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?

[Cephalic Trauma]

What are the chances Will Smith takes the 5th spot from Mendoza? Good era, good K/9. Thoughts?

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Cephalic Trauma

What are the chances Will Smith takes the 5th spot from Mendoza? Good era, good K/9. Thoughts?

Since he got sent back down to the minors, zero. At least this week.

[mr. tegu]

I think Mendoza has proven plenty that he deserves to be our fifth starter. His good games are really good but his bad games are never really that terrible.

[Cephalic Trauma]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Since he got sent back down to the minors, zero. At least this week.

I figured as much. Sorry, I didn't specify a timeframe, but I was thinking along the lines of the next month.

[KChiefs1]

Originally Posted by Cephalic Trauma

What are the chances Will Smith takes the 5th spot from Mendoza? Good era, good K/9. Thoughts?

I think Mendoza needs a few more starts before giving up on him.

[chiefqueen]

Originally Posted by AussieChiefsFan

When night games like this one get postponed, do they usually try and play them later that night, or just play them as a double header on the following days?

If I'm Detroit I think I would push the DH to Aug. and hope the Royal's bullpen is more taxed than it is now (of course the Tiger's pen may be taxed then too). But IMO the Royals' bullpen is rested enough to withstand another DH this week if it had to whereas the Tigers pen went through a blowout loss and a 13 inning game this past weekend in Anaheim.

[alnorth]

Take it with a grain of salt, but the Royals think they know what is wrong with Moose. He's drifting forward too early and too much when he steps into his swing, which results in weak popups.

He took extensive batting practice today to learn how to stay back.

[Shogun]

Bring on another DH. We will take that too.

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Take it with a grain of salt, but the Royals think they know what is wrong with Moose. He's drifting forward too early and too much when he steps into his swing, which results in weak popups.

He took extensive batting practice today to learn how to stay back.

So, he's lunging at the ball, similar to what Hosmer was doing.

[KChiefs1]

I'm home on Thursday...lets play two!

[Shogun]

@goldbergkc 1m

#Royals announce Wade Davis will pitch tomorrow & James Shields will go Thursday. Luis Mendoza will be skipped in this series

[Al Bundy]

ESPN Stats & Info ‏@ESPNStatsInfo 4m

The Kansas City Royals drafted both John Elway & Dan Marino in the 1979 MLB Draft. #ElwaytoMarino

[Captain Obvious]

Originally Posted by Shogun

@goldbergkc 1m

#Royals announce Wade Davis will pitch tomorrow & James Shields will go Thursday. Luis Mendoza will be skipped in this series

I'm not sure I like this. At some point you have to give Mendoza some work.

[Strongside]

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

ESPN Stats & Info ‏@ESPNStatsInfo 4m

The Kansas City Royals drafted both John Elway & Dan Marino in the 1979 MLB Draft. #ElwaytoMarino

Well, that explains things.

[Strongside]

Originally Posted by Captain Obvious

I'm not sure I like this. At some point you have to give Mendoza some work.

Yeah, but I'd rather see him out there against a struggling team like the Indians than the one team that we need to beat to win the division.