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?

[Dartgod]

Originally Posted by gblowfish

Here's is yesterday's Rex Hudler Turd Polishing condensed from 25 minutes to 2 minutes:

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[Fairplay]

Originally Posted by ChiTown

So, I get why they needed to make a change with the hitting coaches, but seriously, George Brett?

George is great in the Spring to encourage and help out when needed - figure head/spokes model type. He is NOT ever going to be a great coach of any kind. It's not in his makeup. He loved playing baseball, but he does not like coaching it. This is just ****ing stupid, and makes the Royals look desperate....................okay, I guess that they are desperate. Still. if you have broken leg, you don't take Advil to get better. You take Advil to smooth over the pain. We still haven't addressed the broken leg.

I agree.

They needed to do something. I can't see Brett doing to daily grind of coaching very long.

[Lex Luthor]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaChief

Alright, I'll dive in with a GM hire.

You ready?

Ready to laugh?

Rany Jazayerli.

I know of nobody who has both the PASSION to see the Royals win AND the mind to make it happen. The guy is a baseball savant. He has a clear vision of what an organization needs to do from top to bottom. He's absolutely dialed in at all levels, and well, why the hell not?

The Red Sox started winning when they hired Bill James. But they didn't hire him to be GM, because being a GM requires a lot of other things besides Sabermetrics.

I think it would be great to hire Rany as Director of Player Personnel or some similar role. It would be bad idea to ask him to run the entire organization.

[GloryDayz]

Did the asshole get fired yet?

[GloryDayz]

How 'bout now, did the asshole get fired yet?

[Lex Luthor]

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

Did the asshole get fired yet?

No.

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

How 'bout now, did the asshole get fired yet?

Still no.

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by Brainiac

No.


Still no.

Shit!

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

How 'bout now, did the asshole get fired yet?

You're going to have to be more specific. Which asshole?

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by Bowser

You're going to have to be more specific. Which asshole?

Yes

[siberian khatru]

Interesting interview with Seitzer on 810 right now.

Re: Hos -- Said last year he killed the ball in spring training and started the season smoking the ball, but hitting it right at people (we all remember this). He said for the first month and a half he was on his knees pleading with Hos to stick with it, the hits would eventually fall. But he said Hos eventually caved and wouldn't listen anymore -- "I lost him," Seitzer said -- and changed his swing and screwed everything up. And that's where he is today.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

Interesting interview with Seitzer on 810 right now.

Re: Hos -- Said last year he killed the ball in spring training and started the season smoking the ball, but hitting it right at people (we all remember this). He said for the first month and a half he was on his knees pleading with Hos to stick with it, the hits would eventually fall. But he said Hos eventually caved and wouldn't listen anymore -- "I lost him," Seitzer said -- and changed his swing and screwed everything up. And that's where he is today.

Mother**** you .... someone?

[Tytanium]

Originally Posted by Brainiac

The Red Sox started winning when they hired Bill James. But they didn't hire him to be GM, because being a GM requires a lot of other things besides Sabermetrics.

I think it would be great to hire Rany as Director of Player Personnel or some similar role. It would be bad idea to ask him to run the entire organization.

I have to agree. Rany would be an excellent scout/scout director, but I think he's said himself he doesn't have the business know-how to feel like he would be able to competently handle player contracts and the business side of a major league team.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by Tytanium

I have to agree. Rany would be an excellent scout/scout director, but I think he's said himself he doesn't have the business know-how to feel like he would be able to competently handle player contracts and the business side of a major league team.

Hey, the Royals could be a trendsetter for being the first MLB club to have a Middle Easterner that high in the FO, right?

[Tytanium]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

Interesting interview with Seitzer on 810 right now.

Re: Hos -- Said last year he killed the ball in spring training and started the season smoking the ball, but hitting it right at people (we all remember this). He said for the first month and a half he was on his knees pleading with Hos to stick with it, the hits would eventually fall. But he said Hos eventually caved and wouldn't listen anymore -- "I lost him," Seitzer said -- and changed his swing and screwed everything up. And that's where he is today.

I'm waiting for it to pop up on their website, but that just makes it more frustrating. Hos really was killing it to start the season last year, his BABIP was just insanely, frustratingly unlucky. Seitzer didn't do anything wrong, I don't think.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by Tytanium

I'm waiting for it to pop up on their website, but that just makes it more frustrating. Hos really was killing it to start the season last year, his BABIP was just insanely, frustratingly unlucky. Seitzer didn't do anything wrong, I don't think.

The funny part is that it would seem like Seitzer got canned in part for Hos not hitting for power, then this year they have two guys that tried to emphasize NOT hitting for power as the batting coaches.