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?

[LoneWolf]

Originally Posted by stonedstooge

George's first rule of order. Every inning you don't hit a home run I have to take a drink.

George's second rule of order. Pine tar, bitches. You can never use too much pine tar.

[Reaper16]

Seriously though, when it all goes down soon please keep the Latin America scouts.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by stonedstooge

George's first rule of order. Every inning you don't hit a home run I have to take a drink.

[BlackHelicopters]

Didn't know Brett drank

[seaofred]

I really don't know how I feel about this move. Excited to see Brett in the dugout everyday, but I am worried it will fail.

[TLO]

Originally Posted by stonedstooge

George's first rule of order. Every inning you don't hit a home run I have to take a drink.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by ChiTown

So, I get why they needed to make a change with the hitting coaches, but seriously, George Brett?

George is great in the Spring to encourage and help out when needed - figure head/spokes model type. He is NOT ever going to be a great coach of any kind. It's not in his makeup. He loved playing baseball, but he does not like coaching it. This is just ****ing stupid, and makes the Royals look desperate....................okay, I guess that they are desperate. Still. if you have broken leg, you don't take Advil to get better. You take Advil to smooth over the pain. We still haven't addressed the broken leg.

Yep.

Brett's here, legitimate, and sensible for a quick band-aid. But it's such a transparent move in so many ways that it's not even funny.

[gblowfish]

Here's is yesterday's Rex Hudler Turd Polishing condensed from 25 minutes to 2 minutes:

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Yep.

Brett's here, legitimate, and sensible for a quick band-aid. But it's such a transparent move in so many ways that it's not even funny.

I guess Royals management and ownership are just assuming their fan base is made up of suckers and reeruns. You know, they may be on to something there.....

[WhawhaWhat]

Jeremy Guthrie ‏@TheRealJGuts
@GeorgeHBrett Welcome aboard George, you have 6 hours to help me maintain my .500 batting average.

[siberian khatru]

Jeremy Guthrie ‏@TheRealJGuts 7m
@GeorgeHBrett Welcome aboard George, you have 6 hours to help me maintain my .500 batting average. #Royals #KingGeorge

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Yep.

Brett's here, legitimate, and sensible for a quick band-aid. But it's such a transparent move in so many ways that it's not even funny.

Yes. Desperation move.

It sounds like the reason they promoted the other guy is to teach what Brett directs.

Basically, Brett is the department head outlining the structure of the program and determining the course of study. The flunky is the teacher tasked with delivering it to the individual guys.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by ChiTown

I guess Royals management and ownership are just assuming their fan base is made up of suckers and reeruns. You know, they may be on to something there.....

Well, they've seen how easily the folks across the parking lot have pulled the wool over the eyes of the local fanbase, so why not?

[siberian khatru]

All that ****ing weasel Dayton Moore does is keep trying to buy himself time.

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Well, they've seen how easily the folks across the parking lot have pulled the wool over the eyes of the local fanbase, so why not?

The major difference is that the Chiefs have made the playoffs 11 times since the Royals last made it in 1985. Now, the Chiefs have only won 3 games in those playoff appearances, but at least they are getting in the mix. The Royals..............not so ****ing much.