Archive for March, 2010

If two heads are better than one, than what does that make three? Here at Kings of Kauffman our goal is to find out the answer to that very question and to do so we needed a third voice in the mix.  Tonight I am very pleased to announce that we have found that voice and it belongs to Jon Twibell.  Like Michael, Jon answered my call for help and will be contributing at least one article every week.  The similarities don’t end there however as both of them attended college at the University of Kansas and both studied history [...]

Let’s open this edition of From the Fish Pond with a Greinke quote about the team’s defense that appeared in one of Dick Kaegel’s latest MLB.com articles. There are still guys on our team that make the same fundamental mistakes as they always do because they don’t value it,” Greinke said. “If someone thinks it’s important, they’ll do it better, but there’s still a couple people that don’t truly feel it’s that important to their game. I truly enjoy Zack Greinke quotes because they are far more unfiltered than most players and his voice is always a refreshing jolt in [...]

According to John Heyman the Royals have reinserted themselves, he uses the phrase “expressed interest,” into the “chase” for free agent pitcher Jarrod Washburn.  My question is why?  What does Washburn bring to the table for the Kansas City Royals?   I will admit that, he would probably turn in a better season than Hochevar or Davies, and maybe even Brian Bannister, in 2010, but what happens to the rotation in 2011 and 2012 as a result?  Does his presence in the rotation realistically push the Royals any higher than 4th place? Kansas City’s reported interest is another example of [...]

I am very pleased to announce the launch of our new general baseball site, Call to the Pen.  I published the introduction and welcome post about an hour ago and our first featured column will be up tomorrow.  After that, things should really start rolling with most days featuring a minimum of two to three posts. If we achieve our initial goals, the content should pile up quickly over there, and we have some really talented writers helping me provide content.  I hope the site will earn a spot in your baseball reading routine.  All 30 MLB teams will receive [...]

If you are looking for evidence that spring stats are pretty much worthless, well it’s really not hard to find.  However this little nugget found in one of Bob Dutton’s posts today on Kansas City.com really drives that point home. The Royals entered the day leading all 30 teams with a .313 average and all American League teams with 163 runs. That was before generating 10 more runs and 19 more hits. To make matters worse, several of the guys leading this offensive assault on Cactus league opponents won’t be anywhere near Kansas City when April 5th rolls around. Mitch [...]

If I recall correctly, the Minnesota Twins are the only major league team that the Kansas City Royals haven’t made a trade with in their history.  Based on an article Joe Christensen published on the Star Tribune’s website this morning I really hope that changes soon, if Wilson Ramos is involved anyway.  Just in case you’re not aware, and you’re probably not, Ramos is at the top of my minor league catcher wish list.  While I don’t have a lot of faith in Dayton pulling the trigger on a trade and actually coming out ahead, this is one deal he [...]

Is it me, or does it seem like the Royals have been snakebit (it IS the Cactus League, after all…) by injuries this spring?  Alex Gordon’s broken thumb.  Jeff Bianchi’s elbow.  Danny Duffy had stiffness in his elbow before retiring/taking leave.  Rick Ankiel’s still battling an ankle injury.  Wally’s already looked at Gil Meche’s shoulder problems now and dating back to last year.  And now Alberto Callaspo’s dealing with a sudden oblique problem. I’ll just stop talking about it now so as to not jinx any other important players on the roster. The Royals’ response to the possibility of Meche [...]

It’s time to take our weekly stroll around the MLB sites of the FanSided.com Sports Network.  This could be a special edition of the Baseball Side of FanSided as it may be the last one to appear here on Kings of Kauffman.  This weekly collection of links will be moving over to our MLB site, Call to the Pen, which we hope to have up and running by opening day.  If that site launch is delayed, this still might be the last installment of the BBSoFS that you will find here since the draft for my fantasy baseball league will [...]

In the last seven days, five players including Jarrod Dyson, Gaby Hernandez, Philip Humber, Cody Clark, and Fransicso Rosario, have been optioned or reassigned from the Royals major league camp to the minor league side.  All five are Omaha bound to start the 2010 season, and all five of these moves happened between last Friday and Tuesday so I’m a little behind* but I wanted to write up my thoughts, especially on Jarrod Dyson. *Seems to be my perpetual state lately … Last Friday OF-Jarrod Dyson (25) was reassigned to Triple-A Omaha.  He’s still on the outside looking in at [...]

The news of Danny Duffy walking away from baseball and the Royals turned the gloomy gray skies here in Kansas City just a little darker today.  Despite this depressing news, all is not lost.  A new voice is about to burst onto the scene here at Kings of Kauffman and that voice belongs to Michael Engel.  He answered my call for help and will be contributing at least one article a week going forward.  I am elated to bring him on staff and honored that he agreed to join forces with me on this site.  Not only is he a [...]

Just saw this on Baseball America’s prospect blog.  Royals LHP prospect Danny Duffy has left spring training and has quit baseball. In a statement released by the Royals, assistant general manager J.J. Picollo left the door open for Duffy’s potential return in the future. “Danny informed us yesterday that his desire is to leave baseball at this time to reassess his life priorities. Should Danny decide in the future to return to the game, we will be happy at that time to discuss the possibility.” This is obviously a huge blow to the Royals organization and it’s future.  I’ll have [...]

Shoulder “soreness” can dredge up a wide range of emotions and reaction from the core of any baseball fan’s being.  It’s never a positive sign when a pitcher reports soreness, discomfort, pain, stiffness, tenderness, etc.  When the stiffness resides in the shoulder of Royals number two starter Gil Meche, my immediate reaction was “uh-oh.” Last night Bob Dutton published Royals’ Meche admits shoulder stiffness after early exit which contained the following quotes. “They’ve done all of the tests to check me out,” Meche said. “The shoulder is strong, but the tightness is there. I just don’t feel real loose when [...]