Royals Hire New Position Coaches

[phisherman]

Royals hire Seitzer, Gibbons as coaches
By BOB DUTTON
The Kansas City Star

The Royals filled out their on-field staff Monday morning by hiring former Toronto manager John Gibbons as their bench coach and returning Kevin Seitzer to the organization as hitting coach.

The two hirings complete manager Trey Hillman’s 2009 staff. Pitching coach Bob McClure, first-base coach Rusty Kuntz, bullpen coach John Mizerock and Owen are returning to the staff.

“I’m very pleased with the amount of energy and overall baseball experience we’ve been able to add to our Major League staff with John Gibbons and Kevin Seitzer,” general manager Dayton Moore said. “John’s recent American League experience as the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays will be a tremendous asset to Trey and the rest of the coaching staff.

“I’m also excited to bring Kevin into our organization. He was an exciting player and fan favorite during his days as a Royal, and possesses the same amount of passion and energy as a coach.”

Gibbons, 46, served 4½ years as the Blue Jays manager before his firing last June 20. He led the club to a 305-305 record in that time. Former bench coach Dave Owen will become the third-base coach on the reconstituted staff.

Seitzer, 46, spent the first six seasons of his 12-year playing career with the Royals. He batted .323 as a rookie in 1987 and finished second in balloting for American League Rookie of the Year.

Seitzer spent part of the 2007 season as the hitting coach at Arizona. He and former Royals teammate Mike Macfarlane operate a baseball-training facility in the Kansas City area.

The Royals also announced former third-base coach Luis Silverio would remain in the organization in the player-development department. His primary job will be to help young Latin players in their transition to professional baseball.

Silverio, 51, recently completed his 33rd year with the Royals. He spent the last six seasons as a coach on the big-league staff,

“I’m delighted that Luis has chosen to remain with our organization and serve in this newly-created position,” Moore said. “He will work with all of our young players as they come through the system, with an emphasis on communicating with the younger Latin kids as their skills develop and begin their professional careers.

“Luis has a terrific working knowledge of our organization and his ability to communicate our values to them will only make the player more comfortable as they grow within our system.”

http://www.kansascity.com/news/break...ry/838773.html

Man, Seitzer could be a great hitting coach!

[kstater]

Gets me every time.


Rusty Kuntz

[tk13]

Originally Posted by CarolinaChiefz

First off, there's no such thing as a "fair weather" Royals fan. When you haven't won anything in 23 years, and you still have the energy to even care, that's the very definition of not being "fair weather".

If you'd like to compare baseball knowledge, that's another topic. But the simple fact is, this team has been not just bad, but historically bad for most of the past 10 years, and the owner finally doing what he should have been doing all along for ONE year doesn't mask this fact.

Do you work for the Royals? There seems to be an elevated sense of hostility in even discussing this...especially about a franchise that's been less successful the past 20 years than the LA Clippers, the previous benchmark for pro sports futility.

If you cared you'd know we'd spent money the past three seasons, signed guys like Meche and Guillen, had the biggest offer on the table for Kuroda but he turned us down, had the biggest offer on the table for Torii Hunter until the Angels swept in at the last minute and one-upped us. And we will probably once again be big players in free agency.

We've spent as much money in the draft as anyone the past few seasons, not just one. We've increased our presence internationally... we're going after players from Japan. Dayton has put an emphasis on being top-10 in scouting Latin America. Adding a 7th minor league affiliate to help improve player development.

The discussion has moved on... it's not about just spending money, it's about spending it wisely. Whether spending money for guys like Guillen, Furcal, etc, are smart moves.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by tk13

Whether spending money for guys like Guillen, Furcal, etc, are smart moves.

Please, no.

[CarolinaChiefz]

"If you cared you'd know..."

Let me get this straight: I don't care because I'm not satisfied with 23 straight seasons of mostly terrible baseball? It takes a leap the size of Carl Peterson's id to connect those dots.

Yes, I know they've signed Gil Meche and Jose Guillen. Neither of them were considered the elite players at their positions in free agency. But the point is valid. It was better than, say, 4 years ago.

Consider the upcoming free agent crop. The players who make the most sense, IMO, when contrasted with the R's needs are players like Teixiera, Adam Dunn, Brad Penny (if he opts out) and Ben Sheets. Think the Glass family will get in the bidding on any of these? Or do you think they'll focus more on retreads like Raul Ibanez, Bobby Abreu and Rafael Furcal? You can guess what I think they'll do, I'd imagine.

I'm not saying that spending FA money is necessarily the way to go, especially not in the long term. But until the farm system begins to regularly bear fruit (and that's still likely 2-3 years away), if they want to be competitive, they're going to have to augment the lineup this way, as there just isn't a ton of talent on the major league roster to trade away.

I'm more hopeful, as I said, than I was 5 years ago. But I need the results on the field.

SHOW.

ME.

[tk13]

We did go after those top tier guys. We'll probably throw a bone out there again. We were right at the top of the bidding for Torii Hunter, and if I'm not mistaken he signed a bigger FA contract than just about any position player, did he not? And we were the leading #1 bidder up until the very last day.

And we did get outbid. But then that's where you have to weigh... would it be worth it to continue to up the bid over $20 mil a year for Torii Hunter? If you think so, then that's fair, but a separate argument.

But the reality of the situation is, no we aren't going to be able to sign all those top guys, but neither will the Indians, Rays, Rockies, etc. We can go after one or two, but the reality is that many of them probably aren't going to be serious about coming here until we start having more success. Winning 75 is a step in that direction, maybe we have a slightly better shot. But unless we can really pull a good sell job you're just gonna have to be patient and hope all this talent we're accumulating in the lower levels works their way up. Until then all we can do is complain.

[jidar]

Originally Posted by CarolinaChiefz

Yes, but that would require spending real money. Not two-first-round-picks money. REAL money. Free agent & internal player retention money (see Beltran, Dye, and hopefully Greinke, with different results).

The kind of money that, despite Jackson county ponying up $250M (more ?) in a recession, the Glass family has yet to commit to the product on the field.

Apparently, in a recent questionnaire about improving fans' experience at the K, several options were listed. Noticeably absent? Better players/better team. Reason? It's cheaper to buy another hot dog stand, miniaturized field for 4-year-olds, or set of toilets than it is a power-hitting corner outfielder, another frontline starter, or anyone else who isn't Mark Teahen, Ross Gload or ....gulp....TPJ.

This is Missouri. SHOW ME.

Bah, they've been doing much better at spending money of late and it's starting to show on the field. This is still a small market team let's not forget, and Rome wasn't built in a day. Yes I know they've sucked for years, but the past two is where they've finally started to spend some money and the results are starting to show, let's give credit where it's due.

[banyon]

What, no one with "print em"?

Ok, well...

(AHEM)


PRINT EM'!!!

[Mecca]

Adam Dunn would give the Royals a legit power guy...

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Mecca

Adam Dunn would give the Royals a legit power guy...

**** no. We need another soft hitting "glove." After all, it looks like Gload might be losing playing time, so we need to find a replacement.

[triple]

Originally Posted by CarolinaChiefz

"If you cared you'd know..."

Let me get this straight: I don't care because I'm not satisfied with 23 straight seasons of mostly terrible baseball? It takes a leap the size of Carl Peterson's id to connect those dots.

Yes, I know they've signed Gil Meche and Jose Guillen. Neither of them were considered the elite players at their positions in free agency. But the point is valid. It was better than, say, 4 years ago.

Consider the upcoming free agent crop. The players who make the most sense, IMO, when contrasted with the R's needs are players like Teixiera, Adam Dunn, Brad Penny (if he opts out) and Ben Sheets. Think the Glass family will get in the bidding on any of these? Or do you think they'll focus more on retreads like Raul Ibanez, Bobby Abreu and Rafael Furcal? You can guess what I think they'll do, I'd imagine.

I'm not saying that spending FA money is necessarily the way to go, especially not in the long term. But until the farm system begins to regularly bear fruit (and that's still likely 2-3 years away), if they want to be competitive, they're going to have to augment the lineup this way, as there just isn't a ton of talent on the major league roster to trade away.

I'm more hopeful, as I said, than I was 5 years ago. But I need the results on the field.

SHOW.

ME.

he just told you all the reasons why the culture is different now, and common sense tells you it's going to be a five year plan or so to rehab an organization from ashes... but you're going to spit out your pacifier and bawl as long as they don't drop a world series trophy in your lap, so what's the point?

[triple]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

**** no. We need another soft hitting "glove." After all, it looks like Gload might be losing playing time, so we need to find a replacement.

if you've got a good lineup you can put a homer or nothing guy in there. i'd rather have balanced bats for now. he's an accessory once your team is already getting a lot of runners on.

[Mecca]

Look now with Dunn you shouldn't just look at his BA, he walks a ton to so his OBP is always very high plus his power.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by triple

if you've got a good lineup you can put a homer or nothing guy in there. i'd rather have balanced bats for now. he's an accessory once your team is already getting a lot of runners on.

Right now this team needs someone with power. A ML team can't go into the last week (if it wasn't, it was very close) of the season without someone hitting 20 HRs. ****ing pathetic.

[Coach]

Another move that I am waiting to see is that Tony Pena Jr. DFA'ed.

[CarolinaChiefz]

Originally Posted by triple

he just told you all the reasons why the culture is different now, and common sense tells you it's going to be a five year plan or so to rehab an organization from ashes... but you're going to spit out your pacifier and bawl as long as they don't drop a world series trophy in your lap, so what's the point?

Pacifier? Really?? Literally L'ing OL. I believe I've expressed legit concerns about the "plan" to which we've all been witness, and you keep bringing the conversation back to some obtuse, ill-formed conclusion that I'm somehow "a fair weather fan", being a baby, or some other non-sensical point.

World Series trophy? Nah. I'd like 82+ wins with more regularity than once every 5 Olympic cycles...and...dare we dream???...a playoff appearance more often than once every 23 years.

Since our guys have last tasted post season, compact discs have gone into widespread distribution, Michael Jackson has been through 5 noses, Kiss has had 17 farewell tours, and Carl Peterson was an effective sports executive.

Here's an idea: get over yourself. After 20+ of futility and 35+ years of being a fan of this franchise, I've earned the right to be a little frustrated (and Jackson county taxpayers moreso), even if things have improved--albeit modestly--of late. If you struggle to understand this, or moreover, childishly attack anyone with an opinion counter to yours, methinks we've got little left to discuss. I'm cool with a difference of opinion. Everyone's entitled to what they think, including me. But the dismissive/petty stuff is just nonsense. Even if you WERE David or Dan Glass.

Either way, we want the same thing (I assume): for the Royals to be a respectable, winning franchise again.

Show.

Me.