(New) 2013 Kansas City Royals Repository

[duncan_idaho]

New thread, this time with more burst.

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?

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by KCGal

So Nost left Guthrie out there today to help him get a win. Do you think Yost has been taking a similar approach with hitting? That is putting an emphasis on letting batters swing away to get practice on trying to hit home runs (that is, fire Seitzer because we need to hit more home runs). There have been so many times this year where the royals just needed good situational hitting (sac fly, etc) and they just can't execute. The announcers on the game today (Ripken etc) were commenting on how Lorenzo Cain looked like he was swinging for the fences with men on 2nd and 3rd. And that he just needed to shorten swing and focus on an RBI. I have wondered all season if Yost has not put a focus on situational hitting in an effort to "get more home runs."

I am not sure I'm making sense but hopefully.

This is where I disagree with a manager being important. Hitting is much more up to the player. Every player who goes up with a man on 2nd/3rd and one out knows they need to drive the ball. Their execution is based on skills. A manager isn't telling them to swing for the fence. You try to drive the ball and if you get the barrel on it, you might homer but that isn't your initial plan. We just don't have a lot of consistent hitters.

Pitching, however, needs to be managed from the standpoint that you play the matchups correctly to win close games. You know your bullpen and starters and no when someone is done or can keep going. No excuse for thinking Guts had it today.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

So alnorth, by that standard, no manager should ever be held accountable for the performance of their team.

I get enraged by idiots like Muser who kill pitchers, or by idiots like Hillman who do not realize that they play in the American League, and bunt too much.

If an AL manager does neither, then he's not relevant. He neither helps nor hurts the team.

DM's first choice was a bunting idiot. I'm afraid that his 3rd choice might be the same, or an arm-wrecker.

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by alnorth

Your acting as if the HR was a foregone conclusion. It was not, even when you are given a batting practice fastball in the State Farm home run derby by your personal pitcher who wants you to hit it out, you usually fail.

The 3 outs Guthrie recorded looked pretty routine to me, he just ran into someone who got a hold of one. It could have happened in the 5th instead of the 8th.

So, it's acceptable to trot a pitcher out for the 8th who nearly had a 2.00 WHIP through the previous seven innings? You're acting like Guthrie was pitching an otherwise flawless game, he wasn't, he had a ridiculously high strand rate and was fortunate to make it through five.

When you have the best bullpen in the majors at your disposal, it is egregious to leave them out of the game so Guthrie has a chance at a bright and shiny win.

Originally Posted by alnorth

If an AL manager does neither, then he's not relevant. He neither helps nor hurts the team.

DM's first choice was a bunting idiot.

Ned is guilty of giving up his fair share of outs.

Also, I believe your standards are far too low for a manager. True, a ten year old with some Madden experience is likely better equipped to coach a football team than your average five year old, but that doesn't mean I want a ten year old to be coaching my team in the playoffs.

I believe we grew accustomed to such incompetence in the past 28 years that some fans are now content with a manager who does not destroy the arms of our players, but if we want a winning ballclub in this town, we're going to need more.

[Nightfyre]

YOSTED:
"No, I felt that he was going to get us through the inning," Yost said. "This is no time to be managing with your heart, you try to use your head. I just felt he could get us through it."

If THAT is Ned trying to manage with his head, we have zero chance at ever contending.

[mr. tegu]

Huge missed opportunity today with all the other losses. If we would have passed NY and Baltimore we would have controlled our own destiny. However, we still do for all intents and purposes.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

YOSTED:
"No, I felt that he was going to get us through the inning," Yost said. "This is no time to be managing with your heart, you try to use your head. I just felt he could get us through it."

[KCGal]

Originally Posted by lewdog

This is where I disagree with a manager being important. Hitting is much more up to the player. Every player who goes up with a man on 2nd/3rd and one out knows they need to drive the ball. Their execution is based on skills. A manager isn't telling them to swing for the fence. You try to drive the ball and if you get the barrel on it, you might homer but that isn't your initial plan. We just don't have a lot of consistent hitters.

Pitching, however, needs to be managed from the standpoint that you play the matchups correctly to win close games. You know your bullpen and starters and no when someone is done or can keep going. No excuse for thinking Guts had it today.

Ok that makes sense. They are just so bad at situational hitting that I have convinced myself Yost must have something to do with it. Even if he has other choices at his disposal to get a team win, he just can't resist letting guys stay in to acieve a personal goal or develop. The team has great chemistry so they must not see it that way.

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

YOSTED:
"No, I felt that he was going to get us through the inning," Yost said. "This is no time to be managing with your heart, you try to use your head. I just felt he could get us through it."

If THAT is Ned trying to manage with his head, we have zero chance at ever contending.

Isn't trying to get Guthrie the W the definition of managing with his heart?

[ROYC75]

A missed opportunity today, no reason to lose the way we did.


Thanks Ned! All TB,Tx,Balt.NYY, and Cleveland thank you from the bottom of their wallets.

[Cephalic Trauma]

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

Isn't trying to get Guthrie the W the definition of managing with his heart?

I think that's the worst part about what he said. He DID manage with his heart, but he doesn't realize it.

[Archie F. Swin]

Not yet confirmed by #Royals but hearing RHP Yordano Ventura will be promoted from AAA Omaha prior to tonight's game vs. Cleveland.

— Bob Dutton (@Royals_Report) September 16, 2013

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by ChiTown

Scherzer is 5-0 in Day Games this year, but his ERA is almost a point higher in Day vs Night Games. He is also 0-2 thus far in September with a 4.91 ERA in his 2 starts. The key against Scherzer is to get him behind in the count. So, patience at the plate is paramount. This guy has been a beast 90% of the season. We need to be selective and make our base runners count. Gonna be tough, but this team seems up to the challenge.

Now, Guthrie is going to have to make this game seem like it's game 7 of the WS. Focus will be his key. His ERA is .5 better in Day Games vs Night, and .5 better away than home. He can't afford to give up more than 3 runs for the Royals to have a chance against Scherzer (who is giving up 1.9 ER's per game in his last 10 games). For ****s sake, Ned, go to the pen early if we need to. No need in resting arms that are some of the most rested and effective arms in baseball.

I'm babbling, GO ROYALS!

[stonedstooge]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

YOSTED:
"No, I felt that he was going to get us through the inning," Yost said. "This is no time to be managing with your heart, you try to use your head. I just felt he could get us through it."

If THAT is Ned trying to manage with his head, we have zero chance at ever contending.

That's our LeadHead Ned!

[Archie F. Swin]

Moore will be to Yost what Yost was to Guthrie

[Archie F. Swin]

#Royals vs Cle LHP Kazmir: Gordon 7, Bonifacio 4, Hosmer 3, Butler DH, Perez 2, Cain 8, Maxwell 9, Carroll 5, Escobar 6 and Shields 1.

— Bob Dutton (@Royals_Report) September 16, 2013