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?

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Well what the mother**** is going on here?

HAARP

[Cephalic Trauma]

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

Hey, let's give him some credit, he did propose platooning Salvy, after all.

Still can't believe that.

[Fritz88]

Attending Cards vs Royals game in Saint Louis sporting Royals gear, is that okay or would you recommend against it?

It doesn't sound too bad to me.

[Dartgod]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

You can laugh it off and say it's ok for them (but not Gload) to produce like they are...

You'll have to point out where exactly I said that.

[Archie F. Swin]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Well what the mother**** is going on here?

God is not a Royals fan

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by Fritz88

Attending Cards vs Royals game in Saint Louis sporting Royals gear, is that okay or would you recommend against it?

It doesn't sound too bad to me.

You'll be fine. I've done it before.

[duncan_idaho]

Kings of Kaufmann posted an update about Yordano Ventura that includes some nice video of him.

Check it out.

The thing that's crazy about Ventura is that he produces crazy velocity and isn't max effort. There are a lot of guys his size that produce that type of velocity (Lincecum, Bauer, Timmy Collins), but they are much faster down the hill than Ventura.

Looking at his mechanics, his arm action is easy and he has nice shoulder/hip separation and whip (which is why he throws so hard despite being 5-11/160). He's not getting much of that velo from crazy mechanics or max effort, which is probably why injuries have not been an issue with him so far.

His load is good, which means elbow health shouldn't be a major issue for him. A lot to like there.

He actually reminds me a little of Bob Gibson, which is weird (considering Gibson was a monster and had 1960s mechanics). But the way he loads and the separation/rotation he gets as he delivers the pitch remind me of Gibby.

[Great Expectations]

Originally Posted by Fritz88

Attending Cards vs Royals game in Saint Louis sporting Royals gear, is that okay or would you recommend against it?

It doesn't sound too bad to me.

As Al said, I have worn Royals gear in Stl with little to no problem, they are such MLB snobs that they don't care a whole lot.

[stonedstooge]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Kings of Kaufmann posted an update about Yordano Ventura that includes some nice video of him.

Check it out.

The thing that's crazy about Ventura is that he produces crazy velocity and isn't max effort. There are a lot of guys his size that produce that type of velocity (Lincecum, Bauer, Timmy Collins), but they are much faster down the hill than Ventura.

Looking at his mechanics, his arm action is easy and he has nice shoulder/hip separation and whip (which is why he throws so hard despite being 5-11/160). He's not getting much of that velo from crazy mechanics or max effort, which is probably why injuries have not been an issue with him so far.

His load is good, which means elbow health shouldn't be a major issue for him. A lot to like there.

He actually reminds me a little of Bob Gibson, which is weird (considering Gibson was a monster and had 1960s mechanics). But the way he loads and the separation/rotation he gets as he delivers the pitch remind me of Gibby.

Looks like a shoulder injury just waiting to happen. Why hasn't someone taught him to use his legs?

[DeezNutz]

Hoch or Crow to close tonight, if needed. Per 810.

. Mother**** you, Yost.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by stonedstooge

Looks like a shoulder injury just waiting to happen. Why hasn't someone taught him to use his legs?

I don't he's at much risk of any arm/elbow/shoulder injury. Or at least no more than anyone else who throws 1000 pitches in a month for a living.

His arm action is pretty clean and easy. As long as his core remains strong, I think he probably stays healthy (it takes a very strong and durable core to maintain that hip and shoulder separation).

I know they've spent a lot of time working with him to slow down his mechanics, and shortening a stride is often a common tactic to accomplish that. That might be a factor here. Even so, you don't get that velocity out of that body without tremendously strong hip and land leg drive.

[ShowtimeSBMVP]

Small window to get game in 7 to 9

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Hoch or Crow to close tonight, if needed. Per 810.

. Mother**** you, Yost.

Well, Crow then

Holland and Herrera threw an awful lot of pitches last night. If they aren't available, then your options are Hoch, Crow, Gutierrez, Chen, or Collins. I think we can drop Gutierrez and Collins right off the bat, so its Hoch, Crow, or Chen. Chen is probably out as lefty+long-relief.

Hoch should be out, but only because we here hate him, thinking he's a mental midget who becomes a mess with a close lead or runners on base, but without that added information/baggage/bias, people might be entranced by his sub-1 ERA, 12 K's, and 3 BB's.

edit: also, if you were, hypothetically speaking, sick of Holland and seriously considering Hoch for closer, you'd have to do the first audition on the road where he can't get boo'd.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by Fritz88

Attending Cards vs Royals game in Saint Louis sporting Royals gear, is that okay or would you recommend against it?

It doesn't sound too bad to me.

You will be fine.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by Great Expectations

As Al said, I have worn Royals gear in Stl with little to no problem, they are such MLB snobs that they don't care a whole lot.

This South Park clip reminds me of Cardinal fans.