KC Royals - The Hot Corner

2011 Topps Gypsy Queen

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Fri, 20 May 2011 19:17:00 +0000

Just wanted to post a pic of a cool card I pulled when busting a box of Gypsy Queen....autographed David Ortiz, with the "Happy 60th" birthday wish for Topps inscribed.

Numbered to only 60 cards (mine is 30 of 60)...I thought this was a pretty nice pull.

Jose Bautista: Fact or Fiction?

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:05:00 +0000

Jose Bautista. Is he for real, or is something going on here? It’s hard for me (or anyone, for that matter) to say. I hate to speculate about any performance enhancing drugs, as I hope that era of the game is behind us, although that’s probably wishful thinking. Guys have been on some form of PED for years now…whether as some kind of stimulant, steroids, or HGH…the list goes on, and history tells us guys will always look for an edge of some kind.

But one does have to wonder about guys like Bautista and the resurgent Bartolo Colon. I like to think Bautista is just a good story. Maybe it’s a combination of a guy working hard and being given a chance to play. The Blue Jays gave Bautista a chance in 2009, when he had 336 at bats and hit 13 homers with a .757 OPS. A nice season, sure, but certainly not indicative of what 2010 would bring. Bautista, as we all know, played a full season (161 games) and had a breakout year, putting up MVP type numbers with 54 homers, 124 RBI, and a .995 OPS. Nobody could have seen that production coming, especially out of a 30 year old hitter with no track record of success.

And his story keeps getting better. As we move through the 2011 season, Bautista has actually IMPROVED. He’s currently batting .372 with a .522 OBP (a number reminiscent of Barry Bonds). He’s got 16 homers through 34 games and boasts a 1.365 OPS. As of this writing, he has a combined 690 at bats from 2010 through May 18, 2011. Over that stretch, he’s smashed 70 home runs, meaning he knocks one over the fence every 9.8 at bats. This comes after he posted a total of 59 home runs in 1,638 at bats from 2006-2009 (a homer every 27.7 at bats).

Is it fair to speculate? I don’t know. But you know what? I don’t know if what he’s doing is “real” either. Maybe it is. Maybe he’s one of the great stories in the last decade of baseball, and we should celebrate his success. Blue Jays fans (and fans of the game in general) should just enjoy the ride. Unfortunately, (for Bautista and fans of the game) the dark shadow cast by players like Bonds, McGwire, Clemens, and Sosa, makes it impossible to not wonder.

It's not fair. Bautista shouldn't have to suffer any speculation, and fans shouldn't have to wonder. Personally, I'll root for him and stay angry at the legends who gave us reason to doubt, injecting a little cynicism into the game for the coming years, and maybe forever.

BoSox Land Adrian Gozalez

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 16:33:00 +0000

Big news here for the AL East. Youk should slide to third base, and Beltre is officially out of town.

Tweeted on the topic and was noticed (and quoted) by a Sox blogger...

http://storify.com/mikecarlucci/red-sox-catch-adrian-gonzalez

David DeJesus - To Trade, or not to Trade...

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 20:47:00 +0000

With the trade deadline approaching, Kansas City fans are hopeful that players like Jose Guillen can be moved elsewhere for something (ANYTHING) to make way for a young player - maybe even the return of Alex Gordon in his new role as a corner outfielder. Is that a pipe dream? Maybe...maybe not. Guillen is hitting this year, and if KC will pony up a few million dollars towards his salary, I think a trade partner could be found. I'm not sure the team would receive much of value in return, but it may be valuable enough to give a player in Omaha the chance he won't get as long as Guillen is wearing Royal blue.

The real value on the trade market for the Royals lies with fan favorite (and one of the best, most consistent Kansas City players over the past several seasons) David DeJesus. And according to rumors, there is interest in DDJ. An article by Nick Cafardo at Boston.com regarding possible player trades says the following about DeJesus:

A solid offensive player who can play all three outfield positions, he is affordable at $4.7 million, with an option for next season at $6 million. The Red Sox, Yankees, and Padres are possible bidders, but the Royals are said to be asking for more return than is acceptable to the suitors.

Some fans will surely wonder why Dayton Moore would ask for too much...pricing himself out of any trade at all (I've seen the argument online at various fan communities). Personally, I say "Good for you, Dayton." Why not shoot for the moon? Should we settle for whatever a team will give us? I say no. We've seen that before (too many times). Johnny Damon, Jermaine Dye (Neifi Perez, anyone?), Carlos Beltran...the list goes on.

DeJesus is a valuable player. He can play defense - and not just league average defense - GREAT defense. He can play all three outfield positions. He can hit...and he's on FIRE right now. Look at the numbers then tell me a team in contention wouldn't benefit from DDJ's services. You can't tell me that, can you? He would be a fantastic (and affordable) addition to several teams. And if Dayton Moore is asking for "too much," well...so be it. We can always keep him and exercise his option for 2011 (at a very reasonable $6 million). God forbid we got stuck with the guy because Dayton won't settle for any offer Boston or New York sends his way. If a big payday isn't in the cards, then I'd rather the Royals keep the player who could easily be their All-Star representative in 2010 (in my opinion).

Not to mention, the only guy more popular on the team is probably Zack Greinke. Fans love DeJesus, and with good reason, he an approachable and likable guy...who, by the way, plays some damn good baseball.

The teams mentioned above by Cafardo aren't the only interested parties...I would bet plenty of general managers will come calling (the last rumor I saw mentioned the Giants). DeJesus is a great fit for many teams out there (including the Royals). Let the bidding begin.

Has it been that long?

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:00:00 +0000

Wow...a little over a month since the terrible play of the Royals drove me away from being able to consistently blog. Amazing how a bad team can suck the productivity right out of a person.

I suppose there is a lot to catch up on. Hillman's out, Yost is in. Greinke got his second win! Gordon is in AAA getting in work as an outfielder. DeJesus is allegedly on the trade block. What else? Oh...Bud Selig is in town today, and will make a pregame announcement to those in attendance. The word is - Kansas City gets the 2012 All Star Game.

Aside from that - the Big 12 has 10 teams, and the Big 10 has 12?

Huh?

I have more to say...that will come later this week. Just wanted to check in. Will have comments on DeJesus (do we keep him or trade him?), the KC draft, and probably more....

Moves That Make Sense

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Fri, 07 May 2010 19:05:00 +0000

Well it's been a couple of weeks since I last wrote about Kansas City baseball...and with good cause...every time I think about this team, I get a little bit depressed.

In the time since that last post, the Royals have made some moves and shuffled some things around. Most notable is the recalling of Mike Aviles and designation of Alex Gordon. Ah...Alex Gordon...The Chosen One. Or maybe not.

Gordon is now making a transition to left field, in an effort, I suppose, to give us a potential power hitting corner outfielder. Will it work? I dunno. But it's worth a shot and I guess better than just throwing in the towel. In the meantime, though, it's good to see Aviles back with the big league club. Aviles has shown that he can, in fact, hit major league pitching (something Gordon has yet to prove on a consistent basis). Aviles gives positional flexibility on defense as well. Chris Getz not hitting well? Plug Aviles in at 2B. Yuni Betancourt underwhelming us at shortstop? Aviles. Callaspo playing horrible defense at the hot corner? Aviles. Maybe Mike Aviles is the real Chosen One. At least for now.

My one gripe in all of this...Chris Getz hasn't done a lot to impress me outside of the first seven games or so. The offense did look better before he was injured, and he does play a much better second base than Callaspo, but his bat just isn't looking good right now. I could argue that maybe Gordon deserves a spot on the roster more than Getz...but if they're serious about the position change for Alex, probably better to do it in AAA. I don't necessarily like Getz on the roster, but I can see where the organization's hands are a little tied.

Oh. And Kila is on the roster. Let's hope they actually let him play rather than sit the bench for two weeks. That would just be a waste of time for all involved.

Well played, Mauer....

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 14:48:00 +0000

Hilarious.

Canadian Beatdown

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 14:39:00 +0000

I had a bad feeling about this Toronto series. The Royals Radio pregame show had a discussion about how Toronto was floundering, had a weak lineup, and no real pitching depth in the rotation. When you're the Royals, that kind of talk gets a Canadian flag thrown over your head while members of the Blue Jays run by and beat you in the stomach with a bar of soap in their socks...Full Metal Jacket style. And make no mistake about it - after all the years of futility, the Royals are the MLB version of Private Pyle.

As soon as I heard Scott Podsednik would be out of the lineup, having traveled back to KC to handle a personal matter, I thought we might be in trouble. He's been the real spark in this lineup, hitting in the two position between DeJesus and Butler. Then the news came across the airwaves that catcher Jason Kendall would get his first day off - another spark towards the bottom of the order. The two of them were replaced by Brayan Pena (who had one at bat prior to Monday night's game) and Mitch Maier. Ouch.

Not to mention we have another sinkhole in the lineup with Alex Gordon back from his injury. I have lost all faith in Gordon, and the fact that he's batting .167 (yeah, I know, small sample size so far) and has already struck out twice hasn't changed my tune.

Bannister has his first rough outing to top it all off, and we get an 8-1 loss at the hands of the Blue Jays.

Looking at various articles this morning, I'm left wondering why Trey Hillman would want to keep Pods out of the lineup again today. According to an article I found at Yahoo Sports, Hillman says he doesn't like to play guys who are traveling. Well...okay...but would you rather have Pods in the two hole batting .457, or have to shuffle the lineup and stick Maier back in the bottom of the lineup so he can try to improve on his .100 average? I say go with the guy hitting .350 points higher...but what do I know? Yeah...Pods may be a little tired, but I think I'd take my chances. And if he looks a little sluggish, well, you can always pull him. Oh wait. No...your hands are tied there, aren't they Trey? I almost forgot Dayton Moore has screwed this roster up so badly that you're short handed on the bench because you have to carry 13 pitchers....

Speaking of 13 pitchers - why is Luis Mendoza (22.50 ERA, 3.25 WHIP) still on this roster? Time to make room for another position player guys. There is absolutely no point in having this clown continue to to give up three or four hits per outing. Give your manager the roster flexibility he needs, Dayton. Recall Aviles, or bring up Kila...do anything but let Mendoza continue taking a roster spot away from a more deserving player. I think we've all seen enough.

Rupe! There it is....

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:22:00 +0000

Is it very exciting? No. But heads had to roll...and so, first on the chopping block is Roman Colon. And in his place? Right hander Josh Rupe.

Rupe was with KC this spring and did not impress the powers that be, posting a 6.30 ERA over 10 innings of work. Since going to Omaha, Rupe has thrown five innings and allowed no runs. He's given up two hits, struck out four, and walked one.

Prior to joining the Royals, Rupe was a pitcher in the Texas Rangers' system, logging just over 132 big league innings. Over that stretch, he's posted a 4.95 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP. He throws four pitches - fastball, slider, curve, and a change - with the fastball sitting right around 90 MPH.

For his career, he's done well to induce ground balls, with a 53.6 percent rate...however that rate has dropped since since posting a 66.3 percent rate in 2006. In his last two trips to the big leagues he's induced grounders at a rate of less than 50 percent, although 2009 was an extremely small sample size of only 4.2 innings (but he tossed 89.1 innings in 2008 and posted a similar number).

Most disturbing though, is his K/BB rate, which is low at 1.17.

Still though, at least they're trying to shake it up a bit. Will this move pay dividends? Maybe. Maybe not. But it's better than doing nothing, and allowing Colon - who has only managed to get through two innings in five games while posting an 18.00 ERA - to take the mound again in a high pressure situation.

If Rupe can just be a "normal" mediocre reliever and post an ERA close to his career mark, well, let's just say 4.95 is a hell of a lot more tolerable than what Colon's managed thus far.

Let's just hope this is only the first step taken in an effort improve what has so far been a colossally bad bullpen.

Playing Cards with Orlando Hudson

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 15:40:00 +0000

Hey Orlando. Good to see you. Glad you could make it to poker night. What's that? You've got your own deck? Complete with race cards I see....

I'm sure we've all seen the Orlando Hudson story by now. According to Hudson, Jermaine Dye remains a free agent more than one week into the 2010 season because he's black. That's some claim. And I'm not going to completely rip Hudson for coming out and saying it...his perception is driving his comments. Perception equals opinion, and opinion can't be wrong, can it? People get paid all over this great nation to share their opinions on sports, politics, finance, etc. Doesn't mean it's fact...but some opinions do carry weight - and any time there is even a hint of racism (perceived or otherwise) I suppose there is call for alarm.

Now if it seems I'm taking this lightly, I apologize. I am not a racist, nor do I condone racism in any way. And this topic is such a slippery slope, I really don't like commenting on it...but in this case, I feel like I should. Let's get started.

Using the Jermaine Dye situation (if it can really be called a "situation") as his example, he calls baseball out for not signing African-American ballplayers. Last season, with the White Sox, Dye made $11 million dollars. His production dropped. He got a year older (as people tend to do). So...how much is a 36 year old outfielder - one who hit .250 (a 42 point drop from 2008) with well below average range in the OF worth? Last season, in addition to the negative factors I just mentioned, Dye's SLG dropped nearly 100 points. His home run total, RBI total, and number of runs scored all decreased (granted, RBI and runs are kind of arbitrary stats, dependent on other batters as well, but they're still numbers players/agents use as negotiating tools). He hit 41 doubles in 2008. In 2009? 19. So far, of all the factors I've mentioned, the only increase has been in age (which is generally a negative).

On the positive side, he did draw 20 more walks in 71 less plate appearances. He's a good guy. He's a veteran presence...a leader in the clubhouse. He still managed to hit 27 homers, so he's got some pop left in his bat. He'd probably be a great DH, or a guy who could play RF once or twice a week in a pinch. But his skill set is declining. It happens. And when that happens? You guessed it...decrease in value.

Let's be clear about one thing. It's not that teams aren't offering Dye any money at all. The offers have come in - but for less money. In fact, in a quote from Rotowire found on his player page at Fangraphs.com (where I'm looking up all these stats I'm throwing at you), Dye says:

"There have been offers, just nothing worth it."

He has allegedly turned down offers from the Angels, Cubs, and Blue Jays. He has drawn interest from other teams as well...but nothing has materialized. The Nationals are interested, but how much will they offer? Enough to get Dye to sign on the dotted line? Point is...teams are offering him jobs.

What it seems to boil down to for me - and again, I'm not criticizing anyone for any comments or perceptions of racism - is there isn't much of a market for a 36 year old outfielder with declining skills at the plate and in the field. White, African-American, Latin-American, or otherwise. Dye's contract expired and the White Sox let him walk. He's refused to sign for his market value. He has every right to decline offers and hold out for the best deal possible, but the market will dictate what offers come his way, not the color of his skin. Markets shift all the time...and right now, teams seem like they're trying to get younger more often than not by building through the draft and promoting home grown talent.

And to be fair, there are white players who have taken pay cuts, or are without contracts, too. Jim Edmonds currently plays for $850,000. Jarrod Washburn is out of work. Jim Thome signed for $1.5 million.

It seems to me that if Dye is a victim of anything, it's less racism and more drop in productionism.

The Pretender

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:26:00 +0000

Barry Bonds popped up in the news the other day. I hadn't paid much attention to him for some time now, and this was the first I'd heard a peep out of him for at least year. He didn't have much of substance to say, but I did take one thing away from the article I read...Bonds is still pretending.

Barry says he's proud of Mark McGwire for coming clean. What does this imply? It implies that Bonds thinks McGwire did something wrong and needed to come clean. However, no mention of himself, because Barry himself did nothing wrong, and doesn't need to come clean. Right?

Bonds then mentioned how he, like McGwire (new hitting coach for the Cardinals), is doing a little coaching himself. He recently did a little one-on-one clinic with Philadelphia's Ryan Howard. Speaking on the experience, Bonds went on to say "God gave me a gift, and it's nice to let someone else see what God has given me. If you want it, I'll be happy to share it with you."

I think in this equation, God equals Balco? I'm not sure. Maybe I'm reading too much into this...overanalyzing. But, word of warning to Ryan Howard, if Barry tries to share his "gift" with you...run! Sharing needles is NOT the way to go.

In all seriousness though, it's just another example of Bonds the Pretender - this time pretending to be the great guy he wants to be seen as...but we've all seen the real Barry for too long now. There's no turning back, no tricking us into remembering you in a different light. And more importantly, no tricking the Hall of Fame voters into remembering you for anything other than what you really are. A fraud.

But you just go on pretending nothing ever happened, Barry...

Good, Bad, and Ugly

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 15:23:00 +0000

Another version of Good, Bad, and Ugly. I didn't want to start posting knee jerk reactions to games last week, or particular events as they unfolded. Figured the best way to go was to let the first handful of games play out, take a step back, and react. Decided to go with my second "Good, Bad, and Ugly" of 2010.

The Good

To start, the team seems a lot more athletic than it's been over the past few seasons. Ankiel is a pretty solid all around guy to this point. Most notably, he's running down balls in centerfield that I haven't seen a Royals' centerfielder track down for some time now. We had DeJesus there, and he's as steady as they come, but more suited for a corner outfield spot. Ankiel can flat out get after it, though. And he's hitting. So far.

Two more sources of added athleticism: Scott Podsednik and Chris Getz. Our defensive OF play has been great, and Getz is leaps and bounds ahead of Callaspo as a defender. The two of them have also shown they can get on base, and I think watching this team on the basepaths could be fun for a change (although I'm still not sold on Pods being a "great" baserunner, at least he CAN steal a base). I was very excited to get Getz in the Teahen deal, and so far, he's not disappointed.

I also have to mention the starting pitching thus far (minus the debut of Meche). They've looked fantastic. All of them (again, minus Meche). Zack, Luke (WOW), Bannister, and Davies have all done more than their share to get this team in the win column - but the bullpen (see "The Ugly") has been a trainwreck. I don't know how well this starting rotation will pitch over the course of a 162 game season, but so far, so good.

The Bad

The team is not taking advantage of the starting pitching and jumping out to leads. We still lack the offensive power we need to compete in the American League, and it shows. We're seeing starting pitchers allow anywhere from zero to three or four runs...and we need to capitalize. As an offense, we shouldn't barely be hanging on to a 1-0 nothing lead, or having to rally in the later innings to salvage a quality start. Hillman has as close as he's ever had to that "scrappy" roster he's wanted...and now we need to see that he can manage this team. Since we can't throw runs on the board in bunches, we need to see Hillman managing this offense into manufactured runs...and I haven't seen it enough yet. Even though we're playing small ball, with this bullpen, we're going to HAVE to average at least five runs per game to hang in there.

One more item for "The Bad." The handling of Mike Aviles. If Hillman/Dayton Moore weren't sold on his arm being recovered enough to play third base or shortstop, they should have sent him to Omaha from day one. In Omaha, he could play everyday, and his throws could be very easily monitored. As it stands, he's wasted a week on the big league roster, being used as a pinch runner, and we have no idea how his throws will look in a game situation. They've essentially wasted everyone's time by letting him sit the bench. The kind of move that makes me pull my hair out.

The Ugly

The bullpen. I don't really need to say any more than that, do I? I mean...the Royals are carrying 13 pitchers. Obviously, this won't last (they can't spread themselves so thin on the bench) but they need to figure out who their guys are going to be. And fast. Then either recall Aviles, or if his arm is in fact not ready, bring up Wilson Betemit to play as a multi-position sub, or...god forbid, give Kila a shot as a 1B/DH/pinch hitter.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:34:00 +0000

March 15, 2010 edition of Good/Bad/Ugly...

The Good

Royals vs. White Sox tonight at 9:05 is televised and Greinke is pitching. I'll be home in plenty of time to settle in and watch Zack throw. So far, Zack has thrown 6 innings of shutout baseball, posting a 0.00 ERA and striking out five. He's only allowed two hits and a walk so far, for a WHIP of 1.00. We don't have a ton to look forward to when it comes to Kansas City baseball, but we do have Zack.

Other good things: Butler and Callaspo have picked up where they left off - Butler is batting .318 so far and Callaspo .364 (both in 22 at bats). Luke Hochevar has looked decent in three innings as well...maybe things will click and he'll pitch worthy of his draft status.

The Bad

Kyle Davies...yuck. This kid seems to have all the raw ability in the world, but just doesn't have what it takes between the ears. Yeah, it's spring, and yeah, he's only thrown 7.2 innings...but damn...an ERA over 15 doesn't do a whole lot for me - anyone else?? He's allowed 17 hits, 6 walks, and 13 earned runs in that small sample size. My opinion - that small sample size is enough for me. Bye, Kyle. Good to have known you.

The Ugly

Injuries. Alex Gordon is out several weeks with a broken thumb. Will he ever break out? In addition, minor league shortstop Jeff Bianchi is likely out for the year with Tommy John surgery the likely solution to his injured elbow. I had high hopes that Bianchi would have a good year in 2010...but looks like his career will be put on hold for now. On the plus side, I guess it's better than losing one of our "prized" prospects like Hosmer, Moustakas, Montgomery, Crow, Myers, etc.

Sluggerrr Attacks!

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:18:00 +0000

TMZ.com is reporting that Sluggerrr attacked a Royals fan with his wiener...

Check it out here.

Could be an awesome idea for one of 2010's T-shirt Tuesdays...

Infield/Lineup Shuffle Defies Logic

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:37:00 +0000

Heading into 2010, the Royals made a trade with the White Sox, sending Mark Teahen to Chicago in exchange for Chris Getz (2B) and Josh Fields, a former first round pick who can play third base and some outfield.

Looking back at 2009, the KC infield included its two most consistent hitters: first baseman Billy Butler and second baseman Alberto Callaspo. Neither of these guys are gold glove material, although Butler seems to keep improving in the field. Callaspo, on the other hand, seems to make one mental mistake after another, and could work on improving his range and glove work as well. At a position like second base, defense is key, and most are of the opinion that Getz, with more defensive upside, will become the everyday player at that position.

So the shuffle begins…

If Getz becomes the second baseman, that leaves us with an alignment of Butler at first, Getz at second, Alex Gordon at third, and (unfortunately) Yuni Betancourt at short. Not exactly the type of infield that a pitcher can believe in defensively, especially up the middle. Betancourt seems to be lazy, and has definitely proven to be an underachiever. Getz, on the other hand, has potential, but only has one year under his belt to this point and is offensively weaker than Callaspo.

With the above alignment, the odd man out appears to be Callaspo. Where does Trey Hillman play him now? The popular idea among fans is to make Callaspo the DH, but isn’t that the ONLY place we can safely slot Jose Guillen into the lineup? We certainly don’t want Guillen roaming the outfield…and honestly, with his lack of range the term “roaming” is being more than generous.

Really, the most efficient way to get a defensive effort from Guillen would be to plant him in one spot, draw a circle around him (about eight feet in diameter), and ask him to defend that area. There’s just too much risk involved in leaving that circle. If he can get to a ball within his designated area, he’s still got a hell of an arm, right? (According to the MLB Network, he’s got one of the top five outfield arms in baseball).

Knowing what we know about Jose (not to mention that Dayton Moore has saddled this roster with a glut of outfielders)…he HAS to be the DH. Which means Callaspo is still without a position. We know he can play a little at 3B, but the Royals really have to put Gordon out there everyday this year. This is the season we need to find out about our “Man of Mystery.” Callaspo is squeezed out yet again. With second base, third base, and DH all locked down, where does Callaspo go?

If you ask me what makes the most sense, it would be to shop Guillen around in a trade and offer to pay 90 percent of his salary. When that fails (I really don’t think anyone would want him even at such a discount), the Royals swallow their pride (and several million dollars) and release Guillen, freeing up space on the roster for players who can, at the very least, still lightly jog. This scenario, however, makes way too much sense…meaning the Royals will surely not go this route. Where Guillen should be the odd man out, it still appears that title belongs to Callaspo.

What does all this mean? Apparently, by the Royals’ logic, Callaspo seems to be the expendable player in Kansas City’s lineup. Yes, this juggernaut of an offense (they were outscored in 2009 by every American League team except Seattle) can clearly afford to jerk around a guy who, in 2009, hit .300 in 155 games and posted an OPS of .813 (second on the team only to Billy Butler). Yet, heading into 2010, it seems that’s exactly what the “brains” of this operation are determined to do.

It’s this kind of thinking – or should I say this Palinesque disregard for simple logic – that could find the Royals ending crossing the 2010 finish line with the most anemic offense in the American League. You’re welcome, Seattle.

Alex Gordon: Man of Mystery

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:57:00 +0000

What do the Royals have in Alex Gordon? Do they even know? I'm sure they'd like to think he's still "the next George Brett," although I think that title may need to go to Billy Butler at this point. Butler, in my opinion, looks like the guy who will consistently hit .300 with a little pop.

But this isn't about Billy Butler, it's about Gordon. The enigma. The "Man of Mystery." I like calling him that...it's not only applicable, but gives me an excuse to use this picture of Austin Powers (and more importantly, the lovely "Femme-bots").

Again, I digress. Back to Alex. What we know is, he was supposed to be the next great Royals hitter. He was great in college, and great in his only minor league season in AA. And he's been less than impressive at the big league level. What we hope is that he's not a "bust."

In 2007, after only one year in the minors, Gordon came up and played everyday for KC at third base, logging 151 games and 601 plate appearances. He hit .247 that year, struck out quite a bit (137 times), but showed a little patience with 41 walks. He hit 15 homers that year, and added 36 doubles. Not the breakout rookie we all hoped for...but hey...not everyone has that monster rookie season.

The next season, he played in 134 games and had 571 plate appearance. He stepped up a little in year two, improving as a hitter. His average jumped 13 points to .260, and his OBP went way up to .351 (all the way from .314, a major improvement). His SLG even jumped a bit, up from .411 to .432 - all of which accounted for a .783 OPS in his sophomore season, which was a 58 point improvement from 2007.

Royals fans, including myself, thought 2009 would be it. The year Gordon would hit .280, launch 25 homers, drive in 90 runs...and we all know what happened. He started off slowly, we found out he had a pretty serious injury (same one A-Rod had) and by April 15, he was on the DL, headed for surgery. Oh crap.

He began rehabbing in Rookie ball towards the end of June, and played in the minors through mid-July. He came back to the Royals at that point, struggled, and went back to Omaha until September. This looked ugly, but again, he was recovering from a pretty serious injury. Anyway, he wound up playing only 49 games in 2009 for the Royals. He hit .232, had a .324 OBP, and .378 SLG.

Now we look to 2010. Is this the year? Is it 2010 that will see Alex hit 25 homers, 30 doubles, and knock in 90 runs? Is this the year he becomes a force in the middle of the lineup? Who knows? But he's still only 26. There is still time for him to put a nice run of seasons together. Royals fans - and more importantly, the Royals themselves - need this. We need Alex to become a key part of this lineup. For this offense to really succeed this year, and to have a hope of succeeding over the next three or four years, Gordon needs to step up and become a legitimate middle of the order guy. A guy who can hit somewhere between three and five (or worst case scenario, be very good hitting sixth).

Here's what I could see happening: Gordon proves that he is indeed a blossoming hitter, and he does build on 2008. He plays third base everyday and hits about .270 with 20 homers and 35-40 doubles. He also posts a nice OBP around .360 and has about .800 OPS.

Will it happen? Nobody knows.

For now, he remains simply a "Man of Mystery."

Eddie Money Rocked the National Anthem...

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:34:00 +0000

Who watched the KU/MU game in Lawrence last night? Eddie Money on the anthem, and then -from the look of this picture - he apparently got loaded up on painkillers before taking a seat behind Bob Knight. Surprised Knight didn't turn around and punch him in the face.

Tweet Tweet....

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:10:00 +0000

Follow along at twitter:

@royalshotcorner

You Down With OBP?

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:40:00 +0000

"Yeah you know me!"

Or in the case of Royals GM Dayton Moore: "No, not really."

Rick Ankiel is the latest in a flurry of off-season moves that have left me scratching my head. Looking at what he did last year, and yes I know he was banged up, paired with what he's projected to do in 2010...I don't like it one bit. I'd be surprised if his OBP can keep it's little head above water (and by above water, I'm only asking the guy goes .300+).

The addition of Ankiel also creates another problem, the Royals seem to have a surplus of outfielders now (seems like they have about 12 or so at this point). Clearly, there is going to be an odd man (or men) out. Who will it be? Since our shiny new toys are Ankiel and Scott Podsednik, I highly doubt one of them will be put out to pasture. I would hope they don't do anything with David DeJesus...although I keep wondering if they'll dangle him out in a trade and see what they can get (he's one of the few valuable pieces KC has to move in a trade).

So, that being said, at this point I assume our outfield is DeJesus in LF, Pods in CF, and Ankiel in RF.

That leaves us with Pods leading off (most likely) with a career OBP of .340 - which isn't terrible, but I'd think we'd demand more from a leadoff hitter. Not to mention he's 34 and on the decline. Dayton Moore will point to last year's numbers when defending this signing .Hell, at the Royals Fan Fest, Moore was talking Pods up based on his rookie year - back in 2003...pretty relevant, right?

Anyway...Pods leading off, DeJesus batting second maybe, and guessing Ankiel will hit somewhere between four and six in the order. Yikes.

Sorry, sidetracked...where were we? Odd men out in the outfield jumble...

Assuming they don't trade DeJesus - we've still got Jose Guillen, Mitch Maier, and Brian Anderson - which leaves us with six outfielders on the big league roster right now - not to mention Josh Fields (who can play corner outfield and corner infield), Willie Bloomquist, etc.

Not sure what to think at this point. If the plan is to move Guillen to DH full time, where does that leave Alberto Callaspo? I mean, he was only the second best hitter on the team last year behind Billy Butler. In the Mark Teahen trade, we picked up Chris Getz to play second base due to Callaspo's atrocious defense, which I assumed meant he would DH. Maybe not? Maybe he splits time with Guillen at DH, and also fills in at second and third?

As it stood a few weeks ago, I had a pretty good idea of what the starting lineup would be (and it wasn't pretty). Now, I really have no idea (outside of a couple of guys) and the moves we've made to add depth haven't made the team any better. Especially when you consider the guys we've brought in can't get on base....which I suppose ends my rambling and brings me back to OBP.

Some of our leftover players from last season who will likely start, or could at least see a lot of playing time, in 2010:

Yuni Betancourt (.274 OBP in 2009)
Bloomquist (.308)
Maier (.333)
Guillen (.314)

New guys:

Kendall (.331)
Podsednik (.353, although it was .322 in '08 and .299 in '07)
Ankiel (.285)
Fields (.301)
Getz (.324 - but I do like his potential)
Brian Anderson (.328 - his career OBP is .290)

Podsednik I'm guessing will come back to earth a bit, maybe have an OBP around .330...which means, looking at last year, Kendall and Maier are the "bright spots" and Maier has been squeezed out of a job (most likely). As far as potential, I like Getz, and that's about it. Although Dayton Moore, again at the Fan Fest, reminded those of us who watched his Q&A session that Betancourt was a very highly touted prospect once upon a time. When he was 16. Which was 12 freaking years ago.

Royals baseball...catch the fever!

Another International Signing?

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:36:00 +0000

Looks like the Royals are on the verge of signing Domincan shortstop Paul Carlixte.

I don't know much about this guy...and can't seem to find a scouting report for him online. Apparently he was a top ten international free agent, but lied about his age, which has his ranking at this point a big question mark.

So...we know he's a shortstop (which is always a plus) and that he lied about his age (but we don't know how old he is).

Other than that, all I can find is one little nugget of scouting that says he has soft hands and a quick bat.

Assuming they didn't find out the guy is actually 47 years old, I like the signing. And what I like even more is how aggressive the team has been in the international market. Good stuff so far...let's hope they keep it up and a couple of these guys are hits, rather than misses.

Happy Freaking New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:04:00 +0000

Just read this blog post from Joe Posnanski and threw up in my mouth a little bit. What a great read to start off the new year.....

Enjoy, Royals fans.

I really don't have much to add. After reading that post, I think I may be clinically depressed.

Jose Guillen Trade Rumor

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:03:00 +0000

What? Could it be? The Royals have found another team even remotely interested in this turd of a player??

Rumor has it KC is in talks with the NY Mets for a possible Jose Guillen trade. According to the NY Daily News, the Mets are after either Matt Holliday or Jason Bay (clearly much better options than Guillen), but have begun talks regarding Guillen as a Plan B option.

First of all, let me just say the fact that anyone is talking to KC about this deal makes me ecstatic. Secondly, the fact that their Plan A involves either Guillen or Bay coming to town makes me feel even better. I can't imagine either of those guys really want to go to the Mets. With all the other teams after them, I think the Mets (who are run by one of the worst GM's in baseball) are not a Plan A, B, C, or D option for Holliday or Bay.

Word is, coming back to KC in the deal would be a pretty solid outfielder named Angel Pagan. He can play centerfield, but is obviously blocked by a certain All-Star caliber player named Carlos Beltran. Wouldn't it be some kind of sweet justice for a solid player blocked by a former Royals great to be traded to KC for a current Royals albatross.

Last year, Pagan got a lot of time in the big leagues due to several injuries and managed to hit .306 in 343 at bats. Add to that 22 doubles, 11 triples, six homers...and the fact that he can play center and has good speed...the Royals should offer to pay Guillen's entire contract to get him out of town.

A week ago, I would've been happy to trade Guillen for a flaming bag of poo. Or a gym bag full of dirty jock straps. But now...we've got someone willing to deal an ACTUAL player for this clown. And one who could probably be in our opening day lineup.

Don't screw this up, Dayton. Get this guy out of here. (And while you're at it...throw in Mike Jacobs for a box of ball point pens and some post-it notes).

Jacobs, Bannister on the Block

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:47:00 +0000

No surprise that we'd part ways with Jacobs (good luck finding a trade partner, though). Bannister I could see moving for the right price...or I could see keeping around in the back end of the rotation.

Jon Heyman dishes on some trade rumors

Zack Wins!

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:20:00 +0000

As a Royals fan, this is the most excitement I've had in years....congrats Zack.

He won the award by receiving 25 out of 28 first place votes. A landslide. Looks like I'm not the only person with a man crush on Zack.

Zack or Felix?

noreply@blogger.com (Bob) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:43:00 +0000

In about 15 minutes we'll find out who wins the AL Cy Young (gotta be Zack, right?).

Here is a good read from The Hot Stone League at the Seattle Times website (where they predict Zack will win)....

Click for article.

Stay tuned for the results...