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?

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

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.

Dumb. If that were the case, they'd be getting rid of all sorts of players but they aren't. They're in just as good of shape to make the playoffs as we are, probably better given the league they're in.


I'm sure they dropped 120m in payroll so they could cut deals with a small market team like KC who has the exact same record. lulz.

[Tytanium]

Originally Posted by Zeke

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)

Sometimes I can literally hear Ryan cringing in the booth when Hud opens his mouth. This morning on 810, he was talking about how he tried to get Hud to stop talking about the goddamn Salvy in pinstripes, but Hud apparently can't take a ****ing hint from an experienced broadcaster and professional like Ryan.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by Zeke

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)

Go ahead and get yourself a two out base knock Salvy!

[Demonpenz]

Salvy is like the Video Machine Guy!

[Hootie]

I was just reading through the last few pages and someone complained Billy wasn't fast enough to hit triples. Wtf?

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

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.

They're also farther out of their divisional race, and just lost a key piece of their team to the disabled list again (Ryan Howard).

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by 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.

I despised Bob Davis as an announcer LONG before I knew he was the play-by-play guy for ku.

The guy sucks.

[Tytanium]

Originally Posted by TMDv5

I was just reading through the last few pages and someone complained Billy wasn't fast enough to hit triples. Wtf?

Billy couldn't leg out a triple if he hit it down the line at Petco and there were also two throwing errors.

[Prison Bitch]

Can't believe how badly Dayton over-estimated Billy, Moose, Hosmer, Alcides. I mean we talk about him whiffing on Frenchy and Getz and Hoch etc. But what about the guys he was really counting on? Total whiffs.

[Prison Bitch]

Another nice 0-4 from the Fat Boy

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Can't believe how badly Dayton over-estimated Billy, Moose, Hosmer, Alcides. I mean we talk about him whiffing on Frenchy and Getz and Hoch etc. But what about the guys he was really counting on? Total whiffs.

I think the bigger issue was in relying on Maloof and David to help the young hitters that are crucial to KC's success.

Hosmer again looks like the superstar in waiting we all saw in 2011. It's hard to argue with the way he's been hitting the ball, especially the past 4 weeks. He has a .900+ OPS in the past 6 weeks (since June 1)

Moustakas also has taken a big step forward. He's a .750+ OPS guy in the past 4 weeks. He's needs to expand that out over a larger sample size, but that's significant and encouraging improvement. The last time he got hot, it lasted about 3 weeks

The Royals need one of those two guys to be a star and the other to be at least an average hitter at his position. Things are moving in that direction.

Escobar and Butler have regressed. I'm confident Butler will rebound and end up with an OPS in his usual range.

Escobar is a better hitter than he's shown - he got pull happy early - but he shouldn't be hitting 2nd. He should be hitting 8th or 9th. With his D - even with the errors - they don't need him to be a star bat if they hit him in an appropriate lineup spot.

[gblowfish]

Originally Posted by Tytanium

Sometimes I can literally hear Ryan cringing in the booth when Hud opens his mouth. This morning on 810, he was talking about how he tried to get Hud to stop talking about the goddamn Salvy in pinstripes, but Hud apparently can't take a ****ing hint from an experienced broadcaster and professional like Ryan.

Hudler has brain damage. He burned through a big part of his cortex when he was a doper. He got busted for pot and smoking utensils at KCI. Now he's found JEEEEEEEESUS, so of course, he's sanitized and ready to be Baghdad Bob for the Royals PR machine.

Fizz is OK, but I hope they whack Hud next year. Get somebody who isn't rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

[Dartgod]

Originally Posted by Tytanium

Billy couldn't leg out a triple if he hit it down the line at Petco and there were also two throwing errors.

I believe he hit 2 last year. I was like


EDIT: Just checked the stats. It was only one last year. He has 4 in his MLB career.

[gblowfish]

Hudler's dope bust was ten years ago, and he wasn't playing, he was a TV guy for the Angels:

Angels' TV analyst Rex Hudler arrested for marijuana possession
September 4, 2003

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Anaheim Angels broadcaster Rex Hudler was arrested at Kansas City International Airport over the weekend for investigation of misdemeanor marijuana possession, a team spokesman said Wednesday.

Hudler, 42, was arrested Sunday and released after posting bond.

``We've been informed of the incident Sunday and at this point in time, it is a legal matter so we really don't have any further comment,'' said Tim Mead, Angels vice president of communications.

Asked if Hudler would work the television booth Friday when the Angels host Kansas City, Mead said he couldn't comment.

A call seeking comment from Kansas City police was not returned. Kansas City TV stations reported that Hudler's arraignment was set for Oct. 15.

Hudler is in his fifth season as the Angels' baseball television analyst. Hudler retired after 21 years playing for 18 professional baseball teams, including the 1994-96 seasons as an infielder and outfielder with the Angels.

[ChiTown]

Don't the Royals own the longest current playoff drought in the MLB?

Damn, it feels good to be a fan of two the shittiest Franchises in Professional Sports.......