Archive for June, 2011

One hundred and sixty two games in one season is a handful. In this game, when played professionally, you play more contests in one season than any other sport- a stretch from the end of March, gently into October if lucky. Although the Royals historically never reach October, it’s still the mandatory season timeline that is all too much to handle. I see a lot more positivity in the streets than years past. I’m currently in a Borders in Saint Louis. I’m taking a break, drinking a coffee and writing this story. Next to me, on a magazine rack, is [...]

The Royals did what many were hoping they would do and draft Bubba Starling.  Many were hoping for a pitcher but the best were off the board at that time so the question remains now of who is going to be picked up by the Royals with their next few picks today and Thursday.  The Royals will pick quickly again at #65 and there is still some good talent out there for them to get.  According to MLB.com’s list of 50 best prospects here are a few remaining that I think the Royals could go for (in the order I [...]

Hey Everyone! After a full day of work and a long ride home in a hot car, it’s finally draft time… Thanks for joining me for a live blog through the first round of the 2011 MLB First Year Player Amateur Draft. The Pirates are on the clock & it’s been rumored today that they’ll take Gerrit Cole with the #1 overall pick. There’s only one way to find out… 5:59 PM – Pittsburgh Pirates last #1 overall pick: Bryan Bullington in 2002. (originally drafted by Royals in 37th round in ’99, went to Ball St.) He’s been all over [...]

Tomorrow night, the MLB Amateur Draft will begin at 7 p.m. Eastern time with the first round. The Royals have the fifth overall pick and there are many options in this year’s draft – it’s been billed as one of the deeper talent pools in recent memory. The Royals are virtually certain not to mess up their first pick with many strong picks available to them at their turn. Jeff Herr and Ryan Wood have profiled the potential selections when it gets to the Royals.  If you’ve missed them, you can catch up from the list below:

I love the movie “Rookie of the Year.” It’s one of my favorite movies, mostly because it tells the story of the amazing (fictional) ride of an awful (but loveable) Chicago Cubs team that suddenly finds itself in the midst of a playoff race all because they signed a prepubescent boy who accidentally fell on his arm giving him the ability to throw fire from the mound. I know, I know. If you haven’t seen this movie, it’s likely that you’re already rolling your eyes, writing it off. I’m just saying that you should give it a chance. It’s funny. Trust [...]

It’s Mizzou Day at the K today, so maybe some Tigers out there will be at the game and won’t abandon Kings of Kauffman when I say that I’m an alumnus of the University of Kansas and have been a of the basketball team since about 1990. That means I saw a lot of Roy Williams.  He seemed to have a pattern of pulling in one big recruiting class then taking the next season off, getting roleplayers into the program instead.  Then he’d be right back to getting stars.  Bill Self took over in 2003 and since has brought in [...]

Recently, Kings of Kauffman has profiled several of the top available High School and College prospects that will be selected in the first round of Monday’s MLB Draft. With the Royals picking fifth overall, then not again until the second round (after the supplemental round), they are sure to only have one crack at the guys we have spent time looking at. I thought it might be interesting to take a look at some of the local talent that Royals have to choose from. In past years, the Royals have not shyed away from picking up local talent. Rookie, and [...]

Your week is complete now, the minor league update of the Royals farm system is here.  It was a mediocre week for the farm system as things have kind of normalized out and the teams are performing at the levels we would expect.  The Results are still predominantly good and even Kane County has started to turn things around with an infusion of talent.  Some injuries and underperformance have depleted the talent a bit from what it was before the season; however, some new talent has arisen and the Royals, if things continue as they are now, will still have [...]

He’s going to want some playing time. That’s the dilemma the Royals are swiftly approaching. Mike Moustakas started the year off fairly cold, offsetting the hot starts of Clint Robinson and Eric Hosmer. Moustakas hit .229/.304/.410 in April (21 games), which is okay if you’re a slick-fielding major league shortstop, but when you’re supposed to be a premier hitting prospect it becomes a problem. That problem has recently seen some correction, as Moustakas hit .321/.382/.560 in May and went 3-5 in his first game of June. He’s had six multi-hit games in his last 10. It’s often said that as [...]

To look at his statline, you’d never guess there was much of a problem.  Starting the year in Double A Northwest Arkansas, John Lamb had carried a 3.09 ERA over 35 innings as a 20-year-old southpaw. Now, just over a year removed from Low-A, Lamb faces potential Tommy John surgery. This setback slows what has been a meteoric rise through the ranks of the Royals farm system, but what could it mean for the player many considered the top Royals pitching prospect heading into 2011?

The Royals have a team batting average of .266. Good for 9TH in the MLB, but some way or another, not one regular on the team is hitting above .300. Except for Wilson Betemit. He’s hitting a sturdy .306 that’s more than enough to stand tallest. Bench worker, Mitch Maier is hitting .348 in only fifteen games. Yes, there are a few players like Butler, Gordon, and Hosmer who are ten to fifteen percentage points from the .300 mark… but nothing more. It’s the limbo line of the Majors. You hit above and you are considered a good hitter at [...]