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?

[DeepSouth]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

If they could move Chen for SOMETHING, then flip Davis to the pen and put Smith and Duffy in the rotation, I think that's an improvement across the board.

That makes sense. And, there's also Paulino somewhere down the road.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Tytanium

Bob Davis is the best. He's a little too old now, but he gets old man excited and it's wonderful. Perfect contrast to Denny Matthews.

Also, you can't seriously suggest ANY broadcaster is as bad as Rex Hudler. Hudler is the absolute worst, from his Disney tainted optimism, total lack of broadcast grade vocal control or inflection, or basic knowledge of baseball and the Royals. Hud has a kid's voice in an adult body and it drives me insane.

Bob Davis is a terrible baseball broadcaster.

[Tytanium]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Bob Davis is a terrible baseball broadcaster.

Still not as bad as Hudler.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

So you think they keep running out Wade Davis and his Hoch/Davies like numbers?

Looking at history, I think we'll see it for at least 2-4 years before a deicision is finally made.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Tytanium

Still not as bad as Hudler.

At least Hudler can tell the difference between can of corn fly balls and home runs.

Hudler is also a color guy, not the play-by-play guy. Davis's sins as a PbP guy are many:

• He doesn't give score updates frequently enough
• He can't really judge anything that's going on (balls that are hit, pitches that are thrown)
• He's a giant homer who calls players by their first name all the time

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Looking at history, I think we'll see it for at least 2-4 years before a deicision is finally made.

Naw. New GM will be in place before then if he continues to be Wade Hochedavies and they leave him in the rotation.

Can't make the playoffs with that guy sucking at the back of your rotation. DM is out of a job if he doesn't make the playoffs this year or next.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Who does?

Found it in the 7/6 game thread -

petegz28: Yost just can't leave well enough alone, can he? Hosmer tearing it up in the #3 spot? Let's move him to #2.

****ing idiot, Yost. Lough should be batting 2nd, not Hosmer. This guy just can't help but **** with things, can he? Yost that is.

[Nightfyre]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

I love how people talk about getting Chase Utley, when the Phils have the exact same record we do.

I guess if you just look at that particular aspect of an organization, I could see how you are confused. Because you are clearly a dumbass. The Phillies are an ancient team and they need to blow up their roster and try and offload a shitload of payroll while they can still get something in the way of prospects for them.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

Found it in the 7/6 game thread -

Somehow I knew that would be who said it. Follow him in a few more of the game threads and you'll see a trend.

[gblowfish]

Originally Posted by Tytanium

Bob Davis is the best. He's a little too old now, but he gets old man excited and it's wonderful. Perfect contrast to Denny Matthews.

Bob: 'SWISH!!!!!!"

Denny: "Uh, Bob, we're playing baseball today...."

Bob: "There's a fly ball, deep to left, and.....and....Ecobar drifts back to make the catch....."

Denny: "Bob, it's 'Escobar." And the guy just popped out to short. Just kill me now...."

Hud: "Hey, Imagine Salvy in Pinstripes....."

Bob: "Three pointer from downtown!...."

Denny: "I'm outta here. Seriously. Screw all of you, I'm going home...."

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Somehow I knew that would be who said it. Follow him in a few more of the game threads and you'll see a trend.

Yeah, saying he represents a bunch of people here is like hootie saying he is the only one that didn't want to dump Holland.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Somehow I knew that would be who said it. Follow him in a few more of the game threads and you'll see a trend.

When I found it I was a little disappointed in myself for remembering something with so little credibility.

[Tytanium]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

Bob: 'SWISH!!!!!!"

Denny: "Uh, Bob, we're playing baseball today...."

Bob: "There's a fly ball, deep to left, and.....and....Ecobar drifts back to make the catch....."

Denny: "Bob, it's 'Escobar." And the guy just popped out to short. Just kill me now...."

Hud: "Hey, Imagine Salvy in Pinstripes....."

Bob: "Three pointer from downtown!...."

Denny: "I'm outta here. Seriously. Screw all of you, I'm going home...."

I would listen to Bob Davis 1000 times before ever listening to Hud again. Hud just has a voice that grates like nothing else. He sounds like a kid that never properly learned to develop Rs Ls and Ws. He also tries way too hard to imitate Hawk Harrelson (who is a terrible role model for a broadcaster) and come up with his own little "Hud-isms". Awful.

[Chiefspants]

I notice that a lot of Missouri fans have dispensed their two cents about Bob Davis.

With that said, I can not exactly refute any of the criticisms.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by Tytanium

I would listen to Bob Davis 1000 times before ever listening to Hud again. Hud just has a voice that grates like nothing else. He sounds like a kid that never properly learned to develop Rs Ls and Ws. He also tries way too hard to imitate Hawk Harrelson (who is a terrible role model for a broadcaster) and come up with his own little "Hud-isms". Awful.

Hud struggles with the simplest... of words and uhm.. well and sentences... those sometiems... well they get not done right, too.

At times... be aggressive.. ya... just... ya gotta go, be aggressive.

(So ****ing painful)