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]

Don't start blaming the fans for any of this. Don't even start.

[KCUnited]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

There are a lot people in this thread that are coming back for crow after demanding sell, sell, sell.

I'm glad they kept him, he was struggling at the time, probably wouldn't have commanded much.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

I thought they should sell. EDIT: In retrospect, according to Buster Olney and others, there really wasn't much of a market even for Santana. The Cubs had to go begging for other teams interested in Garza to create a market outside of the Rangers.

But I never stopped being a fan, and although I still don't think they make the playoffs, I'm enjoying them winning. My goal for the rest of the year is to keep playing well and avoid those classic Royal cave-ins -- no more 8-game losing streaks or a 4-19 September.

Then have a strong offseason and shoot for the playoffs in 2014.

All of this.

The current run almost certainly isn't sustainable. However, I would have told you at the break that this run itself is almost certainly impossible.

So, hey, time to enjoy the ride.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by Coach

Not me.

I wanted buy, buy, buy. I was all in for the whole ****ing thing after the All Star break. Win the whole ****ing thing.

Me too. I know that the end of the all star break mad it tough but I just couldn't get over a feeling I have had about this team. That is why I made the post that this season would be turned into a movie at some point.

I know we still have a ways to go but we are making great progress. I just wish I would have put in writing a long time ago what I was thinking which was that Hosmer would finish the year batting over .300.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by Dr. Gigglepants

I was at the game Saturday, this town is excited about this team. Had to be over 35K in attendance. Can't even go to the store without the cashier talking about the Royals. What an idiot.
Posted via Mobile Device

Our mismanagement has been so long and so severe that we've essentially lost an entire generation of fans. Some of them have become soccer fans instead. I don't have any issue with that sport like some here do, I just don't find the appeal to it at all. I went to a game at Sporting Park and wondered why anyone over age 18 would be so into it.

We had 38k Sat but they had 20k. I guess it would be nice if our young people were into baseball and went to the K instead of watching that niche sport out there.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by KCUnited

I'm glad they kept him, he was struggling at the time, probably wouldn't have commanded much.

Who was struggling?

[nychief]

Neyer is the worst... he has never been able to write a lick and his career is now in the shitter, now writing for SB nation... plus he has a speech impediment that killed him on TV.

[KCUnited]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

Who was struggling?

Crow.

[Saul Good]

I still disagree with the Myers trade and keeping Santana. That said, I'm still going to enjoy the benefits while they last. Disagreeing with the long term strategy and acknowledging the short term success aren't mutually exclusive.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by KCUnited

Crow.

I meant eat their crow. I am not sure anyone wanted to trade Crow.

[Saul Good]

Aaron Crow is 7-3 with a sub 2 ERA. I didn't realize his numbers were that good. His peripherals aren't great, but that's an impressive line.

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

I still disagree with the Myers trade and keeping Santana. That said, I'm still going to enjoy the benefits while they last. Disagreeing with the long term strategy and acknowledging the short term success aren't mutually exclusive.

As long as the Royals keep winning, we can't really complain much. As long as Moose and Hosmer keep developing, we won't miss Myers as much. I'd still like to see Butler get more power, but I think he is what he is at this point.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

As long as the Royals keep winning, we can't really complain much. As long as Moose and Hosmer keep developing, we won't miss Myers as much. I'd still like to see Butler get more power, but I think he is what he is at this point.

Billy can have the power as we saw last year. His issue is that he is natural hitter but not necessarily a natural athlete who can get by without working hard to maintain his power. Last season he came in in better shape and it showed in his power numbers. This season, he seemed to come in expecting the same results without putting in the same work and it shows in his power numbers.

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

As long as the Royals keep winning, we can't really complain much. As long as Moose and Hosmer keep developing, we won't miss Myers as much. I'd still like to see Butler get more power, but I think he is what he is at this point.

For me it is pretty simple: if we make the playoffs this year or next year, we win the trade even if Myers turns into an annual MVP contender. If we miss the playoffs this year and next, we lose the trade.

[Messier]

Originally Posted by alnorth

For me it is pretty simple: if we make the playoffs this year or next year, we win the trade even if Myers turns into an annual MVP contender. If we miss the playoffs this year and next, we lose the trade.

There's no both teams came out looking good option? I think that's what I take away from it.