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?

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Choo is a quietly crappy outfielder who should be nowhere near center, but one of the best leadoff men in baseball. I'd bet he gets 13-16 million/year.

That crappiness stands out quite a bit in CF, but is not so bad in RF. Especially considering the offense he provides.

I'd gladly do 5 years, $75 million for Choo. That would take him into his age 35 season, but you'd get most of that value out of him, IMO.

Much better than spending that money on Ethier, IMO.

[Simply Red]

Guys - the season is young - the streaks will happen to most all teams - like the Chiefs - I understand your frustration. Really I do. But the Royals will get past it - they're just cold right now - they're WAY better than they've shown these last few weeks.

I have way more faith in the Royals - vs the Chiefs.

But I'd still go to the Berbiglia and stock up on Scotch if I were you.

[cookster50]

Can we just close this thread and be done with all things Royals yet?

[stonedstooge]

News reported LeadHead Ned exploded after the game yesterday. Then they show him giving his lines in his usual monotone demeanor about spanking players and threatening to send them down, etc. Bastard can't even do a rant properly.

[Demonpenz]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Supposedly the Dodgers are now spinning the tires on Chase Utley. Clown shoes.

kicking the tires?

[BigMeatballDave]

Yost fired yet?

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by Dave

Yost fired yet?

Nope, go back to sleep.

[Archie F. Swin]

While Yost is deserving of criticism, I will be pissed if GMDM is permitted to hire a third skipper. Moore and his talent evaluators must go.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Archie F. Swin

While Yost is deserving of criticism, I will be pissed if GMDM is permitted to hire a third skipper. Moore and his talent evaluators must go.

I think Moore's talent evaluators are fine, actually. They are identifying talent.

Where it is failing is development. Starting pitchers have hit a wall at AA. Hitters have hit a wall in the majors.

After seeing the moronic comments of Jack Maloof - the guy who spent the past 5 years as the minor league hitting coordinator, the guy who sets the tone for hitting development for the entire system and who has ultimate say on what a hitter does - I have to place the hitting development blame at his feet.

I'm not sure what the situation is with his counterpart on the pitching side of things. I know at one time, they made a change to Rick KNapp, but I think he's been gone a year or so now.

I believe Knapp was replaced by Steve Foster late last year, but I can't confirm what Knapp is up to these days. Bill Fischer, who has been here since Moore arrived, is the Sr. Pitching Instructor. Haven't heard good things about him.

Basically, the consistent problem I've heard with development is that they take a cookie-cutter approach with pitchers and hitters.

All pitchers are pushed to be FB-CB-CH pitchers, using the same off-day program (though I think they've relaxed a little on the long toss/conditioning programs). Hitters are all preached the middle of the field approach.

[KCUnited]

Holy shit, Bill Fischer is older than Bill Muir. We really have an 82 year old pitching coach?

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by KCUnited

Holy shit, Bill Fischer is older than Bill Muir. We really have an 82 year old pitching coach?

Yes. And until Rick Knapp was hired in 2011, Fischer was the pitching coordinator for the minor leagues, setting the overall plan and tone for pitching development.

[DJ's left nut]

Okay, so I just can't stop giggling at the prospect that Fescoe put forward this morning:

Tony LaRussa.

Oh lord, that would be beautiful. With as long as you fellas have hated LaRussa, I would just crack me up if you hired him.

That said - not gonna happen. He's not leaving California to come back to Missouri to manage. He wouldn't have walked away from a WS winner if that was what he wanted to do. However, what could happen, is that you could throw a boatload of money his way to be the GM. He's talked about wanting to come back to baseball in a front-office role.

Would Royals fans flip their shit if LaRussa came in as a GM and brought Oquendo in as his manager? I think that would be his managerial move, IMO.

[Strongside]

Lets just give the Royals to Oklahoma City in exchange for the Thunder.

[chefsos]

Originally Posted by Demonpenz

kicking the tires?

Well, he is up on blocks at the moment.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Okay, so I just can't stop giggling at the prospect that Fescoe put forward this morning:

Tony LaRussa.

Oh lord, that would be beautiful. With as long as you fellas have hated LaRussa, I would just crack me up if you hired him.

That said - not gonna happen. He's not leaving California to come back to Missouri to manage. He wouldn't have walked away from a WS winner if that was what he wanted to do. However, what could happen, is that you could throw a boatload of money his way to be the GM. He's talked about wanting to come back to baseball in a front-office role.

Would Royals fans flip their shit if LaRussa came in as a GM and brought Oquendo in as his manager? I think that would be his managerial move, IMO.

I've long thought Tony La Russa was a brilliant manager who was ahead of his time. His ability to innovate and accept new data and trends was impressive, IMO. I like him individually, too. (Even if he IS friends with that crusty old bastard Buzz Bissinger).

That said, as a GM... he's a novice. And I honestly would be pretty scared by the way he treated Colby Rasmus (a very naturally talented but frustrating player) in the media.

The Cardinals' return for Rasmus helped them win a World Series, but it would have been higher if La Russa hadn't run him down so much in the press.

I don't think this would be a good fit for La Russa as the GM.