How Getz, Butler & Yost cost us our first chance in decades
 

Okay, okay, it was a long shot to begin with but we were making a serious run at making that long shot.

Enter the 3 Amigos: Chris Getz, Billy Butler, Ned Yost...

Backdrop:
It was a Saturday night in Detroit. The Royals had just swept the 1st place Tigers in a double-header the previous day. It was set for the Royals to take at least 3 out 5 from the 1st place team and at worst gain a game on them

It was a very playoff like atmosphere. Detroit took the early lead but Kansas City kept battling back to tie the game. Then it comes down to the last 6 outs of the game with the Royals trailing.

In the top of the 8th the Royals had scratched runs to tie the game at 5. With runners on 2nd and 3rd with 0 outs, David Lough pops out to the infield. Okay, Lough has been an over-achieving 4th outfielder, it's disappointing but acceptable and somewhat expected.

That brings us Eric Hosmer in the same situation with 1 out. The Tigers wisely walk him to load the bases and get to Billy Butler. Yes, that is correct, in a tie game the Tigers loaded the bases intentionally with 1 out to face what is supposed to be the best hitter on the Royals' roster.

Royals fans are thinking "the go ahead run is sealed, Butler will come through with the Sac Fly at least, right?", or were they??? Billy Butler, the DH, the All-Star, the man whose job is to do nothing but hit the ball....lines out to the 3rd baseman making it 2 outs with bases loaded, putting the odd squarely in the favor of Detroit and making them look like geniuses for walking Hosmer. Gordon grounds out, Royals don't score the go ahead run.

Onto the top of the 9th. With 2 outs and the go ahead runner on 3rd and the odds already favoring the defense, Chris Getz, at his direction or otherwise, puts down a bunt. YES! YES! A ****ING BUNT WITH 2 OUTS! Needless to say the runner on 3rd never scored and the Royals head to the bottom of the 9th tied at 5 to face the best hitter in baseball.

Enter Ned Yost. In a 3-1 count, Aaron Crow is somehow not told to pitch around Cabrrera. Instead he grooves a 3-1 fastball only to watch the game end as the ball went over the outfield wall. Royals lose, 6-5.

Game over. Season Over.

While there were no guarantees we would have won that game using more common sense, we would have had a much better chance at doing so.


I know there is plenty of blame to go around but later in life as I look back on this season I will look back to those 2 innings and those series of plays as to what finally broke the back of the Royals miracle run at the playoffs.

Silly.

Obsess much?

Yep the Royals gave that one away. Getz is just horrible- has been all year.

But, but Getz has a hot wife.

Not completely silly.

Teams do this to us all the time. Nobody fears Billy Butler. It was a no-brainer for Detroit to walk Hozmer to face him.

A quote from Verlander after Friday:

too many of your "star" players go 0 - 4 too often. you either need to get a real slugger in here that will help these guys get it str8 or you need to get these stars to replace a lot of those oh - fers with 1 - 4.

if you are going 0 - 4 as often as these guys, they need to be swinging for those fences and getting one to go more often. bottom line. not enough power from your power hitters.

Gotta love baseball. Squares up a linedrive and he sucks, but a blooper dropped would make him super clutch ROFL

I'm not sure how "squared up" that ball was. I'd had a few beers saturday night, but may need a replay for that one. It's not like Miggy made some unbelievable play to catch it.

We needed a SAC Fly....His job was to get one up in the air to the OF, not pull one down the line for a double.

Squared up?

And WTF puts down a bunt with 2 outs and the go ahead runner on 3rd in the top of the 9th of a tie game???

SERIOUSLY!!!! That right there is enough to fire whomever made that decision.

I'm not a Getz fan but would've never believed this...

http://scores.nbcsports.msnbc.com/ml...s.asp?rank=056

MOAR late game batting average.............

Which makes you wonder even more why the ****head laid down a bunt with 2 outs???

yea that game was bullshit

IIRC, especially since he just had a clutch RBI in the previous inning to tie the game.
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I don't get to watch too many games up here, but I think of at least a half dozen games where Yost's stupid decisions were the difference between winning and losing.

Last night, down by two, man on first and you "hit and run" into a double play prior to Hosmer coming to bat? Brilliant, no real threat to score after that.
I know us fans have 20/50 or 50/20 hindsight, but why was he just not outright stealing second? It was at Royals stadium, without a sandpit around first base.

You're complaining about Butler lining out? Seriously?

Players don't get an average much higher than .300 for a reason. :shake:

You know how much I could care less about avg? Not much. Batting Avg. is the most overrated stat in baseball.

Way to address calling Butler out for squaring up a baseball and smashing it right at someone. Sometimes, you just have to hand it to bad luck. Getz is at fault, Crow/Yost is at fault, Butler isn't.

I'll tell you what Butler has been real good at doing this year:

1. hitting the ball to the SS
2. hitting the ball to the SS for a DP
3. hitting a HR in the 8th inning when we are already up 4-2

Butler is so. He put a swing on that ball not to lift it to the OF. He pulled the ball down the 3rd baseline instead of doing what he does best and waiting on it to take it to right-center.

What is the % chance of a run scoring when the leadoff man is walked?

I'm complaining about Butler not being in the top 20 AL leaders in HR's,Sac Flies,RBI's or hits but BEING TIED FOR 1ST IN HITTING INTO DOUBLE PLAYS.

HE'S WAY ****ING OVERATED!

37.98% as of 2010

Squaring up and smashing? What selective memory you Billy-lovers have.

An inside of the bat jam shot that floats to Cabrera is not a jam shot, FYI. You'll notice in the video, the announcer (who was at the park) calls it a "soft line drive"

http://wapc.mlb.com/play?content_id=...pic_id=8878994

For the record, I don't feel like Billy is part of the problem. But he's also not part of the solution. His production this year has been shit, especially for a one-dimensional player. He does us no good if he's not driving the ball for doubles and HR's. So maybe it's just a "down" year, but at age 27, production starts to decline. So that's not a good sign at all.

When you know a Sac Fly is the least you have to get done, you don't go to the plate looking to pull the ball on a rope. We all know Billy's best swing is when he takes the ball o the opposite field. He has been trying to pull the ball all ****ing year which is why he is nothing more than a stat-padder for SS's at the moment.

vs. a 9% chance that Cabera hits a HR or 36% chance that he even gets a hit.

Classic Billy right here. Game not on the line? We're up 4 runs or down 5? You can count on Billy putting one in the gap or hitting one 400 feet to left. With that, his power numbers go up and we get the standard Fat Billy is angry and pissed off look he's got nailed down to a science.

I don't give a ****ing shit. I'd rather have Miggy at 1st with his sore, broke ass trying to run the bases than I would throw him a 3-1 fastball in the bottom of the 9th of a tie game. Are you on ****ing meth or what?

You never let the other team's best hitter beat you. That's just what we did.

Butler may be part of the problem, but he is far down the list of this teams "problems"

Actually he is closer to the top than a lot want to admit. He can't field, he can't run and this year he can't hit that good. WTF is he not a problem?

Butler isn't clutch, and a waste as a one dimensional player. At least Gordon can make up for not hitting with his glove.

The problem is that shy of Holland, the pen is Broxton like shaky. The collapse that started with Miami is all on the bullpen. I would dump Crow immediately. Pure bust for his draft spot, and he has ZERO passion for the game.

He actually tried to do this with his first swing, IIRC. Fly ball down the line in right that ended up foul.

Yes, he did. They he went away from it. He has done it all year.

This is an excellent point. While we really, really need Gordon to be hitting better, he has saved countless runs with his arm and glove. Same goes for Escobar. These guys save runs on defense game in and game out so they ultimately provide some good to the bottom line even if it isn't in the ideal way.

When Butler doesn't hit at least a double it is pretty much a wasted AB.

Exactly. Logic and reason is gone and now you're PMSing. Let your emotions flow guy.

Including Butler in this list is an insult to logic and reality.

He has an .824 OPS with runners on and an .861 OPS with runners in scoring position. To suggest he isn't "clutch" is not based in fact.

He has not been as good this year as hoped, but he HAS started hitting better in the second half, when the team really needed him to, and he hasn't really been the issue all season.

Ned Yost and Dayton Moore bear the most blame for acquiring and continuing to pay/play shitty players like Chris Getz, Jamey Carroll (who is playing too much now that they have Bonifacio), etc.

From a player standpoint, the early struggles of Moustakas and recent struggles of Alex Gordon are the biggest issues (beyond the general shittiness of Chris Getz).

The hatred Royals fans have for Billy Butler is stupid. No way around it (and it's not unique to this forum). He's not a superstar, but he's a plus offensive player and one of the best at his position.

Stop criticizing our sweet Billy boy though. He's great. He was an all-star last year. He's not a problem. He does nothing wrong. All he does is crush the ball. He was born to hit. I have a country breakfast tattoo. Would you just look at his batting average?!?!?! /RoyalsApologists

I've stated I don't hate him...but he is a completely one-dimensional player whose only tool has regressed into hit-for-average, rather than driving the ball.

People calling me a "Butler Lover". LMAO

I think some people are getting me confused with Deez just because of one post, but whatever.

I'm not denying that he's had a bad year. He's hit into way too many DPs, and hasn't driven the ball with as much authority in year's past. That being said, he's one of the only proven threats in our lineup, and that's why his walk numbers are sky high. I'm not gonna explain why Butler isn't the reason the season is over, because everyone has contributed to this team's failure, but like some have said, the problems Butler has given this team are much lower than several others.

Butler hitting a line drive or soft liner doesn't make much of a difference to me. I'll admit, I wasn't watching the game, but what I'd like to know is, why doesn't Gordon get any blame. He's been terribad for over two months. What about the complete lack of power Perez has? There should be far more blame to go around to some players that people continually praise.

ROFL

I don't think we have much choice with Cain out, but I agree with you. If Cain were healthy (yeah, a joke I know), then I really think they'd be rolling with this lineup, at least defensively:

Gordon
Cain
Lough/Maxwell (platoon)
Moose
Esky
Bonifacio
Hoz

The Butler hatred just makes my head explode. He needs to hit for more power but if I read one more post about how a DH hurts the team because he can't run or field... just no.
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I think we have addressed Gordon and how his defense helps make up for his lack of hitting. That being said, if Butler was at the plate with 2 outs I wouldn't blame him. A 2 out hit is not a favorable odds position. However, 1 out with bases loaded and you don't get it out of the infield and you're "the man"......weak sauce. That was the moment, that was the time, that was the place/

A lot of people don't realize the types of players that are DHing for other teams.

I think people are coming around to this. I'm not sure what it is.

But it could be that he's not a cleanup hitter. I may be wrong, but I feel like his whole AB approach has changed since being moved down there. He looks more and more like pre-2011 Gordon with his approach lately.

When you can't run or field then hitting had better be pretty ****ing good.

Amazing small-mindedness. It's a 162 game season. We're aren't going to the playoffs because of our .690 team OPS. Obviously, 2nd base has been a disaster, but so has SS.

Our GM is to blame.

By the way, it appears we got nothing for Greinke, and gave away a ton for Shields.

He won the Silver Slugger at his position just last year.
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In a year that we were out of it by May. As it was stated earlier, Billy seems to do real good when the pressure is off. I won't take away from what he did last year as it deserves props but I have to view it in context as well.

You want to know why he hurts the team being purely a DH? Because we can't give other guys a mental/physical rest from the field, like most good teams do with the DH spot.

Butler can only be a DH, thus the spot is not available to any other player on our roster. I mean wouldn't it be nice to let Sal just bat one game, when he needs a break from behind the plate? Wouldn't it be good to let Moose DH a game when he's coming back from the nagging calf injury? I'm sure Gordon could use a break now and again from Left. Same with Hoz at first.

We can't do any of this stuff, unless you want to take Billy's bat out of the lineup. And unfortunately, we can't do anything like that with the current selection of players we have out there. Even though he's not driving the ball like last year (or like he should be), he still does get on base and at least have the possible threat of doing something with the bat.

WHY THAT WOULD NEVER WORK

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/OA7HUvUXasg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/xkDYVF8e3ew" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I am at work so I can't see his.. I assume these are videos of a 2 out bunt working??

2 out bunts by Chris Getz working.

So I guess people now thinking bunting with 2 outs and the go ahead run at 3rd is a good thing????? :facepalm:

2 out bunts by Chris Getz with a runner on 3rd, I should clarify.

That's the DH position. Subpar fielders that can swing the bat. Ortiz, Edgar Martinez, Victor Martinez, Harold Baines, Jason Giambi...on and on.
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Yeehaw....I stand by the opinion that it was beyond boneheaded

Tired of hearing Butler sucks. If there is a better option by all means lets hear it, but there isn't. Dude is probably going to hit like .295 with 17 HR with a great OBP. Sure he lets us down some times with double plays and is slow, but Butler is hardly wrong with this team.

I'm still upset that we didn't trade Santana. I've been on record many times saying I didn't like the Schields trade & not trading Santana for something. You would have had a very nice return for Santana, and you would be selling high. Resigning him is not really an option and I don't know if overpaying to resign him is even worth it. The Schields trade basically screws this team for long term success. It is just a way for Dayton to keep his job, and unfortunately it looks like he will be sucessful with that. Even not taking into account THE NEXT 5 YEARS, the trade was BARELY in KC's favor this year. 5 years of Myers, Odorizzi etc would have been nice, instead of a Schields rental for ONE YEAR THAT WILL MATTER (2014).

That's one way to look at it opposite the "win now" view. The only problem is we have heard "it's not about this year but the next X years.." for the last 25 years.

As for Butler, Deez I think puts it best when he says Butler means more to this team\lineup than he would on some other team. I was all for trading Bill the last 2 years and would have and brought up Myers. Instead we opted to stay with fails like Hoch and French.

What I am tired of hearing is how great our Farm system is and what not. It hasn't translated to the ML's. Other teams draft far beneath us yet somehow manage to get guys up quicker and see them perform better than our "stars".

dayton moore should of gotten a dam 2nd baseman


also we have too many slappy bats on our roster


when you have 3 or 4 guys in your lineup that have to bunt to get a hit. That struggle to get the ball out of the infield then you are in trouble

I blame Butler for having a fairly lame seaon overall, but I can't get too pissed over him smashing a liner that was caught.

In Billay's defense though he is 12th in the AL for times on base.

We've been a piss poor team at the plate all ****ing year. I'd like to be able to hang it on one moment or a certain set of guys.

The reality is every single starter has ****ed this team long and hard at some point in the season. Butler has pissed me off quite a bit because I still believe in his potential, but I can't single him out.

I see what you did there.

He's hitting over .300 and OPSing over .850 with RISP.

Yeah, Billy sucks in pressure situations.

Not just RISP. He's doing fine in high-leverage situations. He's not just hitting solo home runs in the 9th down four runs.

Billy should be hitting more doubles. That's been the biggest disappointment.

Otherwise: Billly. Is not. The problem.

What a hilariously overblown thread title. We went from supposedly having a chance at the playoffs to being out of it....

... in 6 outs? 2/9 of one game in a 162-game season?

If we had, say 2% chance before the game, we may have had 1.9% or 1.95% after the game.

It's Petetard. It's the umps. It's the refs. It's Butler.

This team made the run they did because of arms.

Had Dayton Moore been doing his ****ing job in the off season, 2nd base would have been addressed and there would be a power bat in the middle of this lineup. Christ what I wouldn't give for Adam Dunn.

One more thing Pete: Gordon's glove does not make up for his sick bat. It adds some value I guess. But he could make 10 errors and I'd accept them if he were hitting.

Pete you need to accept the fact that you're a reactionary idiot type fan. The rest of the board already does.

Love,

Will

Yeah, let's talk about Gordon.

I love Alex. But his hitting for the last three months has been awful, and even worse since the All-Star break.

But he's not FAAAAAAAAAAT.

Billy Butler OPS -
Low Leverage - .780
Medium Leverage - .814
High Leverage - .940

Bases Empty - .795
Men on Base - .823
Men in Scoring - .862

LMAO

Butler's OPS? 46th in the league.

.. and number 1 on the Royals if youre counting people with more than 50 ABs. This is the real problem.

I never said he was "the problem". That's just some of you reaching. I am saying at the moment he stood to be the one to put this team into a great position to really compete he didn't come through.

You guys act like Butler is some hard to find commodity when in reality he isn't. I don't disprove of him being on this team but I wouldn't care if he were traded either.

Out of 255 everyday players.

That places him at the 82nd percentile. He outperforms 81.96 percent of all other major league starters.

Terrible. Who wants that guy?

Your and idiot if you really believe this.

Guys who can consistently OPS .830, like Butler, ARE hard to find.

A lot of that has to do with walks which several of were intentional and I would speculate were also earlier in he season before everyone figured out he will swing at junk and is a DP machine.