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?

[Prison Bitch]

What is Dayton's contract status? Did they give the clown a long term deal?

[Prison Bitch]

Found it. He's under contract thru next year. A good time to evaluate his future here as that's when Shields is gone and Billy's deal is done. They'll pick up Billys option year and that will give him one more year with Alex and Guthrie.

[Mama Hip Rockets]

Well, time to answer these, I guess.

Burning Questions for 2013:

1) Will the improve rotation be improved enough? Yes.
2) When will Luke Hochevar be shown the door? Never.
3) Does Hosmer bounce back? No.
4) Can Moustakas hit for a whole season like he did in the first half of 2012? No.
5) Who regresses? Pretty much everyone except Gordon.
6) Who plays 2B? A handful of interchangeable turds.
7) Can Jeff Francoeur be at least replacement level, rather than epic horrible level? Actually, no. No, he cannot.

[siberian khatru]

Today's fun stat: The Royals have more GIDPs (39) than they do HRs (27), the only AL team to do so, and by far (the Angels have one more HR than DP).

[siberian khatru]

In his first game back from Lasik surgery, Bubba Starling went 2-4 with a double and an RBI.

[Sure-Oz]

Cmon bubba

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

Today's fun stat: The Royals have more GIDPs (39) than they do HRs (27), the only AL team to do so, and by far (the Angels have one more HR than DP).

We're just not very good. Time for reality to set in. I think it has for most.

[BigCatDaddy]

Is Moore out if we don't finish > 500?

It's what year 7 and all the best players were Baird picks? The only Royal drafted/signed and developed is Sal. Grienke, another Baird pick, is the only reason we got Escobar and Cain and partially responsible for Shields (Odo). DM seems to have done less with more.

[Great Expectations]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Is Moore out if we don't finish > 500?

Did Vegas have the over/under at 79? Those guys are pretty good.

[Three7s]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Is Moore out if we don't finish > 500?

It's what year 7 and all the best players were Baird picks? The only Royal drafted/signed and developed is Sal. Grienke, another Baird pick, is the only reason we got Escobar and Cain and partially responsible for Shields (Odo). DM seems to have done less with more.

Absolutely.

[Prison Bitch]

Dayton relies on 1970s MLB strategies and hates SABRmetrics. He's a tool competing against modern-day GMs. And its why he keeps failing. With all his premium end draft picks he should be better than this.

[petegz28]

Ned Yost has to go. Teams reflect their coach and I know, I know, Yost is the best coach we have had in decades but that doesn't mean he is good.

This team doesn't hustle, constantly has their head up their ass instead of in the game and lacks consistency.

This goes for the lineup as well. Ned is constantly changing the lineup for whatever reasons. We aren't platooning RF but it sure looks like we are. Moose "is back" but not really.

Cain is rested one day, leading off the next, batting 5th the next.

Escobar who even Fever last night said looks to be mentally not ino it, needs a game off but nawwwww, we won't do that.

And this shit spiral we are in started when? When Shields was pulled in a 1-0 game instead of being allowed to pitch the 9th. We lost that game. Shields has since been allowed to go longer in situations where we were tied or losing but why keep him in if we are winning?

We all said Shields should have stayed in. This is your guy. This was your big trade. This is who is supposed to be a leader on this team and Ned pulled him instead of showing some balls. I think he lost the team to a degree with that move.

I mean, instead of sticking with your ace who had allowed 1 run in 8 innings, you went to a bullpen that has shown to be shaky at best since the 1st week of the season.


"Nervous Ned".......don't think that doesn't carry down to the team. A team will always reflect their coach in attitude if nothing else.

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

Is Moore out if we don't finish > 500?

It's what year 7 and all the best players were Baird picks? The only Royal drafted/signed and developed is Sal. Grienke, another Baird pick, is the only reason we got Escobar and Cain and partially responsible for Shields (Odo). DM seems to have done less with more.

I don't know if .500 is the magic number or not, but remaining competitive should be the basis of the discussion as to whether he is back or not. Right now, I really can't say whether he is more interested developing players or competing for championships. I realize those are not a mutually exclusive concepts, but at some point, one has to blend into the other. I'm not seeing that happen at this point.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Ned Yost has to go. Teams reflect their coach and I know, I know, Yost is the best coach we have had in decades but that doesn't mean he is good.

This team doesn't hustle, constantly has their head up their ass instead of in the game and lacks consistency.

This goes for the lineup as well. Ned is constantly changing the lineup for whatever reasons. We aren't platooning RF but it sure looks like we are. Moose "is back" but not really.

Cain is rested one day, leading off the next, batting 5th the next.

Escobar who even Fever last night said looks to be mentally not ino it, needs a game off but nawwwww, we won't do that.

And this shit spiral we are in started when? When Shields was pulled in a 1-0 game instead of being allowed to pitch the 9th. We lost that game. Shields has since been allowed to go longer in situations where we were tied or losing but why keep him in if we are winning?

We all said Shields should have stayed in. This is your guy. This was your big trade. This is who is supposed to be a leader on this team and Ned pulled him instead of showing some balls. I think he lost the team to a degree with that move.

I mean, instead of sticking with your ace who had allowed 1 run in 8 innings, you went to a bullpen that has shown to be shaky at best since the 1st week of the season.


"Nervous Ned".......don't think that doesn't carry down to the team. A team will always reflect their coach in attitude if nothing else.

Who hired Ned?

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Who hired Ned?

DMGM is on his last legs, imo. He is not going to fire himself nor be fired before the end of the season.