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?

[chiefqueen]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

It was mentioned that his oldest kid is now 17...so the time is right for him.

His youngest is 17......his oldest is 20.

[Sure-Oz]

George said he'd try for a month and see where he and DM are at with it...

[gblowfish]

I really hope this works.

Driving home tonight, I was thinking about how much I have loved the Royals all these years, and how it kills me to see them fail over and over. One of my great wishes in life is to see the Royals be great again.

Damn these allergies....

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Chris Meck

No, your inability to consider what he might have meant by the comment is causing posters to disagree with you.

There are multiple possibilities, no doubt, but the problem is that I view all of them as flawed.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by chiefqueen

His youngest is 17......his oldest is 20.

Oops..that's what I meant. Thanks

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by lewdog

So any consensus on yay or nay for Brett being the hitting coach?

I think it does a couple things...

1. Brett may send the "you're a big boy now" message that Yost is not...

2. There is no cover now for the players. They can't use bad hitting coaches as an excuse for their suck. No one is going to say Brett doesn't know about hitting so that's why our players can't hit.

In some ways this could be the best decision Dayton Moore didn't mean to make and for all the wrong reasons.

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by stonedstooge

Perhaps George can get them to stop the stupid ****ing hand gestures. LeadHead Ned sure doesn't seem to think it makes us look like fools

don't give a crap whether they make hand gestures or not ... irrelevant.


what does matter is our crappy at bats


not swinging at strikes
swinging at pitches in the dirt
not aware of the situation(ie swinging for the fence when we need a single)
crappy fundamentals


why in the **** should any Royals' fan be worried about silly stuff like hand gestures instead of what is costing wins

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by petegz28

I think it does a couple things...

1. Brett may send the "you're a big boy now" message that Yost is not...

2. There is no cover now for the players. They can't use bad hitting coaches as an excuse for their suck. No one is going to say Brett doesn't know about hitting so that's why our players can't hit.

In some ways this could be the best decision Dayton Moore didn't mean to make and for all the wrong reasons.

While I agree with your points here, I believe it will ultimately be a very short-lived situation because I cannot imagine Brett wanting to put in the type of time and work necessary to be a successful hitting coach.

Dude would rather be relaxing, boozing, and golfing.

[Mr. Laz]

i imagine Brett is just going work with the players for awhile and then give feedback on their mental approach and attitudes.


I wouldn't be surprised if he was replaced before the season was even over

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

And a gap-to-gap approach is absolutely sound. That's not at all a slap-hitter's approach to baseball.

Quite the contrary. HRs are generally mistakes, the by-products of a high-quality approach.

Prison Bitch calls it slap hitting sissy offense. They are supposed to hit the foul pole with every swing.

[Mr. Laz]

i imagine Brett is just going work with the players for awhile and then give feedback on their mental approach and attitudes.


I wouldn't be surprised if he was replaced before the season was even over

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

While I agree with your points here, I believe it will ultimately be a very short-lived situation because I cannot imagine Brett wanting to put in the type of time and work necessary to be a successful hitting coach.

Dude would rather be relaxing, boozing, and golfing.

I don't doubt that at all. I think the whole thing is Brett to send a message to this team that they are not a group of HoF'ers no matter how much Ned sucks their cock. And that also they are not a bunch of little ****ing kids to be treated soft so as not to hurt their feelings.


Plus I think Brett being there will give Ned the backbone to do stuff he otherwise might not.

[petegz28]

I should also toss in that I do believe that Brett was very close and loyal to the Old Man who started this team and I think part of why he is doing this is out of pride.

[GloryDayz]

One inning into his new job, and George's kids are .000.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by petegz28

I don't doubt that at all. I think the whole thing is Brett to send a message to this team that they are not a group of HoF'ers no matter how much Ned sucks their cock. And that also they are not a bunch of little ****ing kids to be treated soft so as not to hurt their feelings.


Plus I think Brett being there will give Ned the backbone to do stuff he otherwise might not.

Do you think Ned will feel undermined by Brett a little bit? I mean, who instantly commands more respect? a guy who had 128 hits in his career or a 3000 hit HoFer?