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?

[dmahurin]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

**** y'all. Shoulda got a Perez jersey.

I'll probably get his this year.

[cabletech94]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

**** y'all. Shoulda got a Perez jersey.

hey guys, i'm the one that screwed it all up last year.

bought a hosmer jersey.
i truly brought shame to our team, and i fully accept all responsibility.

i shall refrain from buying any jersey this year.

PLAYOFFS '13 (if the world doesn't end on friday)!!!!!!!

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by thurman merman

Why don't you just say there are two players who aren't tradable then?

haha yes that was poorly worded.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by dmahurin

I put up the money for a moose jersey last year so for that reason alone i would like to add him to the list.

And I want him to have a good 2013 because I want to buy his jersey! Moose is my favorite player but I can't spend the money on a jersey to watch him fizzle out.

[stonedstooge]

Originally Posted by lewdog

And I want him to have a good 2013 because I want to buy his jersey! Moose is my favorite player but I can't spend the money on a jersey to watch him fizzle out.

I don't think Moose will let himself fail. Dude's a gamer

[Nightfyre]

Moose has struggled early at every level. He will make the transition.

[Unsmooth-Moment]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

I still think Frenchy and Melky were both using PED's in 11. One got paid and stopped they other was trying for a mega contract and pushed his luck.

Hopefully Frenchy gets back on them then.

[Dartgod]

Originally Posted by cabletech94

hey guys, i'm the one that screwed it all up last year.

bought a hosmer jersey.
i truly brought shame to our team, and i fully accept all responsibility.

i shall refrain from buying any jersey this year.

PLAYOFFS '13 (if the world doesn't end on friday)!!!!!!!

You can redeem yourself by buying one of these.

[KCUnited]

Originally Posted by Unsmooth-Moment

Hopefully Frenchy overdoses on them then.

fyp

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by Unsmooth-Moment

Hopefully Frenchy gets back on them then.

Originally Posted by KCUnited

fyp

We interrupt your regularly schedule Royals talk to bring you this news bulletin.

This just in out of Kansas City, Jeff "frenchy" Francoeur has seemingly overdosed on PEDs. The outfielder, knows for his big smile, great locker room presence and shitty play was found dead this morning. Frenchy was trying to improve his play it seems by enhancing his skills. It seems he was just as good at cheating as he was at hitting a curve ball. The Royals have yet to name Frenchy's replacement, but at this time all we can say is that we know his replacement will be a better ball player to be named later.

[KCUnited]

Originally Posted by lewdog

We interrupt your regularly schedule Royals talk to bring you this news bulletin.

This just in out of Kansas City, Jeff "frenchy" Francoeur has seemingly overdosed on PEDs. The outfielder, knows for his big smile, great locker room presence and shitty play was found dead this morning. Frenchy was trying to improve his play it seems by enhancing his skills. It seems he was just as good at cheating as he was at hitting a curve ball. The Royals have yet to name Frenchy's replacement, but at this time all we can say is that we know his replacement will be a better ball player to be named later.

I could see Dayton running out Francoeur's corpse, the good news is he'd likely draw more walks.

[chefsos]

I don't know if anyone's seen this yet, but I just read it and I think it's an amazing story about the bond that develops between Hall of Famers.

It just happens to be told by George Brett.

http://espn.go.com/blog/playbook/fan...of-cooperstown



Cooperstown is not easy to get to, but it’s even harder to leave.

I’ve made it a point to go back every year since I was inducted in 1999, and I have, with the exception of one year when a close friend died just before Hall of Fame weekend and I decided to go to his funeral.

I remember calling Jeff Idelson, the president of the Hall, to apologize for not coming even though I had promised I would, and he said, "George, don’t worry. You’re doing the right thing."

The Hall of Fame is kind of like family that way.

The year of my induction, I was on the veranda of the Otesaga Hotel, where they have these great rocking chairs. You sit in them and look out over beautiful Otsego Lake and the 18th green at the Leatherstocking Golf Course.

I sat down in one of the chairs, and who should pull up the rocking chair next to me but Brooks Robinson.

He was my idol growing up, so much so that I chose No. 5 as my uniform number, just like he wore. So now we both make it a point every year to sit in those rocking chairs, reminisce and have a drink.

Another induction weekend event I love is our golf tournament at Leatherstocking. It’s a shotgun scramble, and in 2005, I was paired with Bill Murray and Yogi Berra. Yeah, I know: Just the names Bill Murray and Yogi Berra make you smile.

We’re on the fifth green, and Yogi has this long putt. He comes up short and says, "If I had hit it harder, it would have missed closer."

Bill and I looked at each other and started laughing hysterically. We had just heard an original Yogi-ism.

I also love the banquet at the Otesaga. Hall of Famers only. I sit with the wine snobs: Tom Seaver, Steve Carlton, Carlton Fisk, Rollie Fingers and Sandy Koufax. We each bring a special bottle to share. Seaver usually brings one from his Napa Valley vineyard, GTS -- stands for George Thomas Seaver, his real name. Koufax always brings a really interesting wine.

We let Robin Yount sit with us even though he forgets to bring a bottle.

Joe Morgan is at the table too, although we kid him that he should be over at the Punch-and-Judy table with Lou Brock and Ozzie Smith.

It’s like a high school cafeteria. Guys sit with guys from their own era, managers with managers. But you have to pinch yourself. I mean, I’m drinking wine with Sandy Koufax.

The year I was inducted, Mike Schmidt came back for the first time since his induction in 1995. He told me it was out of respect for Yount and me, which meant a lot.

Mike and I played in the same era, even posed for a Sports Illustrated cover together, but we didn’t really know each other until Cooperstown. Now he’s a really close friend. Our wives are really close, and we've vacationed together. Imagine that.

Reggie Jackson has also become a close friend because of Cooperstown. I hated Reggie when we played. And now we’re buds.

The All-Star Game was in Kansas City this year, so he called to tell me he was coming out for the game and asked if we could get together. I invited him to a barbecue at my house on the Saturday before the game -- just close friends and family. Thirty years ago, we wanted to beat each other’s brains out, but there he was, staying 'til the end and having a great time with the people who are closest to me.

I always knew the Hall of Fame was special. I just didn’t know how special.

I feel like the Kevin Costner character in "Field of Dreams" when Joe Jackson asks him, "Hey, is this heaven?"

No, it’s Cooperstown.

[alnorth]

Rotoworld:

Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports that the Royals called the Rockies to ask about their interest in Luke Hochevar, but "nothing has materialized."

The Royals really should have just non-tendered Hochevar. He's set to earn more than $4 million in arbitration, which doesn't make him attractive as a trade chip. The right-hander is also probably on the outside looking in for a rotation spot in Kansas City following the acquisition of James Shields and Wade Davis.
Dec 17 - 10:41 AM
Source: Troy Renck on Twitter

Did we seriously think he had trade value? How come everyone else in the world knew we needed to non-tender him?

[Codered]

Well the Rockies did take Sanchez!

[Chris Meck]

PED's wouldn't help Francouer lay off of curveballs in the dirt or fastballs over his head. in '11 he stopped swinging at those. Last year he was right back to it. DUMB.