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?

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Danny Duffy update:

6 IP | 1 ER | 2 K/3 BB last night.

Since his first outing in Omaha

3.34 ERA
1.25 WHIP
29 2/3 IP
27 K
12 BB

Getting closer. His numbers are pretty close now to what he was doing in his last stint at Omaha, in 2011.

Give him a few more starts and have him continue working on command, and he's probably ready for the show.

I have been thinking after the all star break is what they are shooting for. No sense in getting him back before that only to have his time between starts all messed up because of the break.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

It was in a game thread a few days ago I think. Not going back to find it now.

I would say about 90% of the posters would be all for it. Any lineup with Gordon, Hos, Billy, and Sal batting 1-4 I'd be cool with.

[Tytanium]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

Yet people here will bitch and moan if Hosmer hits at 2 instead.

Who seriously complains if Hosmer hits 2? Gordon, Hosmer, Perez, Butler is an excellent top 4.

Gordon
Hosmer
Perez
Butler
Lough
Cain
Moustakas
Giavotella
Escobar

Is that not a bad lineup? LLRRLRLRR. Unless you're Ned Yost and still believe that handedness has a lot to do with hitting ability, that seems a pretty balanced lineup, no?

Edit: Today's lineup. Wade Davis on paternity leave (also Ryan LeFebvre, congrats). Donnie Joseph called up from AAA.

Gordon
Escobar
Hosmer
Butler
Perez
Cain
Tejada
Giavotella
Lough

Jesus, Ned. Give it a ****ing rest already.

Also, this little nugget of info courtesy of Twitter: In 69 PA, Eternal #2 hitter Alcides has reached base 7 times in the first inning. A .092/.106/.154 line. Choke on a thousand dicks, Ned.

[DeepSouth]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Danny Duffy update:

6 IP | 1 ER | 2 K/3 BB last night.

Since his first outing in Omaha

3.34 ERA
1.25 WHIP
29 2/3 IP
27 K
12 BB

Getting closer. His numbers are pretty close now to what he was doing in his last stint at Omaha, in 2011.

Give him a few more starts and have him continue working on command, and he's probably ready for the show.

If Chen has a couple of good outings before the deadline, I think he'll be gone for prospects to a team that needs a starter. That would leave an opening for either Duffy or W. Smith in the rotation. Chen won't be on the team next year no matter what else happens.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by the_spatula

Love Uncle Hud.

You love "billy bombs with bbq sauce on it"?


Seriously?

[mr. tegu]

Kansas City Royals@Royals
#Royals announce that they have placed RHP Wade Davis on Paternity Leave and recalled LHP @Donnie_Joseph from Omaha today.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by DeepSouth

If Chen has a couple of good outings before the deadline, I think he'll be gone for prospects to a team that needs a starter. That would leave an opening for either Duffy or W. Smith in the rotation. Chen won't be on the team next year no matter what else happens.

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

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Tytanium

Who seriously complains if Hosmer hits 2? Gordon, Hosmer, Perez, Butler is an excellent top 4.

Gordon
Hosmer
Perez
Butler
Lough
Cain
Moustakas
Giavotella
Escobar

Is that not a bad lineup? LLRRLRLRR. Unless you're Ned Yost and still believe that handedness has a lot to do with hitting ability, that seems a pretty balanced lineup, no?

Edit: Today's lineup. Wade Davis on paternity leave (also Ryan LeFebvre, congrats). Donnie Joseph called up from AAA.

Gordon
Escobar
Hosmer
Butler
Perez
Cain
Tejada
Giavotella
Lough

Jesus, Ned. Give it a ****ing rest already.

Also, this little nugget of info courtesy of Twitter: In 69 PA, Eternal #2 hitter Alcides has reached base 7 times in the first inning. A .092/.106/.154 line. Choke on a thousand dicks, Ned.

But Escobar has an RBI 2B and a R out of that spot in the past two games. That probably earned him another month in the 2 hole.

JFC Ned. Get with the program and realize that you shouldn't be giving the second-most at-bats to one of your 3 worst hitters.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

Kansas City Royals@Royals
#Royals announce that they have placed RHP Wade Davis on Paternity Leave and recalled LHP @Donnie_Joseph from Omaha today.

Take the full 6 weeks Wade!

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by DeepSouth

If Chen has a couple of good outings before the deadline, I think he'll be gone for prospects to a team that needs a starter. That would leave an opening for either Duffy or W. Smith in the rotation. Chen won't be on the team next year no matter what else happens.

I'm not sure how much trade value Chen has, but sure, if you can flip him for a lottery ticket or a useful piece, do it.

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.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Take the full 6 weeks Wade!

Yeah, except now you can't give him a few more starts before moving him to the pen.

Hopefully, someone grabs hold of that job while he's gone and they are forced to move Davis back to the pen when he returns.

[Prison Bitch]

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

[gblowfish]

This was in today's KC Star. This guy is the WORST baseball broadcaster ever. Even worse than Hud:

Familiar voice

Veteran broadcaster Bob Davis is returning to the Royals’ radio booth for a short tour starting with Thursday afternoon’s series finale against New York at Yankee Stadium.

Ryan Lefebvre is returning to Kansas City to be with his wife, Sarah, as she delivers the couple’s third child.

Davis will share the radio booth with Steve Stewart for Thursday’s game against the Yankees and the games Friday and Sunday against the Indians in Cleveland.

Steve Physioc will replace Lefebvre on TV play-by-play for Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Since Saturday’s game won’t be televised by Fox Sports Kansas City, Physioc will join Stewart for that game’s radio broadcast.

Davis spent 16 seasons as part of the Royals’ broadcast team, on TV and radio, from 1997 to 2012.

[Tytanium]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

This was in today's KC Star. This guy is the WORST baseball broadcaster ever. Even worse than Hud:

Familiar voice

Veteran broadcaster Bob Davis is returning to the Royals’ radio booth for a short tour starting with Thursday afternoon’s series finale against New York at Yankee Stadium.

Ryan Lefebvre is returning to Kansas City to be with his wife, Sarah, as she delivers the couple’s third child.

Davis will share the radio booth with Steve Stewart for Thursday’s game against the Yankees and the games Friday and Sunday against the Indians in Cleveland.

Steve Physioc will replace Lefebvre on TV play-by-play for Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Since Saturday’s game won’t be televised by Fox Sports Kansas City, Physioc will join Stewart for that game’s radio broadcast.

Davis spent 16 seasons as part of the Royals’ broadcast team, on TV and radio, from 1997 to 2012.

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.

[DeepSouth]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

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

I didn't say that. In creating a spot in the rotation for Duffy (or Smith), I believe moving Chen is a possibility. I'm all for adding prospects to the farm system.

I have mixed feelings about Davis. He has good outings and he has bad outings.