(New) 2013 Kansas City Royals Repository

[duncan_idaho]

New thread, this time with more burst.

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?

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Pablo

There's nothing scary about downtown KC folks.



I just think some out of town folks don't like the idea of not having a huge open parking lot that is easy to get into and tailgate in.

I tailgate at a few Royals game each year, but it isn't the spectacle that Chiefs games are so that doesn't matter that much to me.

I'm not saying downtown is that scary. There are far much worse places to be at than downtown anyways.

The big issue/nightmare would be is the lack of infrastructure to even have a downtown stadium in KC. Driving down on 169 Highway to Broadway is a mess, for example. I-70 needs to be widened as well.

That's one reason why I like I-70 and I-435 because it's easier to get there, and once you get on it, it's smooth sailing, with exceptions of drunk drivers/accidents.

[ChiefsCountry]

I feel way safer downtown KC than I do in downtown St. Louis. I was at Sprint Center, parking for a concert was a breeze. I hate the exit on 670 for Sprint Center though.

Of course the only logical place for a downtown ballpark is now the Kauffman Center.

[chefsos]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Yes. Away numbers are pretty good.

3.88 ERA
1.35 WHIP

Wow. You guys know what to do:

1) Pick up Hughes
2) Never let him pitch in MFY Stadium (unless you intend to score 8 runs that day)
3) ?????
4) Profit

Seriously, this is a classic "needs a change of scenery" guy if there ever was one.

[sedated]

Originally Posted by Coach

The part I really hate the most is the right side of the lanes, it'd have a parked truck/car, effectively blocking half of the traffic.

One of these days I'm going to rage smash into the trunk of one of those assh0les. Especially when the signs say no parking from 4-6pm and they are there at 5:30. Parking Nazis won't miss my meter going 5 minutes over, but they are no where to be found when some lazy dipshlt is causing a huge clusterf**k

[mr. tegu]

The downtown stadium debate again? Hopefully Saul Good doesn't see this.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by alnorth

No.

If the stadium is downtown, I will go to fewer games. I don't think I'm alone, and I'm pretty confident that the Royals would not get many walk-ups from the move.

Nobody goes to the Royals games now anyway. They can't go much lower in attendance.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by chefsos

Wow. You guys know what to do:

1) Pick up Hughes
2) Never let him pitch in MFY Stadium (unless you intend to score 8 runs that day)
3) ?????
4) Profit

Seriously, this is a classic "needs a change of scenery" guy if there ever was one.

Step 1: Pick up Phil Hughes

Step 3: Profit

I think it's a win-win. Hughes likely signs for about $8 million this year, and you might even be able to work in a 2015 option year at $10 million or so (incentives, details, blah blah).

His upside probably isn't quite as high as what we saw with Santana this year, but if he can give them damn solid No. 3 starter numbers, it's a big win.

At worst, he should be able to slug to a 4.50ish ERA while logging a lot of innings.

[alnorth]

Former All-Star under our current pitching coach, last season he threw 3.88 ERA and 0.735 Opp. OPS outside of Yankee Stadium's jetstream.

In our ballpark, the upside is very high. I give our pursuit of Phil Hughes my full, unqualified endorsement, and if the price is right I'd even be willing to risk 3 years.

[siberian khatru]

There was some Wil Myers news today ...

[Shogun]

Mark my words, Phil Hughes will be a Royal.

[Shogun]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

There was some Wil Myers news today ...

We'll always have this.

[Sure-Oz]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

There was some Wil Myers news today ...

Lalalalalalala

[Titty Meat]

Originally Posted by Pablo

There's nothing scary about downtown KC folks.



I just think some out of town folks don't like the idea of not having a huge open parking lot that is easy to get into and tailgate in.

I tailgate at a few Royals game each year, but it isn't the spectacle that Chiefs games are so that doesn't matter that much to me.

Nothing scary about it but it sucks.

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by Bo's Pelini

Nothing scary about it but it sucks.

I like downtown anymore ok
Posted via Mobile Device

[BlackHelicopters]

When does the current lease expire?