Royals 2012 Kansas City Royals Repository Thread - Page 378

**alnorth** · 10:54 PM

2012 Slogan: Our Time

A better, more accurate 2012 Slogan: It is Finally Next Year
(from Great Expectations)

An alternative slogan if you don't like that one: Someone has to win this crappy division
(from alnorth)

With the beginning of a new year, it is time for the 2012 version of the Royals Repository Thread. We've got Hosmer, we've got a 2011-dominating Gordon, we've got Moose, we've got hopefully a killer bullpen, we've got a stereotypical slow slugging DH, we've got easily one of the best defensive shortstops in the AL, we've got a promising catcher in Salvador Perez. Hell, we've got offense and promising prospects galore.

We do not have starting pitching.

Oh yeah, we've also got this:

Get ready for, (as of January 2012 anyway), one of the most confusing puzzles of a baseball season in recent Royals history. Will they suck? Maybe, I don't know. Will we be given a year of 0.500 baseball? Possibly, I don't know. Will they win the division and go to the playoffs for the first time in 27 years? For the first time in a long time, it could happen, I don't know. 92 losses, 92 wins, or anything in between would not surprise a lot of us.

Everything goes here except Gameday threads and really big news. If a giant story breaks, the Royals achieve some awesome milestone, or we sign/lose a highly significant player/coach/mascot/whatever, then it might also deserve its own thread. This being Chiefs Planet, please do not clutter the board with new threads about trivial Royals news or you will only annoy those who come here for just Chiefs football. If you aren't sure and its not a Gameday thread, it goes here.

What sort of stuff often goes here? SPchief explained it well, so I'll just copy that:

Quote:

If you locate something of interest.. ANYTHING.. deals on apparel, best ways in/out of the stadium, giveaways, great stories from this season or from seasons gone by, rumors, trades, anything.... feel free to post it here.

**ChiTown** · 07-19-2012, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

Trending on Twitter now....

Royals sign Neifi Pérez to a AAA contract.

It's the, "we're getting the band back together" month at the K............

**gblowfish** · 07-19-2012, 03:00 PM

If you want a real kick in the head, go back and read the first ten or so pages of this thread, and the nauseating optimism. Everyone thinks I'm a Royals pessimist, but hey, like I've always said, you can only get hit in the face with a frying pan so many times before you learn to duck!

ShowtimeSBMVP · 07-19-2012, 07:22 PM

Royals, Pirates Interested In Paul Maholm
By Mark Polishuk [July 19, 2012 at 8:19pm CST]

The Royals and Pirates have interest in Cubs left-hander Paul Maholm, sources tell Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago. Maholm, 30, has a 4.33 ERA and 2.32 K/BB ratio in 18 games (17 of them starts) for the Cubs this season and has about $1.97MM still owed to him in 2012 under the one-year deal he signed in January. The contract also contains a $6.5MM option for 2013 which could be a key factor for the Royals, who are known to be looking for veteran pitchers who are controllable past 2012.

Al Bundy · 07-19-2012, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Look forward to following the Royals on this board, and I agree with the sentiment in the 2011 thread that CP is the best board for Royals talk (though the Scout board is OK, too).

Here's to a 2012 that features:

1) Beast mode Eric Hosmer
2) Continued dominance from Alex Gordon
3) Great up-the-middle defense from the combo of Perez-Escobar-Cain
4) A full season of second-half 2011 Luke Hochevar
5) Danny Duffy harnessing his stuff
6) Jonathan Sanchez being more 2010 than 2011
7) Joakim Soria returning to form
8) Yuni Betancourt getting no more than 250 at-bats
9) Mike Moustakas keeping up what he started in September 2011
10) A great All-Star game
11) A Royals pennant chase
12) Mike Montgomery making an appearance on the scene

3 out of 12 ain't bad...

tk13 · 07-19-2012, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gblowfish

If you want a real kick in the head, go back and read the first ten or so pages of this thread, and the nauseating optimism. Everyone thinks I'm a Royals pessimist, but hey, like I've always said, you can only get hit in the face with a frying pan so many times before you learn to duck!

Before someone else calls me a homer ever again... look at what this brilliant person said.

Quote:

I think .500 is the goal. This franchise has had to climb a mountain just to get to that point. But I didn't think some of these guys would perform as well as they did. Still, some guys will regress this year... possibly even guys who will be good like Hosmer. Beltran hit .247 with 7 HRs his second year. What you're looking for is a 3-4 year window here in a couple years once these guys really reach their potential. That's what I'm excited about... getting Hosmer and Moose and Gordon all going full blast... then you bring in guys like Myers and Starling to take it to the next level.

But... if you can get a couple of these pitchers to truly wake up, like Hochevar or Paulino... then it's game on.

GloryDayz · 07-19-2012, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gblowfish

If you want a real kick in the head, go back and read the first ten or so pages of this thread, and the nauseating optimism. Everyone thinks I'm a Royals pessimist, but hey, like I've always said, you can only get hit in the face with a frying pan so many times before you learn to duck!

Amen......

Nightfyre · 07-19-2012, 10:18 PM

Interesting thought... why does it take a deadline to get deals done in sports? I want broxton, yuni, frenchy, dyson and bourgeois gone yesterday so myers, lough, robinson, gio and whatever pitcher can come up.

Al Bundy · 07-19-2012, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

Interesting thought... why does it take a deadline to get deals done in sports? I want broxton, yuni, frenchy, dyson and bourgeois gone yesterday so myers, lough, robinson, gio and whatever pitcher can come up.

Dyson may go... Broxton may go. The rest are here for the season.

duncan_idaho · 07-20-2012, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

3 out of 12 ain't bad...

1) Beast mode Eric Hosmer
2) Continued dominance from Alex Gordon
3) Great up-the-middle defense from the combo of Perez-Escobar-Cain
4) A full season of second-half 2011 Luke Hochevar
5) Danny Duffy harnessing his stuff
6) Jonathan Sanchez being more 2010 than 2011
7) Joakim Soria returning to form
8) Yuni Betancourt getting no more than 250 at-bats
9) Mike Moustakas keeping up what he started in September 2011
10) A great All-Star game
11) A Royals pennant chase
12) Mike Montgomery making an appearance on the scene

Oh, I think 3/12 is a low estimate. I'd say the five bolded things look like they're going to happen.

Gordon has continued to be an excellent all-around LF.

We haven't seen much of Cain, but what we have seen has shown serious defensive ability (even the play he made today, running down the ball in the right-center gap off Ryan's bad). Escobar and Perez have been just as great defensively as expected.

What I saw of Danny Duffy was a guy harnessing his stuff and learning how to pitch rather than just throw. Small sample size. Call that one incomplete.

And Moose has been a revelation. Much better defensively than expected, and having a very strong offensive campaign.

when I wrote that, it was a "best case scenario" type thing. Hosmer struggling is the most surprising, in my opinion.

JohnnyV13 · 07-20-2012, 02:13 AM

http://thevirilview.com/royals/2012/...g-edge-part-2/

The Winning Edge (Part 2)

Deberg_1990 · 07-20-2012, 06:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tk13

Before someone else calls me a homer ever again... look at what this brilliant person said.

heh,

Hey, whats your opinion on Yost? Is he the GUY that gets them over the hump??

Deberg_1990 · 07-20-2012, 06:47 AM

this is interesting. The Royals #9 hitters are the best in baseball this year, but their 3, 4 and 5 hitters are the worst. So yes, the Royals problems are deeper than just pitching. The heart of their lineup needs more power and to get more consistent.

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/07/19...e-best-in.html

Royals' No. 9 hitters are best in baseball
More News

I found it a bit puzzling that Royals manager Ned Yost said part of his decision to bat Lorenzo Cain in the cleanup spot for Sunday’s game against the White Sox was indifference.
“I mean, what difference does it make who you put 3-4-5,” Yost said. “It’s not a big deal.”
I had not heard that argument from a manager before, but I just filed it away. It came back to me when I decided to take a closer look at how the Royals hitters rank based on their spot in the batting order.

The Royals’ 3-4-5 hitters are ranked near the league bottom in a number of statistical categories this season, and that should come as no surprise. Sure, the pitching has been atrocious for the Royals, but they also lack in some key offensive categories.
While they are seventh in baseball in average (.268), the Royals are tied for 19th in runs scored with 378. They are also ranked 28th in baseball in walks and 27th in home runs. The lineup sorely needs some more pop, and here’s hoping that first baseman Eric Hosmer can provide that in the near future. Or perhaps Wil Myers.

If you’re looking for a silver lining this season (and we usually are by July), there’s this:
The Royals’ No. 9 hitters are the best in baseball, batting at a .290 clip, which is 16 points higher than second-place Texas. The slugging percentage by the Royals’ ninth-place hitters is .451, which is second to the the Blue Jays (.470).

Here is a look at how the Royals rank by batting order:
Average with MLB ranking
1st: .289 (6th)
2nd: .257 (18th)
3rd: .228 (27th)
4th: .241 (26th)
5th: .245 (22nd)
6th: .299 (3rd)
7th: .288 (3rd)
8th: .281 (2nd)
9th: .290 (1st)
On-base percentage with MLB ranking
1st: .369 (3rd)
2nd: .302 (25th)
3rd: .300 (28th)
4th: .317 (26th)
5th: .287 (29th)
6th: .347 (7th)
7th: .329 (7th)
8th: .327 (6th)
9th: .310 (5th)
Slugging percentage with MLB ranking
1st: .405 (11th)
2nd: .388 (17th)
3rd: .380 (26th)
4th: .401 (25th)
5th: .387 (25th)
6th: .477 (4th)
7th: .421 (13th)
8th: .382 (10th)
9th: .451 (2nd)

Great Expectations · 07-20-2012, 07:36 AM

With Billy hitting in the 3/4 slot how are those numbers possible?

Nightfyre · 07-20-2012, 07:39 AM

Hosmer has been our three hole hitter and struggled all year. Betancourt and frenchy spent some significant time as our 5 hole hitters, iirc. Hosmer should continue to develop and has plenty of room to add power. He's only 22 and therefore will continue to physically develop. Replacing yuni and frenchy with Myers should also result in improvement. We are a year away from having a deadly lineup. Whether or not moore can scrounge up a pitching staff is the question.

Nightfyre · 07-20-2012, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Great Expectations

With Billy hitting in the 3/4 slot how are those numbers possible?

Billy has been in the four hole like all year. He's slugging .467 or so with a .297 avg and .370 obp

07-19-2012, 03:00 PM	#5657
gblowfish Be Kind To Your Pets Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Glorious Independence, MO Casino cash: $17646178 VARSITY	If you want a real kick in the head, go back and read the first ten or so pages of this thread, and the nauseating optimism. Everyone thinks I'm a Royals pessimist, but hey, like I've always said, you can only get hit in the face with a frying pan so many times before you learn to duck!
Posts: 40,839

07-19-2012, 07:22 PM	#5658
ShowtimeSBMVP Chiefs Join Date: Feb 2009 Casino cash: $3556009	Royals, Pirates Interested In Paul Maholm By Mark Polishuk [July 19, 2012 at 8:19pm CST] The Royals and Pirates have interest in Cubs left-hander Paul Maholm, sources tell Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago. Maholm, 30, has a 4.33 ERA and 2.32 K/BB ratio in 18 games (17 of them starts) for the Cubs this season and has about $1.97MM still owed to him in 2012 under the one-year deal he signed in January. The contract also contains a $6.5MM option for 2013 which could be a key factor for the Royals, who are known to be looking for veteran pitchers who are controllable past 2012.
Posts: 23,755

07-19-2012, 10:18 PM	#5662
Nightfyre MVP Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Helena, MT Casino cash: $3538849	Interesting thought... why does it take a deadline to get deals done in sports? I want broxton, yuni, frenchy, dyson and bourgeois gone yesterday so myers, lough, robinson, gio and whatever pitcher can come up.
Posts: 18,557

07-20-2012, 02:13 AM	#5665
JohnnyV13 Veteran Join Date: May 2003 Location: Tucson AZ Casino cash: $6145200	http://thevirilview.com/royals/2012/...g-edge-part-2/ The Winning Edge (Part 2) Last edited by JohnnyV13; 07-20-2012 at 02:19 AM..
Posts: 4,156

07-20-2012, 06:47 AM	#5667
Deberg_1990 In Search of a Life Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: San Antonio Tx. Casino cash: $3894454	this is interesting. The Royals #9 hitters are the best in baseball this year, but their 3, 4 and 5 hitters are the worst. So yes, the Royals problems are deeper than just pitching. The heart of their lineup needs more power and to get more consistent. http://www.kansascity.com/2012/07/19...e-best-in.html Royals' No. 9 hitters are best in baseball More News I found it a bit puzzling that Royals manager Ned Yost said part of his decision to bat Lorenzo Cain in the cleanup spot for Sunday’s game against the White Sox was indifference. “I mean, what difference does it make who you put 3-4-5,” Yost said. “It’s not a big deal.” I had not heard that argument from a manager before, but I just filed it away. It came back to me when I decided to take a closer look at how the Royals hitters rank based on their spot in the batting order. The Royals’ 3-4-5 hitters are ranked near the league bottom in a number of statistical categories this season, and that should come as no surprise. Sure, the pitching has been atrocious for the Royals, but they also lack in some key offensive categories. While they are seventh in baseball in average (.268), the Royals are tied for 19th in runs scored with 378. They are also ranked 28th in baseball in walks and 27th in home runs. The lineup sorely needs some more pop, and here’s hoping that first baseman Eric Hosmer can provide that in the near future. Or perhaps Wil Myers. If you’re looking for a silver lining this season (and we usually are by July), there’s this: The Royals’ No. 9 hitters are the best in baseball, batting at a .290 clip, which is 16 points higher than second-place Texas. The slugging percentage by the Royals’ ninth-place hitters is .451, which is second to the the Blue Jays (.470). Here is a look at how the Royals rank by batting order: Average with MLB ranking 1st: .289 (6th) 2nd: .257 (18th) 3rd: .228 (27th) 4th: .241 (26th) 5th: .245 (22nd) 6th: .299 (3rd) 7th: .288 (3rd) 8th: .281 (2nd) 9th: .290 (1st) On-base percentage with MLB ranking 1st: .369 (3rd) 2nd: .302 (25th) 3rd: .300 (28th) 4th: .317 (26th) 5th: .287 (29th) 6th: .347 (7th) 7th: .329 (7th) 8th: .327 (6th) 9th: .310 (5th) Slugging percentage with MLB ranking 1st: .405 (11th) 2nd: .388 (17th) 3rd: .380 (26th) 4th: .401 (25th) 5th: .387 (25th) 6th: .477 (4th) 7th: .421 (13th) 8th: .382 (10th) 9th: .451 (2nd) __________________ Originally Posted by Cassel's Reckoning: Matt once made a very nice play in Seattle where he spun away from a pass rusher and hit Bowe off his back foot for a first down. One of the best plays Matt has ever made.
Posts: 66,914

07-20-2012, 07:36 AM	#5668
Great Expectations MVP Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Joplin, MO Casino cash: $13562338	With Billy hitting in the 3/4 slot how are those numbers possible? __________________
Posts: 7,226

07-20-2012, 07:39 AM	#5669
Nightfyre MVP Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Helena, MT Casino cash: $3538849	Hosmer has been our three hole hitter and struggled all year. Betancourt and frenchy spent some significant time as our 5 hole hitters, iirc. Hosmer should continue to develop and has plenty of room to add power. He's only 22 and therefore will continue to physically develop. Replacing yuni and frenchy with Myers should also result in improvement. We are a year away from having a deadly lineup. Whether or not moore can scrounge up a pitching staff is the question.
Posts: 18,557