Archive for September, 2011

If you’ve been to a game at Kauffman Stadium in the past 14 years, you’ll know the voice of our most recent guest on the Royalman Report. Mike McCartney, public address announcer at the K, was kind enough to give us a half hour of great discussion.  He’s an underrated part of the Royals organization and a great guy, and I think you’ll enjoy his segment. We also covered the end of the year, what’s next, and the minor league triumph of Omaha. Also, on Wednesday, September 28, there will be an end of the year party at Kelly’s Westport [...]

In sports there’s a popular phrase regarding a young team. Analysts and announcers alike love to talk about how young teams need to “learn how to win games.” Even more popular is the discussion of how young teams need to “learn how to win CLOSE games.”

Entering 2011, Mike Montgomery was considered by many to be either the top pitching prospect in the Royals system or at least the runner up to that title.  Baseball America ranked him 19th overall in their annual top 100 rundown. Montgomery hasn’t performed to those expectations in 2011.  A major storyline this year focused on his command struggles in Triple A.  Montgomery walked more than four batters per nine innings in Omaha. On Friday, he walked three in five innings, but he gave up only three hits and no runs as Omaha won their third in a row against the [...]

This gloomy Saturday morning finds me with a smile on my face. The Royals are good right now. They’ve won six straight games – their longest streak of the season, and most since 2009. Tonight, they’ll be going for seven in a row with Everett Teaford on the mound. The future is now. Yes, I know it’s been said a million times. And I’m well aware that this team is slotted to finish no higher than fourth place, hardly a successful season. BUT – the pieces are in place and are forming a bond right before our eyes. The ingredients [...]

Last Friday marked a first for the Royalman Report and Kings of Kauffman – our first live remote broadcast. The folks at Kelly’s Westport Inn have been fantastic to us since agreeing to sponsor the show, and they set up a special spot by the bar for Troy and I to talk some Royals baseball. We were joined by the guys from Soundtrack of the Week, a ragtag group of podcasters in the area. SPECIAL NOTE: Soundtrack of the Week is NSFW (Not Safe For Work) so take heed.  If you’re sensitive to some occasional bawdiness, you may want to [...]

This time of year is typically a difficult one for Royals fans.  We’re so busy avoiding 100 losses that it’s tough to remember the good times.  When September also ushers in the start of the college football and NFL seasons, it’s easy to stop paying attention. This year, it may be a little different.  No, the Royals aren’t in contention, and only recently did they win their 63rd game to avoid that 100 loss season. It’s just rough. But here are the things I’ll be looking for the rest of this 2011 season.

There have been lots of ups and downs in Eric Hosmer’s first major league season, but at 21 years old he might be the first Royals prospect in more than a decade to come up and do exactly what fans expected from him. Hosmer entered Wednesday’s contest vs. the Twins hitting .284/.331/.458 with 17 homers on the season. His defense doesn’t check out as friendly as you would expect according to FanGraphs, however if you watch the Royals enough you don’t need graphs or stats to tell you how good of a glove Hosmer has.

Jarrod Dyson hit a three run homer but he wasn’t alone in creating runs as the Omaha Storm Chasers burst out to a two games to zero lead in the Pacific Coast League Championship Series against Sacramento. Omaha won 15-4 behind 18 hits and scored in all but one inning. On Tuesday, the Chasers won 3-2 behind a solid Luis Mendoza start. Mike Montgomery will take the mound on Friday in Game 3 in Sacramento.  Montgomery was rocked for five runs in three innings last Friday against Round Rock.  He walked four and gave up a grand slam. He’d walked [...]

In taking the mound last Sunday, Everett Teaford joined many past Royals making their first major league start in September and his five shutout innings put him in the company of others who found success in the role in the last month of the season. For Teaford, his win is a good sign, as he gets a jumpstart in what should be a crowded battle for a rotation spot next year. And while success is good, it’s no guarantee, if history tells us anything.

September maintains a sort of spot of fascination among baseball fans, and, it can be said, for a few different reasons. Some fans are clamoring to see their team clinch a playoff spot or run a wild streak to carry them past the first-place club. Others just hope to tread enough water to stay above .500 for another year or even the first year in a long while. And still others are thrilled to see their teams’ top minor league performers get their shot in the spotlight, whether for a quick appearance or for good. The point is that September [...]

It was a lonely day for Royalman, as he was in his Studio of Solitude on Sunday, but thankfully, joining him on the phone was Greg Schaum of Pinetar Press. Schaum covered his end of year awards for the Royals minor leagues. Also featured were interviews conducted by Lee Warren (@OmahaBaseball) following the Omaha Storm Chasers win in the first round of the Pacific Coast League Playoffs. Click the embedded player below to listen to this week’s show or you can download the mp3 here. If you want your business featured during breaks on the Royalman Report, contact us at [...]

Good news: The Omaha Storm Chasers will play for the Pacific Coast League Championship. The Bad news: Northwest Arkansas and Kane County have been eliminated.