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?

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

WTF?

What a bunch of clowns.

[WhawhaWhat]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

WTF?

What a bunch of clowns.

The deadspin article said they have been trying to stage that punch for 2 years.

The pantomime was a year in the making, discovers the Pioneer Press's Mike Berardino. Former Twins reliever Matt Maloney had the idea of staging a knockout when a ball came near the bullpen, knowing the cameras would capture it. They tried it last season, and again earlier this year, but it wasn't until Friday that everything worked perfectly.

"As soon as it was hit, he goes, 'Come on. Punch me. Punch me,'" Burton recounted proudly. "I gave him the right hook and knocked him down."

"It's all in fun," Burton said. "I knew the ball was coming down and that camera was going to be zoomed in on us. I waited it out, afraid I was going to get hit with the ball. That's about as good of execution as you could ask for."

[Sure-Oz]

John Lamb - S - Royals

The Royals plan to promote pitching prospect John Lamb to Triple-A Omaha on Thursday.
Lamb, 23, has been at High-A Wilmington for all 19 starts this season in his first full year back from Tommy John surgery. While his 5.63 ERA isn't much to look at, he did throw seven shutout innings his last time out. There's no word on what his velocity has been up to lately, as that had been a concern for the Royals earlier this season.
Source: Bob Dutton on Twitter
Aug 12 - 7:22 PM

[BWillie]

Ranges and A's both win today, AGAIN.

Nobody, and I mean nobody is hotter in baseball than the teams in front of the Royals in the wild card and Detroit. Yeah I know Cleveland has cooled off but they had like a 9 game winning streak before their recent skid. Bad luck Royals. Usually when you win 18 of 23 games you don't lose ground in your division and only gain .5 games in the WC...

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Royals promo this weekend - first 5,000 fans get a stick with a dangling carrot on the end.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Royals promo this weekend - first 5,000 fans get a stick with a dangling carrot on the end.

Bwahahah

Did you come up with that yourself?

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by BWillie

Ranges and A's both win today, AGAIN.

Nobody, and I mean nobody is hotter in baseball than the teams in front of the Royals in the wild card and Detroit. Yeah I know Cleveland has cooled off but they had like a 9 game winning streak before their recent skid. Bad luck Royals. Usually when you win 18 of 23 games you don't lose ground in your division and only gain .5 games in the WC...

Tigers have lost 3 of 4. Indians are in a free fall.

[Coach]

Possession of 2nd place now.

*Peels off another section*

[Nightfyre]

Originally Posted by Coach

Possession of 2nd place now.

*Peels off another section*

I'll take a few pieces of that crow.
For saying they should be sellers.
For hating on the Hoch arbitration.
For not believing in Guthrie.

[Coach]

.

Originally Posted by Coach

Perfect for some photoshopping....

"Every time we win, we peel a section."

[Mama Hip Rockets]

Greg Holland's last 34 games:

25/25 saves
34 IP
55 K
0.79 ERA
.137 Opp. Avg.

[AussieChiefsFan]

KC now in 2nd place in the division!

[Coach]

Hunter Dozier, the Royals' first-round pick in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft, on Monday was promoted to Class A Lexington.

Dozier, a shortstop from Stephen F. Austin State, played 47 games with the Rookie League Idaho Falls Chukars -- batting .293 with 55 hits, 35 runs and 35 RBIs. Dozier, the club's No. 7 prospect according to MLB.com, also led the Pioneer League with 22 doubles.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...ook_kc&c_id=kc

[Shogun]

I really liked that pick.

[Fritz88]

Originally Posted by AussieChiefsFan

KC now in 2nd place in the division!

Never let go.