6, 2006 trade with the New York Mets for reliever Ambiorix Burgos.

Odds on a no-no

The perfect game Sunday by Oakland’s Dallas Braden against Tampa Bay prompted BetUs.com to post odds on the next pitcher this season to throw a no-hitter or a perfect game.

Zack Greinke is listed at 8-1 along with four other pitchers and behind seven other pitchers. The most likely is San Francisco’s Tim Lincecum at 9-2, followed by Boston’s Jon Lester and Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay at 5-1.

BetUs.com made no mention of whether the guy pitching the next no-hitter will win it.

Minor details

Here’s some good news: The Royals, entering Tuesday, had the two leading hitters in the entire minor leagues in first baseman Eric Hosmer and third baseman Mike Moustakas.

Hosmer, 20, was batting .409 with a .492 on-base percentage in 31 games for Class A Wilmington. Moustakas, 21, was batting .408 with a .476 on-base percentage in 18 games for Class AA Northwest Arkansas.

Moustakas was the second overall pick in the 2007 draft; Hosmer was the third overall pick in the 2008 draft.

Looking back

It was 18 years ago today — May 12, 1992 — that Royals president Joe Burke died from cancer at the age of 68. He joined the organization in 1973 and served as general manager from 1974-81. He served as club president from 1981 until his death.

Burke was selected in 1976 as baseball’s executive of the year and was inducted posthumously in 1992 into the club’s Hall of Fame.

Etc.

•Joakim Soria has allowed homers to three of the last six batters faced and four overall this season in 13 innings. He permitted only five last year in 53 innings.

•Trey Hillman was ejected from a game for the first time this season and the eighth time in his two-plus seasons as manager.

•Cleveland second baseman Mark Grudzielanek made his first appearance at Kauffman Stadium since suffering a leg injury Aug. 1, 2008 while playing for the Royals.

•Cleveland first baseman Russell Branyan got his 13th career multi-homer game. His last two-homer game was May 11, 2007 for San Diego against St. Louis.

yay, the former first overall pick can be a scrappy utility outfielder! wow!

Sadly that's a better outlook for him than many of us have.

Second overall. First in '05 was Justin Upton.

WTF?