*** Official Kansas City Royals @ Houston Astros Game Thread (4/17) ***

[alnorth]

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
KC (7-7)	1	1	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	5	9	0
HOU (5-11)	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	5	1

Win, (1-2) James Shields 8IP 1R 1ER 2BB 12K
Wade Davis 1IP 0R 0ER 0BB 1K

VS.



Loss, (2-1) Scott Feldman 6IP 5R 4ER 1BB 2K
Anthony Bass 3IP 0R 0ER 0BB 1K

Home Runs

none

AL Central

Final: CLE 5, DET 7
Final (game 1): TOR 0, MIN 7
Final (game 2): TOR 5, MIN 9
Final: BOS 3, CWS 1

Starting Lineups

KC

1. Norichika Aoki, RF
2. Omar Infante, 2B
3. Eric Hosmer, 1B
4. Salvador Perez, C
5. Alex Gordon, LF
6. Billy Butler, DH
7. Mike Moustakas, 3B
8. Alcides Escobar, SS
9. Jarrod Dyson, CF

HOU

1. Dexter Fowler, CF
2. George Springer, RF
3. Jason Castro, C
4. Jose Altuve, 2B
5. Marc Krauss, 1B
6. Chris Carter, DH
7. Matt Dominguez, 3B
8. Alex Presley, LF
9. Jonathan Villar, SS

[Great Expectations]

Eibner?

[CaliforniaChief]

Originally Posted by Great Expectations

Eibner?

That's what I'm thinking. Prayers to Dyson whatever he's dealing with.

[alnorth]

Three days ago the Royals had the worst record in the AL. Right now they are one game out of first place. It's almost like it's still April.

— Rany Jazayerli (@jazayerli) April 18, 2014

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Three days ago the Royals had the worst record in the AL. Right now they are one game out of first place. It's almost like it's still April.

— Rany Jazayerli (@jazayerli) April 18, 2014

[Sure-Oz]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

Jarrod Dyson on bereavement leave

Rough
....who plays CF, Aoki? Gotta call up an OFer but who

[C3HIEF3S]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Three days ago the Royals had the worst record in the AL. Right now they are one game out of first place. It's almost like it's still April.

— Rany Jazayerli (@jazayerli) April 18, 2014

So. ****ing. Perfect.

This should be posted at the top of every Royals thread for the rest of the month.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

So. ****ing. Perfect.

This should be posted at the top of every Royals thread for the rest of the month.

I admit, I had to look up the standings but I'll be damned, he's right.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

So. ****ing. Perfect.

This should be posted at the top of every Royals thread for the rest of the month.

Why, cause we swept the worst team in baseball? So will everyone else. We are 7-7 after playing teams nobody expects to win, outside of 2 at Detroit. We were 15-4 vs Minny last year. We are 0-3 already vs them. Yes it's a long season but this is our weak stretch and sweeping Houston is no great deal

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Some people are just miserable ****s

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by alnorth

I hope he goes to the NL next year.

Oh well, Ventura's got his work cut out for him.

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

Man, it's so depressing we're going to lose James after this season.

Originally Posted by Simplicity

Feeling if we make a good post-season run, he'll think about staying.

If not, we still have Mr. Yordano.

I hope the local media and fans break out the torches and pitchforks and are irate if Glass doesn't open up the purse strings or Moore doesn't have a plan to keep Big Game minus some absurd offer by a some team.
Otherwise we rented a guy for 2 years in exchange for giving up a supposed star of the future with many many years we'd have him on the cheap.

If people are pissed about Smith for 2 second round picks if he's not extended- they should be flipping shit about Shields walking why Myers will only improve and not in Royal blue.

[-King-]

Originally Posted by Anyong Bluth

I hope the local media and fans break out the torches and pitchforks and are irate if Glass doesn't open up the purse strings or Moore doesn't have a plan to keep Big Game minus some absurd offer by a some team.
Otherwise we rented a guy for 2 years in exchange for giving up a supposed star of the future with many many years we'd have him on the cheap.

If people are pissed about Smith for 2 second round picks if he's not extended- they should be flipping shit about Shields walking why Myers will only improve and not in Royal blue.

I was under the impression that most people understood that the Shields thing was a 2 year thing? He's going to get a 100 mil or close to that after this season. No way we match.

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by -King-

I was under the impression that most people understood that the Shields thing was a 2 year thing? He's going to get a 100 mil or close to that after this season. No way we match.

Well, I think most assume the Royals will be par for the course and he'll be outpriced to bring back.

I say bullshit. The payroll for years was dirt cheap, and Glass said previously that the time would come when the roster would be in place with the ability to really make noise in October and he would look to take on a bigger payroll - albeit maybe a few seasons when truly playing as a contender.

He's made money off this club after buying them for peanuts- so ya, I think he should look at going into the red to keep a guy like Shields. Would anyone disagree that he's exactly the type of talent you have to look to have if you want to succeed in the playoffs when rotations are scaled down.
We've got him, a true 1, and probably 3 very good 3s. Though I have big hopes that Ventura will be a legit 2 by season's end or by the start of next year. Obviously then getting to the point of a legit staff 1. Having Shields affords you the ability to have time to groom him with greater success with rotation match ups. Not to mention Shields is a fantastic clubhouse guy for mentoring and instruction for grooming younger guys.

Also, I'd argue that keeping a guy like Shields for the reasons above that even if this club lost money short term like the next 2 seasons- if that comes with sustained success and playoff appearances that the Royals will have little to worry about in terms a return on investment.
KC will pour through the turnstiles and have ached for a chance to get behind a winning team. This franchise from birth has a respectable and successful history until the wheels fell off around '89 - give or take a few years.

The landscape in the AL and our division especially is ripe for them to seize on making some noise. Shields is an absolute must if you want to be in the conversation - the growth and development of Ventura will then dictate if they have the opportunity to really be a tough out in the ALDS.

That's why KC making the playoffs last year worried some other clubs - the thought of primarily facing Shields, Santana, Ace, along with by far the best bullpen in baseball and handing it over to Holland in the 9th. Erratic offense or not- that makes for little assurance for other clubs getting a gimme series against KC.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Anyong Bluth

Well, I think most assume the Royals will be par for the course and he'll be outpriced to bring back.

Expecting the Royals to be able to pay 9 figures for any player is silly. Shields is easily going to get that unless something bad happen to him.

[Anyong Bluth]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Expecting the Royals to be able to pay 9 figures for any player is silly. Shields is easily going to get that unless something bad happen to him.

Ya ya, clearly I'm trying to rationalize my delusional hopes.

[Simplicity]

Originally Posted by Anyong Bluth

I hope the local media and fans break out the torches and pitchforks and are irate if Glass doesn't open up the purse strings or Moore doesn't have a plan to keep Big Game minus some absurd offer by a some team.
Otherwise we rented a guy for 2 years in exchange for giving up a supposed star of the future with many many years we'd have him on the cheap.

If people are pissed about Smith for 2 second round picks if he's not extended- they should be flipping shit about Shields walking why Myers will only improve and not in Royal blue.

No kidding... Traded way an everyday player in Myers that we could have locked up without paying much for a contract, but no, we pretty much rented a guy that starts every other 5 games for only 2 years. If Moore doesn't hold onto him after this year, this situation would have been horse shit.