It doesn’t seem all that long ago that I drove my ‘69 GTO to the stadium in the summer of 1977 and climbed the steps to the high altitude seats at the far reaches of the upper deck – not because I couldn’t afford a better view, but because all the other seats were taken.  Other than Arrowhead Stadium, I’ve never felt more energy and passion in a fan group than I did back in the team’s heyday.  Everybody wanted to go to the Royals games, they were the hottest tickets in town.

Kauffman Stadium, the most wonderful place on earth to watch a baseball game.

Kauffman Stadium, originally called Royals Stadium, was built in the early 70’s when most cities were constructing butt-ugly cookie-cutter, multi-use stadiums.  There are few things worse than playing baseball on a football field, or football on a baseball field.  The twin sports gems in Kansas City were each built to house one sport, and one team, making us the envy of the sports world when they opened.  The beautiful sight lines with every seat facing second base, the one-of-a-kind fountains, the dramatic centerfield scoreboard, the convenient highway intersection location – Kauffman offered many cutting-edge features long before anyone ever dreamed of adding the Little K, the Hall of Fame, the Buck O’Neill legacy seat, the carnival beyond the outfield, and the one-time largest High Def LCD screen in the world.

Have you ever visited a baseball stadium in another city?  Have you been to Wrigley, Tiger Stadium, Minute Maid Park, Yankee Stadium to name a few?  If you have, you’ll notice Kauffman offers one enormously important critical advantage over all of them – parking.  It’s something we take for granted in Kansas City.  In most other cities, you must take the bus, or drive in circles before each game seeking out the gangsta-looking guys standing in their front yards with a “Park Here $20” sign.  And good luck trying to leave early with cars jammed bumper to bumper and side to side, 5 cars deep on the grass.  I’m serious, you have to wait until everyone parking in front of you leaves before you can drive away.  Why anyone would build a stadium in a location without sufficient parking, I’ll never understand.

And here’s another Kauffman advantage: Tiger Stadium has great sausages, Camden Yards has crab cakes (yuck!), Ahi Tuna at AT&T Park in San Francisco (yuck again!), and the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati has fried cinnamon rolled doughnuts topped with warm caramel.  But do you know what Kauffman Stadium has?  The most perfect mid-summer baseball game snack ever invented – no, not peanuts (although that’s a fantastic option too), but delicious, icy, chocolate frosty malts.  Hard to believe, but few if any other stadiums offer this tasty treat.

And there is history that still rings in this hallowed place.  Of all the key moments in the stadium’s past, October 27, 1985 stands alone as the most important date and the most glorious game ever played at Kauffman.  The Royals pounded the hapless St. Louis Cardinals 11-0.  George Brett went 4 for 5.  The Cards used 7 pitchers, the Royals needed only one – Cy Young winner Bret Saberhagen.  41,658 crazed fans watched the Royals wrap up their one and only world championship on a Fall Classic perfect 62 degree evening.  The smell of cotton candy was in the air, the fountains splashed, the Crown scoreboard flashed, the eyes of the entire sports universe were trained on Kansas City –  and never again has a meaningful game been played at Kauffman in the month of October.

When I drive past the intersection of I-435 & I-70 in October I can actually envision the crowds, the television satellite trucks in the parking lot, the blimp overhead, and the beautiful, awe-inspiring roar of the fanatical KC crowd.  Every year I tell myself – maybe next year.  Maybe in 2013 or 2014 we’ll get to play meaningful games in October.  Maybe the young fans of Kansas City will have a chance to experience the rapture of playoff games.  Maybe our beautiful, timeless baseball field with the Hall of Fame former groundskeeper, the frosty malts, the gargantuan HD scoreboard, world class parking, and the $250 Million facelift will see another October moon shine down from a cloudless night sky.  Someday.   One thing is for sure – Kauffman Stadium deserves better.

When you read the title of this article, what did you think when you saw the word “Competitive”?  Did you imagine the Royals winning the World Series, or would you be satisfied with a .500 record for the season?  Maybe you pictured the Royals on top of the American League Central standings above the Tigers and White Sox.  Many of us would be content and consider our team to be competitive if we simply believed we had a real chance to win every time we went to the ballpark.

As we witnessed this season, the Royals have a long way to go before becoming competitive by any of these definitions.  But the good news is the team’s weaknesses became glaringly apparent this year, and this gives us a target to work with when repairing the broken pieces.  It’s impossible to fix a problem if you don’t know what the problem is – and I think we all know what the problems are after watching the team play for the past six months.  Let’s discuss a few of the issues the Royals need to address to become competitive.

Jeremy Guthrie is one piece of the puzzle that could make the Royals competitive. (Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE)

As we have discussed many times (ad nauseam), number one on the list of needs is starting pitching.  With two possible exceptions, I would be hesitant to say that any of the hurlers the Royals sent to the mound this year could earn a spot in the rotation of a competitive ball club.  The Royals lucked into the mid-season addition of Jeremy Guthrie who has turned into a real gem.  As George Costanza would say, “It’s like discovering plutonium by accident.”  If Guthrie has indeed found his old form, he can be one of the mainstays of a competitive rotation – assuming we can sign him.  (Message to the Royals – you better sign him, or you’ll have one massively disappointed fan base.)  Jake Odorizzi could be the real deal too, but I suggest we withhold judgment until we’ve seen a larger sample size at the big league level.

It’s easy to forget about them when they aren’t around, but the Royals have a couple of decent pitching options on the shelf this year who are recovering from Tommy John surgery.  I believe Danny Duffy can play a role in the starting five of a competitive team, and I’m not ready to completely commit yet, but I think Felipe Paulino should be given a shot too.  Add Joakim Soria back to what is already possibly the best bullpen in the major leagues and it’s lights out for the opposition anytime the Royals are ahead in the 7^th inning or later.  Unfortunately, it’s unlikely any of these pitchers will be available and contributing until sometime around the All-Star break of next season.

The Royals have a few more viable starting pitching options in the minors in Yordano Ventura, Kyle Zimmer, and John Lamb.  However, I’m skeptical that any of this group can reach Kansas City until 2014.

David Glass recently assured us that he’s willing to open the checkbook and add to our pitching staff.  What he said exactly was “when we get to the point where we’re competitive, we’ll do what we have to do to improve our position.  Yes, we’ll do what we need to do.  We are committed to improving our starting pitching.”  And there’s the dreaded “competitive” word again.  Did anyone ask Glass about his definition of competitive?  If so, I haven’t heard his answer.   My guess is we’ll probably end up with a “B” level free agent and maybe another journeyman who we hope will finally realize his potential after being cut by 5 or 6 different teams.  In other words, don’t count on our pitching solutions coming through free agency.

The Royals have the prospects and young major league talent to trade for a top-tier pitcher.  But if the price for this trade means the loss of Hosmer, Moustakas, Wil Myers or Bubba Starling plus a couple more guys with potential including one of our pitching prospects, is it really worth it?  And do you trust the Royals front office to make a trade that includes equal talent on both sides?  On the one hand, if you land a real #1, yes, it might be worth it.  On the other hand, you’ll probably just create another hole that needs to be patched, so you may just end up trading one problem for another.  In my opinion, barring a miracle, our pitching problems will only be solved when a few of our internal candidates realize their potential.

Right field is another glaring weakness with Jeff Francoeur regressing to his pre-Royals form and returning to the status of the worst player in baseball.  Wil Myers is the answer here.  Period.  Let’s move on.

And what about second base?  The Royals don’t seem to be happy with any of their options here.  It’s obvious to me that they don’t see Johnny Giavotella as the solution, and I don’t think Chris Getz is either.  The team has trotted out a number of additional players, mostly career minor-leaguers, with varying degrees of success, but none of them has performed to the level that demands the team consider him as the future of the position.

Is it possible Christian Colon, our first round pick from 2010 (the 4^th pick overall) could end up at 2^nd?   It’s possible, but I believe it’s unlikely.  I’ve never heard the Royals speak highly of him since he was drafted, although he has turned out to be exactly the type of player most scouts predicted him to be – steady, but unspectacular.  I don’t understand why the Royals drafted a player in the 1^st round that they didn’t have high expectations for.  In my opinion, there is no clear answer for the Royals at second base, which means this will be a continuing issue for the foreseeable future and something that could potentially prevent the Royals from becoming competitive.

With a couple of caveats, the rest of the team is relatively solid.  Alex Gordon has now proven to be a regular contributor that we can count on to perform well.  Although Centerfield has been a bit of a merry-go-round this year, I still believe Lorenzo Cain can do the job.  (I realize I may be in the minority, but I still like what I see from him.)  I’m convinced Mike Moustakas is only going to get better every year, and although I’m a little bit worried about Eric Hosmer, none of the well known sports prognosticators appear to be concerned, so I’m going to take their word for it.

And what about short and catcher?  I must confess I have a flaming man-crush on Salvador Perez and I think Alcides Escobar is incredibly talented.  In my opinion, I believe Escobar and Perez may be the best Shortstop and Catcher combination the Royals have ever fielded, and I’ve been watching the Royals play for a long, long, long time.  The Royals have both players tied-up long term, two of the smartest decisions Dayton Moore has made during his time in KC.

Royals fans anxiously await the return of Danny Duffy (Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE)

So here’s the bottom line.  By almost any definition, the Royals won’t have the pitching horses to be competitive early next season.  By the All-Star break of 2013, we could see Danny Duffy, Felipe Paulino, and Joakim Soria return to Kauffman – and just imagine how much better they’ll be when they’re throwing to Salvador Perez!  Depending on whether Hosmer finds his bat again and if the Royals do what they are expected to do and play Wil Myers in Right Field, I believe they will begin to have a chance to win every time they take the field in the last half of 2013.  If your definition of “competitive” means that we win the division, you’ll be disappointed next year.  But if you enjoy watching fun baseball games, get yourself a ticket to watch the Royals play next August and September, I think you’ll like what you see.

Then in 2014, this is when things begin to get really exciting.  Kyle Zimmer, John Lamb, Yordano Ventura and possibly a couple of additional wild cards (Aaron Crow?  Joakim Soria?? Tim Collins???) will be competing for a position in the rotation with Jeremy Guthrie (hopefully), Danny Duffy, and John Lamb.  Hopefully Luke Hochevar will be in our rear-view mirror.  Hosmer will have his feet on the ground again and be ready to dominate.  Perez and Escobar will be poised for All-Star seasons.  Bubba Starling will be knocking on the door and pushing all the Royals outfielders to play well for fear Bubba will take their place on the field in 2015.  Surely to goodness the front office will find someone to play second base by then.

Do I think the Royals have potential to be competitive by almost any definition in 2014?  If things unfold the way I pictured them in the previous two paragraphs, then you bet your sweet bippy I do.  Does this mean we should give up on 2013?  Have you noticed where the Oakland A’s are in the AL West standings?  They are going to the playoffs with (in my opinion) less talent than the Royals have right now.  Would I bet that the Royals will be competitive in 2013?  No, I wouldn’t.  But then, I wouldn’t have bet on the Oakland A’s this year either.

What aggravates me the most about these people is that the majority of them state their sports allegiance superiority by claiming to be a fan of the Yankees, the Patriots, the Dallas Cowboys, the Red Sox or some other team that has a “cool” following of hip, band-wagon devotees.  I know this same scenario plays out in your life.  Challenge one of this wannabees sometime and ask if they’ve ever bought a ticket to see their team in their own home stadium.  In my rule book, if you’ve never once paid to watch your team play in person at home, then you simply cannot be a “real” fan.

Maybe Jake Odorizzi’s performance in 2013 will encourage more fans to stick around next September. (Credit: H. Darr Beiser-USA TODAY Sports via US PRESSWIRE)

I’ve always viewed my loyalty to the Royals the same way I have always felt about watching my sons play little league.  When your kids play baseball, you go to the game, and you root hard for them, win or lose, and you never stop cheering or believing in their potential because they’re your kids – and nothing will ever change that.  This is how I feel about the Royals.  They are my team – always have been and always will be – and nothing will ever change that.

We all know the competitive landscape in baseball isn’t fair, at least not in the same way that the NFL is fair with virtually every well managed football team having a shot to make the playoffs each year regardless of market size.  For whatever reason, Major League Baseball has rejected the revenue sharing lessons taught by the NFL, which is the primary explanation for why football overtook baseball as America’s game many years ago.  Yes, believe it or not, once upon a time, baseball was the most popular sport in America by a long shot.  In my opinion, George Steinbrenner and big market money have been the most significant contributors to the dulling of baseball’s once bright luster.

We Royals fans are an unusual bunch.  Are any of us “bandwagon” fans?  There were a few earlier this season when hopes were high and expectations were unrealistic, but most of them are long gone.  If you’re still watching games and reading this web site in September of 2012, then most likely, you are a “real” Royals fan.

And how did you become a Royals fan?  I’m old enough to remember the great years, when the Royals dominated professional baseball, so it was natural for me to become a fan.  (It seems like a dream, but yes, it’s true – the Royals completely dominated for many years.)  But how about you?  If you are younger than about 35-years-old, then you are the purest of fans.  You cheer for a team that has never played competitively in your active memory, because you’ve chosen them and they are your team, and because real fans don’t jump to another bandwagon when their team doesn’t win every year.

I have great respect for Royals fans who started following the team during the dark ages of the past couple decades.  One of them is my friend Chris Anderson.  I think Chris is about 27-years-old and he’s as hard-core and knowledgeable as any old-school Royals fan I know.  I don’t have any idea how Chris became this way, but I have great respect for his devotion to the team, and I’m proud to count him amongst those of us who bleed Royal blue and long for the day when we will celebrate another championship.  You can follow Chris on Twitter at @dieselChristoph.

I don’t have any other point to this story except to say that it’s when times get rough, that’s when you find out who your true friends are.  And in the world of sports, there are few things rougher than rooting for a perennial loser as they play out the stretch, eliminated from playoff contention, during the final weeks of the season.  Royals fans who hang on in September are the true fans, and they should receive some sort of medal or certificate of recognition.  In lieu of an award, I salute you, and I stand with you as we cheer our team together until the last out of the last inning of the last game.

Although the Royals aren’t going to win 82 games as I hoped a few months ago, it’s still been a fun season and I’m excited about what the future holds with Wil Myers, Jake Odorizzi and our returning Tommy John group of pitchers added to our current team, along with hopefully a few additional tweaks and adjustments to the roster.  (And maybe one or two big name acquisitions.  Hey – I can dream, can’t I?)  In just a few days we’ll close out the season, we’ll watch longingly as the fans in other markets cheer their teams in the playoffs, and we’ll make plans to do it all over again starting next Spring.

The rules stipulated that if you won your league during the regular season you had to move up and play in the post season tournament for the next higher division, in this case, the “C” league.  Conversely, if your team finished last, you dropped to the next lower league’s tournament.  And wouldn’t you know it, my “D” league team ended up playing in the championship game for the “C” league against the team that had come in last place in the “B” league.  Makes your head spin a little bit, doesn’t it?

I know you’re dying to learn the result of the Championship game, aren’t you?  We won.  The best team in the “D” league handily defeated the worst team in the “B” league, while all the “C” teams sat on the sidelines during their own league Championship game.

During the regular season I knew our softball team was good, but I had no idea just how good we were.  How could I?  We were never really challenged and we weren’t allowed to live up to our potential until the post season tournament.  We were just a “D” team after all, and we thought that surely every “C” and “B” team was much better than us.  Well, we were wrong.

Wil Myers is the best player in the minor leagues according to Baseball America. (Credit: Matt Ryerson-US PRESSWIRE)

Ever heard of a guy named Wil Myers?  He plays a variety of outfield positions in the Royals minor league system.  He also played catcher a couple of years ago too, but surrendered this position to make room for the rocket-armed Salvador Perez, but that’s another story.  Except that it’s proof he’s willing to do whatever the Royals ask him to do, anything necessary to put himself in a position to move up to the majors.  He batted .314 this season with an impressive 37 home runs and 109 RBIs in only 134 games.  Baseball America just ranked him as the 3^rd best prospect in the entire minor leagues, and oh by the way – Baseball America also named Wil as their Minor League Player of the Year for 2012.

Beginning with his head turning performance in the Arizona Fall League a year ago, Myers has been on a tear that has captured the attention of baseball prognosticators nationwide who are all drooling over his potential.  For a somewhat scrawny looking 6’5”, 205 lb bean pole, Wil’s homerun prowess is prolific.  At the ripe old age of 21, just four other players have hit 36 or more home runs in a minor league season over the past 30 years.  Their names are Wil Myers (37), Paul Konerko (37), Jose Canseco (36), and – drum roll please – Mike Moustakas (36).

Paul Konerko has 400+ home runs in his career, over a hundred more than any Royal ever, and at 37 years old he’s still batting over .300 and proving he has many miles left on his talented bat.  Jose Canseco has turned into a bit of a joke recently with his weird Twitter rants and embarrassing desire to renew his baseball career at 48 years of age, but back in the day, this half of the Bash Brothers could swing the wood.  Jose retired in 2001 with 462 career home runs.  I believe this puts Wil Myers in pretty good company and speaks volumes about his potential in the major leagues.

Now, let’s talk about Jeff Francoeur for a moment.  If you’ve been paying attention to the Royals this year, you know that Frenchy has a great arm, and a talented, ummm, well, let’s see…  I’ll take the politically correct route and just say he hasn’t performed up to expectations this season.

Jeff Francoeur (Credit: Jason O. Watson-US PRESSWIRE)

Jeff has been hovering about 30 or 40 notches above the Mendoza line for most of the year, he’s hit 13 home runs and driven in 41.  Let me say that again – he’s our Right Fielder, one of the corner positions where the team should expect to derive most of its power, and he’s driven in a pathetic 41 runs.  He leads the team in strikeouts per plate appearance, he doesn’t walk much, doesn’t steal many bases, and he covers the outfield like a mule that’s been weighted down with a prospector’s once-in-a-lifetime gold strike.

According to Baseball America’s WAR stat (Wins Against Replacement), Francoeur is having one of the worst seasons in the history of professional baseball.  At least he isn’t burdening the Royals with a huge payroll number.  Oops – he’s earning $6,000,000 this year for taking up valuable space on our roster.  Yes, that’s a 6 with six zeros.  And the Royals are contracted to pay him a whopping $7.5 million next season.  Can you say “it’s good to be Dayton Moore’s buddy”?

Yes I love Frenchy’s smile, his great attitude, and his team mentality.  But at some point (and I reached this point many months ago), you want to win more than you want to root for the nice guy to pull out of his long, lingering, mind-numbing slump.

The concept of watching your team field a historically inept player day-in and day-out, would be almost understandable if there were no other options.  But wait – don’t the Royals have that Wil Myers guy down in Omaha, leading his team to another PCL Championship Series last week?  The concept becomes inexplicable when you see the big picture and learn that not only do the Royals have a replacement option for the worst player in the majors, but the replacement just happens to be the very best player in the minors!

So, what would you do?  Or rather, what would have done a few months ago when this best player vs the worst player scenario became obvious?  Would you let Wil Myers pound away on inferior minor league pitching and chase a few more fly balls in the outfield to further perfect his craft?  Or, would you bench Frenchy and write Myers name on the Royals lineup card to give him a taste of what is to come next year when he surely, hopefully, we all pray will be playing Right Field for the Royals?  I know what I would do.  I didn’t even need to think twice about it.

I don’t necessarily believe in curses, but I do believe in the power of suggestion and the influence of self-fulfilling prophecies.  I’m convinced that if something is repeated enough times, by enough people, it will eventually be accepted as fact.  No doubt you’ve heard about troubled kids, always told they were worthless by their loser parents, who grow up with a myriad of problems and challenges because they never received any positive reinforcement.  Curses can impact how an individual or team sees themselves and can become a powerful influence on the outcome of their efforts.

Dick Howser, the only manager to guide the Royals to a World Series title

Today, I’d like to suggest a “reverse curse” that will complete an unfulfilled dream and cleanse the demons from Kauffman stadium.  A reverse curse that will have a positive influence on the behavior of the players and our outlook on the team.  The Royals must free the Ghost of Dick Howser, and there’s only one way to do it.

You may not be old enough to remember Dick Howser, but if you’re a Royals fan no doubt you’ve heard of him.  Howser’s number 10 was the first Royals number to be retired, and it’s proudly displayed on the Royals Hall of Fame between George Brett’s number 5 and Frank White’s number 20.  Howser’s statue stands silently and humbly along the outfield concourse inside Kauffman Stadium, poised as if on the dugout steps, watching his team play ball.

Prior to coming to Kansas City, Howser was an average major leaguer who played parts of 8 rather unremarkable seasons in the bigs.  In 1964 with the Indians he led the majors with 736 plate appearances and 16 sacrifices.  These stats, along with his All-Star selection and 2^nd place vote as a Rookie of the Year candidate in 1961 serve as his brushes with greatness when he was in uniform.

Although he was known as a rather quiet person, Howser became a folk hero to many who loathed George Steinbrenner by famously hanging up on him during a press conference.  “I’m busy” he told The Boss as he slammed the phone down.

Moving from New York to manage Kansas City in 1981, he was quickly embraced by the town who had rooted against him just one season earlier.  During Howser’s four full years as a Royals Manager, the team never finished below 2^nd place, twice playing in the American League championship, and winning all the marbles in 1985.  The Royals have never finished above 2^nd place in the 27 years since Dick was forced to step down.

I’m sure you’ve heard the story of the 1986 All Star game when Dick was chosen to manage the American League players by virtue of his World Series victory the previous year.  Howser became confused about the players, sent strange signs to the bullpen, and seemed disoriented.  It was the last professional game he would ever manage as later that same week he was discovered to be suffering from brain cancer.

However, that’s not the end of Dick’s story, which is why we’re talking about him.  After enduring months of rigorous and body ravaging treatments, Dick Howser attempted an improbable comeback the following year.  He wasn’t in any condition to work, but his drive and determination and love of the game compelled him to return to the field during Spring Training of 1987.  But after just one day, even Howser knew he no longer had the stamina required to manage the team.  On June 17, 1987, only four months after his attempted comeback, Dick Howser passed away from complications of his brain tumor.

The memory of Dick Howser embodies the spirit of middle America and the fans of the Kansas City Royals.  No matter how imposing the odds that are stacked against us, we don’t give up.  We wake up when the sun rises, we fight our way through traffic, we put in 40+ hours of hard work for our employers, we live with integrity and honor because it’s the right thing to do and we believe we are making a better world for our children.  And every year, no matter how low the team’s payroll or how long the odds of success, we still hope and believe that this could be the year our Royals go all the way.  We have faith that if you pay your dues and persevere, good things will eventually happen.

Dick attempted to make a comeback, an improbably return that would have inspired books and movies had his story played out in New York rather than Kansas City.  He tried to show all of us that you can’t give up, not matter what the odds you must believe in yourself, your city, and your team and you must live life to the fullest, with all your might, so that all men will know you did your very best.

I’d like to suggest that Dick Howser’s ghost remains in Kauffman today, as a reflection of his statue, standing on the dugout steps, watching his team and hoping they will play the way he taught them.  Although he won a championship in 1985, the only championship in the history of the Royals, that wasn’t enough for him.  He believed he had more to give and he set an example for all of us in all aspects of our lives.

You may think the 2012 season is lost and there’s nothing worth fighting for in September, but that isn’t true.  The Royals need to play the way Dick Howser taught them, with all their might, down to the last pitch of the last inning of the last game, no matter how bleak this season’s outcome might be.  Follow his example and I’m confident it will only be another year or two, or maybe three, before the Royals return to the big stage in October and free Dick Howser’s ghost, chasing the demons from Kauffman stadium.

Pick up a delicious funnel dog in the concession stand near the right field corner at Arvest Ballpark (CREDIT: Alan Barrington)

I was pleasantly surprised by two things I didn’t expect at the game.  Surprise number one was the incredibly delicious funnel dogs served in the concession stand near the right field corner.  Yes, funnel dogs.  They’re just like a corn dog, but instead of dipping the hot dog in corn meal before frying, it’s lovingly dunked in a giant bucket of thick funnel cake batter.  If you’ve never previously been to a Naturals home game, this alone is worth the trip to Arkansas.

The other pleasant surprise came in about the 4^th or 5^th inning.  The opposing team moved a runner to 2^nd base.  A couple of pitches later, I saw something that was so unbelievable, so incredibly awesome, so downright thrilling for a fan of defensive prowess like me that I almost choked on my funnel dog.  Salvador Perez quickly stood to his feet and rifled a throw back to second base in an attempt to catch the base runner napping.  And this wasn’t any throw, it was a scorching hot laser beam shot directly from home plate toward second, incredibly landing just on the 3^rd base side of second right as the runner was desperately trying to scramble back.

I wish I could say the runner was tagged out and the stands erupted in cheers, and although it would make my story better, it wouldn’t be true.  Somehow, I have no idea how he did it, but the base runner was able to get back to the bag just in a nick of time.  But never in my entire life, at any level of baseball, have I ever seen a catcher make a snap throw to 2^nd base.  It was quite astonishing to watch, and if it wasn’t for a miraculous demonstration of agility, the runner would have been out.

I stood to my feet and started shouting “You da man Salvador!  You keep that up and I’ll see you in KC in no time!”  And as you know, I was right.

Salvador Perez says "Go ahead, make my day" to opposing base runners. (Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE)

If you’ve been paying attention this year, you know that the Royals have two unbelievable defensive arms on the team – Jeff Francoeur and Salvador Perez.  (I’m not talking about “pitching arms”, the Royals rotation is woefully short in this area.)  You can read about Frenchy’s cannon arm here, his one redeeming quality.  For now, let’s talk about one of my favorite Royals, Salvador Perez.

So far in 2012, Salvador Perez has thrown out 42% of attempted base thefts.  Jeff Mathis of Toronto is leading the league with 43% putting Perez in 2^nd place.  Let’s put that in perspective for a moment – the league average right now is 26%.  This means Salvador has thrown out 61% more runners who were attempting to steal a base than most other catchers in the league.  And what’s really impressive about this stat is that most base runners know Sal has a gun, so they don’t run unless they feel nearly certain they can make it.

Another interesting stat is catcher pickoffs.  So far in 2012, after only playing in 53 games, Salvador has picked off 3 base runners (the 3rd just last night), and he had 3 pickoffs in only 39 games last year.  Salvy’s three picks lead the majors, once again, after only playing in 53 games!

How does that compare to some other notable Royals catchers?

• Darrell Porter averaged 38% caught stealing over his career, and his best full season was 47% in 1979, with 7 pickoffs in 1974
• John Wathan had a career average of 33% caught stealing, his best full season was 40% caught stealing, and the most pickoffs he ever had in a season was 1 (for a grand total of 2 in his career)
• Mike Macfarlane’s career caught stealing average was 33%, his best full season was 43%, and the most pickoffs in a season was 2
• John Buck’s pathetic career caught stealing average was 25%, his best full season was 34%, and he picked off a surprising 6 base runners in 2005.  Surprising mostly because he only picked off 10 in his entire career, so I have no idea how he caught 6 guys napping in 2005.
• Brent Mayne’s career caught stealing average was 29%, his best full season was 32% and the most pickoffs in a season was 1.

It’s easy to see that if Perez can simply maintain his performance, he’ll soon become one of the Royals most successful defensive catchers ever (at least regarding his ability to throw out base runners), joining Darrell Porter at the top of the list.  But at 22 years of age, in my opinion, we’ve only seen the beginning of what Salvador can accomplish in a Royals uniform and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on the All Star stage within the next 3 or 4 seasons.

If you’re a fan of poetry in motion, click here for a highlight video showing Salvador picking a runner off first base on August 21.  Or how about this video of Perez throwing behind a right handed batter and nailing a runner at 3^rd by a mile with a textbook perfect, perfect, perfect throw.  And I thought it was supposed to be easier to steal 3^rd base because you could get a better leadoff, you can see the exchange between the pitcher and the catcher better, etc.?  Apparently none of that makes any difference if Salvador Perez is behind the plate.

Several weeks ago, Sam Mellinger wrote about a baseball scout who watched Salvador play in the minors.  Sam says the scout stated that Salvador is a “Latin Johnny Bench.”  (The reference to Sal is about halfway down in the article.)  I think Perez might be more like Dirty Harry, telling base runners – “Go ahead, make my day.”  Either way, I’m very very excited that Salvador Perez is going to play catcher for the Royals for several years to come.

The enigmatic Luke Hochevar (Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE)

Luke has a somewhat unusual and convoluted baseball history.  I’ll spare you most of the sordid details, but he was drafted three times, including twice by the Dodgers, signed with Scott Boras, fired Boras, hired another agent, signed a deal with the Dodgers, reneged on his deal with the Dodgers, fired his other agent, rehired Boras, and spent time playing independent ball before eventually coming to an agreement with the Royals as the first pick of the 2006 draft.  Not just the Royals first pick, but THE first pick of the draft.

And yes, 2006 is the same draft when Evan Longoria was selected as the 3^rd pick, Clayton Kershaw with the 7^th pick, Tim Lincecum with the 10^th, Max Scherzer with the 11^th, Ian Kennedy 21^st, …  need I go on?  Not that I would want him on my team, mostly because he’s a blowhard egotistical lowlife, but Chris Perez was also drafted with the 42^nd pick in 2006.

There are times when I don’t know if I’m more enraged at Hochevar over has maddening inconsistency and inability to live up to expectations, or with the Royals historical failure to accurately evaluate talent.  Either one is enough to drive Royals fans to pull their hair out.

Beginning with the Zach Greinke pick in 2002, most of the Royals first round picks have experienced moderate success, and many of these picks are on the roster now, such as Aaron Crow, Alex Gordon, Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, and Billy Butler.   Unfortunately, the fact that many of them are playing in Kansas City obviously hasn’t done much to improve the Royals win/loss total.

Earlier this season, the Royals gave up on Mitch Myer, their 2003 first round pick, Chris Lubanski (also 2003) and Matt Campbell (2004) never made it to the bigs, and Christian Colon (2010), Bubba Starling (2011), and Kyle Zimmer (2012) still need more time in the minors before we’ll know if they can contribute in Kansas City.  These athletes are all familiar to Royals fans as high expectation players, but the team has very little to show for it.

What about the Royals first round picks prior to Zach Greinke?  Do you remember Colt Griffin, Mike Stodolka, Kyle Snyder, Matt  Burch, Jeff Austin, Dan Reichert, Dermal Brown, and Juan LeBron?  Once again, all are familiar names to Royals fans (if you’re old enough) and all are complete and total busts.  You have to go all the way back to Michael Tucker in 1992 to find even a passable major league talent.

Luke Hochevar is the poster child for the Royals first round picks.  Full of promise, loads of potential, occasional brilliance, but infuriatingly inconsistent.  Picked as the opening day starter in 2011, his ERA was an abysmal 5.56 by July 9.  Then from that point on to the end of the season, he posted an ERA of 3.49.

Reports say Hoch wasn’t throwing his most effective pitch, a slider, frequently enough early in the 2011 season, using it only about 10% of the time.  So he changed his approach and threw it twice as often in the second half, and this is probably why his performance improved so dramatically.  Fast forward to 2012 and since June 1 of this season, he’s returned to only throwing the slider 11% of the time again.   If you know something is working, my question is this – Why don’t you use it?

Now here’s the real mystery – on August 21 when he one-hit the Rays, he only used the slider 8 times (7.6%), so maybe his other pitches are more effective than we thought.  However, 7 of the 8 sliders found the strike zone, and when the Rays swung at the slider, which they did 75% of the time, they whiffed on half of these occasions.  So maybe it IS his most effective pitch.  So I ask again – Why doesn’t he use it more often??  It’s a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.

Trying to figure out Luke Hochevar is like a color blind man trying to solve a Rubik’s cube.  It’s just darn near impossible and probably a waste of time.  But if you’re interested in some real hard-core analysis of Hochevar, check out this story at the Royals Review.

The Royals had some discussions with the Orioles this season about trading Hoch, but even when packaging him together with Jonathan Broxton, the best offer they received was former 5^th round pick from 2007 Jake Arrieta who sports a career 5.27 ERA.  Pathetic.

The story lines revolving around the Royals starting pitching would be comical if they weren’t plain depressing.  Bruce Chen as opening Day starter (yes, that’s comical to me); Danny Duffy, Joakim Soria, and Felipe Paulino all require Tommy John surgery (much more depressing than comical); the Royals recycle Jeremy Guthrie and he throws 500 consecutive shutout innings (well, not quite 500) and then surrenders 7 runs in less than 3 innings to the Red Sox, the Royals bullpen has more candidates for the 2013 starting rotation than the current group of starters, etc., etc.

But in my opinion, all of these story lines, and all the Royals pitching question marks and inconsistencies, and all the team’s concerns about the future starting staff can be summed up with one question – What in the world is the deal with Luke Hochevar?

How about “Billy Butler?”  Quick, what did you think of? How about Billy in his All-Star uniform smiling from ear to ear while the crowd booed Robinson Cano as he whiffed at one pitch after another during the home run derby?

If I say “Alcides Escobar,” what pops into your brain?  A spinning, whirling, Tazmanian devil patrolling the left side of the infield and gunning down every hitter dumb enough to think he can shoot a ball through the hole?

“Mike Moustakas?”  I think of his game ending defensive play on a dying ground ball against the Yankees at Kauffman on May 3, running in to make a smooth bare-handed grab and rifling a throw across the diamond to nail Alex Rodriguez to finish off the boys in pinstripes.

Now, if I say “Eric Hosmer”, what do you think of? ……….. Ummm, uhhhh, well… Nothing really comes to mind.  Nothing positive anyway.  That’s what happens when you’re just playing out the string at the end of a lost season.

In 2012, we've had a front row seat to one of the worst sophomore slumps in recent memory - Eric Hosmer (Credit: Jeff Curry-US PRESSWIRE)

This year we’ve had a front row seat to one of the most disappointing sophomore slumps I can remember.  We’re talking about the player who was 3^rd in the Rookie of the Year ballot in 2011 when he hit 19 home runs in just a little over ¾ of a season and had the baseball world thinking he could be the next “It” guy.  Women swooned over him, analysts drooled at his potential, and I even wasted $25 on a Royals t-shirt with Hosmer’s name printed on the back.  Did he have all of us fooled?

Last March at the beginning of Spring Training, I downloaded a ZiPS projections spreadsheet that I dusted off a few moments ago to review again.  Would you like to know what the experts predicted for our First baseman in 2012?  They said he would hit .304 with 20 home runs.  Do you remember that Eric Hosmer, the one we all thought capable of carrying the team on his back toward respectability?  With 6 weeks left in the season Hosmer now has half that number of home runs, and you know his batting average right?  His average is obscene, and this is a family web site, so I’m not going to reprint it here.

Hosmer’s performance in 2012 is about on par with Humberto Quintero and Yuniesky Betancourt (remember them?) and a little worse than Jeff Francoeur who I believe should be summarily dropped from the roster so the Royals can bring Wil Myers up to begin his big league career.  Not exactly the type of comparisons we projected for Eric.

It’s been interesting for me to observe how nonchalant everyone seems to be with Hosmer’s performance.  No matter how many pitches located 2 feet out of the strike zone he flails at, no matter how much defensive immaturity he displays with his sweeping grabs at first, now matter how many weak ground balls he big-hops to an opposing infielder – nobody seems to be worried.  All the coaches and fans hold hands together with Eric, we sing a couple verses of “Kum ba Yah,” and everything will be fine in the morning.  Well, I’m beginning to have my doubts about this strategy.

During all the recent discussions regarding whether Alex Gordon should bat leadoff or somewhere lower in the order, Yost proclaimed that Eric Hosmer is still his projected #3 hitter. This leaves me to wonder, what would Hosmer need to do to cause the team to lose faith in him?  Based on Yost’s apparently unqualified statement, my guess is that there is nothing he could do this year that would force the Royals to rethink his future with the organization.

There are many schools of thought for how to treat a struggling prospect.  Sometimes, as with Johnny Giavotella, the team will send him back to the minors to work on his defense.  And then no matter how frequently he destroys minor league pitching, they wait until their weak hitting big league second baseman breaks his thumb while making another ill advised bunt attempt (you can’t make this stuff up) before recalling him to the majors.

Other times, you leave a struggling prospect like Kyle Davies with the parent club and just hope and pray he works his way through his problems.  (And then hope and pray some more.)  We all know how that plan worked out with Davies, the worst pitcher in the history of the major leagues.

With Eric Hosmer, the Royals have chosen the latter approach, hoping and praying that he’ll find his mojo and return to the form that garnered so many accolades just one year ago.  Maybe Hosmer simply isn’t as good as we hoped he would be.  Maybe it’s just a sophomore slump, possibly the worst in memory.  But nevertheless, maybe it’s just a long, tedious, mind-numbing, protracted, maddening, implausible slump.  Whatever you call it, in my opinion it’s a completely lost season for Eric Hosmer, and for the Royals.

As bad as a situation like this may be, what would you think about this individual if he had made almost the same exact mistake previously, and learned absolutely nothing from the experience?  You might say he was a mad lunatic, hell-bent on self destruction.  You might think he was a subversive implant on a mission to destroy.  You might say his name is Dayton Moore.

Let me take you back a few years to explain how we got to Dayton Moore’s last stand.  No doubt you are aware that Dayton Moore spent the first several years of his administrative baseball career with the Atlanta Braves.  After becoming the Royals General Manager in 2006, he made three trades with his former organization within about a year, sending a couple of guys you never heard of plus Octavio Dotel to the Braves in exchange for another guy you never heard of plus Tony Pena, Jr. and “dum, dum, DUMMMM!” (that’s my weak attempt at ominous movie mood music), Kyle Davies.

You remember Kyle Davies, right?  He’s the guy that many believe is possibly the worst starting pitcher in the history of the major leagues, by a long shot.  And what normally happens when a team brings up a pitcher who goes down in flames on the mound?  If he’s had success in the minors, as Davies did, they’ll probably give him a few chances, several more starts to get accustomed to the speed and talent level in the majors.  If he still isn’t successful, the player will soon be demoted back to AAA or released.  But that’s not what happened with Kyle.

In 2007, Davies came to the Royals in mid-season, pitched 50 innings and posted a 6.66 era.  Let that soak in for a moment – a 6.66 era.  To put that in perspective, the Royals current embarrassing group of starting pitchers all have era’s of 5.50 or less.

What do you think was the result of Davies near historically poor performance in 2007?  Was he chased out of Kauffman and demoted to Omaha?  Was he placed on the waiver wire?  No, he was shockingly rewarded with another season in the Royals rotation.  And another.  And another.  And another, until July 2011 when the Royals finally gave Kyle and his 5.59 lifetime era his walking papers.  And by the way, Luke Hochevar’s lifetime era is 5.29 – don’t get me started.  That will need to be the subject of a future story.

Do you remember how Dayton Moore was mercilessly vilified for his decision to keep running Kyle Davies out to the mound year, after year, after year?  Kyle had only one somewhat promising season in 2008 when he threw for a 4.06 era, and Dayton rode that train of possibility all the way to the end of the line and beyond.  There really is no explanation for the blinders DM wore when reviewing Davies unless you believe he simply could not admit he had made a mistake.  He was like the man who keeps doubling down at the roulette wheel thinking the odds have to land in his favor eventually.

Dayton Moore will need to make a decision soon about Jeff Francoeur (Credit: John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE)

History appears to be repeating itself with Jeff Francoeur.  If you don’t know this already, Frenchy is another product of the Atlanta Braves system that DM is so fond of.  I think Moore believes so strongly that the Braves talent evaluation process is infallible that he refuses to give up on any product of their system until his reluctance to do the right thing drives the Royals fan base to the brink of insanity.

Jeff Francoeur was a first round pick of the Braves in 2002.  He was relatively successful in the minor leagues, although he never lit the world on fire anywhere he went.  He eventually received a call-up to the majors in 2005, as all first round picks eventually do, whether they deserve it or not.

Francoeur has shown flashes of promise, particularly in his 2007 season when he batted .293 with 105 RBIs.   However, “flash” is a particularly accurate description of Frenchy’s talent.  For example, during a couple of his full seasons in the majors, he has batted .239 in 2008, .249 in 2010, and he strikes out a whopping 118 times per year.  Aside from the fact that he may have the greatest outfield arm of our generation, there is very little to like about Francoeur’s performance.  Yes he has a great attitude, yes he is a clubhouse leader, yes he purchases pizza for the fans in the bleachers, yes he had one respectable recent season in a Royals uniform, yada, yada, yada…  But you know what?  That simply isn’t good enough.

Wil Myers will eventually be the Royals right fielder. Well, someday, right? (Credit: Mindy Haas)

I am sick and dang tired of the Royals settling for mediocrity.  If a player isn’t cutting it, then trade him, demote him, or DFA him – I don’t care what you do and I don’t care how much money you’re paying him, just get him off the field.  Particularly when he’s blocking the path of a young stud like Wil Myers.  I know Wil has struggled since the All Star break, but you might struggle too if you had put up super-human numbers, led the minor leagues in home runs and done everything expected of you to receive your call-up, and then the promotion never came because Dayton Moore’s favorite son inexplicably continues to play every day.

Once upon a time, Dayton Moore made a stand with Kyle Davies.  I don’t think any of us truly understand why he did it, or why he didn’t learn anything from the experience.  It appears that he is making another stand now with Jeff Francoeur.  Except this time, based on the teams’ underwhelming performance and lack of any real direction or focus, it could be Dayton Moore’s last stand.

Prior to the recent trading deadline, conventional wisdom indicated the Royals were seeking major league ready starting pitching to help their struggling staff.  The Royals possess the trading chips that could have secured a big name such as the Cub’s #1, Matt Garza, but they were unwilling to part with them.  When all you’re offering is Yuniesky Betancourt, Jeff Francoeur, Jonathan Broxton, and/or Jose Mijares, you aren’t going to get much in return.

This lack of movement provides us with a clue that it’s unlikely the Royals plan to open up the prospect vault and trade any of their blue chip minor leaguers anytime soon.  This leaves us with the hope that one of the Royals promising pitchers on the farm will suddenly develop into a superstar, which is not likely anytime soon, or maybe, just maybe David Glass might finally consider writing a check during free agency for a legitimate arm to lead the club.

Based on experience, I realize it’s unlikely the Royals will pursue any truly big names, other than the slight possibility that they might go after Greinke.  However, there will be a few “affordable” pitchers available in the coming free agency period who I think the Royals should consider next off season.  I’ll give you my short list showing the current status of these pitchers, and with the exception of Greinke and possibly Jackson, I don’t think the Glass family can make the excuse that any of these guys are too expensive.  Any one (or better yet – two) of these players could provide a positive impact for the club in 2013.

Zack Greinke                   LAA      28 yrs    $13,000,000     9-4 W/L           3.61 era

Brandon McCarthy         OAK     29 yrs   $4,275,000        6-3 W/L             2.54 era

Anibal Sanchez             DET      28 yrs   $8,000,000        6-8 W/L             3.99 era

Edwin Jackson              WSN     28 yrs   $11,000,000      7-7 W/L            3.57 era

Colby Lewis                  TXR      33 yrs   $3,250,000        6-6 W/L             3.43 era

Shaun Marcum              MIN      30 yrs   $7,725,000        5-3 W/L             3.39 era

Joe Saunders                ARI       31 yrs   $6,000,000        5-7 W/L             3.62 era

Almost every one of these athletes carries some type of baggage.  Greinke has his famous personality disorder, Brandon McCarthy has experienced shoulder problems, Colby Lewis is out for the season, etc., etc.  But I’m still confident any one of these players would represent a significant upgrade for the Royals staff.  (I realize that isn’t saying much.)

Now that the race for the pennant is over, at least for the Royals, we need some new story lines to keep us interested.  The decisions regarding who will play a role in the Royals starting rotation in 2013 is destined to be one of the most interesting story lines and probably the issue that will either make or break the team next year.

Hope springs eternal.  In the chest of all long suffering fans beats an optimistic heart, one that yearns for his or her team to succeed and looks forward to the day when they can celebrate the same championship they’ve watched others enjoy for years.  Occasionally, there will be substance behind the hope and evidence that this year could be different, this could be the year we finally break through.

As you know, this season was “Our Time” and many of us believed 2012 would mark a turning point toward respectability.  Many of the talented young players we’ve watched growing up in the best farm system in baseball were finally arriving in the major leagues and Dayton Moore’s plan was coming together.  If you’ll admit it, I bet you were thinking the Royals would play well this year.  Few of us believed they were playoff bound in 2012, but almost all of us were confident other teams would not be looking past KC this season.

Then something happened.  I’m not sure if any of us know exactly what happened, but something happened.  The Royals play in a weak division which allowed them to remain competitive with a mediocre record and this motivated us to hold onto hope.  But now, only the most die-hard fan still believes the Royals have a shot at the playoffs.  Oh yes, we all still root for them and cheer them on and sit on the edge of our seats shouting for another victory…  but we’ve become realists and we know we won’t be watching the boys in blue this October.  Again.

When did this happen?  When exactly did the Royals 2012 season go off the rails?  If could have been at any one of many twists and turns in the road, and each of us might point toward a different event that caused it.  Here are a few candidates for the prime pothole that caused the Royals train to jump the track:

Pick a Date:  Injuries – There have been so many devastating injuries that have impacted the Royals that I can’t select one date.  At the major league level, the Royals lost Salvador Perez and Lorenzo Cain for approximately the first half of the season.  Danny Duffy, Felipe Paulino, and Joakim Soria have undergone Tommy John surgery.  Yuniesky Betancourt and Chris Getz have been on-again and off-again with various injuries.  Other Royals have likely played hurt because the team couldn’t afford to lose another player.  Is it possible that one of these injuries could have cut the cord on the Royals’ season?

March 26:  Part of the excitement about 2012 surrounded the youth movement in KC.   The decision to leave Johnny Giavotella in Omaha and play a platoon of Yuniesky Betancourt and Chris Getz probably wasn’t the key factor that derailed the Royals season, but I would say it was a telling sign of things to come and questionable decisions that would be made by the Royals brass.

Jonathan Broxton's April 11 meltdown is one of the candidates when looking for the reason the Royals season has gone off the rails. (Credit: John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE)

April 11:  Broxton’s first meltdown, and it was a classic.  Two walks, two hit-by-pitches, two runs scored, Broxton’s first blown save of the year, and the A’s didn’t even need a hit.  This was the first real splash of cold water I experienced following an off-season and Spring filled with hope and expectation.

April 14:  Chris Perez’s Twitter rant and victory over the Royals following an onfield melee.  I believe Perez’s tweet somehow motivated the Indians and demotivated the Royals.  This was just the 3^rd loss in the 12 consecutive loss streak and we all discovered the Royals were apparently a fragile team.  I work with an Indian fan and wow is it annoying when he defends Chris Perez, aka one of the biggest jerks in professional sports.  Here’s what Perez said on Twitter on April 14:

@chrisperez54 Huge team win tonight; time for a sweep to tell the Royals it’s not “Our Time”, it’s#TribeTime. P.S. You hit us, we hit you. Period.

April 24:  The 12^th loss of the 12 game losing streak occurred on April 24.  Many fans will point to this streak and complain that the Royals season ended almost before it began.  I have a difficult time arguing against this rather valid point, but still, the Royals fought back to within 4 games by the halfway mark, so I don’t think the streak completely derailed the season, but it certainly threw a gigantic roadblock in the way.

Eric Hosmer's season long slump is another reason the Royals season has gone off the rails. (Credit: Jeff Curry-US PRESSWIRE)

May 16:  Hosmer was under the Mendoza line almost by the time the first week of the season ended.  But most of us thought it was just a rough patch and he would pull out of it by mid-April.  Then we thought he’d be ok by early May, and then we thought for sure by the end of May he’d be swinging the bat well.  We were wrong.  On May 16 in a 4-3 loss to the Orioles, Hosmer walked to the plate 7 times and came away with zero hits, ending the game with a .174 average.  Yost took him out of the lineup the next two days.  By this time, we all knew Hosmer’s slump had become more than just a run of bad luck, and more importantly Ned Yost knew it too.  If any of your players goes through a prolonged slump, it negatively affects the team.  But if the team’s presumed star goes through a slump that so far has lasted for more than half the season, it’s extremely difficult for the team to overcome and could be a cause for that team’s playoff hopes to go off the rails.

June 30:  The Royals had climbed to within 4 games of .500 and were starting to open some eyes across the league.  Then without warning… THUD.  The worst team in baseball, the Minnesota Twins, took both games of a doubleheader from the Royals, and the team hasn’t sniffed .500 ever since.

July 2:  Robinson Cano omits Billy Butler from the home run derby.  I realize that this decision by the liar Cano has nothing to do with the Royals on-field performance, but it says everything about the respect we have across the league – none.  And occasionally, lack of respect can affect your psyche, which impacts your performance, etc., etc.

Which incident do you say was the cause of the Royals season to derail, or do you point to a different event, or a combination of events?  I suppose there are still many games to play during the long baseball season, and as they say, “it’s not over ‘till it’s over.”  But no matter what happens, I know “the Royals will get ‘em next year!”

Alcides Escobar is one of the Royals most exciting players in 2012 (Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE)

I got the idea for this story while watching Alcides Escobar jolt two no-doubt home runs in the same game while batting from his new home in the two-hole on Saturday, July 14 during a 6-3 Royals victory over the first place White Sox.  By the end of the game, Escobar was batting .311 and was surprising all of us with his ability to hit for power and average.

Think about how excited the clubhouse gets when Moustakas belts a home run.  They meet him at the top of the dugout steps, they high five and chest bump each other.  Now, think about what would happen if Chris Getz ever hits another of his “every blue moon” dingers.  (Getz hasn’t had a home run in any park – major or minor league – since 2009 during his stint with the White Sox.)  The team would meet him at home plate, they would pick him up and carry him back to the bench.  They would drown him in Gatorade.  Why?  Because it wasn’t expected.  When a player exceeds your expectations, it truly makes the game a thrill to watch.

Alcides Escobar came to us in the Zack Greinke trade.  Milwaukee packaged him with Jake Odorizzi, Lorenzo Cain, and Jeremy Jeffress to get our former Cy Young pitcher.  In addition to Greinke, the Royals tossed Yuniesky “Boomerang” Betancourt into the deal as well for good measure.  Unfortunately, Yuni didn’t stick, and he came back to us again this year.

The players the Brewers traded to the Royals were the best prospects they had to offer.  Lorenzo Cain would have been the Brewers starting Centerfielder, Jake Odorizzi is considered to be a future solid contributor from the starting rotation, and Jeremy Jeffress is a former 1^st round pick who is still developing.

Alcides had also garnered some significant accolades, particularly for his defense.  Beginning his career as an Amateur Free agent in 2003, he’s always hit for average in the minors (.293 career over 6 seasons), but his bat has consistently been overshadowed by his glove, and as we all know, offensive prowess doesn’t always translate as well from the minors to the big leagues the way defensive ability does.

Alcides Escobar demonstrates his superb defensive skills. (Credit: David Richard-US PRESSWIRE)

Prior to assuming regular duty with the Brewers in 2010, Escobar was ranked as the #1 prospect in the Brewers system by Baseball America, and Sports Illustrated claimed he was the 17^th most promising prospect in all of baseball saying, “Escobar has the arm, infield actions, hands and range to win Gold Gloves at shortstop. He makes the routine plays and the tough ones, too. Plus, he has speed that impacts the game offensively, and his swing’s not so bad either.”  Saying his swing is “not so bad” isn’t exactly the greatest compliment, but there is no doubt that everyone recognized Escobar’s dynamic defensive potential.

Escobar struggled somewhat in his first full season in the majors with the Brewers.  He hit a light .235 (which unfortunately is still a few points above the “Hosmer line”) and experienced some difficulties defensively too.  He committed the 3^rd most errors of all National League shortstops, and had the unfortunate luck to mishandle the ball with incredibly bad timing.  Brewers fans claimed Escobar suffered from a “lack of focus” and had a habit of committing costly errors at exactly the wrong time.  This disappointing performance may have been why the Brewers were willing to include Escobar in the trade.  Lucky us.

After the Greinke trade, the only note MLB.com included about Alcides in their story was that he had “the tools to be an extremely exciting defensive player” but he struggles at the plate.  ESPN said almost exactly the same thing.

So, what did we think we were getting when Alcides Escobar trotted out to man the left side of second base to begin the 2011 season?  We thought we were getting a light hitting defensive whiz who needed to work on his concentration and focus to be successful at the major league level.  And in 2011, that’s exactly what we got – a .254 batting average, 4 home runs, and 15 errors, but he was at least as good or a little bit better in almost all areas over his previous season.   So, we were pleasantly surprised as his performance mildly exceeded our expectations.

To begin 2012, I believe most of us were expecting another similar season out of Esky.  We expected him to play strong defense, and to hold his own on offense, but we didn’t think he could be a game changer or even a player that we could count on for a key hit.  Escobar has met our defensive expectations with some of the most exciting infield defense most of us have ever witnessed, but on offense…  he’s surpassed our wildest expectations.

If you think Alcides Escobar can't hurt you with his bat, you are mistaken. (Credit: Joy R. Absalon-US PRESSWIRE)

Think back to last March as we were contemplating the season opener.  What would you have predicted about Alcides Escobar?  Would you have ever dreamed he would be mentioned in the same breath as Derek Jeter on offense?  Jeter and Escobar have been jousting for the league lead in batting average among shortstops.  Jeter has 7 home runs, Esky has 4.  Jeter has 27 RBI, Escobar has 29.  Escobar has far, far better range and defensive skills than the always dependable but long-in-the-tooth Jeter, making plays on balls that Derek would only waive at.  And Escobar is providing this production for the Royals at a $15 million discount over what Jeter is charging the Yankees.  Stunning, but true.

A few nights ago, Brad Brickell tweeted (@BradBrick) that the Royals win the Greinke trade on Escobar alone, and I agree with him, at least to this point.  Greinke is a great pitcher, and I’d love to have him back again when he hits free agency later this year.  But up to this point, I think it’s clear that Alcides has easily exceeded our expectations, and he’s a key factor in our bright hopes for the future.  Hopefully, all baseball fans will realize this when they’re voting for the All Star players in 2013.

If you don’t know anything about the automobile market in 1985, there’s a good reason for that.  There was nothing to know.  Nobody collects cars built in the 80’s because they were stodgy, slow, and ugly.  The market was starved for something exciting, a vehicle that could rejuvenate the industry.  We all sat on the edge of our seats waiting for the reveal of the new S-Series, a vehicle that you don’t remember and probably have never heard of – for good reason.  Have you ever seen an S-Series model Saturn?  Yuck.  It turned out to be an uninspiring piece of plastic junk.

The huge un-recouped investment in the Saturn Corporation by General Motors and subsequent lack of creative and groundbreaking design dulled all the luster on this once eagerly awaited car company.  And as you know, Saturn is now long gone, relegated to the dust bin of history.

Eric Hosmer may not be as good as we hoped he would be (Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE)

It hurts me to even say this, but what if Eric Hosmer is the Royals’ Saturn Corporation?  The Royals of the past 20 years make a good comparison to the automotive industry of the 1980’s – underperforming, uninspiring, and underwhelming, with little hope of a turnaround.  The fan base has been desperate for any sign of hope and are willing to fall over themselves (me included) when even one prospect appears to have the slightest chance of becoming the next big thing.

We’ve set ourselves up for a potentially huge disappointment with Eric Hosmer.  When was the last time a prospect was so highly anticipated with an expectation that he could potentially turn the club around?  Zack Greinke might be the closest player, but I don’t think anyone expected Zack to elevate the entire team the way we believed Hosmer would impact the organization.

Hosmer was a #1 draft pick, the 3rd player selected in the 2008 draft.  He tore through minor league pitching like Bo Jackson through an Seattle Seahawk defensive backfield.  He carried himself like a veteran with one of the most magnificent and picturesque follow-through swings Royals fans have ever seen.  He had all the makings of a potential Superstar.  Many of us pinned our greatest hopes on him simply because we have been looking for light at the end of the tunnel for so long, even a spark would send us into a frenzy.

Our good looking young first baseman was ranked as the #8 overall prospect by Baseball America in 2011, batted .439 during his 26 game stint in AAA (that is not a misprint), and he impressed nearly everyone with his talent as he made his way toward the majors.  He debuted last year to oohs and ahhs, just the same as the Saturn S-Class did years ago.  But now that we bought our Hosmer sedan, drove him to work and parked him in our driveway every night for a few months, the bloom is beginning to come off the rose and we’re not quite as excited about him as we were a year ago.  I’m beginning to have just a tiny little bit of buyer’s remorse.

Royals fans have been making excuses for Hos for months now.  “He’s just in a sophomore slump, he’ll come out of it”, “as soon as he starts hitting to the opposite field, things will come together for him”, “he makes good contact, his hits are just finding a lot of gloves”, etc., etc.  We’re making excuses because we don’t want to admit that he may not be as good as we’ve hoped, because giving up on Hosmer is tantamount to giving up on the Royals.  Because we’re loyal true-blue fans, we keep waiting, and watching, and hoping for any sign that Hosmer’s bat will find its way again and reignite our passions the way our expectations of his future performance did a few months ago.  Because we love the Royals, this creates a situation where we CAN’T give up on Hosmer.

Let’s be realistic for a moment and say that other players have pulled out of worse sophomore slumps, although I can’t think of any right now.  Even on our own team, Alex Gordon took a few years to find his way and now he’s a strong contributor, although not a Superstar.  And this is really where the problem lies – Eric Hosmer can eventually be a good player, he might even be an All Star (someday, maybe), but because of our high expectations, he’ll end up as a stunning disappointment if he isn’t a Superstar.  Face it, if Hosmer were a newly premiering Fall Television Series, his ratings would have already forced the networks to pull him from the schedule.

So here’s what I think – the race for the 2012 pennant is over.  The winner hasn’t been decided yet, but there can be little doubt that one of the losers will be the Kansas City Royals.  We’re threatening the Twins for last place; Danny Duffy, Felipe Paulino, and Joakim Soria will be on the shelf until at least 2013 or later; and the season is more than half over.  Let’s start preparing for next year.  Let’s stop worrying about bruising Hosmer’s psyche and let’s send him to Omaha and let him earn his way back to the majors.  It’s worked for other players, including Alex Gordon, it certainly couldn’t hurt Hosmer.

Let Hosmer spend some quality time with the club’s hitting instructors and see if he can recapture some of the magic he experienced in 2011.  And while they’re at it, maybe they can coach him to stop that stupid swipe-grab he tries to make at first base every time there’s an errant throw.  I’m not sure if he is just putting on a show with this move, or if he honestly thinks it’s a proper way to play a short hop.  It looks very amateurish to me and he’s going to clown-suit himself eventually when one of these throws skips past him and down the right field line.  This technique has burned him at least once this season that I’ve personally witnessed, and will probably come back to bite him and the Royals some day when the game is on the line if he doesn’t stop it.

Eric Hosmer sends a ball over the outfield wall in Spring Training (Credit: Alan Barrington)

I remember sitting in the stands last Spring in Surprise Arizona, eager with anticipation for Eric Hosmer’s at bat.  I even snapped a picture of his flawless swing that resulted in a Cleveland Indian pitch being deposited over the Center Field wall – it was a thing of beauty.  But something happened to Hosmer between that day and the start of the regular season, and the result is that he’s lost his way and he can’t seem to find it again.  Let’s face the facts, and let’s treat him the way we would treat anyone we love – tell him the truth and send him to get help.  It’s either that, or we all need to admit that he may not be as good as we hoped he would be.

Many of the challenges the Royals have faced this year can be attributed to the multitude of injuries that have plagued the team.  The Royals experienced more serious injuries in Spring Training than during all of 2011, and we are only now beginning to see a sliver of light at the end of the tunnel.

The 2012 injury story began with a backup catcher in a noncompetitive situation.  While Manuel Pina wasn’t expected to contribute much to the Royals in 2012 (little did they know they could have used him to open the season after Salvador Perez went down), but on February 22 he torn his meniscus and this injury was the beginning of a long line of devastating setbacks the team has suffered to its roster.

Joakim Soria spoiled Royals fans for several years. (Credit: Jesse Johnson-US PRESSWIRE)

On March 13, Salvador Perez twisted his knee resulting in an almost identical injury to Manuel Pina, causing the Royals to lose 2 of their top 3 catchers for the first half of the season.  This roster hole forced the team to pick up Humberto Quintero, Mr. “Catch and Throw,” in a trade with Houston.  “Q” as he was frequently called by teammates was heralded as a great defensive player, although I never personally witnessed any evidence of this, and at bat he performed as you would expect a veteran bench player to perform.  (Lousy.)  So the Royals endured the first half of the season with little to no production from behind the plate.  Fortunately, Salvador returned to the lineup in June, and all is right with the world again.  Well, at least in the catching world.

I was sitting in the stands in Surprise, Arizona on March 18 when Joakim Soria was on the mound and felt a “tug” in his elbow.  He hadn’t pitched well that day and there was an uneasiness in the stands among Royals fans that something was definitely wrong.  We later learned that tug was a warning bell that Soria was going to require Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career, and forced the Royals to use Jonathan “roller coaster” Broxton as their closer.  As many people have accurately said, for the most part Broxton is getting the job done, but few players have caused fans (including me) more angst than he has.  Soria definitely spoiled us.

But Joakim isn’t the only Royals pitcher to go under the knife.  Not that any of us would have been excited to see Blake Wood in Kansas City this year, but he is out for the season with a case of the Tommy John illness.  As is Felipe Paulino – just as he was beginning to prove that possibly all of his potential and “stuff” might translate into solid performances and wins.  It’s sad when your rotation is so weak that you miss Felipe Paulino.  But I miss him, I really really do.

The Royals anxiously await Danny Duffy's recovery from Tommy John surgery (Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE)

It brings a tear to my eye as I remember Danny Duffy exiting the game after throwing only 13 pitches on Mother’s Day.  I think every educated baseball fan immediately knew this meant another key contributor was lost for this season, and possibly beyond.  If you’re wondering, yes, Tommy John strikes again.  Is it contagious?

Not that I’m thrilled to see Yuniesky Betancourt in the lineup, and I’m not enamored with Chris Getz either, but when the team is thin at a few positions like second base, you don’t want to see anyone on your roster sitting in the trainer’s room.  Escobar has experienced nagging ankle problems, and Getz has been working through a variety of ailments including bruised ribs and a lower leg lateral strain that have sent both of them up and down so many times that it’s been a guessing game about who will play second base each day.

The Royals started the year strong, winning 2 out of 3 from the heavily favored Angels.  Then on April 10, while winning the 3^rd of their first 5 games of the year, Lorenzo Cain bumped into the Centerfield wall while chasing down a fly ball and suffered what was initially called a “slight pull of the left groin.”  This slight pull turned into a torn hip flexor and an on-again, off-again stay on the disabled list that has kept him out of the Royals lineup ever since.

Salvador Perez blocks the plate, and all is right with the world again. (Credit: John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE)

The good news is the Royals appear to be healing up.  As mentioned earlier, Salvador Perez has already made an impact in the short time he’s been back on the team, and most Lorenzo Cain is on the verge of making his first appearance in KC this year.

Unfortunately, the team’s pitching woes won’t be corrected anytime soon, but if Danny Duffy, Felipe Paulino, Joakim Soria, and John Lamb (a Top 20 prospect who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2011) needed to sit out a year, it’s much better that it happen this year rather than next.  (Although, I suppose we don’t know for certain when any of them will return.)  In 2013 we expect Wil Myers and Jake Odorizzi to be in KC, Eric Hosmer’s sophomore slump to be in the rear view mirror, we’ll have Salvador and Lorenzo for the entire season, and the Royals front office will be laser focused on adding a prime arm or two to the rotation through trades or free agency.  Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the serious injury bug doesn’t visit the Royals again next year.

Let me explain.  A South Carolina resident who visits Kansas City and orders Pulled Pork with mustard BBQ sauce, hash, and Brunswick Stew (South Carolina & Georgia specialties) will be disappointed at almost any restaurant.  A Kansas City tourist visiting Texas’ BBQ Mecca in Lockhart who orders hickory smoked ribs will no doubt think Texans have no idea how to make barbeque.  A Texan looking for tender mesquite smoked brisket and pinto beans in Memphis will come up empty handed.  Someone from Memphis looking for dry rub…  well, you get the picture.  BBQ means different things to different people and you need to understand the specialty of each area if you want the best experience during your visit.

A few of the All Stars of Kansas City BBQ

There is a variety of great BBQ in Kansas City and no doubt you can find a few local restaurants that can smoke brisket with the best of the Texas Que joints, there are a few places with noteworthy pulled pork, and you might find some dry rub someplace, but I recommend you try a different approach.  When in Rome, do as the Romans.  If you’re in Kansas City for an All Star visit, let go of your BBQ inhibitions and indulge in the local specialty.  You absolutely must try the ribs.

Your first stop has to be the original Arthur Bryants at 17^th and Brooklyn just a few blocks from the Negro Leagues Museum, one of John Madden’s favorite haunts, and the restaurant Calvin Trillin of the New Yorker famously called, “possibly the single best restaurant in the world.”  The sandwiches of beef or ham or sausage are magnificent huge stacks of smoky meat, but don’t be swayed.  The big thick long or short end ribs are the stuff that dreams are made of.  So get in line, grab a plate, and be ready to order through the window while you watch the king-of-all-ribs chopped and wrapped in old school butcher paper.  Be sure to get a side of fresh cut fries.  And don’t forget to try the oh-so-vinegary original sauce, which is a bit of an acquired taste, but a must have for all visitors. No other restaurant has contributed more to the BBQ legacy of Kansas City than this one.

Another very popular heavy-weight of Kansas City BBQ is Oklahoma Joes, located in the sweetest smelling gas station on earth at 47^th and Mission Rd.  Named after the smoker the owners used in the American Royal BBQ competitions over 20 years ago, their ribs are the equal of Arthur Bryants and a proud representative of a KC tradition.  Be prepared to wait in a long line, I promise you won’t be the only fans checking out Oklahoma Joes during All Star week.

If you are unable to travel far from the stadium during your All Star visit, consider checking out LC’s BBQ at 5800 Blue Parkway.  With a 93% approval rating on Roadfood.com and 91% on Urbanspoon.com, this place is a little off the beaten path, but well worth the trouble to hunt it down.  With mismatched tables and styrofoam boxes for plates, LC’s defines the expression “greasy spoon.”  Their spoons may be greasy, but their BBQ pit is a little bit of heaven.

If you’re looking for something a little more upscale, you’ll want to try Fiorella’s Jack Stack BBQ at any of four locations complete with table clothes and actual waiters rather than a serving counter.  How many BBQ joints have you visited that are highly rated by Zagat’s?  In addition to the awesome ribs, you must try the delicious cheesy corn bake, and my favorite hickory pit beans.  Just be sure you’re prepared for a little sticker shock when the bill arrives, Jack Stack is a tiny bit pricier than it’s downscale cousins in KC.

It would be virtually impossible to name all the great BBQ ribs in Kansas City in one short article, but I’ll at least mention a few of my honorable mention locations:  Gate’s BBQ (my Dad’s personal favorite), BB’s Lawnside BBQ (check out the made from scratch raisin and vanilla bread pudding drizzled with sweet bourbon sauce – yummy!), Rosedale BBQ (my son’s favorite BBQ sauce), and Danny Edwards Boulevard BBQ (the successor to the legendary Jake’s Eat It and Beat It BBQ).  One thing I can tell you for certain, no matter which one you choose, you’re sure to have an All Star BBQ experience.

Are the Kansas City Royals performing up to expectations in 2012? (Credit: Jesse Johnson-US PRESSWIRE)

For years, the Royals have been preseason doormats, perennially predicted to come in last, or very near the bottom.  Twenty years of mind numbing losses will give the prognosticators good reason to doubt your ability to perform.

But in 2012, something unusual happened – nobody picked the Royals to come in last place.  Not everybody is completely convinced the Royals youth movement will pay off, but most knowledgeable sports fans agree that the team is headed in the right direction.  The improved play on the field during the 2^nd half of 2011 motivated many experts to predict a brighter future for the Royals this year.

Now that we are about halfway through the season, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the preseason predictions of a few experts to see how close their forecasts are to reality.

As of today, the Royals are in 4th place, 6.5 games out of 1^st.  Here are the standings:

AL Central – Actual Standing as of July 3, 2012

1. Chicago
2. Cleveland            2 Games Back
3. Detroit                  4.5 Games Back
4. Kansas City         6.5 Games Back
5. Minnesota           8 Games Back

The guys at Baseball Prospectus are some of the most widely respected and knowledgeable baseball authorities.  Last March 27, they predicted the season ending standings for 2012 would be:

AL Central – Baseball Prospectus Preseason Prediction

1. Detroit
2. Cleveland
3. Chicago
4. Kansas City
5. Minnesota

It’s interesting to note that of the 27 Baseball Prospectus Staff members who voted to create this prediction, 26 of them said the Tigers would take 1^st place in the AL Central.  The 27^th staffer predicted the Royals would take first place.  I’d like to shake that guy’s hand.

On April 3, CBS Sports not only predicted the Tigers would win the AL Central by at least 10-15 games, they also predicted Detroit would win the World Series.  There’s something about adding Prince Fielder and expanding your payroll by $214 million that makes you the trendy pick.

AL Central – CBS Sports Preseason Prediction

1. Detroit
2. Kansas City
3. Cleveland
4. Minnesota
5. Chicago

On March 28, not only did Sports Illustrated predict the final order of the AL Central standings, they also provided won/loss predictions.  You’ll also note their prediction mirrors the CBS Sports forecast.

AL Central – Sports Illustrated Preseason Prediction

1. Detroit                   93-69
2. Kansas City         82-80
3. Cleveland            80-82
4. Minnesota           72-90
5. Chicago               67-95

The Royals are very fortunate that no team is running away with the division this year, which is just like 2011 when the leader had a somewhat lackluster record.  Even so, last year the Royals were already mired in last place, 10.5 games behind the Tigers.

AL Central – Halfway point of 2011

W/L        Pct          GB

DET        44-38     .537        –

CLE        42-37     .532        0.5

CHW      40-42     .488        4.0

MIN        34-45     .430        8.5

KCR        33-48     .407       10.5

Unfortunately, I don’t think there is a great deal to be revealed yet from the standings and comparing them to the preseason predictions.  The AL Central is one of baseball’s weakest divisions and the title is still conceivably up for grabs for any team, with the possible exception of the Twins.

My biggest takeaway from reviewing these predictions was to be reminded that it’s not just Royals fans who were expecting big things from the team this year.  The experts at CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated, and at least one well-informed staffer at Baseball Prospectus believed that the Royals would put up a respectable showing this season – which is pretty impressive considering the Boys in Blue tied for the 5^th worst record in the majors last year and finished the season 24 games out of first place.

It’s nice to get a little love from the National Media and from the experts.  But, it would be better to get some love that only playoff exposure can bring.  It’s a bit of a stretch to see the Royals playing this Fall, but it’s certainly not an impossibility.  Maybe the Royals make a trade for a solid starting pitcher.  Maybe Wil Myers makes a second half showing and bashes the ball with the same authority as he’s shown in the minors.  Maybe Eric Hosmer emerges from his season long slumber and begins to carry the team as many of us believe he’s capable.  Here’s to hoping the Royals begin to hit on all cylinders in the second half, so that one lone staffer at Baseball Prospectus can turn to his coworkers and say, “I told you so.”

The Royals bullpen is supposed to be the strength of its pitching staff, and if you review almost any pitching statistic, you’ll find this is true.  And who should be the cream of the crop in this group?  The closer of course.  The closer should dominate opposing batters, intimidating them into submission during the final inning of a game.  While Broxton’s ERA has been solid, by almost every other measurement you’ll discover that he is teetering on the brink and in my opinion his luck may run out soon.

Of the Royals five most often used relief pitchers (including Aaron Crow, Jose Mijares, Kelvin Herrera, and Tim Collins) Broxton possesses the highest WHIP, the lowest strikeout ratio, and the most H/9 (hits per 9 innings.)  This type of performance will eventually impact his luck-induced ERA performance and will result in runs scored, lots of them.  When Broxton waddles to the mound, the only hearts he strikes fear into are in the pounding chests of nervous Royals fans.

I'm just not that into you Jonathan Broxton (Credit: John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE)

Maybe this is a little bit shallow of me to say, but I prefer my team’s players at least have the appearance of athleticism and not wear pants that two teammates can fit inside.  Broxton looks more like a reject from a Tommy Boy casting call than a professional baseball player.  And I know it’s results that count, not appearance, but really…  Broxton’s body is his tool, it’s what allows him to be a major league pitcher.  If he was a serious athlete who truly wanted to excel, he’d drop 100 pounds and get himself in shape.

Broxton’s performance is like a locomotive whose wheels are coming off, but it just hasn’t jumped the track yet.  He’s a train wreck waiting to happen.

I attended one of the recent interleague games in Houston and had a chance to watch Broxton and the other pitchers take a few swings in the batting cage during pregame warmups.  There was a lot of discussion about a few balls that Broxton sent into the left field seats and off the outfield wall.  It was a pretty impressive display – for a pitcher.  But I still don’t think any of the fans who were oohing and aahing at his hitting prowess were excited at the prospect of watching Broxton and his lifetime .000 batting average step into the box.  Can you imagine Jonathan hitting a ground ball to the shortstop and trying to “leg it out.”  The mental image is jarring.

The good news is that there is a solution to this problem.  I recommend the Royals point to Broxton’s stellar ERA, his track record as an All-Star closer, package him with Jeff Francoeur (sorry Frenchy, I love ya, but you have to go – #FreeWil) and try to get something, anything, in return before they both implode and lose all their value.

Dayton Moore should take some time out during the All-Star festivities, visit with his General Manager buddies that attend the game, and find a new home for both of these guys.  Frenchy has value as a clubhouse leader & goodwill ambassador, and Broxton could potentially be a decent 7^th inning guy – that has to be worth something.

The time is now Dayton.  Find a deal, pull the trigger, cut our losses before Broxton and Frenchy lose their value, and let’s move forward to the future with Aaron Crow or Kelvin Herrera as our closer.

Let me give you an example.  I was recently looking at the Royals team history page and discovered something interesting.  If you review the column of “Top Players” you’ll see a number of recognizable names of athletes that contributed mightily to the success (or relative success) of each specific season.  You’ll find Alex Gordon, Amos Otis, Bret Saberhagen, Carlos Beltran, David Cone, Johnny Damon, Kevin Appier, Zack Greinke, John Mayberry, Dan Quisenberry, Willie Wilson, Joakim Soria, etc. and of course George Brett – a veritable who’s who of Royal’s history.  You’ll also see Jose Offerman, Mark Teahen and a couple other mild surprises.

This made me think…  What is, or what should be, the definition of the Top or Best player?  Baseball Reference defines the Top Player as the individual with the highest WAR (Wins Against Replacement) rating of any player on the team.  WAR is a tangible analysis that takes both offense and defense into account, but it doesn’t make any attempt to measure leadership or intangibles, and it seems to favor pitchers slightly in my opinion.

5 time All Star Mike Sweeney was never the best player on the Royals according to Baseball Reference (Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE)

Let me give you an example of the lack of leadership skills and intangibles in the WAR calculation.  Remember Mike Sweeney?  There is a lot of mixed opinion about Mike, and deservedly so, yet he put up some dynamite offensive numbers for a few years combined with the ability to hold his own at first base, and he was the undeniable leader of the Royals during his time as Captain.  Yet this 5 time All Star who hit .333 with 144 RBIs, 71 walks, and a league leading 15 HBPs in 2000, and a 2002 season that saw him hit .340, .563 slugging, and 148 OPS+ was never the “Top Player” for the Royals according to Baseball Reference and his WAR rating.  In 2002, that honor went to Paul Byrd.

What do you think of that?  Was Paul Byrd a more important piece of the puzzle for the Royals in 2002 than Mike Sweeney and his .340 batting average? (.340 is 2^nd only to George Brett’s .390 in 1980, and how would you like to have a .340 hitter on the Royals right now?)  In 2002, Paul Byrd was 17-11 with a 3.90 ERA and he led the league with 7 complete games – he was definitely a very valuable pitcher, but I don’t think his performance could be defined as “dominating.”  Paul Byrd appeared in 33 games.  Mike Sweeney played in 126 (less than a full season due to the beginning signs of his many recurring back issues), had the first straight steal of home by a Royal in over 20 years, was named to his 3^rd consecutive All-Star game, led the league in defensive assists by a 1^st baseman – and he was the Captain of the team.  But this wasn’t good enough to be the Royals “Top Player.”

Obviously, my definition of the best player on the team is going to differ from other fans, and from other experts as well.  My subjective definition simply asks, “Who was the player the Royals could least afford to do without?”  In 2002, I believe the answer has to be Mike Sweeney.

Before the 2012 season began, who did you think the Royals’ best player would be this season?  If you’re like most of the rest of us, you may have thought, or at least hoped, it would be Eric Hosmer.  If so, those hopes were dashed weeks ago as we’ve witnessed one of the most dramatic sophomore slumps in recent memory.  A few of you may have predicted Alex Gordon, or maybe Joakim Soria prior to his injury.  Predictions are based on hopes, and as a Royals fan you certainly know that hopes are often dashed.

If you said Billy Butler, you were pretty much on target.  (Although according to WAR rating, Alex Gordon is on top for the second year in a row – I don’t agree in 2012.)  However, I am hesitant to name a DH as the best player citing the same reservations many have for naming a pitcher as MVP.  And unless a Royals pitcher is completely and utterly dominating (see Steve Busby, Dennis Leonard, David Cone, Zach Greinke, or Bret Saberhagen) I have similar misgivings.

For 2013 we have several potential candidates for best player.  I’ll list my nominations below and include the odds that I think I’m right.  And, I’ll also acknowledge that there’s no possible way any reader will agree with me 100%.

Could Mike Moustakas become the best player on the Royals? (Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE)

Mike Moustakas:  The improvement Mike has shown from 2011 to 2012 has been nothing short of breathtaking.  He is much more comfortable at the plate this year, and in the field he doesn’t even look like the same player.  I believe Mike’s personality has many leadership qualities and he’s maturing into a presence that will almost certainly make him the best player on the team at some point in his career.  For 2013, I’d say the odds of Mike being the Royals best player, the guy they can least afford to do without, are about 3 to 1.

Eric Hosmer:  Although he hasn’t come close to fulfilling our expectations this year, Hosmer’s potential is so tantalizing that I have to put him near the top of the list.  I believe Eric is just a tweak or two away from “righting the ship” and getting back on track to becoming the offensive powerhouse we all know he can be.  His defense is still solid, but it may take a while for his personality to mature into a true clubhouse big dog.  I’ll put Hosmer’s odds of being the best player in 2013 at 5 to 1.

Alcides Escobar:  If you told me I could only watch one play from each Royals game, I would pick the inevitable web gem that Esky turns in virtually every night.  It is truly a thrill to watch Alcides display his otherworldly defensive skills while protecting the left side of the diamond.  I’ll go out on a limb and say that after watching him for less than two seasons he may not be the absolute best defensive shortstop I’ve ever seen, but I don’t believe I’ve ever seen anyone better than him.  Escober is hitting around .290 at a premium position and I believe the only thing that could potentially limit his ability to be a great club house leader are his English language skills.  Alcides is my dark horse candidate for best player in 2013 and he’s my favorite to watch play in 2012.  I’ll put his odds at 10-1.

Jeff Francoeur:  I believe Jeff is the closest thing the 2012 Royals have to a clubhouse leader and his rocket arm and intangibles are great.  Who’s the guy you see chest bumping his team mates every night and cheering them on with one of the most upbeat personalities in the majors?  It’s Frenchy.  Who else tosses baseballs wrapped in $100 bills and gets into hilarious mock disputes with opposing mascots?  Frenchy’s power numbers are way down this year and his average has dipped, so his on-field performance is not trending in the right direction which makes him a risky wager.  I also wouldn’t bet on Jeff being “da man” in 2013 due to the fact that he may not even play in a Royals uniform.   If he is still wearing Royals blue in 2013, I would put Francoeur’s odds at 15-1.

Wil Myers:  At some point in 2012, no matter how hard the Royals brass try to hold him back, he’ll force his way to Kansas City.  And he may light it up offensively when he arrives, but his defense still needs work and there’s almost no way anyone can be a true clubhouse leader in his first or second year.  Odds 30-1.

Billy Butler:  Great DH, one of the best in baseball.  But as I explained earlier, I just don’t think a DH can be the best player.  If a DH is your best player, then your team is in trouble.  Odds 30-1.

Jake Odorizzi:  See “Wil Myers.”  Odds 50-1.

Alex Gordon:  Gold Glove defensive left fielder who has been a disappointment at the plate this year.  He’s a solid contributor and I want him on my team, but he’s not a vocal clubhouse leader and has little chance to be the best player on the team in my rating system.  In 2013, I’d rate him at 50-1.

There are a few other players who have a shot at being the best player, but all of them have significant question marks either because they may not recover from injuries (Joakim Soria and Danny Duffy), they haven’t played in the majors long enough for us to get a good sense of their performance (Salvador Perez), or because Dayton Moore hasn’t traded for them yet or signed them as a free agent (Zach Greinke – hint, hint…)

And don’t get me started about relief pitchers.  Unless you are Mariano Rivera, Dan Quisenberry, or Joakim Soria in his prime, you can’t even be considered the Top Player on the team.  It would be the same as voting the field goal kicker as the top player on an NFL team – it’s not going to happen.

Could Yuniesky Betancourt be the best player? Haha, just kidding! Almost got you, didn't we? (Credit: John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE)

Yuniesky Betancourt:  I’ll just skip straight to the odds.  10,000,000,000 to 1.  I had to throw him in just for kicks.

The biggest reason we have difficulty selecting the potential top player is because the Royals are so young.  Most of the time I believe that’s a good thing and not a bad thing, but it causes them to be inconsistent as they go through the struggles of figuring out how to succeed in the big leagues, and most of them simply have not matured into the true leaders that they will hopefully one day become.

I still believe that we are two solid starting pitchers away from being a contending team and I’m holding on to hope that we find these hurlers somewhere, either in the farm system, through trades or free agency, before the start of the 2013 season.  When this happens, we’ll find our team playing in October, and this is the time when true clubhouse leadership emerges and performance on the field has a historical impact on your team and your legacy.   When we play in October, that’s when we’ll definitely learn who is the best player on this team.

Who should be the scapegoat for another year of disappointing Royals baseball?  Whose head needs to roll as a result of the team’s poor showing?  Dayton Moore? Kevin Seitzer?  How about Rex Hudler?

Should Ned Yost be the scapegoat for what has been a disappointing season so far? (Credit: Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE)

One of the interesting aspects of social media is that it provides a real time peek into the thoughts of hard core sports fans.  Every evening you can sit down at your computer and watch the commentary during the game.  One of the most frequent themes on Twitter has been that Ned Yost is to blame for this disappointing season and that he should be taken to the nearest bus terminal with a ticket to Anywherebuthere Town, USA.  But I say – not so fast.

Before I explain my thoughts, let’s take a peek into the world of social media and look at just a few of the many thousands of comments concerning Ned Yost:

• Aaron Stilley @Royal_Heritage – You may say Yost is a by-the-book manager, but today I saw him pioneer the use of a late inning defensive downgrade while leading!
• Scott Thomas @hosmermania – Ned Yost=Hank Hill. Old fashioned grumpy guy who hunts. Never does anything new. Very predictable.
• Mike Engel ‏@michaelengel – How many people in uniform were surprised by the bunt? One? The left field ball boy? #Yosted
• Josh Green ‏@Jashg84 - As long as Yost is in there, it will continue like this unfortunately
• 1Yankh8r ‏@1Yankh8r – Can’t wait to see how the Spin Doctors in the Yost camp sell last night’s debacle. #FireYost

#FireYost has become a popular hashtag.  So is #Yosted.  And fans are right to be upset.   Some of Yost’s decisions this season on the surface appear to be nearly inexplicable.  But let’s take a closer look.

I think the best way to judge a manager is to evaluate what he is doing with the talent he has been given.  For instance (I realize this is a very unrealistic example, but I’m trying to make a point), what if one participant in the Indy 500 was forced to ride a bicycle – how well do you think this person would do and where do you think he or she would finish?  You would expect him to finish last because the race wasn’t fair, he wasn’t given the same sleek expensive race car to drive as all the other competitors.  You know what I’m getting at, don’t you?

The Royals payroll is about $61 million.  That’s about $2.5 million per victory so far this year.  Wins are going for about $5 million each in Detroit and Los Angeles (Angels) this year, and almost $6 million in Boston.  By comparison, if higher payroll means greater talent, then Ned Yost isn’t playing all that badly with the hand he’s been dealt.  The Rays do an awesome job at less than $2 million per victory.

Are the Royals going to bunt again?!? (Credit: Scott Rovak-US PRESSWIRE)

Still, how do you explain all the crazy managerial decisions Yost has made?  There have been times I’ve wanted to tear out what little hair I have left every time I watch Yuniesky Betancourt trot out to 2^nd base or yet another failed and ill-advised bunt attempt go awry.

The Royals have been caught stealing more than any other team in the American League except one.  This is pretty remarkable considering 10 teams (in the American League alone) have stolen more bases than the Royals.  Just imagine how bad this statistic would be if Jarrod Dyson hadn’t been playing recently.  Aren’t the Royals young and athletic?  Don’t most of them have average speed or better, with the possible exceptions of Billy Butler and Humberto (why did we trade for him again?) Quintero?  Are the coaches sending the green light at the wrong time?  Are the players using poor technique?

How many times this year have you seen a Royal caught napping and picked off the bases?  Many more times than I care to recall.  Is poor coaching to blame?

There are a couple schools of thought regarding a stable lineup.  Some people say it’s beneficial to a player to always know his role and where he’ll bat when he comes to the stadium.  Yost obviously didn’t attend this school.  Yost believes in juggling the lineup as if it were a bowling ball, a power saw, a flaming torch, and a butcher knife.  Unfortunately, when you play with fire, somebody is going to get burned.

I wish I knew why many of the Royals are slumping at the plate this year.  Is this Ned Yost’s fault?  Last year, Kevin Seitzer was considered to be a hitting guru on the level of Charlie Lau.  This year, Hosmer was unable to hit his way out of a paper bag for six weeks, Alex Gordon is on track for 12 home runs compared to 23 last year, and the team is trending toward scoring about 100 fewer runs than last season.  Is this Kevin Seitzer’s fault?  Is he not providing the same quality guidance and instruction as last year?

So how good are these Royals and how much talent does Ned Yost have to work with?  There’s really no way to know.  With acknowledgement that some may disagree with me, the 2012 Royals may have one of the major’s best defensive shortstops in Alcides Escobar, one of the best defensive catchers (when Salvador Perez returns – please hurry), the best defensive left fielder in Alex Gordon, the strongest outfield arm in Jeff Francoeur, possibly the major’s most improved player in 3^rd baseman Mike Moustakas, the player with the greatest potential in Eric Hosmer, the speediest bench player in Jarrod Dyson, one of the top hitters in a position loaded with talent, DH Billy Butler, the hardest throwing relief pitcher Kelvin Herrera, and a very capable bullpen. But without decent starting pitchers, there is simply no possible way to know how good this team is.

The pitching anchor of the 2012 Royals is Bruce Chen.  Just let that soak in for a moment.  On opening day this season, we sent Bruce Chen to the mound in Anaheim to face Jered Weaver.  Weaver was an All-Star and 2^nd in the Cy Young balloting last year.  Chen’s heater is about 84 mph.   The Royals brought a knife to a gunfight that day and they were shutout 5-0 in a swift 2 hours and 22 minutes, the 2^nd shortest game of the season – it was merciful and quick.  This isn’t the way you want to start a season and it set the tone for what was to come.

Bruce Chen is the Royals #1 pitcher. No really, I'm not kidding. (Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE)

I don’t blame Bruce Chen.  Bruce is a very likeable guy who gives it everything he has every time he walks to the mound.  But he shouldn’t be in a position where a team looks to him as the stopper.  Chen earns $4.5 million per year.  Weaver earns $14 million.  It’s like sending your funny cousin Joey into the ring to face Mohammed Ali in his prime every five days.  Who would do that?   Why are the Royals doing it?  It’s insane!  How can we blame Ned Yost for this injustice?

I believe it all boils down to pitching.  Pitching is the lifeblood of a baseball team.  Wins and losses begin with the guy who takes the mound in the 1^st inning.  Pitching holds the other team down, keeps your side in the game, and provides your teammates with a chance to win.  A baseball team simply cannot be successful without strong starting pitching.

When you watch a team play that has poor starting pitching (aka The Royals), anything else you see on the field is an attempt to make up for this shortcoming.  Everyone else must extend themselves and try to do things they aren’t capable of doing.  They must try to steal when the timing isn’t right.  They constantly bunt in a desperate attempt to move runners into scoring position.  They try to hit 6-run homers when nobody is on base.  The manager flip flops the lineup trying to find a winning combination that will overcome the lack of talent on the mound.  He’ll move the potential All-Star 1^st baseman into right field trying to squeeze one more drop of offense out of a team that must overcome a mishmash hodge podge rotation cobbled together from castoffs, 2^nd level trades, and Independent Leagues while waiting for the top prospect hurlers in the minors to one day, some day, fulfill their potential.

So, who’s fault is it that the Royals don’t have a major league caliber starting pitching rotation?  In my opinion, it isn’t Ned Yost’s fault.  He can only manage with the team he’s been given.  He doesn’t draft, he doesn’t make trades, it’s not his main responsibility to evaluate talent and bring prospects up from the minors.  It’s his job to coach the team on the field.  No doubt he overcompensates and ends up doing things that look stupid in retrospect, but many of these decision are made in desperation while attempting to surmount the overwhelming pitching handicap the Royals have been saddled with.  All things considered, it simply isn’t possible or fair to call Ned Yost the worst manager in the major leagues, and we won’t be able to make this assessment accurately until and unless the Royals Front Office provide him with a competitive rotation.

You may say the Royals can’t afford to compete in the free agent wars and their small market revenue stream places them in an unwinnable position.  Well, no doubt it makes things more difficult, but I don’t see anyone in Tampa making excuses for their low payroll, and they are winning.  And by the way, they’re winning with an abundance of talented young pitching.  Just sayin’.

The team experienced a slump that extended over half the season and they lost more than 75% of their games during this stretch.  For all their talent, it seemed that one major piece was missing for most of the year.  By the end of a long and frustrating season, the team was finally coming together and it was only due to injuries to a key player that they didn’t finish on a winning streak.

Pitcher Luke Hochevar and catcher Humberto Quintero - representing two positions where a potential missing piece could emerge. (Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE)

Could the description above fit the 2012 Kansas City Royals?  It’s close.  Over the past few years the Royals have experienced a changing of the guard at all levels from the field to the front office.  They’ve transitioned from a team that plugged holes with washed up veterans with nowhere else to play, to a team of young upstarts low on experience but high on potential.  The young players have shown flashes of their talent and gave us a glimpse of what they could accomplish in 2011, but have been mired in several slumps caused by injuries and growing pains, and a lack of a strong starting pitching rotation in 2012.  The first paragraph might be referring to the 2012 Kansas City Royals, but it’s a more accurate description of the 1990 Dallas Cowboys.

In 1990, the Dallas Cowboys introduced the sports world to a trio of extremely talented players who became commonly referred to as “The Triplets.”  Michael Irvin, a wide receiver, was drafted in the first round of 1988.  Troy Aikman, quarterback (you remember him – the guy who hawks buffalo wings for a living now), was drafted in the first round of 1989.  Both players started the season and were featured throughout by the Dallas Cowboys.  But it wasn’t until 1990 first round draft pick Emmitt Smith, running back (and the NFL’s future all-time leading rusher), took the field in October following a long holdout with a 121 yard rushing performance that the team finally began to fulfill its promise.

Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer - two of the "found" pieces. (Credit: Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE)

In my opinion, the Dallas Cowboys of 1990 make a good comparison to the 2012 Kansas City Royals.  Both teams changed coaches, executives and philosophies from previous seasons.  Both teams had introduced a few of it’s young studs the previous year.  The Cowboys had Irvin and Aikman, the Royals have Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas (I’d like to put Salvador Perez in this group too, but I’ll hold off until I see his performance when he returns from his knee injury.)  Both teams slumped out of the gate – the Cowboys lost 75% of their games between September 16 and November 11.  The Royals notoriously lost 12 in a row in April.

Then came Emmitt Smith, the missing piece of the puzzle for the Cowboys.  By November 18, 1990, Emmitt had firmly established himself and the Cowboys rattled off four consecutive wins and were within one victory in their final two games (or a single loss by the Saints) of making the playoffs.  Then Troy Aikman separated his shoulder and everything went down the toilet – at least for 1990.  But good things, actually VERY good things were to come for the Cowboys over the next few seasons.

It’s difficult to say exactly what the missing piece might be for the Royals.  The easiest answer is that the Royals are missing a couple of quality starting pitchers.  But what if having Salvador Perez behind the plate to call different pitches on the night of April 11 in Oakland would have prevented Jonathan Broxton’s nightmare-inducing 12^th inning meltdown (that still haunts my dreams to this day) and could have changed the course of this season?  What if this painful loss hadn’t kick-started an avalanche of bad luck and lost confidence that took a month to overcome?  What if Salvador Perez is the missing piece?

I had a chance to watch Lorenzo Cain play in Surprise this Spring before he was injured and he was quite impressive.  I think he could have made an impact for us if he had been on the field this year, and if you think Jarrod Dyson is the answer in Center, you’re kidding yourself.  Maybe Cain is the missing piece, but probably not.

Could Wil Myers be the missing piece? (Credit: Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE)

And what about the looming presence of Wil Myers and Jake Odorizzi in Omaha?  Could they make an appearance this year, establish themselves, and then help take the Royals to the playoff promised land next year and beyond?  What if Mike Montgomery figures it out?  (I have my doubts.  Serious doubts.)  What if the Royals packaged Cheslor Cuthbert and Yordano Ventura in a trade and picked up a #1 pitcher?  (I don’t want to trade these guys, I’m just speculating on what could happen.)  You never know what might transpire to supply the final piece of the puzzle and ultimately push the Royals over the top.

In 1989, the Cowboys record was 1-15.  The next year, when all three Triplets appeared on the field at the same time they were 7-9 and probably only missed the playoffs due to an injury to Aikman.  In 1991 they were 11-5 and reached the playoffs.   In 1992 they were 13-3 and began their Super Bowl run with victories in 1992, 1993, and 1995.

Is it really that much of a stretch to see the Royals add a missing piece or two and playing competitive baseball in the second half of this year?  Am I dreaming to think the Royals can make the playoffs in 2013?  Would you commit me to a mental hospital if I said the Royals could be World Series bound in 2014?

Yogi Berra, "It's deja vu all over again."

Picture yourself in 1990, reading a Cowboy’s website (if there had been such a thing) and ask yourself the same questions.  Would it have been realistic to expect a 1-15 team to be competitive the next season, to reach the playoffs the following year, and to begin an unprecedented Super Bowl run after that?  You probably would have called the writer crazy and delusional.  In hindsight we know this was the beginning of one of the greatest football dynasties ever.  (It’s difficult for me to type these words considering my all consuming hatred of the Cowboys.)  But few, if any, could have realized this in 1990.

I don’t know exactly what the future holds for the Royals, but I believe they may be just a couple of missing pieces away from becoming the team we’ve all dreamed about.  The Cowboys proved it can be done, it’s not just a pipe dream, and I know it can happen again.  I believe it’s possible because as I learned in school – history has a way of repeating itself.  And as Yogi Berra once famously said, “It’s déjà vu all over again.”

As a sports fan this is a little embarrassing, but I’m going to “out” myself and admit I’ve never watched an entire hockey game.  (With the exception of a few Olympic hockey games.)  For whatever reason, hockey has just never held any appeal for me.  (With apologies to Mike Vamosi.)  I’d probably watch an NHL game before I’d watch soccer (why would any American watch soccer?), but that’s not saying much.

My friend lives in Nashville, so he obviously doesn’t get to attend many Ranger games.  I don’t live in the Royals local viewing area either but I still watch all the games on the DirecTV Extra Innings package or on MLB.TV, I can listen to the radio broadcasts on the Internet, on my smart phone, or on the Sirius/XM radio in my car; and I can read all the news reports online.  Aside from actually attending the games at Kauffman, I have access to virtually the same information and TV broadcasts as everyone who lives in Kansas City.  I frequently multitask and watch a “regular” TV show with my wife while the Royals game and GameDay play on my laptop and I simultaneously live Tweet the game.  Yes, it can frequently be a little bit of overkill.

I always assumed my friend followed the Rangers the same way I follow the Royals and that he subscribed to the NHL Center Ice plan and spent three days each week watching his team play on TV.  However, I assumed incorrectly.

My friend has a good job, he earns a good salary, he can easily afford a nice TV and a subscription to hockey programming.  I had to ask – why in the world don’t you have the Center Ice package?  His answer was both simple and confusing to me… “Because I’d never do anything else.”  I realized at that moment that he was much more sane than I thought.

Most people who are passionate about something will pursue their obsession at every opportunity.  Real Bikers want to ride their motorcycle every time the sun is shining, people who love to read will pull a book (or Kindle) out of their purse while standing in line at the grocery store, foodies who enjoy smoking ribs may end up entering every BBQ contest within 750 miles.  Anyone who jogs in the dark with one of those reflective belts around their waist is not only passionate about running, they’re also crazy in my opinion.

The Great KC Royalman - does he ever miss a Royals game?

There’s lots of evidence around us that passionate Royals fans exist.  If you’re reading this website, chances are that you may be a passionate Royals fan.  Every heard of Royalman?  I’m sure you recognize him.  Any guy that runs around in tights, a cape, and a big KC on his chest is definitely passionate about his team.  How about a guy who actually tattoos the Royals World Series winning year on his arm?  That’s craziness or passion, one or the other, or maybe both.

Based on what I’ve seen on Twitter and the comments I’ve read on many of the message boards, there are lots and lots of Royals fans who never miss a game.  Ideally, they have season tickets and they sit in their designated seat at Kauffman 81 times per Summer.  Or if they can’t attend the game, they either watch it on TV, or listen on the radio in their car, or like SungWoo Lee, they sneak a peak of their MLB mobile app on their cell phone from underneath the paperwork piled on the conference room table while attending a meeting at their office in Korea.  We’re talking about seriously crazy obsessed fans here.  And as Curley of the Three Stooges says, “I resemble that remark.”

And what happens if you can’t attend a game or watch on TV or listen on the radio?  Do you experience withdrawls as I do?  Or, is it possible you actually feel guilty about missing a game?  If so, then you are suffering from “obsessed-fan-itis,” which is a very challenging disease to cure.

Brent Cook @c2brent Tweeted this picture of a fanatical Royals fan. Is it Brent's arm?

Let’s get real for a moment.  The NFL plays 16 regular season games.  The NBA has 81 games, unless a strike shortens their season as it did this year.  There are 36 NASCAR races.  But Baseball plays 162 regular season games.  One hundred and sixty two!  That’s a huge number, almost too many in my opinion.  (Don’t think I’m complaining, because I’m not.  I’m just trying to be objective.)  Every contest in almost every other sport has significantly greater meaning than an MLB game.  If you miss a single baseball game, or a week of baseball games, in the bigger scheme of things, you really haven’t missed that much.

I love baseball, with all my heart.  I have the same feeling when I watch the Royals play that I got when I watched my own children play baseball and softball when they were younger.  I want them to win more than anything in the world.  At times, I can be downright “fanatical” about my Boys in Blue.

A couple of weeks ago on Twitter, I was freaking out about the performance of one particular Royals player.  Bob Fescoe had a suggestion for me – He recommended that I “move on,” saying it would be good for my mental health.  This was a good idea in my opinion and one that other Royals fans should take to heart as well.

Sports are great fun, they help build character, they create camaraderie, they teach patience and they are one of the key things that make life truly enjoyable.  As a Royals fan, we’ve been taught all these lessons and more over the years.  But you’ve no doubt heard someone say that you can get too much of a good thing.  I think it’s true.

I’m not saying that you should walk away from the Royals, not in the slightest.  However, I am saying that it’s OK to take a night off occasionally, take your wife to dinner, attend your kid’s band performance, participate in a Wednesday night prayer service, take your family camping for the weekend, etc.  I promise, the Royals won’t mind, as Bob Fescoe says – it will be good for your mental health.   And don’t worry, I promise Kings of Kauffman & the Boys in Blue will be waiting for you when you get back.

Wil Myers - no batting gloves, no pine tar, no problem. (Image: Alan Barrington)

Yes, the Royals may need to put extra dirt in the batter’s box when Wil Myers arrives in Kansas City.  Let me explain.  There are some rituals that almost every player goes through when standing in the box.  Between pitches, the majority of hitters will step out and then back in again to mentally restart their rhythm.  They tap both sides of the plate with their bat, take a couple practice swings, and then face the pitcher and wait for the delivery.

A few players have slightly more elaborate batter’s box rituals.  You may remember Mike Sweeney sweeping the dirt of the box with his feet, tapping his shoes with the bat to knock the dirt from his cleats, re-stretching the Velcro of his batting gloves, and pressing his helmet back down on his head.  Lots of batters do these things, but few do all of them between every pitch as Sweeney did.

I couldn’t find any video of Joe Randa standing in the box, but I seem to remember that he would pull up the shoulders of his jersey before each pitch.  He also plastered that weird grin on his face that caused fans to refer to him as the Joker.  Just for fun, check out “Batting Stance Guy’s” take on some historic Royals.  You’ll be surprised how many players you’ll recognize just from their ritual in the batter’s box.

Some baseball players have truly unusual batter’s box rituals.  No doubt you’ve seen the windmill practice swings, the elbow flaps, or Craig Counsell formerly of the Brewers and Diamondbacks holding the bat as high over his head as his arms could reach.

When I was in college in the 1980’s, my school’s baseball team played Oklahoma State a couple of times each year.  The OSU Cowboys had a player named Jim Traber who was drafted in the 21^st round by the Orioles and ended up playing a couple of years in the big leagues.  I hated Jim Traber, for no reason other than I disliked his batting stance.  When he came to the plate, he would take a few practice swings and then point his bat at the mound until the pitcher went into his windup.  I always thought that if I was a pitcher, if any hitter pointed his bat at me I would immediately throw at his head.  Fortunately, none of the pitchers I saw ever lost their cool with Jim Traber the way I would have.

Some batter’s box rituals, such as Carlos Beltran’s, can’t be discussed here.  This is a family web site after all.  Actually, I think this story about Beltran’s ritual is a joke…  or is it?

Which brings us to Wil Myers.  Most Kansas City fans haven’t had a chance to see Wil Myers play yet.  I had an opportunity to watch him with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals recently, before he was promoted to the Storm Chasers.  There are also several videos of him posted on YouTube, including some very nice pieces of video from Lee Warren @OmahaBaseball.  (Lee is a good follow on Twitter too by the way.)

While Christian Colon bats, Wil Myers waits to get his hands dirty. (Image: Alan Barrington)

When you see Will Myers hit, you’ll notice that he has a pretty elaborate set of batter’s box rituals.  He’ll do a variety of things between each pitch that you’ve seen from other players: knock the dirt from his cleats, straighten his cap, step out, tap the plate, sweep the box with his foot, etc.  But he also does something you typically only see in sandlot games – at some point in almost every at bat, he’ll lean down, grab some dirt and rub his hands together.  Wil doesn’t use batting gloves and it doesn’t appear that he uses much, if any, pine tar on his bat either.  Grabbing some dirt is most likely the way he keeps his hands dry and helps him to get a good grip.

If you’ve read any of my previous stories, you may know I’ve been a Royals fan for a very, very long time, beginning in their 1969 inaugural season.  I’m definitely an old school guy who doesn’t understand players who wear their caps crooked, hang bling around their necks, finish the game with a clean uniform, or think it’s acceptable to award home run records to losers who use steroids or human growth hormones.  I want to see guys taking out the second baseman on a double play, standing at the top of the dugout cheering their teammates, and pitching inside (way inside) when Miguel Cabrera or Josh Hamilton comes to the plate.

I don’t know if rubbing a little bit of dirt on your hands before swinging a bat is truly old school or not, but I certainly like how this approach could add to the personality of our team.  It never hurts when you have a few players who are willing to get their hands dirty.

In every game, the first baseman will make several putouts.  With the exception of the few times each game that the first baseman may catch a line drive, or beat the catcher back to the base on a grounder, most of these outs are preceded by another defensive player snagging the ball and throwing it to the first baseman.  If it wasn’t for Alcides Escobar, aka #ShortStopJesus, and Mike Moustakas, aka #Moose throwing leather all over the left side of the infield, Eric Hosmer wouldn’t be credited with nearly as many putouts.

Jeff Francoeur puts fear into the hearts of opposing baserunners (Image: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE)

For all their short comings, one thing the Royals have in good supply is strong defense.  The left side of the field is covered by Gold Glover Alex Gordon, future Gold Glove shortstop Escobar, and the most improved third baseman in baseball, Moustakas.  When Salvador Perez returns at catcher I believe he will significantly solidify our only current position of defensive weakness.  Eric Hosmer plays strong defense, and Chris Getz, Jarrod Dyson / Lorenzo Cain can hold their own with the best of them.  But there is one aspect of our defense that nearly outshines the others with consistently stunning and noteworthy performances – Jeff Francoeur and his lethal ability to gun down unsuspecting baserunners.

When I began writing this story, I started to research all the records for outfield assists so I could compare Francoeur to the great Carl Yastrzemski (he lead the league in outfield assists 7 times) and Roberto Clemente (led the league 5 times and many say he had the best arm ever), or talk about how some of the “so called” greatest players, such as Albert Belle and Barry Bonds were the easiest outfielders to run on, etc., etc.  And then, I decided against it.

If given the choice, would you rather read about the history of the Grand Canyon, or would you prefer to stand on the edge, peering down into the magnificent canyon below while the sun set in the surrounding desert?  Endure a tedious classical art lecture, or gaze opon the timeless face of the celebrated Mona Lisa?  I decided not to engage in a boring discussion of defensive assists and simply pause for a few moments while we take in the majesty of the greatest outfield arm of our generation.

One of my all-time favorite baseball highlights is the video of Francoeur’s perfect, perfect, perfect throw to nail the Tiger’s Jhonny Peralta at third base on August 7 last year.  Apparently, Peralta didn’t get the memo about Frenchy’s ability to throw runners out.  I challenge you to find a more beautiful, almost breathtaking defensive play – Francoeur running toward the line to pick up the ball, whirling and launching a rocket to 3^rd, capped by the ho-hum nonchalant tag made by Moustakas as if it happened every day.  And check out the Tigers 3^rd base coach’s reaction as he hangs his head during the slow motion replay, it’s classic.  Click here to see perfection.

Then, fast forward to this season, May 1, 2012 and apparently Peralta was suffering a memory lapse evidenced by his ill-advised attempt to test Francoeur’s arm again.  (Peralta would make a great subject for an SNL Weekend Update “Really?!?” skit.)  Click here to see the result, as if you don’t already know.  Don’t you just love watching Jhonny Peralta run the bases against the Royals?  On the downside, this highlight would be a lot more enjoyable if the Royals weren’t losing 9-0 in the 4^th inning.

Another of my all-time favorite defensive highlights is from September 7, 2011 when Michael Taylor of the Oakland A’s came to bat in only his 4^th game and lined what appeared to be a sharp single into right field.  Well, bad luck for Taylor, Jeff Francoeur was playing right field and as a baserunner you can never take anything for granted on a ball hit to Frenchy.  Even more amazing to me is the fact that Hosmer went to first base to cover the throw from Francoeur.  That is the definition of heads-up.  Click here to see the embarrassing moment.  Welcome to the big leagues rookie.

Last year, the ESPN blog ranked active outfielders’ throwing arms and came up with a virtual tie for the number one position between Francoeur and Shin-Soo Choo.  In 2012, Choo has one assist, Francoeur has 5.  End of discussion.

The difference between those who have the ability to throw out runners from the outfield and those who don’t is absolutely huge.  In 2012, Francoeur is tied for the AL lead with 5 assists and only 16 other guys have two or more.  Everyone else has one or none.  Francoeur’s ability to throw out runners is similar to Willie Wilson’s ability to steal bases, or George Brett’s ability to hit for average, or Humberto Quintero’s ability to swing at the first pitch and tap a dribbler back to the pitcher – it’s far above the abilities of almost any other player in the league.

One thing worth mentioning in this story is that with all his talent, Jeff Francoeur didn’t lead the Royals in outfield assists last year.   In 2011, that honor went to Alex Gordon.  Remember this when you hear someone talking about an unfair arms race, they may be talking about the Royals rather than the Russians.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Alan Barrington on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story and receive his incredibly insightful sports commentary.

Only one team in major league history has lost as many as 23 consecutive baseball games – the 1961 Philadelphia Phillies.  The ’61 Phillies were a historically bad team that finished the season 47-107.  But what would you say if I told you the Royals also had an equally appalling streak of futility, unrivalled in the annals of Major League baseball?  It’s true, I wish it wasn’t, but it is.

The Royals 1969 inaugural season was a great success in almost every way.  Our Boys in Blue opened the year with four wins in their first five games, and finished the season winning five of their last six for a 69-93 record, good for 4^th place ahead of both the White Sox and Seattle Pilots (now the Milwaukee Brewers.)  Lou Piniella was voted the Rookie of the Year.  This rag tag group cobbled together mostly from expansion draft picks or purchased outright from other teams exceeded expectations and put the baseball world on notice that Kansas City’s baseball team was no pushover.

For all the excitement of the new season and the anticipation of future successes to come, there was one blemish that I still clearly remember 43 years later.  The story of THE losing streak began with a win on May 9, 1969 – 43 years ago today.  The Royals visited the Orioles for the very first time at old Memorial Stadium in Baltimore.

Frank Robinson used the Royals as a stepping stone on his path to the Hall of Fame (Image: Joy R. Absalon-US PRESSWIRE)

Royals rookie pitcher, Dick Drago started and finished the game, surrendering only 4 hits and 2 runs to the talented Orioles who featured future Hall of Famers Frank Robinson and Brooks Robinson, as well as Boog Powell, Mark Belanger and company.  The Orioles finished the 1969 season at 109-53 in first place in the East, but lost to the Miracle Mets in the 1969 World Series.  It was a big deal for an expansion baseball team to trot into Memorial stadium and hand the mighty Orioles a loss in their very first game.  Unfortunately, it would be the last loss the Orioles suffered at the hands of the Royals for a very, very long time.

For the remainder of the 1969 season, the Royals and Orioles played 11 more times.  Every single one of them was tallied as a win for the Orioles, including two shutouts.  The Royals came close a couple of times with two one run losses, but for the most part the contests were lopsided.

Déjà vu all over again, as Yogi Berra would say, occurred in 1970.  The Orioles tallied 12 more consecutive wins over the Royals.  It almost became a self-fulfilling prophecy – the Royals expected to lose when they played the Orioles, so they did exactly that.

The 1971 Royals finished above .500 for the first time and were becoming a well respected team.  Many players from the inaugural season had moved on and made way for a wave of talented athletes that would lead the Royals into their glory years.  On April 30, 1971, the first time the Orioles and Royals faced each other in the young season, Baltimore was confronted with a very different team than they had faced the previous two years.  Taking the field for the Royals that day were Amos Otis, Freddie Patek, Cookie Rojas, Lou Piniella, and Bob Oliver.  No longer were the Royals a rag tag group of castaways seeking respectability.  They were now a team on par with the best of Major League baseball.

The game was hard fought with the Royals taking a 4-3 lead into the top of the 9^th inning.  With Tom Burgmeier on the mound, Brooks Robinson singled and made his way around the diamond to score the tying run.  Many thought this game would end the same way the previous 23 meetings of the Royals vs Orioles had ended, with Baltimore finding a way to pull out the victory, as good teams always seem to do.

With two outs in the bottom of the 9^th, Paul Schaal singled past 3^rd base.  Gail Hopkins’ pinch hit single pushed Schaal to 3^rd.   The shortest man in professional baseball, 5’5” Freddie Patek and his .253 batting average came to the plate with the game tied, two outs, and the winning run on 3^rd base.  And then, just like David bravely facing Goliath, Patek promptly drove a single to the right centerfield gap.  And with that, the Royals longest ever streak of frustration and futility was over.

The following morning on May 1, 1971, the sports section of the Kansas City Star described the feelings of relieved Royals fans with the banner headline, “23 Skidoo.”  The streak was over and the Royals had pointed themselves in the right direction for a season that would set them on a path toward playoff and World Series success within a few years.

Character is built on the back of challenge and adversity.  No doubt these early Royals had become well versed in all aspects of patience and perseverance during their first few years.  In the end, Royals fans were rewarded with a team that rooted for each other and knew the meaning of teamwork, the benefits of common goals, and the payoff of hard work.

Fast forward to 2012, and as Yogi Berra would say, I believe it’s déjà vu all over again.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Alan Barrington on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story and receive his incredibly insightful sports commentary.

I was actually sitting in the stands in Surprise on the day when Joakim Soria blew out his elbow.  I didn’t know for sure what was happening before the trainer went to the mound, but after watching him pitch to a couple batters I tweeted to @Ethan_Bryan,  “I can see Soria’s mojo slipping away before my eyes.”

Royals fans are looking forward to having Salvador Perez behind home plate again. (Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE)

One of the darkest days of this young year actually occurred before the season began.  Last March 13 during Spring Training, Salvador Perez got his cleats stuck in the dirt and twisted his knee while warming up starting pitcher Jonathan Sanchez.  An MRI revealed Perez had torn his lateral meniscus which required surgery to repair.  It is likely he’ll be out of the lineup until sometime around the All-Star game break.

You may also remember that prior to Salvador Perez’s stint on the DL, Manny Pina suffered a similar injury that has prevented him from getting any playing time this year.  This left the Royals with Brayan Pena as the only healthy major league caliber (stretching the definition of “ML caliber” just a little) catcher in their system.

We heard rumors that the Royals considered several temporary options to fill Salvador’s position, including Ivan Rodriguez who decided to retire last week, but settled on a trade with Houston that has Astros fans feeling pretty good and Royals fans a little uneasy.

To obtain catcher Humberto Quintero, and backup outfielder Jason Bourgeois from Houston (yes, the same Jason Bourgeois that was recently demoted in favor of “one-tool” Jarrod Dyson), the Royals packaged Minor League pitcher Kevin Chapman and the dreaded “player to be named later.”  (PTBNL)  On the surface, this doesn’t seem like a terrible deal for either team, except for the unknown piece of the agreement.  The Astro’s gave up two guys who weren’t going to make their team, in exchange for a decent minor league pitcher from the Royals with potential to eventually become a respectable reliever, plus the ominous PBTNL.

Even the specter of the PBTNL wouldn’t be too worrisome, except for this comment which was Tweeted by Alyson Footer, MLB’s beat reporter and Sr. Director of Social Media for the Astro’s – “I’m getting impression that Chapman is projected to be 7th/8th inn reliever and that the ptbnl is a good one, not just throw-in.”

Humberto Quintero is filling in for Salvador Perez and may become his permanent backup. (Credit: David Richard-US PRESSWIRE)

And then during the announcement of the trade, Jeff Luhnow, General Manager of the Astros, stated that the player to be named later would be the key component of the trade.

What are Royals fans supposed to think about this?  While our farm system may still be loaded with talent even after the promotions of Hosmer, Moustakas, Perez, Duffy, and Cain; few of us believe that we have extra pieces to simply give away in exchange for a temporary player that could be virtually useless in a few weeks – unless he becomes Perez’s permanent backup.  (Cue the ominous movie background music.)

Because Quintero (or “Q” as many call him) has played part-time in the National League, few of us knew much about him upon his arrival in KC.  Dayton Moore told us “Humberto Quintero is a guy we like as a solid catch-and-throw guy and has a lot of experience at the Major League level and gives us the depth that we need at this point.”  You remember DM calling Q a “solid catch-and-throw guy,” right?  So what did you expect when you heard this?  Did you expect the 3^rd most stolen bases allowed? Did you also expect him to be among the leaders in passed balls?  I doubt it.  Considering Q is only a part-time player, these results are not encouraging.

Quintero is batting a semi-respectable .283/.366/.429 (before Tuesday’s game), with zero HR’s, but he has never hit higher than .250 over the past 9 seasons (except 2006 when he only played in 11 games) so I’m certain we can expect to see his numbers regress dramatically soon.  Brayan Pena is hitting just as well as Q right now in nearly every category and no doubt will continue to produce offensively at a higher level than Humberto over the remainder of the season.

Brayan Pena rides the bench most nights while Humberto Quintero starts (Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE)

I haven’t been a fan of Pena’s defense ever since he failed to block home plate at least twice last year on critical plays, but stats suggest his defense has been just as good as Quintero’s so far this year.  Quintero’s WAR is 0.2, Pena’s is 0.3.   Pena earns $875,000 and Quintero earns $1M.  But more importantly, Quintero cost us a PTBNL.  (I know, I’m harping on the PTBNL thing, but it bothers me so I can’t help it.)

I just don’t understand why we needed Quintero?  Couldn’t we have just picked up almost any journeyman free agent catcher off the street to backup Pena while waiting for Salvador Perez to recover, rather than trade away an unknown PTBNL?

Maybe I’m worried over nothing, but what if the PTBNL is based on playing time?  Quintero is getting the majority of the starts this year (for reasons unknown) and it’s possible that the more games he plays, or more plate appearances he receives will result in us forfeiting a higher caliber prospect.  Why wouldn’t the Royals have announced the terms of the PTBNL?  I’ve always said – if someone purposefully won’t tell you something, it’s because they don’t want you to know.  And why don’t the Royals want us to know?  My guess is that if it was something we’d be happy to hear, they’d tell us.

In my opinion, the Royals didn’t make a good move here.  We gave up prospects to get Quintero which tells me they projected him to be Perez’s permanent backup.  It tells me they believed Quintero is a stronger player than Pena.  It also tells me that once again, they don’t always know what they’re doing.

Better duck your head when Jonathan Broxton is pitching. He might hit you to force in the winning run. Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

It may surprise you to learn what I am most aggravated about after the first few series of this young season.  It’s not the losses, although that is beginning to wear on me somewhat.  Not the new broadcast team.  Not the smug looks on the Indians’ faces after they stole three straight wins in Kansas City and beat us again in Cleveland last night.  Not Broxton’s 12th inning meltdown consisting of 2 walks and 2 HBPs in 2/3 of an inning in Oakland that started the whole death spiral, not the mighty Hosmer reduced to weakly flailing at pitches two feet out of the strike zone, not the injuries that have robbed us of our talented young starting players, not the “first time in 30 years triple play,” and not even the site of the Yunibomber jogging out to second base night after night.  (Although I have to admit, seeing Yuni in a Royals’ uniform does push me perilously close to the edge.)  The way the team has played, the poor coaching, the epic baserunning blunders and defensive lapses are all causes of our seething frustration and anger.  But none of these things are what have me most perturbed.  The thing that aggravates me most right now, is the fans.

Now I realize it’s Royals fans who keep this web site up and running, so I need to watch my words carefully.  And please note that I am one of you – as hard core and blue blooded as they come.  I also realize that the serious fans who read this site probably haven’t fallen prey to the issues I want to discuss, so there is no reason for anyone here to take my comments personally.   But for the rest of the Royals’ fans that jumped on the bandwagon this Spring because it was a trendy thing to do the past few months – I have a few issues I’d like to get off my chest about you.

Rex Hudler has taken the brunt of Royal fan angst this year. Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

First of all, I really don’t get all the vitriol over Rex Hudler.  (Yes, vitriol is a real word – look it up.)  And I don’t understand why so many people want to connect Rex to the loss of Frank White from the booth, who let’s face it, is not the greatest broadcaster ever.  (Yes, I said it, because it’s true.)  Now don’t misunderstand me – If I was picking an all-time MLB team, Frank is my second baseman, no doubt.  I’d take him before Joe Morgan, before Ryne Sandberg, and certainly before Roberto Alomar and all of his excess spit.  Meeting Frank in a hotel lobby when I was 17-years-old and speaking one-on-one with him for 15 minutes is possibly the sports highlight of my life next to watching Darryl Motley squeeze the final out of Game 7 in 1985.

But really folks, whining about losing Frank from the broadcast team is the same as saying you’re upset that Denny Matthews, possibly the greatest radio man in the history of sports, is not permitted to pitch for the Royals.  Yes Frank “tells it like it is”, yes he is a beloved and treasured Kansas City icon, but he’s about as uncomfortable behind a microphone as Jeff Montgomery.  (Oops!  Did I just say that?)  Playing baseball and broadcasting – it’s two completely different skill sets.  Doing one of them well shouldn’t give you an automatic license to do the other.

And all the grumbling about Rex Hudler is really just complaining for complaining sake in my opinion.  I think everyone is just piling on because they’re frustrated and they need someplace to point their rage.  I’m absolutely certain that the majority of people who are griping about Rex are only doing so because they’ve heard everyone else do it and they’re jumping on the “We hate Hudler” bandwagon because all the cool kids are doing it.

And what is the main complaint about Hudler anyway?  “He’s too positive.”  Sheesh.  Is that really something to complain about?  Change is always difficult and listening to a different voice on TV after all these years is no different, it’s something we all need to get accustomed to.  I think it’s only fair to give Hudler a chance to find his voice rather than bust his chops before the man even has an opportunity to get his feet on the ground and learn the players and Royals’ history.   I’m not necessarily saying he’s a great broadcaster either.  But, I am saying we need to back off and give the man a break.

I also have a beef with the Royals fans who’ve already given up.  They’re complaining about “Our Time”, blaming Dayton Moore for fooling us into thinking the Royals were going to win this year, announcing they aren’t going to watch another game or spend another dollar on tickets until we field a winner, etc., etc.  Bunch of spoiled rotten babies.  Do you know how long the Cubs fans have waited to field a winner?  About a thousand years.  And how many Cubs fans are there in the world?  About a million jillion – more than all the BBQ ribs eaten in Kansas City since the dawn of time.   How many of these fans have given up and forsaken their team?  Almost none of them.  I’ve never ever heard of a Cubs fan giving up.  Take a lesson from the Northsiders of Chicago and those who proudly wear their old school “C” caps all around the world, put on your big boy pants and suck it up.

Baseball is a business that requires millions upon millions of dollars, and a substantial amount of luck and good timing to be successful.  (The less money you have, the more luck and good timing you need.)  The small market Royals must be smarter, more efficient, more strategic than almost any other team in order to have even a speck of a chance at winning.  Even the slightest mistake in drafting, or a bad contract, or injuries, etc., could set the team back for years.

Count your blessings that little ole Kansas City even has a major league team and that it wasn’t contracted a few years ago.  It almost happened, right before our eyes.  Just imagine Kauffman stadium sitting empty, covered with dust and cobwebs, every night this Summer.  How would you like that?  I know about the severe blow your pride has suffered while rooting for a loser.  My pride has suffered too.  But wouldn’t it be much much worse if you didn’t have a team to root for at all?  It would stink, times infinity, beyond your imagination.

And I don’t want to hear about people switching their allegiance to Sporting KC.   To even consider that your allegiance can just be switched on an off is one of the top five stupidest things I’ve ever heard.  Oh the Missouri Tigers didn’t make the final four?  That’s OK, you should just root for the Jawhawks now.  Stupid, stupid, STUPID!  Never going to happen!  Stop asking me not to root for the Royals.

Yuniesky Betancourt demonstrating his cat-like moves at second base. Credit: Matt Kartozian-US PRESSWIRE

And yes, I do have several bones to pick with the Royals too, such as how in the world they reached the brainless decision that it would be better to have Yuniesky Betancourt playing second base than Johnny Giavotella?  It boggles my mind, boils my blood, and makes my head want to explode – so don’t even get me started on that.   I could fill an entire book with my opinion of the stupid, dim-witted, and virtually unforgivable moves I’ve watched the Royals make over the years, but I won’t waste your time with that right now.  (I list a few of these moves here, including the one they made on December 11, 1991, in my opinion the darkest day in the history of Royals baseball.)   Call me a Homer at your own risk.

I’ve been a Royals fan since June 13, 1969 when I attended my first game with my father and uncle sitting behind the first base dugout in old Municipal Stadium.  And wouldn’t you know it, the Royals lost 6-0 to the Tigers.  I fell in love with the Boys in Blue on a night when they not only lost the game but were shut out, only had 4 hits, and were knocked 9 games below .500 into next to last place – and no other team has ever since occupied the same cherished and beloved space in my heart.  I don’t follow this team year after year after year after year because they are winners (obviously not), I follow them, and root for them, and cheer them on because they are MY team, and nothing is ever, ever going to change that.

I’ve followed the Royals faithfully for 42 years and I’ve only seen one lonely championship.  There is quite literally no one anywhere who has endured more as a Royals fan than I have.  My hopes and dreams have been raised time and time again, only to be dashed on the rocks of quarter-billion dollar opposing team payrolls.  It isn’t fair, we don’t deserve it, and for all I know the stress has shaved a few years off my life.  If anyone anywhere has earned the right to complain about this team or desert them, after four decades of futility and frustration, it’s me.   But in my wildest dreams I can’t imagine myself ever rooting for any team other than the Royals.

I like the direction we’re heading, I believe the plan is sound, and I have great respect for the talent, attitude, and integrity of our budding young stars.  And after all these many years, I’m willing to be patient a little longer.  I’d like to encourage you to stand with me and be patient just a little bit longer too.  And when the Royals eventually win it all  (and they will win it all in the not terribly distant future, trust me), we can say that we were here from the beginning, with our heads held high, long before people in Florida and Utah, and yes even New York decided it was cool to wear a KC cap.

Now you know exactly how I feel.  #BuryMeARoyal.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Alan Barrington on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story and receive his incredibly insightful sports commentary.

For young Royals fans who may not remember, the Royals and Blue Jays have a history together.  In October 1985, the Royals played the Blue Jays in a thrilling 7 game playoff that stood as possibly the most exciting series in Royals history…  for about 11 days until the Royals defeated the Cardinals in the greatest World Series ever played.  (Please note, some Cardinal fans have disputed the notion that the 7 game 1985 World Series was in fact the greatest ever played.  However, they are wrong.)

The Blue Jays have the misfortune of playing in the same division as the financially rich Yankees and Red Sox, and the pitching rich Tampa Bay Rays.  While faced with this stiff competition, the Blue Jays still compiled a .500 record in 2011, both winning and losing exactly 81 games.  In 2011, the Royals won the season series with the Blue Jays 4-3.

The Blue Jays feature a few new players on their roster this year.  Arizona and Toronto traded second baseman in a deal that sent Kelly Johnson to replace Aaron Hill who has only been a shadow of himself since his 2009 All Star season.  Hill batted .225 with 6 HR and 45 RBIs for Toronto in 2011.  He made Alcides Escobar look like a slugger.

Pouty Colby Rasmus is getting a fresh start with the Toronto Blue Jays Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

Famously homesick former first round draft pick and Alabama boy Colby Rasmus came to the Blue Jays in a multi-player deal with the Cardinals last July, and played centerfield for the last several weeks of the season.  The Cardinals, and now the Blue Jays continue to offer him additional chances to prove himself due to his tremendous five-tool upside, but even at only 25 years old, patience is wearing thin with his sullen attitude.  So far, he hasn’t proved to be much of an upgrade over Rajai Davis who remains on the bench and available if needed.

Omar Vizquel, one of the greatest defensive infielders in the history of MLB, is now a bench player for the Blue Jays Credit: David Richard-US PRESSWIRE

The Blue Jays also carry one of my all time favorite players, 9 time gold glove winning 45-year-old Omar Vizquel now rides the bench for Toronto as a utility infielder.  He hasn’t played for Cleveland since 2004, but I still just can’t picture him in anything other than an Indian’s uniform.  I haven’t seen Vizquel play for a while, but he was a defensive highlight machine back in the day.  I always loved watching him make plays, the same way I love watching Alcides Escobar play right now. (Well, with the possible exception of the 12^th inning in Oakland late last Wednesday night.)  Vizquel is a great veteran presence in the dugout and the locker room.

Even with Vizquel on the team, the average age of the Blue Jays is only 29.1 (there are 10 “older” teams) compared to the Royals 26.9.

Toronto pitching was only slightly better than the Royals last year, with a team ERA of 4.32 compared to the Royals 4.44, with more strikeouts at 1169 compared to the Royals 1080.  Toronto pitching also plunked 77 batters last year, which was good for second most in the AL behind the brush-back pitch happy Boston Red Sox.  The Jays were close to the middle of the pack in most every pitching category, except wild pitches – they led the league in 2011 with 73.

The Blue Jays proved they are a socially conscious organization by giving their closer Sergio Santos paternity leave immediately after the 2012 season began.  I remember the days when players would rush to the hospital to be with their wives who were struggling to hold off the birth until after the final out of a game, only to appear in the lineup the very next day.  It wasn’t that long ago.  Santos returned to the team last Sunday and will be available to the Blue Jays during their series with the Royals.

The Toronto Blue Jays feature slugger and former Royal Jose Bautista Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

And then there’s Jose Bautista.  Bautista crushed American League pitching last year with a .302 batting average and league leading .608 Slugging, 1.056 OPS, 132 Walks, 24 IBB (some players never get intentionally walked during their entire career!) and 43 home runs.  Not bad for a 20^th round pick.

Did you know Bautista played 13 games for the Royals in 2004?  I wish I could say I predicted he would turn into the hot hitting player he has become today.  I guess it just shows that the experts know better than us amateurs, right?  Oh that’s right, they didn’t predict it either, did they?

The first game of the series is scheduled for Friday evening beginning at 7:10 pm.  This is of course a Buck Night, and a Fireworks Friday night, as well as a Thumb Band night (whatever that is) for the first 20,000 fans.  Retro batting jerseys will be distributed to the first 20,000 fans at the 6:10 pm game on Saturday, and the 1:10 pm Sunday game is a family fun day.

So take your family to the K this weekend and have some fun watching the Royals take on former Royal Jose Bautista and the Toronto Blue Jays, and get yourself a thumb band, or a batting jersey, or a little face paint while you’re there.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Alan Barrington on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story and receive his incredibly insightful sports commentary.

The wacky Puffy Taco mascot of the San Antonio Missions AA Baseball team

The first thing you need to know about the Naturals’ road trip to San Antonio is that they were confronted with possibly the wackiest mascot in baseball.  Nuttier than the Flying Squirrel in Richmond, VA; loonier than the Lansing, MI Big Lug Lugnut; much cuter than Gnate the Sand Gnat of Savannah; and equally as crazy as the Sushi Rolls of Vancouver, Canada.  You’ll almost never see him on a list of the most off-the-wall minor league characters, but I’m smitten with the mascot of the San Antonio Mission’s (the AA affiliate of the San Diego Padres), the Puffy Taco and his trusty companion, Ballapeño.  And don’t forget their best friend H.E.Buddy, the grocery bag mascot (yes, grocery bag) from the dominant local grocery store chain H.E.B.

Once you get past the kitschy trappings of minor league baseball, they actually play some fun games that are meaningful – at least to the players and the fans of players with high potential that we expect to eventually see in the majors.   And that’s the reason you’re reading this story right now.

I wish I could give you a sunshine and roses report of the Naturals performance, but that wouldn’t be the truth.  So, what I’m going to do is offer you is my list of “takeaways” from the game, both good and bad.

Here’s my first takeaway, and you aren’t going to like it.  Will Myers was not impressive.  Not at all.  I only saw him play one game, but he looked completely lost at the plate and nothing like the guy who tore up the Arizona Fall League a few months ago.  In the first inning he struck out swinging on 3 pitches (and looked bad doing it) immediately after the first two batters of the game hit solid singles up the middle and we needed him to move the runners.  In his second at bat he popped straight up to the catcher.  He struck out again in another at bat.  The only hit he received in 5 at bats was against a pitcher who was on the ropes, following a long delay and a coach’s visit to the mound, he squirted a broken bat single over the second baseman’s head.  Not an impressive day’s work for Mr. Myers.

The Naturals Christian Colon waits for a pitch while Wil Myers looks on from the on deck circle. April 9, 2012 CREDIT: Alan Barrington

On the other hand, on this particular day Christian Colon looked every bit the player and leader the Royals selected him to be.  He was 4 for 4 at the plate, and every hit was a ringing line drive.  He turned two nearly identical outstanding defensive plays in the field, running hard to his right, backhanding a ground ball before it could escape into left field, and throwing back across his body to force a fast runner at second base.  When Tim Melville, the Naturals starting pitcher, threw five straight balls to begin the game, Colon didn’t wait to act.  He showed leadership on the field, called time out and went to the mound alone to calm Melville down.  It must have worked, Melville didn’t give up a run and only allowed 3 hits, 1 walk (the first batter of the game), and 6 strikeouts in 5 innings pitched.

Colon stole second, only his first stolen base of the season, but when I describe the play I think you’ll agree he needs to make more attempts.  After he stole second base, he stood up and I probably could have counted three Mississippi’s before the ball arrived from the catcher.  Colon got an absurd jump on the pitch and made the Mission’s battery look like they were chasing shadows.

One other thing about Christian Colon – Baseball Reference says he’s 6’ 1” tall.  I didn’t take a measuring tape onto the field, but he doesn’t look anything close to that in my opinion.  But if you think his size might indicate he isn’t tough, consider this – He was hit by a pitch, and I don’t think he made any attempt to move out of the way.  Christian ended the night reaching base five times in five at bats.  I love the toughness and the willingness to do anything necessary to get on base and give his team a chance to win.

The Naturals starting pitcher Tim Melville warms up prior to the game. April 9, 2012. CREDIT: Alan Barrington

Tim Melville started the game on the mound for the Naturals and I didn’t know much about him before the game.  But this week I learned he knows how to mix his pitches and can make the opposing hitters chase balls in the dirt.  Unfortunately, I didn’t find the radar gun readout in the stadium until late in the game (it was lost in the sea of advertising signs on the outfield wall), so I don’t know how fast he was throwing, but he was definitely fooling people and pulling the string on occassion.

I was very impressed with the defensive play of light hitting second baseman Sharlon Schoop.  He made a fantastic play moving hard toward the right field line, throwing himself into a headlong dive, and came up firing a bullet to nail the runner at first.  It was “Frank Whitesque” and the best defensive play of the night.  However, I wish I had positive comments about the rest of his game.  He wandered two far off second and was nearly picked off by a snap throw from the catcher.  (How embarrassing would that be to get picked off second by the catcher?)  He struck out on a ball that was nearly over his head which got the crowd excited and a few of the drunk Missions fans sitting near me taunted him with a few choice words on his walk back to the dugout.  I considered joining them.

A few more miscellaneous notes:

• Melville was replaced on the mound by Elisaul Pimentel.  Pimentel got rocked and only lasted 2/3 of an inning.
• Catcher Ryan Jenkins did a good job of going with a tough pitch and poking it up the middle for a base hit to drive in 2 runs.
• Third Baseman Kurt Mertins laid down a picture perfect sacrifice bunt to move two runners, then hustled down the line and beat the throw to first on an error to load the bases.
• Edinson Rincon let a ball play him in left field.  He ran in to field a ball that was about to land in front of him, thought of diving for it (I think he could have gotten to it if he had committed rather than hesitating), changed his mind and backed off.  The ball bounced past him, but he was able to get it back to the infield before the runner could advance to second.
• Some of the guys I really wanted to see didn’t make it into the game: Promising pitchers Chris Dwyer, Noel Arguelles, Jake Odorizzi, and catcher Ben Theriot.  And of course, pitcher John Lamb is still recovering from surgery so it will be a couple more months before anyone has a chance to see him play.

Noel Arguelles, the only Naturals player on the Royals 40 man major league roster. April 9, 2012 CREDIT: Alan Barrington

This team doesn’t appear to be full of superstars in-waiting as the Naturals of the past two years have been.  But there is talent here that the fans of Northwest Arkansas will enjoy watching this Summer, and in particular a pitching staff that has the ability to completely shut down the opposing team on any given night.  Maybe I’ll get lucky and see some of those guys take the mound the next time I get to see the Naturals play.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Alan Barrington on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story and receive his incredibly insightful sports commentary.

Is winning games all a team must do to capture the imagination of its fan base?  Winning is obviously extremely important because nothing else matters if you don’t see a big number in the win column.   However, in my opinion, winning or at least the hope of winning is only half the equation.  The other half is based on the emotional investment the fans have in the team and particularly in the players.

I couldn’t be a Yankee fan because as Jerry Seinfeld once said, they’re “rooting for the clothes.”  The Yankees are substantially made up of players who established their careers on other teams.  Mark Teixeira originally from the Rangers, A-Rod originally from the Mariners, Curtis Granderson from the Tigers, Nick Swisher from the A’s, CC Sabathia from the Indians, etc.  With a few notable exceptions (see Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and potentially Robinson Cano), the Yankees are a super star team cobbled together from pieces that became too expensive for other franchises to afford.  They’re mercenaries.  How do you root for mercenaries?  I couldn’t do it.

How did you feel about Joe Montana when he took the Chiefs to the AFC Championship game?  If you’re like me, you jumped out of your seat with every touchdown he threw and cheered for him and the Chiefs at the top of your lungs.  But in your heart, you knew he wasn’t really a Chief – he was a 49er that we borrowed at the end of his career.  It’s fun to cheer for your team when they’re winning, but it’s just not quite exactly the same when you aren’t emotionally invested in the players as well.

The great Royals teams of the 70’s and 80’s instilled an extra dose of pride in the fan base because they were homegrown players.  Well, that’s not entirely true.  Many of these legendary Royals including Amos Otis, John Mayberry, Freddie Patek, Hal McRae and a few others played a handful of games while wearing different uniforms prior to coming to KC.  However, with the possible exception of Darrell Porter and Jim Sundberg, none of them will be remembered for anything other than playing in Royal blue, and white, and a little bit of powder blue.  None of the core players for these great old Royals teams had established themselves in other cities before coming to the Royals.

In 2003, I was just as excited as everyone else when the Royals jumped out to an astounding 9-0 start.  Much of the excitement was due to the fact that their strong performance was unexpected.  The prior year in 2002 the Royals record was 62-100, their first ever 100 loss season.  They had lost 21 of their first 29 games in 2002.  Even the most optimistic Royals fans (myself among them) had very low expectations for 2003.  I rooted hard for their surprising performance to begin the season, but it wasn’t with the same heartfelt fervor as when I was fighting to get a seat in the upper deck of a filled-to-capacity Royals stadium to watch a team stocked with homegrown players back in 1977.  Back in ‘77, we knew this experience was just a taste of what was yet to come.

Now think about who was on the team in 2003.  Carlos Beltran was the only potential perennial All-Star in the group.   Some of us were holding out hope that Mike Sweeney would become the next George Brett, and although he was a very good player, he never completely reached the career potential we all dreamed of.  Sweeney’s annual back injuries, for which he inexplicably refused surgery (maybe it could have been explained, but it was never explained to us, the fans), torpedoed a career that might have made him the 5th or 6th greatest Royal ever, in my opinion.

After Beltran and Sweeney, who did we have?  Carlos Febles, Angel Berroa, Brent Mayne, Ken Harvey, Michael Tucker, Joe Randa, and Raul Ibanez.  Not exactly murderer’s row.  Ibanez turned out well, but we had to claim him off the Mariners’ scrap heap.  Runelvys Hernandez was the opening day pitcher after winning only four games in 2002.  Four games!  Who starts a pitcher on opening day with four career victories?  This roster was much more likely to inspire frustration and disappointment than confidence and optimism for the future.

How many of these guys from the 2003 roster did you dream could be key pieces of a pennant winning ball club?  Please don’t say Angel Berroa.  Joe Randa was a solid player on the downside of his career.  We saw flashes of what Raul Ibanez was to become, but history taught us if he performed well he’d be rewarded with a long-term contract by a team that could afford it – aka not the Royals.  If you believed anyone else on this roster could consistently compete at a high level, you were kidding yourself.  Don’t even think of looking up the list of pitchers we had in 2003, it will make you cry.

We were all excited when the Royals unexpectedly won a bunch of games to begin the 2003 season, but even in the midst of a winning streak when the Royals found themselves in first place, the experience wasn’t everything we wanted it to be.  We wanted to believe that our players had the potential to sustain and even improve their performance over several seasons, we wanted to believe if one or more of our players grew into a super star that we could sign him to a long term contract and prevent him from moving to the coast, and we wanted to believe in the direction the team was heading.  If you’re honest you’ll say that you couldn’t believe any of these things in 2003.  So all you were left with was a quickly fleeting winning record, and that’s not enough.

Today, something is different.  The Royals had a losing record last year and you were still reading about them in the dead of winter, possibly for the first time in your life.  You listened to the sports channel in December to hear the news about the Winter meetings, right in the middle of football season.  You know something is different, don’t you?  You can sense it like all the rest of us.

Salvador Perez blocks the plate and establishes himself as a difference maker for 2012.

A couple of years ago, there was a little spark – some news about a home run hitting high school kid named Moustakas being drafted, and you watched Alex Gordon get moved from 3^rd to the outfield to make room.  You heard another younger kid named Hosmer was hitting the cover off the ball and making a mockery of minor league pitching.  Then you learned that Wil Myers was also being moved to the outfield to make way so some A-ball stud named Salvador Perez could catch.  (And yes, he will catch again.  Probably around the All-Star break.)  The Royals drafted multi-sport star Bubba Starling, and Nebraska boy Alex Gordon shot laser beams all over the park last summer and gunned down nearly everyone who dared challenge his arm.   And the list goes on, as the spark begins to erupt into a roaring fire.

There are many other reasons to love this Royals team, but I think you get my point.  The Royals are trotting out athletes that you believe have potential to play key roles on a championship club, players who haven’t yet reached their potential, players you’ve heard about and rooted for since they were in Rookie league, and players who are either homegrown or didn’t establish themselves on other teams.  (I don’t care if Frenchy played for a few other clubs.  That smile, hustle, and attitude of his are infectious and I think he was a great addition.)

And above all, you believe the club is headed in the right direction.  We’ve stopped signing over-the-hill veterans to fill positions because we had no major league ready talent available.  We signed Billy Butler,  Alcides Escobar, Alex Gordon, and Salvador Perez to long-term contracts and we have many other players tied up for several years into the future.

I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know.  This Royals team is different, and it’s not because they’re winning, because they aren’t winning yet.  It’s because they have the potential to consistently win, because we believe in them, and because we’re emotionally invested in them.  That’s why 2012 feels different.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Alan Barrington on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story and receive his incredibly insightful sports commentary.

What are the Royals Future Plans for Wil Myers? (Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE)

One of the premiere players predicted to lead the second wave of the youth movement is outfielder Wil Myers.  Myers was drafted in the 3^rd round of the 2009 draft, not because there were 90 players available who were more talented, but primarily because of “signability issues.”  He’s a first round talent that Baseball America has ranked as the Royals 3^rd best prospect behind Mike Montgomery and Bubba Starling.  Myers began his minor league career as a catcher, but was moved to the outfield to hasten his development time and to make way for defensive whiz Salvador Perez – very good forward thinking on the Royals part.

Wil Myers experienced nothing but success during his first two seasons of professional ball.  However, in 2011, he struggled at the plate, hitting just .254 in 99 games for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.  You might think that Wil’s knee injury suffered early last season from jumping over a wet sidewalk, or the subsequent stitches and staples, or the resulting infection and ultimately surgery were the issues that derailed his progress.  However, Myers said he was just thinking too much, “I was pressing and overthinking things.  Trying to work on too many things.  I couldn’t get my foot down (for proper timing.) I was getting a little too selective.“

Last Fall, Myers found his touch again at the showcase for young talent, the Arizona Fall League.  Myers tore up opposing future pitching stars to the tune of .360/.481/.674, one of the top performances in the AFL and better than Bryce Harper by every measurement except home runs.

It was reported last November that the Royals were interested in the Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens, but the deal was nixed because the Braves wanted Wil Myers in return.  There are mixed reviews on Jurrjens future and his persistent knee problems, but he is projected as the Braves opening day pitcher on a deep staff (due to Tim Hudson’s injury) and he certainly could have improved the Royals weak starting rotation.  If this report is true, the fact Dayton Moore didn’t pull the trigger on the trade tells us the Royals have plans for Myers that involve using him as more than just a trade chip.

Assuming Myers picks up anywhere near where he left off in the AFL, he’ll be banging on the Royals door sometime this year.  The question is, what do the Royals do with him when this happens?  Dayton Moore, Ned Yost and company haven’t answered this question yet.  With a trio of skilled outfielders already patrolling the grass at Kauffman, the Royals brass will have some tough decisions to make.

It’s unlikely Wil would be promoted just to sit on the bench as the 4^th outfielder as this could stunt his continued development.  It’s best for him to be a starting outfielder, regardless of whether this occurs in Omaha or Kansas City.  The only potential easy answer would be that Myers (if he performs well) could be called up when a starting outfielder stumbles, which of course we all hope doesn’t happen.  I think we would all prefer that his strong performance in the minors demands a promotion rather than receiving a promotion by default.

While the most likely destination for Wil is in right field, he has played all three outfield positions in the minors.  Although Alex Gordon hasn’t been locked up long term yet, we all believe it’s just a matter of time before this happens, and the consensus opinion says the delay hasn’t been for any lack of desire on the Royals part to get a deal done.  This makes it unlikely that Myers would inherit left field.

Myers could go to center field, but this position isn’t a natural fit for him.  We haven’t seen a large sample size from Lorenzo Cain hitting against major league pitching, but in Spring Training he has demonstrated the probability that he can more than hold his own.  So once again, it’s somewhat unlikely Myers would end up in center field.

Will fan favorite Jeff Francoeur be the odd man out in the Royals future outfield alignment? (US PRESSWIRE)

This leaves Jeff Francoeur, the fun loving, cannon-armed leader of the Royals outfield as a potential casualty of a Wil Myers promotion.  Would the Royals then trade Francoeur to a contender if Myers promotion occurred prior to the deadline?  It’s possible, but Frenchy is signed through 2013 and while his pay rate isn’t outrageous, at $7.5 million in 2013, it isn’t an amount that most teams would be excited to take on.  Francoeur is a team player, but it’s hard to picture him sitting on the bench next to Yuniesky Betancourt.  (Yuni is going to be sitting on the bench, right?  Please tell me Yuni will be sitting on the bench…)

Another possibility is that Myers performs well this year, but not so well that he can displace one of the Royals current outfielders.  (Does that sound familiar Lorenzo Cain? Déjà vu from 2011.)  Then maybe he’ll receive a call up in September and a taste of the big leagues to see what he can do at the major league level.

None of this conjecture really provides us with any answers for 2012, and if the Royals have any answers regarding their plans for Myers, they aren’t revealing them yet.  It’s possible that things could work out so the Royals won’t be forced to make a decision this year.  But next year in 2013, barring a major injury among Gordon, Cain, Francoeur, and Myers, or a major setback in performance from any one of this group, the Royals will have no choice but to let us in on their little secret.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Alan Barrington on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story and receive his incredibly insightful sports commentary.

The Royals will likely ask Gordon to leadoff and aggressively run the bases in 2011 (Jake Roth-US PRESSWIRE)

What is the job of a leadoff hitter?  His job is to get on base and score runs by any means possible.  It doesn’t matter if he gets a hit, a walk, forces an error, lays down a bunt, is hit by a pitch, bite, scratch, slash, burn, dive – anything to turn himself into a potential RBI.  Then, job number two is to move his way around the bases by getting good leadoffs, watching the pitchers’ moves, avoiding a pickoff, stealing when appropriate, taking the extra base when he can, and being aggressive.  Generally, the prototypical leadoff hitter is also fast, very very fast.

Who fits this description on the Royals roster?  Jarrod Dyson fits many pieces of this description, but his projected batting average is less than optimal, and he may not even make the major league roster.  Lorenzo Cain has the potential to fit the description, but he hasn’t demonstrated elite base stealing skills in the minors and we haven’t witnessed his abilities first hand for an extended period at the big league level yet.  How about Alcides Escobar?  Maybe, but then again, maybe not.  The Royals don’t currently have a player in the Willie Wilson mold, and they aren’t projected to have one for the foreseeable future.

So, why is Alex Gordon batting leadoff?

Alex Gordon is batting leadoff because last year he hit .303, he took 67 walks, he stole 17 bases (but was picked off 8 times), he banged out 45 doubles, he was hit by pitches 7 times, and he scored 101 runs.  (Plus 23 homers – Bonus!)  Alex knows how to get on base and he knows what to do once he gets there.  He isn’t the fastest guy on the team, but he’s not the slowest either, and he’s a good solid choice to hit leadoff.

The sight of Alex Gordon batting leadoff reminds me somewhat of former Royals coach Whitey Herzog’s decision to regularly place George Brett at the top of the order from 1977 – 1979.  Herzog’s theory was that nobody got on base more frequently than Brett and this would lead to increased opportunities for other batters to push him around and score runs.  I was an avid Royals fan in the 70’s and I must confess I wasn’t very excited about Brett batting leadoff.  Without conducting any research, my bias against this decision clouded my memory and I had assumed the Royals probably under-achieved with this approach.

I was skeptical of the decision to bat Brett at the top of the order because first of all we know George was able to hit for more than just average and on base percentage, he had power and the ability to stoke clutch base hits.  I assumed the Royals weren’t able to take advantage of this talent when placing him in a leadoff role with nobody on base.  And later in the game when he typically wasn’t leading off, he was hitting behind the batters in the bottom of the order who didn’t present as many RBI opportunities.  You would think that his RBI count would have gone down while batting first, but you’d be wrong.  Brett had 88 RBIs in 1977 (about average for his career) while playing in only 135 games, which projects to nearly 100 if he had played 155 games that season.  So, it doesn’t appear that batting first had any significant impact on his RBI total.

Brett was no slouch running the bases, but he wasn’t a burner either, so it would seem plausible that his run total would be reduced due to the difficulties he would face with scoring from first on a double, stretching a double into a triple, or challenging a strong outfield arm at the plate.  Once again, that thought would be wrong.  Brett scored the 3^rd most runs in the league in 1977.

While leading off 58% of the time (he only played in 139 games), Brett scored 105 runs in 1977 which was good for the 3^rd most in the American League that year behind Rod Carew who batted 3^rd for the Twins at 128 runs (in 155 games) and Carlton Fisk who started the season batting 8^th and finished the season batting 5th in the Red Sox order at 106 runs scored (in 152 games played.)   Hal McRae also scored 104 runs that year while batting primarily 2^nd in the order.  Brett and McRae – now that was a one/two punch!

Do you know what is conspicuously absent from a list of the American League top 8 in runs scored from 1977?  Prototypical leadoff hitters!  (None of them even batted at the top of the order!)  I don’t think anyone ever accused Carlton Fisk, Jim Rice, or Bobby Bonds of burning up the base paths.  Rod Carew was fast, but not that fast.  These guys scored runs because they hit for average and they knew what to do when they got on base.  Their hitting skills and base running expertise permitted them to overcome their lack of blazing speed.

And how about the leaders of the 2011 season?  Of the Major League top ten in runs scored last year, only two of them regularly batted in the leadoff position or could be considered prototypical type leadoff hitters.  The rest of them were just like George Brett, Carlton Fisk, Jim Rice, Bobby Bonds, and Rod Carew in 1977.  You may recognize some of their names from 2011: Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera, Ryan Braun, and Jose Bautista.

Alex Gordon is following in the footsteps of many great leadoff hitters and run scoring leaders who didn’t quite fit the “perfect” mold and characteristics of a prototypical top-of-the-order athlete.  Gordon may not be the Royals leadoff hitter forever and my guess is his tenure in this role depends on what Lorenzo Cain does with the bat over the next few months.  Until then, I’m happy to watch Alex Gordon stride to the plate immediately after the umpire yells, “Play ball!”

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Alan Barrington on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story and receive his incredibly insightful sports commentary.

Bret Saberhagen was drafted in the 19^th round, but performed so well in the minors that it only took him one year to get to the big league.  Albert Pujols was drafted in the 13^th round.  Dan Quisenberry wasn’t drafted at all and ended up leading the majors in saves five times.  (Can you believe that?)  All of these great players have something in common – they overcame relatively low expectations to become strong contributors in the major leagues.  You certainly know how much Sabes and Quiz have contributed to Royals history, and Pujols is already considered to be shoe-in for the Hall of Fame.

Have you considered the possibility the Royals could have a few low expectation players who may breakout and surprise all of us by forcing their way to Kansas City?  It doesn’t happen very often, and you never know when it will occur, but when it does it’s one of the most exciting things about baseball.

Greg Billo's performance demands attention (Kane County Chronicle)

Consider Greg Billo.  Greg was selected in the 28^th round of the 2008 draft as a 170 pound high school kid.  He toiled through a couple of short and rather undistinguished seasons as a pitcher on three different rookie league teams.  Then, in 2011 on the Kane County Cougers (A Team), he blossomed with an absurd 1.93 ERA, 119 strikeouts to 25 walks, and HR/9 of 0.4.  His SO/9 rate dropped a bit from 2010, but all his other metrics look strong for the pitcher many consider to have the best control in the Royals organization.

Billo has been a professional for 4 years now and he’s still learning and growing and adapting and making himself a better pitcher each season.  “I learned to keep the ball down (last year) and that was a big help for me,” said Billo, “and being able to throw my off-speed pitches for strikes made it so much easier to pitch.”  Billo also credits his improvement in 2011 to “a few mechanical changes and a lot of little tweaks,” made under the watchful eye and guidance of Cougars pitching coach Jim Brower.

Do you know who else pitched for the Kane County Cougars last year?  Yordano Ventura, considered to be about the 10^th best prospect in the Royals organization also started for Kane County.  Who do you think was the # 1 pitcher for the Cougars last year?  Well, it wasn’t Yordano.  Now I’m not saying Billo is going to end up as a better pitcher than Ventura and his 100 mph fastball or that he has more upside, or anything of the sort.  Yordano is a year younger with tons of potential and we all have very high hopes for him.  But, I am saying we shouldn’t count Billo out.  His improvement has been so great over the past year that I’m not sure any of us can possibly know for certain what his future holds.

Greg doesn’t have blazing stuff like many other Royals pitchers, but what he does possess is intelligence, and saavy, and a willingness to listen to the guidance of his coaches and commit to doing what is necessary to be successful.  Billo identifies Greg Maddux as a pitcher he’d like to emulate (not a bad choice) and if everything goes as planned, he expects to be pitching for the Naturals by mid-season of 2012.

MLB.com ran an article after the 2011 season and listed the minor league players for each club who had the best season by position.  They recognized Greg Billo as the right handed starting pitcher who had the best season of all Royals minor leaguers.  This includes a few names you might recognize in addition to Yordana Ventura.  Have you heard of Jake Odorizzi?  How about Luis Mendoza?  Billo impressed MLB last year, and if he impressed them, well…  the rest of us should probably be impressed too.

The Royals minor league system is full of outstanding talent that we may or may not eventually see in Kansas City.  Some of these guys will flame out, some will ultimately have a great future in the majors, and some could end up as trade bait for the Royals to attain some missing pieces.  As you know, one of the pieces the Royals are missing right now is a strong right handed starting pitcher.  Billo isn’t ready for this responsibility right now, but I think it’s safe to assume the Royals will have a similar need in the coming seasons.  I suggest we root for Greg Billo to continue to improve and force the Royals brass to consider him as a future candidate for this job.  Just ask Dan Quisenberry, you never know where impressive talent will come from.

Who will be the Royals starting second baseman on opening day? (Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE)

The Royals 2012 season is going to be like a good book or movie.  Lots of intersecting plotlines, intriguing drama, memorable heroes, wild action scenes, and despicable bad guys.  The major difference between this year and seasons past is that the story of the Royals in 2012 has the potential for a happy ending.  No other Royals season for the past umpteen years can say that.

Many of the story lines will be decided in the next several days, but others will hold our attention for months – and that’s another thing that makes this season different from most others.  If the story plays out the way we expect, we’ll still be watching and listening with rapt attention until the last game against the Tigers on October 3.

Here’s an enticing potential storyline for us to begin with.  What if (now just humor me for a moment, this could happen), what if the Royals are within 3 games of the Tigers when the final series with them begins on October 1?  Does it make this storyline even more fascinating if you know these games will be played in Kauffman stadium?  You couldn’t plan a better outcome for 2012, could you?  I bet just the thought of it has your juices flowing already.  I think it’s a very optimistic thought, and few if any Royals fans I know are expecting the team to be in contention down the stretch, but we’re all hoping for it aren’t we?  And I think all of us would say that it COULD happen, which makes this storyline one that will likely keep our attention well into the season.

And if you’re wondering why I’m using the Tigers as the team I’m suggesting will lead the AL Central this year, well… Verlander, Fielder, Cabrera – that’s why.

Who is going to play second base for the Royals this year?  The smart money is on Johnny Giavotella who finished the year at second last season, but it could be Chris Getz or (knock on wood), Yuniesky Betancourt.  Giavotella has the potential to be clearly the best hitter of this group, but his defense is suspect and he may still be recovering from surgery to correct a labral tear in his hip that hindered his ability to move side to side.  Alex Gordon underwent similar surgery in 2009 and so far, I’d say his defensive capabilities have not only recovered, but have contributed to raising his status to one of the top left fielders in the league.  (Who would you rather have in left field than Alex Gordon, MLB’s 24^th ranked player in 2011 according to ESPN’s player ranker?  No one?  That’s what I thought.)

Chris Getz has changed his “swing path” and his stride to the ball this Spring, which so far is showing promising results, but he’s still an underdog to usurp the position from Johnny.  One other frightening prospect is the hopefully very slight possibility that because both Getz and Giavotella have options remaining the Royals have the flexibility to send either Johnny or Chris to Omaha (or both – Yikes!) and let so-called utility player Yuniesky Betancourt play second base.  (I say “so-called” because he’s never really played all the positions he’s being asked to backup.  And why would we want him to anyway?)   Without going into great detail in this post regarding how I feel about this possibility, you can read what I think here.  You can also read how Kevin Scobee feels about it here.  Suffice it to say, it alarms both of us.

Will the Royals still be in the race at the All Star break?  I just finished writing (or maybe dreaming) in the 3^rd paragraph that the Royals could potentially be within 3 games of the Tigers at the end of the season, so obviously I think the Royals will be in the race at the All Star break.  There are many positive and negative aspects of a team comprised of mostly young, enthusiastic, but somewhat inexperienced players.  The energy that comes off this team is infectious and I love watching them chest bump each other and feed off of their teammates’ play.  But teams like this can be emotional, and streaky, and an 8 game losing streak could jeopardize everything they’re trying to accomplish.

Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer share a little love (Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE)

Will one of the Royals beat Steve Balboni’s 1985 single season 36 home run record?  (Balboni also led the league in strikeouts that year with 166.  Ay caramba!)  There are few records in baseball that are begging to be broken more than this one.  I know Kauffman stadium is a pitcher’s park, but come on guys, somebody needs to break this record, please!  Mike Moustakas has the pedigree to break the record.  He hit 52 homes runs during his high school career (a California state record) and he led all minor league players with 36 home runs in 2010 while playing in just 118 games.  Back in late January, one of the guys on the MLB Networks’ Inside Pitch program predicted that Eric Hosmer would eventually win the triple crown.  I believe both Moose and Hoz have the potential to break the record, and very possibly both of them will break the record…  someday, but probably not in 2012.

Will Alex Gordon repeat his All Star worthy performance from 2011?  The respected ZiPS projection system has Gordon pegged to backslide from his 2011 performance and end 2012 with a .278/.358/.464 line (he hit .303/.376/.502 in 2011) and 20 home runs.  Those stats are decent, particularly for a guy expected to turn in a strong defensive performance, but probably not All Star worthy.  On the other hand, I think ZiPS may rely too heavily on past performance when creating their calculations and not enough on the intangibles or the fact that someone “figured it out.”  If you look up “figured it out” in the dictionary, you’ll find a picture of Alex Gordon.

Few people have come into the league with higher expectations or potential and in my opinion it has been more of a surprise that Gordon hasn’t been performing at an All Star level prior to 2011 than it should be a surprise if he performs at an All Star level in 2012.  In addition, I believe his chances of making the squad this year are increased because many people took notice last year to how loudly RoyalNation squawked when Gordon didn’t make the team and this should raise his visibility a little in 2012.  Put me down as a believer and firmly in the camp of disagreeing with ZiPS, at least where Gordon is concerned.  I think he’ll be hovering around .290/.295 by the All Star break with 12-14 dingers, which should be good enough for consideration.

Will the Royals place more than one player on the All Star team?  We all know Gordon was robbed last year, but in all likelihood, if he had been selected to the All Star team Aaron Crow probably wouldn’t have gone.  One of the drawbacks of having a young team is that few people know about you and it’s hard for your players to get votes in Baltimore or Phoenix if the fans don’t recognize their names.  And if the fans don’t vote for them, no All Star manager is going to select more than one Royal when he can nominate players from his own team.  And Ron Washington will probably have plenty of deserving Rangers to pick from.

Until the Royals make the playoffs and put themselves on a national stage, I can’t imagine one of them getting the most votes, so I don’t think it’s going to happen this year.  But, there is one possible wild card in the selection process this year – the game will be played in Kansas City at Kauffman stadium.  If Ron Washington wants to make a good impression with the home crowd, he could possibly pick an extra player from the Royals.  The only way to ensure this happens is if a couple of the Royals step up and earn it, forcing his hand to the point that he would have no alternative but to select a couple of the boys in blue.

Will one of the Royals promising minor league pitchers join the rotation?  There are several young pitchers in the minor leagues that could earn the right to be considered for the rotation in 2012.  Many people believe Mike Montgomery is the most likely candidate for this honor, although consensus opinion is that unless he’s “lights out” in Spring Training, he’ll begin the season at AAA.  Going back to ZiPS, they predict that if Montgomery plays for the Royals in 2012, his line will be almost identical to Danny Duffy’s, beginning with a projected ERA of 4.92.  Between you and me, I’d be very happy if Mike could achieve that in his first major league season, although based on his performance in Omaha last year, I’d be mildly shocked if he did that well.

Not including the pitchers who’ve played at least a few games already in KC, there are several additional guys that could make the club sometime in 2012, including John Lamb (his 2011 Tommy John surgery makes his 2012 debut unlikely, although not impossible), Jake Odorizzi, Chris Dwyer, and a few others.  I’m very excited for these guys to all earn their way to KC, but in my opinion, none of them deserve a promotion yet and with the probable exception of Mike Montgomery, I don’t think we’ll see any of them in the starting rotation in Kansas City in 2012.

Will Lorenzo Cain be able to fill Melky Cabrera’s shoes?  If you consider that a player’s value is more than just his production at the plate, I say yes, Lorenzo Cain will be very close to Melky’s equal in 2012.  (Mike Engel said that Melky won’t even be Melky’s equal in 2012, so there’s that.)  Cain plays lights out defense, and while he hasn’t spent enough time at the Major League level to prove himself yet, he’s at least shown that he can hold his own at the plate.  ZiPS says Cain will bat .258 this year, but I think that’s a pessimistic prediction.  I may be surprised, but if the Royals don’t break .500 this year, I’m confident it won’t be because of Lorenzo Cain.

Will the Royals break .500 this year?  As we all know, the last time the Royals broke .500 was in 2003.  Most of the oddsmakers have the Royals pegged at 79-81 wins in 2012, and these are the people who make their living off of predictions like this.  We all know that a clutch double or a blown call can make the difference between at least a couple of games each year, so yes, it’s very, very possible the Royals could break .500 this year.  I’m saying 83 wins this year, and a playoff run in 2013, which I believe is realistic.

Will Sports Illustrated eat their words?  A few weeks ago, I was infuriated by a Sports Illustrated article entitled “Hope Doesn’t Spring Eternal for These Teams”, which listed the Royals, Orioles, A’s, Mets, Pirates, and Cubs as the teams that never have any chance of competing.  The writer of this story obviously knows nothing about baseball history and the periods of time where the major leagues were dominated by the Royals, Orioles, and A’s, and the unexpected championships of the Mets.  And there are more Cub fans who dream of bringing home the trophy each year than there are grains of sand on the beach.

Let’s all answer this together – How many World Series have the Red Sox won in the past 90+ years?  Two.  How many championships have the Rangers won in their entire existence?  None.  How many times have the gigantic market Angels hung the flag in the past 51 years?  One time, the same as the Royals.  If you want to get all caught up in “what have you done for me lately?” then let’s throw all the teams into the pot and consider them equally, and not just the teams that it has become politically correct to bash.

But, beyond these historical slights, the writer obviously hasn’t kept up with what’s been happening in Kansas City in 2012.  Not only are Royals fans fired up beyond any year in recent memory, but the Royals have a very realistic chance to compete, and if a handful of breaks go their way I could see them in contention right up to the wire.  I think it’s highly probable that Sports Illustrated will have no choice but to pay more attention to Kansas City before this season is over.

Spring Training has begun and it feels like we’re watching a preview of coming attractions.  It’s almost time for the book to be opened, the movie to begin, and the curtain to be drawn on the 2012 Royals season.  It’s been years since Kansas City had so many baseball storylines to watch, and longer since the storylines could potentially hold our interest for months to come.  I for one can’t wait.  Get your popcorn ready!

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Alan Barrington on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story and receive his incredibly insightful sports commentary.

Will the Royals go back to Fundamentals in Spring Training? (Scott Rovak-US PRESSWIRE)

There is one thing I absolutely, positively don’t want to hear Ned Yost say this Spring.  It’s just five words, but they strike fear deep into my Royals loving heart.  Five words that bring back bitter memories of a time in Royals history I’d like to forget.  Five words I don’t ever want to hear again, and here they are: “We’re going back to fundamentals.”  This sentence is the death knell, the sign that all hope is lost and your season is over before it begins.

It wasn’t all that long ago that our favorite team was in such dire straits that our coach uttered these dreaded words.  The Royals ended 1996 in 5^th place and followed this up by losing 46 of their first 82 games under Manager Bob Boone to begin 1997 before he was fired.  Tony Muser finished the remainder of the ’97 season with an even worse winning percentage than Boone had begun the year.  The following Spring of 1998, Muser’s inspired solution for the Royals poor performance was to emphasize fundamentals.

If you’ve ever attended a Little League team practice you’re probably familiar with baseball fundamentals.  The coach teaches the kids how to grip the bat, how many steps to lead off the base, how to turn a double play, how to use the crow hop technique, how to stand on the rubber when you pitch, take a walk after the 4^th ball, chew gum and spit sunflower seeds, rub out the back line of the batter’s box, scratch your crotch, kick dirt on the umpires shoes, and never change your socks when you’re on a hitting streak.

With great wisdom and understanding of the complex nuances of the game, Muser cleverly focused on the truly critical aspects of baseball skill proficiency during his preseason practice sessions.  He stressed that the players must use the expression “My Fault” when they made a mistake rather than “My Bad”, and to wear their baseball caps straight on their heads during batting practice.  He also encouraged the team to start pounding tequila instead of milk and cookies.  You think I’m kidding – I’m not.  Muser will never be mistaken as the genius strategist “Bill Belichick of Baseball.”

To this day, Muser remains so completely hard-core old-school that he is probably still dumbfounded that these fundamental concepts didn’t turn the team around.  I’m old school too, but I’m not stupid and I know how to prioritize the important issues.  Every good Manager in any industry must do this correctly if he wants his team to win.  How successful was Muser’s regimen of bizarre elementary and foundational philosophies?  72 wins in 1998.  64 wins in 1999.  77 wins in 2000.  65 wins in 2001.  I’m shocked we didn’t ride this wave of fundamental excellence to a title.  (If it’s not obvious, that’s sarcasm.)

Is it really so hard for a professional to master the fundamentals?  If my boss thought I needed to work on fundamentals in a job that I had made my vocation after years of training and experience, I would be fired.  If the Royals players of 1998-2001 couldn’t master the fundamentals, they should have been fired too.

I understand everyone needs to practice so they don’t get rusty and we all have the ability to improve (and of course everyone knows American Leaguers don’t know how to bunt, mostly because it’s a useless talent, so I suppose this could have been a reasonable basic skill they could have worked on), but if these guys aren’t long past the fundamental stage by the time they arrive in the show, then they have no business whatsoever playing in the major leagues.

Fortunately, I don’t have any fear that Ned Yost will announce a focus on fundamentals during Spring Training this year.  The Royals of 2012 are perfecting their techniques, not learning them.  Alex Gordon has already won a Gold Glove and I’m confident Alcides Escobar, Eric Hosmer, and Sal Perez are fully capable of the same accomplishment.  Four Royals players hit 44 or more doubles in 2011.  The outfield led the league in assists.  (And turned in some stunningly memorable plays while doing so.)  They had the 4^th highest team batting average in the majors and 9^th most double plays turned.  The Royals haven’t arrived yet, and they have plenty of skills that require improvement, but as for fundamentals – the team is far past worrying about this as a concern.  And for that, I am extremely grateful.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Alan Barrington on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story and receive his incredibly insightful sports commentary.

I’ve been privileged to run into an eclectic handful of famous or semi-famous people during my life, including football legend Joe Montana in an old Service Merchandise store in Nashville, seven time Grammy winner Andre Crouch backstage after a concert, Royals hitting coach Kevin Seitzer and his family at a bowling alley (baseball players and coaches are real people after all), and Frank White in the lobby of a Rodeway Inn hotel.

My encounter with Frank White is a story unto itself.  I was just 17 years old (it was a loooong time ago) and he spent about 15 minutes talking to me about baseball when no one else was around.  Just Frank White talking one-on-one with a 17 year old high school senior.  Frank White earned his first Gold Glove that year, on a team that won 102 games and came within one inning of a trip to the World  Series.  I was just a young and immature kid, but even then I knew I had experienced something very special.  By that age I was already a hard core Royals fan, and this chance meeting helped cement my life-long loyalty to the boys in blue.  I came away with the impression that he was one of the coolest guys I’d ever met.

Most of the occasions when I’ve run into someone famous it’s been in an airport, or on a flight.  I stood next to Corey Hart  (I Wear My Sunglasses at Night) in a gift shop at the Knoxville Airport while he bought a candy bar.  I watched a mild mannered 6’7” Hulk Hogan down on his knees speaking directly with a group of children immediately before we all boarded a flight from Dallas to Newark.  (The flight occurred on a Super Bowl Sunday and I was forced to miss the game.  Ouch!)  I had a conversation with Cheryl Prewitt , Miss America 1980 while waiting at the gate for a flight from Baltimore to Las Vegas.  She told me about her marriage and her Christian ministry.  I walked past Stephanie Seymour (a Victoria’s Secret Model) sitting with her bare feet propped against the next row in first class on a flight from Denver to Los Angeles while I trudged back to the cheap seats.  I waited on a bench across from Olympian Mary Lou Retton while killing time before a flight in Houston’s Hobby airport, amazed that no one else appeared to recognize her.

I watched Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt eating a cheeseburger at the Burger King inside KCI, all by himself.  I was stunned that Mr. Hunt didn’t travel with an entourage and thoroughly impressed that he wasn’t too good to eat a fast food burger.  I was embarrassed at the rabid football fans who wouldn’t leave Len Dawson alone prior to boarding a flight from Kansas City to New York.  I sat across the aisle from Kurt Schottenheimer, NFL Coach (and Marty’s brother) on a flight from Washington DC to Kansas City.  I think he was returning home from a job interview with the Redskins, and if you’re interested, he flew in a coach seat.

Bob Hope handed me my diploma at my college graduation.  (Yes, THE Bob Hope.)  I shook hands with Eight is Enough actor Willie Aames and former Chiefs Offensive Guard Dave Szott at a Kansas City Youth for Christ event.  I had a very strange and surreal meeting in New York with TV Host Sally Jesse Raphael, Sharry Konopski a former Playboy Playmate who is now a paraplegic, an OKC Federal Building bombing survivor, and a guy who jumped from an airplane without a working parachute who lived to tell about it…  but I’ll save that once-in-a-lifetime story for another time.

Baseball Icon and all around great guy, Buck O'Neil

As you can see, I’ve crossed paths with a number of well known people in my life, but none of these encounters are burned into my memory like the day I met Buck O’Neil.

During the Summer of 1999, I took my son Austin to a Royals game.  It was one of many games we attended in a season that saw the Royals surrender an outrageous 921 runs, or 5.72 per game.  You’re not going to win a bunch of games with that kind of pitching and defense.  (The Royals were 64-97 that year.)  One of the only real advantages to being a fan of a bad team is the ability to walk up to the ticket booth right before game time and purchase a seat directly behind home plate.  Let’s hope this won’t be occurring much longer, but that fans will be scratching and fighting for these seats in the near future.  This year would be fine.

We brought a baseball to the game in case we had a chance to get an autograph, but as is so often the case, the few athletes that make themselves available to the fans always draw a huge crowd and it’s difficult to get a signature without making a fool of yourself.  I didn’t want to model foolish behavior for my son, so we took our seat to watch infield practice and wait for the game to begin.

While we were contemplating whether to purchase the peanuts or the frosty malt the next time a vendor walked by, I noticed about 5 or 6 rows in front of me that Buck O’Neil was sitting in his usual seat to scout the game.  Although at the time, I didn’t realize it was his usual seat, and I wasn’t even fully aware that he could always be found attending every game.  I thought it was a pretty special occurrence and I wanted to take advantage of the situation.

I spoke to my son and said, “Do you remember the man we talked about that led the Negro leagues in hitting three times and was the first African American Manager in the Major leagues, the guy that lives right here in Kansas City?”  As you know, Buck is a KC icon and I didn’t want to make a spectacle of myself, but I thought it was important for my son to see him.  I pointed down the aisle and said, “That’s him.”

Feeling the “autographless” baseball still jammed into my pocket, I had an idea.  I told my 10 year old son to walk down the aisle and hand the ball to Buck.  I instructed my son to say, “Mr. O’Neil, may I have your autograph please?”

As Austin approached Buck, I could see that a stadium attendant had spotted my son and began to move quickly to intervene and prevent him from making an autograph request.  I immediately realized that Buck probably encountered hoards of adoring but obnoxious fans pestering him at every game and the stadium personnel were working hard to keep everyone away.  This was why he hadn’t drawn a crowd as I would have expected.

Not wanting my son and I to look like insensitive autograph seeking jerks, I jumped to my feet and began to hustle toward my son to stop him.  Before I could get there, the stadium attendant grabbed my son by the shoulder and said, “Sorry, no autographs.  Please return to your seat.”

I was so busy watching my son and the stadium attendant, and becoming embarrassed that I had sent Austin to breech the protective barrier the Royals security had created, I hadn’t noticed that Buck had stood to his feet, walked over to my son and reached his hand out for the ball.  He said, “He’s fine, please let him come here, I’ll be happy to sign the ball.”

While he was signing the ball, Buck asked my son if he played baseball, what grade he was in, and who was his favorite player.  As he finished signing, he asked my son to step back.  I’m wasn’t sure what he intended to do, but I loved the way Austin’s face lit up when the revered Kansas City icon Buck O’Neil tossed the ball back to him.

The Buck O'Neil Legacy Seat

I know this probably sounds corny, and if you don’t know Buck O’Neil’s touching story or anything about the history of the Kansas City Monarchs, the Negro Leagues Museum, or what a fantastic all round great guy Buck was, you won’t be able to appreciate this.  But the sight of Mr. O’Neil gently tossing a baseball back to my 10 year old son is a vivid and timeless sports memory that I will always cherish.  That moment alone was worth enduring a 64-97 season.

Over the ensuing years I remember watching Buck share his disarming and incomparable wit and humor with David Letterman, and seeing him bat in the Northern League All Star game at 94 years old (where he was forced to duck an inside pitch!)  I remember how sad I was when he passed away and how proud I felt when I learned the Royals had honored him with the red legacy seat.  There has never been, and there will never be another Buck O’Neil in Kansas City.  I’m thrilled and grateful that my son and I were able to spend even a brief moment with him.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Alan Barrington on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story and receive his incredibly insightful sports commentary.

Bryce Harper laughs at Minor League pitching (Andrew Weber-US PRESSWIRE)

One of them will turn 20-years-old on August 3, the other will celebrate his 20^th birthday two months later on October 16.  One was the first pick in the 2010 draft, the other was the fifth pick in 2011.  Both players were selected by teams with basement dwelling recent histories but high hopes for the future.  Both of them are represented by super agent Scott Boras.

Bubba Starling and Bryce Harper grew up wowing fans and scouts alike at a young age with their prodigious home runs, playing against competition 2-3 years older.  Both are relatively humble kids with a strong work ethic and professional demeanor who are expected to make strong role models for the next generation of baseball fans.  Both are considered to be five tool players, freaks of nature with once-in-a-generation athleticism (well, maybe twice in a generation) and the ability to contribute mightily to dragging their respective clubs toward contention.

For all their similarities, comparing Bubba Starling and Bryce Harper is like comparing apples to oranges, or more accurately like comparing baseballs to footballs, basketballs, and more baseballs.  To begin, Bubba grew up on 20 acres in Gardner, KS and Bryce Harper grew up in the bright lights of Las Vegas.  Bryce’s father’s name is Ron.  Bubba’s father’s name is Jimbo.  (I’m not making that up.)  Bubba bats right handed, Bryce bats from the left.  (They both throw right handed.)  Bryce grew up eating, thinking, breathing, and playing baseball non-stop since he was three years old.  Bubba grew up in an athletically diverse and competitive family of cousins that all played 3 different sports, and played each sport very well.

As I’m sure you know, Bubba accepted a scholarship to play football AND baseball for the University of Nebraska.  If not for that $7.5 million signing bonus the Royals game him (the largest ever offered to a high school player), we might have watched Bubba in a red jersey last Fall tossing footballs around Lincoln, NE.  And oh by the way, he could dunk a basketball when he was in 8^th grade and averaged 28.3 points per game as a high school senior on the hardwood.  So, you could say Bubba had options when it came to deciding his future as a professional athlete.

Bubba’s baseball experience stems from playing for only two months out of each year, partially because it’s not generally realistic to throw a baseball outside between November and March in Kansas, and partially because he was too busy playing other sports during the baseball off season.

Bryce grew up in a warmer climate which afforded him more time to spend outside on a baseball field, and traveled all over the country participating in tournaments and winning more awards than you can carry in an F-350.  Bryce was named to the All American Travel Ball Select team as a 12, 13, and 14 year old, he was the TBS player of the year at 14, he was the Baseball America High School Player of the Year in 2009, the SWAC player of the year in 2010, the Golden Spikes award winner in 2010, plus the recipient of many additional accolades and trophies that would take another entire story just to list.

Both Bryce and Bubba can hit the ball a ton.  It’s been widely reported that Bubba has belted 500 foot home runs on more than one occasion.  Bryce’s high school coach says he hit a 570 foot blast while playing in the desert of Las Vegas.  Read that again – 570 feet.  Now read this – when he was 15-years-old!!

Bryce’s high school home run story seems just a tiny bit farfetched to me.  Baseball America says that “anything in the 500-foot range is genuinely historic.”  The computerized measuring system installed in the major leagues since 1982 has only recorded one, just one 500+ foot home run.  Cecil Fielder (you know, Price’s dad) hit a ball 502 feet in Milwaukee in 1991.  This is the last time anyone hit a 500 foot home run in the majors.  So, how could we possibly believe that Bryce Harper hit a ball 570 feet?

Now, having said that, full disclosure requires me to inform you that Bryce did touch the back wall of Tropicana Field during a Power Showcase home run derby, setting a stadium record with an officially measured 502 foot home run.  Although this blast was hit off a batting practice pitch, I suppose anything is possible, including maybe even a 570 foot dinger.

Bryce Harper’s pure focus on baseball has created a player who is major league ready, or nearly so, at just 19 years of age.  He’s well deserving of the moniker, “the Lebron James of baseball.”  The fact that there is some discussion about whether Harper might break Spring Training with the Washington Nationals seems incredible.  More than likely he’ll begin the season with the Syracuse Chiefs, he’ll destroy AAA pitching for a couple months, and then he’ll be called up sometime midseason.

It’s the rarest of talent that can play in the big leagues at 19.  Robin Yount played for the Brewers at 18-years-old in 1974, but it just doesn’t happen very often.  Even Bret Saberhagen had to wait until he was 20-years-old, and Eric Hosmer until after his 21^st birthday before receiving their promotions to Kansas City.

In my opinion, Bubba Starling has equal or greater athletic gifts than Bryce Harper, but his baseball talents are more raw and will require additional time to refine.  It might be more meaningful for us to compare Bubba to Hall-of-Famer Dave Winfield who played both college baseball and basketball at the University of Minnesota, and then was drafted by the San Diego Padres, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Minnesota Vikings as well although he had never played a down of college football.   However, this still isn’t a perfect comparison because Winfield wasn’t drafted until he had graduated from college at 21 years of age, three years older than Bubba Starling when he was drafted.  But then again, the Padres did place him directly into the major leagues that same year where he hit .277 in 56 games, so the resulting age when he arrived in the bigs will likely be comparable to Bubba’s.

Another comparison could be between Bubba and multi-sport star Bo Jackson who played both football and baseball in college.  Bo’s baseball talents were considered to be less refined than his football skills when he was drafted (he was a Heisman Trophy winner), but his sheer otherworldly athleticism enabled him to jump to the majors after just 53 games of AA ball at the age of 23.  To the dismay of Royals fans, in 1987 Jackson decided to play football as a “hobby.”  This unfortunate decision ultimately resulted in a devastating hip injury that ruined what potentially could have been a career as a perennial All Star.

Maybe Joe Mauer would make a better measuring stick to compare with Bubba Starling.  Joe played football, basketball, and baseball for his high school team, just like Bubba.  He was drafted upon his high school graduation, just like Bubba.  He was the first pick in the 2001 draft while Bubba was the 1^st non-pitcher taken in the 2011 draft.

Mauer was the USA Today High School baseball player of the year in 2001, but because he grew up playing multiple sports, in a cold climate (St. Paul, MN) where he couldn’t practice baseball for several months of the year (sounds similar to Bubba, doesn’t it?), Joe’s baseball talents were not as well refined as someone like Bryce Harper.  Because of this, Joe ended up playing parts of 4 seasons in the minors.  When he debuted with the 2004 Twins at 21 years of age, in 35 games he blistered the ball at a .308 clip.  Since then, he’s led the league in hitting 3 times, he’s been an All Star 4 times,  he’s won 3 Gold Gloves, and he threw in an MVP season too just for good measure.  Refinement complete.

I’d like to think that we can expect a similar timetable for Bubba Starling’s development and hopefully similar results.  Bubba said as much to Ashley Marshall of MiLB.com last week when he indicated he expected to arrive in Kansas City within 3-4 years.  Unfortunately, Bubba signed too late last summer to obtain any significant professional experience in 2011 so it became somewhat of a lost year for his development track.  This seems to occur frequently with a large percentage of high caliber talent during the Scott Boras era.

Based on what we know of Starling’s skill sets and the track record of similarly talented athletes, I’m hopeful that we may see him as a September call-up in 2013 and possibly a mid-season promotion in 2014.  I don’t want to rush Bubba, but I’m a little anxious because as of today, we don’t know for sure what we have in Lorenzo Cain.  With only 181 major league at bats, MLB Radio Network’s Inside Pitch has already proclaimed Cain one of the most overrated players of 2012.  (I’m surprised they’ve even heard of him so I’m shocked they would say he was overrated.)  If “The Painkiller” performs well, then this should take the pressure off Bubba and allow him to develop at his own pace.  If not, then the Royals will either need to rush Starling along, or find another Melky Cabrera type player to sign for a year or two to hold his place.

I see nothing but high ceiling potential and a positively bright future for Bubba Starling in a Royals uniform.  That is, except for one hopefully remote possibility.  Let’s just pray he doesn’t ever decide to take up football as a hobby.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Alan Barrington on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story and receive his incredibly insightful sports commentary.

The Royals need a Darth Vader type Rival. (Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE)

Have you seen the New Era Cap commercials?  The ads that say Rivals are Frustrating, Infuriating, Exciting, Unwatchable, Annoying, Thrilling, Exasperating, Maddening, Bitter, Sweet, etc.  In my opinion, all these comments are true.  Rivals are one of the things that make sports so much fun, and not having a true rival is one of the things I miss most during the Royals soon to end period of mediocrity.

There are several bullet points on the checklist of what makes a team great.  The obvious items on the list are talented hitters, fielders, and pitchers.  A few of the less obvious are a loyal fan base, a productive farm system, clutch hitting, some might say classic uniforms, and a storied history.

I believe the key determining factor that characterizes all great teams is their rivalries.  If your team doesn’t have a clear rival whose fans despise you and would give anything to see your lineup go down in flames – then your team is nothing more than a wannabe.  Until the fans of the Indians, Twins, Tigers, and White Sox burn up Twitter with vitriolic expletives about our Royals, or show off Eric Hosmer voodoo dolls to the TV cameras in their stadiums, we haven’t arrived yet.

There is a mistaken notion about the competition between two teams located near one another.  I believe geography can create a marketing opportunity to sell more tickets, but in my opinion, it doesn’t automatically create true rivals.  A true rival stands between you and your goal, and they are talented enough to potentially prevent you from succeeding regardless of where they might be located.

Once upon a time the Royals had a rivalry, and it was real and passionate and consuming beyond anything I can remember in sports.  Alongside the utter hatred the Chiefs and Raiders shared 40 years ago, and possibly the revulsion Cornhuskers felt for the Sooners in times past, the adversarial loathing shared by the Royals and Yankees is one of my favorite sports memories.

If you’re too young to recall how the Royals and the Yankees became bitter rivals, then in all likelihood you probably have difficulty believing that it’s true.  How could the lowly Royals and big market Yankees ever develop a mutual distaste for one another?  Sit back for a moment and I’ll tell you a tale of how sports legends and history are born.

Waaaaay back in the olden days, in 1976, the Royals won 90 games which was good for the second best record in the league next to the Yankees’ 97 victories.  The Royals won the season series with the Yankees 7 games to 5.  The Royals and Yankees played each other in the American League Championship Series, going blow for blow, and splitting the first four hard fought games.  After four games, the Royals had proved they belonged in the championship series.

Chris Chambliss circles the bases after his walkoff home run against the Royals in the 1976 ALCS (xfinity)

In game five of the 1976 ALCS, the score was tied 6-6 going into the bottom of the 9^th inning.  As you can imagine, it was a nail biter and my blood pressure is going up just thinking about that night.  With Mark Littell on the mound for the Royals and 56,000 hysterically screaming arrogant Yankee fans pounding their feat in the iconic house that Ruth built, Chris Chambliss launched a shot into the right center field bleachers abruptly ending the Royals season and their first real championship run.  Next to the day the Royals traded Bret Saberhagen, no sports event has been more personally devastating to me.

Then one year later in 1977 the Royals fielded arguably their best team ever and concluded the season with 102 wins to the Yankees 100.  The American Leagues’ two best teams (Yes, it’s true – the Royals were one of the American Leagues’ two best teams for several years) met in the ALCS, once again going down to the wire in dreaded Yankee Stadium before the Yankees won again in five games.

Do you have any idea who played each other for the pennant in 1978?  Déjà vu, the Yankees and Royals.  This time, the Yankees dispatched George Brett and crew after 4 games with a close fought 2-1 victory in the final game.

After an “off year” in 1979 which saw the Royals finish just 3 games out of first place, would you be surprised to learn who met again for the ALCS in 1980?  By this time, the Yankees thought they had the Royals number.  They were certain the Royals were jinxed and unable to overcome the greatest franchise in the history of baseball.  The Royals were just one more hurdle on the Yankees’ road to the World Series again, right?  Wrong.

Let’s skip the details and get right to the good stuff.  The Royals won game one, and game two, and all they needed to sweep the hated Yankees was one more tiny little victory in the big white house in the Bronx.  In the 7^th inning of game three, George Brett faced Goose Gossage, one of the most feared relief pitchers in the history of the game.  With the Royals losing 2-1 and Willie Wilson and U.L. Washington on base, Brett saw just one pitch from Gossage.  That was all he needed to crush a 3-run homer and send the Royals to their first World Series.

The Yankees and their fans were left gasping for breath after this game.  You could have heard a pin drop throughout New York.  How could that unsung team from the Midwest have spanked the Yankees in their own house?   Yankee fans believe they have a birthright to go to the World Series every year.  In 1980, after meeting in the ALCS in four out of five consecutive years, our Royals brought them back down to earth with a thud.  They hated us, we hated them, we wanted to beat each other so badly we could taste it – it was one of the most awesome feelings a true sports fan can experience.

Back in the 70’s and 80’s, I hated Thurman Munson.  I hated Goose Gossage.  I hated Bucky Dent.  I hated Ron Guidry.  I HATED Reggie Jackson.  I hated Catfish Hunter.  Well, I hated Catfish until George Brett lit him up for three home runs in one playoff game in 1978 and then I just felt sorry for him.

I’ve always held a special measure of hatred (sports translation: hatred = respect) in my heart for Chris Chambliss.  You’ll remember he’s the Yankee who hit the game winning walk off home run against the Royals in the bottom of the 9^th of the fifth and deciding game of the 1976 ALCS.  To this day my blood boils when I hear his name.  On the occasions when I see this event replayed on TV, I want to throw my shoe at the set.

Think of a baseball player you hate right now for something more than taking steroids or for being an egotistical or sexist dirt bag.  You can’t think of one, can you?  There is no athlete you hate for plunging a knife into the Royals playoff hopes because for years the Royals haven’t had any playoff hopes to destroy.  Your team has to be competitive first, then having a real rival comes second.

We need more great moments, like the Pine Tar game, which contribute to a great rivalry.  How do you think the Yankee fans felt about George Brett after the Pine Tar game in 1983?  They hated him.  And they loved him.  People flocked to Yankee stadium when he was in town.  I know, because I lived in New Jersey for a period of time in the early 90’s and we (Royals fans) would actually turn huge swaths of Yankee Stadium blue on game day – the same thing they do to us at Kauffman stadium now with their ugly pinstripes.  Sounds unbelievable doesn’t it – huge numbers of Royals fans in the NYC area?  But it’s true.  When real rivals are playing, fans come out of the woodwork.

Special note – Yankee fans flock to Kauffman stadium now, but not because the Royals are their rivals.  They fill up the seats because their bandwagon fans think we’re patsies and an easy victory for them, and because the Royals haven’t played well enough the past few years to sellout the stadium to their own fans.  But times they are a changin’.  After we punk them a few times in 2012 and 2013 and send them home with a bloody nose, Yankee fan will stay away from Kauffman in droves.  I can’t wait.

Back to my point, are the Twins or Tigers our rivals?  They’re our competitors for the Central Division crown, but I wouldn’t call them rivals.  You absolutely must play in some meaningful games together before a rivalry can be created.  You must knock the other team from contention, ruin their chances at the playoffs, storm out of the dugout when they point out your pine tar indiscretions to the umpire, or do something memorable that burns your image into their hearts and minds and stokes the fire of their passions.

I remember traveling to Florida back in the late 70’s and wearing my Royals cap to the beach.  A group of Yankee fans, probably on vacation, started yelling at me and telling me how much the Royals stunk (well, they actually used a more colorful metaphor which I’ve edited out – this is a family blog after all) and strongly suggested what George Brett, Frank White, Bret Saberhagen, and Willie Wilson could all do to themselves.  And as you know, to a true sports fan these insults were a sign of respect, an acknowledgement that the Royals were talented and in contention for the same prize as the Yankees.  I loved it.  I miss this soooo much.

You aren’t a truly great franchise until the fans of other teams hate you.  Do you hate the Twins or White Sox?  No, I’m certain you don’t, and they don’t hate us either.  We don’t have any reason to hate each other, at least not yet.

Over time, after the Royals failed to make the playoffs for several years, the rivalry between the Royals and Yankees faded away.  Everybody knows the Yankees rivals now are the BoSox, right?  (The Rays may have something to say about that.)   If you ask a young Royals fan about the Yankees vs Royals rivalry, they won’t know what you’re talking about.  If you ask a young Yankees fan, they’d probably scoff at the notion that the Royals could ever be their rival.  But trust me, it’s true, I remember it clearly as if it was yesterday.

Can you picture the fans of the Twins, or Tigers, or Indians, or Red Sox, or the Yankees HATING Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Salvador Perez, Danny Duffy, Jake Odorizzi, Alex Gordon, or Mike Montgomery?  Hating them because as a collective group they created memorable moments and destroyed another team’s playoff hopes on the way to their own championship?  I can’t quite picture it yet, but I believe it’s possible, and I sure hope this day comes soon.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Alan Barrington on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story.

Roy Oswalt will likely play in a different uniform this year. Why shouldn't he play in Royal blue? (Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE)

Is there anyone in Royals-land who doesn’t know the team needs a couple of top notch starting pitchers?  Most of us assume the Royals will be competitive in 2012, but the boys in blue probably won’t contend for a title, primarily because of their lack of quality starting pitching.  The Royals hitting and fielding is comparable to the best clubs in the American League, but their pitching just doesn’t measure up – yet.  So, Royals fans will just have to wait until the young and talented arms on the farm mature and join the big league club in another year or two before we can order our tickets to the playoffs.

But as a long suffering Royals fan I feel compelled to ask – why do we have to wait?

There is just one difference-making pitcher still on the free agent market who could immediately impact the Royals and meet several critical needs. The Royals need a pitcher who won’t block the path of their young arms, a pitcher with a proven track record of success and leadership, a pitcher who is affordable.  Roy Oswalt is all of these things.  He’s only seeking a one-year deal (to prove he’s recovered from his back problems, so he’s highly motivated to put up some great numbers) and most likely he’ll sign a much more lucrative contract with another team by the time our high potential young hurlers reach the bigs, he’s been a number one pitcher on a staff that included Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens, and at a one-year commitment of $10 million for a definitive #1 starter (it’s been reported that this is the amount he’s seeking) – that’s about as affordable as you’re going to get.

For comparison purposes, Boston’s Daisuke Matsuzaka, Philadelphia’s Joe Blanton, and Minnesota’s Joe Nathan all earned over $10 million last year.  Who would you rather have?

Before any of the recent rumors regarding Oswalt’s 2012 destination began swirling, the Tigers made him an offer of $10 million per year.  But yet, he didn’t sign with them.  This could mean there’s something intangible, something more than money that he’s seeking.

Several reports have indicated that Oswalt wants to play nearer to his home in Mississippi, although I haven’t seen any quotes to that effect, and it may just be an excuse to explain why he hasn’t already signed with the Tigers or Red Sox.  If this was true, I don’t understand why he hasn’t already returned to the Astros.  They could certainly use him and no team would be more geographically appealing to him.  However, the Astros haven’t even entered into the equation, except within the musings of their hopeful fan base.

Most recent reports persistently indicate that Oswalt wants to play for the Cardinals or the Rangers.  With every day that passes, these possibilities seem less and less likely.  The Cardinals haven’t made a sufficient offer (probably because they already have good starting pitchers) and the Rangers stated they would need to move someone out of their rotation to make room for Oswalt (which they don’t want to do), and Roy doesn’t want to be a reliever (and no one in their right mind would pay $10 million for a bullpen swing man anyway), so these possibilities appear to be incompatible.

After the Cardinals and Rangers, the next most likely suitors for Oswalt are reported to be the Reds and Phillies.  But last Saturday, Ken Rosenthal tweeted that the Reds weren’t actively pursing Oswalt, but merely “kicked the tires” to determine if he was planning to stick with his $10 million asking price.

Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports has indicated the Phillies had an interest in Oswalt, but they haven’t been aggressive in seeking starting pitchers because, well, with Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels on their team, they don’t need to.

The only other team widely reported to be in the mix for Oswalt is the Red Sox, and their General Manager Ben Cherington recently stated “We’re going to keep looking for ways to improve the team, including the pitching staff, but I wouldn’t expect any major changes between now and the report date.”

So what is Oswalt looking for and is there another team he could potentially sign with?  He wants to start, he wants an opportunity to prove he’s healthy, he’s accustomed to being the ace of the staff and this is a role he’d like to assume again.  Can you think of a team that could help him to fulfill these wishes?  I can – the Royals.

It was already reported on Kings of Kauffman by the venerable Michael Engel, that Oswalt would not be signing with the Royals.  However, to be fair, this post was written when we were all certain Oswalt was on the verge of finalizing a contract with the Cardinals.  With every day that passes, the door cracks open a little farther for other teams such as the Royals to step up to the plate.

Can the Royals afford Oswalt?  Baseball Reference estimates the Royals 2012 opening day payroll to be $70.5 million.  That’s just 3 spots from the bottom of the American League payroll rankings, above only the Oakland A’s who are going through a fire sale, and the brilliantly managed Tampa Bay Rays who lead the league in cleverly conceived club friendly contracts.  If Dayton Moore thought we were one or two players away from contending, I’m absolutely certain the Glass family would cough up another $10 million.  Don’t you think Roy Oswalt in a blue uniform would put ticket and concession buying fans in the seats at Kauffman stadium and generate more revenue for the team?  You know it would.  I’m convinced that if Royal-Nation caught wind of an exciting development that could breathe life into our playoff hopes, there would be a Chief’s style traffic jam at the corner of 435 & I-70, 81 times this Summer.

One of the factors when considering Oswalt must be to determine whether he is healthy enough to play.  Oswalt landed on the disabled list last year with a back strain that has apparently prevented some teams, such as the Yankees, from bidding on him.  However, a closer examination reveals that Oswalt has experienced back problems for years and it’s never really affected his performance (in 2010, his ERA was 2.76), and he aggravated his back in 2011 not by pitching, but by running to first base – something he wouldn’t be doing in a Royals uniform.

Last season, between the day Oswalt strained his back on April 15 and the day he admitted he was experiencing pain and went on the DL ten weeks later on June 24, his ERA was 4.75.  Do you know the ERA for the Royals starting pitchers in 2011?  It was 4.73.  While pitching in so much pain that he had to be placed on the DL, Roy Oswalt’s ERA was the equal of the Royals 2011 pitching staff.  (Not counting spot starters, or starters demoted to Omaha.  I think my calculator would have exploded if I had attempted to determine the starting ERA including Sean O’Sullivan and Vin Mazzaro.)  That’s the absolute worst performance Oswalt is capable of delivering.  Everything else is upside for a team like Kansas City.

So Dayton Moore, riddle me this – Who could fulfill our need to lead our lackluster pitching staff, not block the path of our developing young studs, and do this at a club friendly price?  The answer is Roy Oswalt.  Oswalt might not want to play for the Royals, but I don’t think we should assume this.  Why wouldn’t he consider a team that he knows is going to provide him with run support, in a pitcher friendly ball park, against soft AL Central competition, in an environment that is going to be fun this year?  Maybe Dayton Moore should give Steve Berthiaume of ESPN a call and see what he thinks?

As fans, we’re left with the question, why not Roy Oswalt?  It’s a question that’s worthy of discussion and begs to be answered.  However, there’s only one way to find out if Roy Oswalt would consider playing for the Royals.  Dayton Moore needs to ask him.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Alan Barrington on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story.

Can you picture Zack Greinke in a Royals uniform again? (Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE)

Every family has a weird cousin that doesn’t fit in with the other relatives.  No one wants to sit next to him at the kids’ table during Thanksgiving dinner or get stuck alone with him after everyone else has gone home.  We make fun of him behind his back, but as soon as he’s gone, we sorta miss him.

Zack Greinke was the weird cousin, a square-peg-in-a-round-hole, the guy that never quite fit in for the Royals after they drafted him with the 6^th overall pick of the 2002 draft.  Zack was a pitcher, the best pitcher in the majors (said Sports Illustrated in May 2009), but his career was unsatisfying to him because he longed to hit and play shortstop, and due to his love/hate relationship with the game of baseball.

Many would say Zack has led a charmed life.  He was the Gatorade National High School Baseball Player of the Year, he married his high school sweetheart / Miss Daytona Beach beauty queen / Dallas Cowboy cheerleader, he won a Cy Young award, and he’s a multi-millionaire with the prospect of life changing riches in his future when he reaches free agency at the end of the coming season.  But if you think all this makes Greinke happy, then you don’t know Zack.

I won’t rehash the details here again, but it’s well known that Zack has suffered from severe bouts of anxiety and depression.  This illness has interfered with his life so dramatically that he once considered giving up baseball and mowing lawns for a living.  We’re talking about an individual so socially withdrawn that when he was in school he hated to sit with other kids at lunchtime because he didn’t want to feel forced to fit in, who has grown up to work in a profession that requires him to stand on a pitcher’s mound in front of 35,000 screaming fans.  Imagine the angst you would suffer if you were asked to speak in front of a business group, in your underwear and forgot what you planned to say, multiplied by 100 – that’s the fear and dread Greinke experiences every time he delivers a pitch.  Zack doesn’t play baseball because he wants to, he does it because the expectations of his God-given talent demand it.

Yogi Berra once said that 90% of the game is half mental, and this statement has never been more true than when referring to Zack Greinke.  Among fans I’ve spoken with he’s been called an enigma, a clubhouse cancer, a prima donna whose talent doesn’t make up for his poor attitude, and much worse.  He pinch hits while wearing the wrong uniform.  He tells other pitchers they have a phony attitude.  He argued with his coach over which side of the rubber to pitch from.  Even Greinke apologists must admit that Zack is a strange guy.  There are thousands of fans who believe Zack’s gifts could take their team to the next level, and an equal number who are certain his addition to the clubhouse would destroy their team’s chemistry.

There is also strong disagreement about Zack’s value on the field.  On the one hand, ESPN’s fantasy baseball rankings has Zack listed as the 14^th best starting pitcher in the major leagues (above players such as Gio Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Mat Latos, Stephen Strasburg, Jeremy Hellickson, C. J. Wilson, Chris Carpenter, and many more coveted names), and on the other hand there is a vocal group of naysayers who observe that Zack is only as good as he wants to be and no one really knows how to motivate him to reach his full potential.

Zack will become a free agent at the end of the 2012 season and regardless of his baggage, there will be a bidding war for his services.  Our sister site “Reviewing the Brew” has already contemplated what it would cost to sign Greinke after next season.   They estimate about $18-20 million per year (I expect possibly for 5 years), unless the market changes significantly in the next few months.

Greinke recently dumped his agent (second time in the past couple years) and Brewer fans are hopeful they can use this opportunity to approach Zack directly and ask for a hometown discount at a more club-friendly $16 million per year.  The Brewers were one step away from the World Series last year and they know Zack would like to continue playing for a winner.  A couple problems with this plan for Milwaukee fans – the Brewers aren’t his home team and their future doesn’t look bright.

The Brewers could still potentially reach the playoffs next year in a weakened division that saw the Cardinals lose Albert Pujols this offseason, but they won’t be the same team without Prince Fielder.  In addition, the suspension of reigning MVP Ryan Braun for performance enhancing drugs doesn’t leave fans with lots of feel good optimism for the future of the franchise.  The Brewers traded away much of their high potential minor league talent to the Royals to obtain Greinke in a big push to make the Series last season.  Now that several of their key pieces are either gone or in limbo, and their future mortgaged for a present that didn’t materialize, I don’t see Greinke returning to Milwaukee at the end of his current contract.

Brewer fans were all a twitter this week when it was reported by the MLB Brew Beat blog (and then repeated by several more) that Greinke was asked about the possibility of an extension with Milwaukee.  Greinke’s polite response was, “I’ll talk to them about it.”  If I was a Brew Crew fan, I wouldn’t hang my hat on that comment and assume Zack was going to return in 2013.

Greinke has played all or part of eight major league seasons.  Seven of those seasons have been with the Royals, the team that drafted him, the team that was patient with him both before and after he was diagnosed, the team he won a Cy Young with, the team whose fans showed up in force just to cheer for him on nights when he was pitching.  At a time when the Royals desperately needed him and their pitching ranks were in shambles (can you say Runelvys Hernandez?), the Royals allowed Greinke to take time away from baseball, to put his life back together.  If anyone has a question about this, let me answer it – the Royals are Zack’s home town team.

You may remember Jim Eisenreich who played with the Twins, Royals, Phillies, Marlins, and Dodgers in the 80’s and 90’s.  Jim suffered from Tourette Syndrome (TS) and was forced to take about three years away from baseball to receive treatment for his disease.  TS is misunderstood by many, and often misinterpreted as an attitude problem which can result in the victim becoming isolated and outcast.  You may also recall it was the Royals who welcomed Eisenreich back into the major league family following his treatment and I clearly remember fans embracing him and rooting for him to succeed.  Jim was so accepted by the community that he made Kansas City his permanent home.  I see similarities between his story and Zack’s.

Zack’s gorgeous and outspoken wife Emily enjoyed her time in Kansas City, and the Greinke’s still own a home in town.  They both grew up in a suburb of Orlando (Apoka = Overland Park), which aside from the palm trees and gigantic amusement parks, and the fact Orlando doesn’t have a professional baseball team, it isn’t really all that different from Kansas City.  There is little doubt the couple feel at home in KC.

Based on what we know about Zack and his condition, it seems reasonable to assume that his family and advisors would encourage him to stay away from the bright lights of the major markets when determining where he’ll play next.  It doesn’t fit with Zack’s personality to be the center of attention, and he’d be constantly hounded in New York, Boston, LA, or even Chicago and Atlanta.

My guess is that Zack has enjoyed playing in the National League which gives him an opportunity to hit and run the bases, so I could see him signing with a “smaller market” team on the senior circuit like St. Louis or the Miami Marlins.  Hopefully, his .143 batting average last season helped to put his dream of being the next Miguel Cabrera to bed, forcing him to focus on the one thing he does better than almost anyone else – pitch.  If so, then an American League team should be on equal footing with a National League team in any bidding war.

You’ve probably figured out by now that I’d like to see Zack wearing a Royals uniform again in 2013.  I realize that many people disagree with my perspective, including some of my fellow writers here at Kings of Kauffman and many of the people who comment below our stories who think it would be a mistake to pursue Zack next year.

If you believe it might be farfetched for the underfunded Royals to afford Greinke, or that he wouldn’t want to return, it might interest you to know that the hosts of the MLB Networks’ Hot Stove Live don’t think it’s a stretch.  On their January 20, 2012 program, they boldly predicted Greinke would return to KC in 2013.  Their reasoning was that Zack and the Glass family have a strong relationship, he and his wife enjoy Kansas City, and the Royals will be poised to field a competitive team in 2013, which would make them attractive to Zack.

I’d like to re-sign Greinke, partially because I like his story.  I almost always root for the guy who overcomes adversity, in whatever form, to succeed.  I’ve personally known people who suffer from the same afflictions as Zack and I discovered that you can’t take this ailment lightly.  It’s real, it impacts lives, and it causes outsiders to question the victim’s judgment and sanity.  But when treated properly and supported by patient friends, family, and coworkers, this sickness can be overcome.

I also know the Royals are two front-line starting pitchers away from having the talent to compete with the best teams in the American League.  With a stable of young and strong pitching arms like Mike Montgomery, Jake Odorizzi, John Lamb, Noel Arguelles, Aaron Crow, and others, I’m relatively confident the Royals can develop one of these starters in-house.  My best guess is that the other will need to come from a trade or free agency.  Who better to fill this gap than with the one that got away, our crazy cousin Zack.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Alan Barrington on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story.

Surprise Stadium - Spring Training home of the Royals

I’m making plans for my fourth Spring Training vacation this year and looking forward to another perfectly timed break from the cold and winter that Arizona is immune to.  On my three previous trips I’ve attended several games at the beautiful, 9-year-old facility the Royals share with the American League Champion Texas Rangers in sunny Surprise, AZ.  Next to Kauffman stadium, this is the best place to see a baseball game.  Not a bad seat among the 10,500 chairs in the house, and all the fried twinkies you can eat.

One of the things that surprised me (no pun intended) about Spring Training is that I wasn’t able to mingle with the players the way I’d always imagined.  The Royals typically make a couple of players available along the left field line (the Royals use the 3rd base dugout) immediately following a game to sign autographs across the railing between the seats and the field.  But I always expected a little more than this. (more…)

Famous Amos Otis cookies

The offseason moment we’ve all been waiting for arrived last week – the announcement of the Royals promotions for the 2012 season.  Seriously, many of the Royals promotions are quite fun and some have become a Kansas City tradition.  There would be riots if the Royals ever gave up Buck Nights and Fireworks Fridays.

In the spirit of fun these marketing gimmicks are designed to create, I’d like to suggest a few more promotions for the Royals to consider in the future after the jump: (more…)

Are the Royals Playoff hopes pinned on Mike Montgomery? (USA Today)

Everybody knows that championships are built on strong pitching and defense, right?  If you can’t hold the other team down, it doesn’t matter how many runs you score – you won’t win.  Would it surprise you to learn that the two teams with the most runs allowed in Royals history also had two of the top three worst Won/Lost records?  Probably not.

In 2006, the Royals allowed their opponents to score a total of 971 runs (that’s 5.99 per game folks) in a 100 loss season which is tied for their 3^rd worst record of all time.  One year prior in 2005 the Royals allowed 935 runs, good for a 106 loss season, their worst one year performance ever.  Ugh. The boys in blue had a pretty good offensive season last year and still scored only 730 runs, or 4.5 per game – proof that no matter how formidable your offense, you absolutely must shut down the other team defensively or you won’t be planning anything more than a fishing trip in October. (more…)

Willie Wilson and George Brett celebrate together

Quick – Who is the greatest Royals hitter ever?  That’s easy, the answer has to be George Brett.   Baseball Reference has Brett listed as the 22^nd greatest hitter of All-Time on their EloRater, and he’s in the Hall of Fame, so it’s a no brainer.  Who is the greatest Royals fielder ever?  Few would argue that it’s Frank White and his 8 Gold Glove awards.  (He should have won more.)  Now, how about the greatest Royals baserunner?  Johnny Damon, Carlos Beltran, Tom Goodwin, Amos Otis and Freddie Patek all had tremendous talent, but without any doubt the answer has to be Willie Wilson.  Willie excelled in what I believe is a long lost skill today, the fine art of tearing up the base paths and setting defenders’ nerves on edge.

When Willie Wilson started his career with the Royals, he was used as a pinch runner, much the same way that Jarrod Dyson has been used the past couple of years during the short periods of time he has spent in Kansas City.  However, the difference between them is significant.  Dyson is now 27-years-old and is never projected to hit very far above the Mendoza line.  He’s a pinch runner and a late-inning defensive replacement, and in all likelihood, that’s all he’ll ever be.  If you can’t get on the field, you’ll never be considered historically great no matter how quickly you cover the gaps or how fast you can circle the bases. (more…)

Is it April 6 yet!? (TopNews)

As far as I know, the only purpose of Winter is to allow us time to gather our thoughts from seasons past, discuss which players we want to pick up through trades or free agency, and plan our trips to Spring Training.  I believe Eric Hosmer agreed last Sunday when he Twittered, “Is it April 6 yet!?!?!?!”

Following are a few of my random winter thoughts to pass the time: (more…)

Is Joakim Soria on the Trade Block? (AP Photo)

You’ve probably heard the news that some teams have inquired about the availability of Joakim Soria.  Most recently, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox have expressed an interest, there are rumors about the Angels, and there may be others we don’t know about.  It’s obvious the Royals are shopping him around and if you’re like me, you’re both excited and highly concerned about what the Royals might receive in return for him if they pull the trigger on a trade.

While Soria is not yet a candidate for the Hall of Fame, he is arguably one of the top ten Rule 5 draft picks of all-time, he owns career marks of 2.40 ERA / 181 ERA+, 9.7 K/9, 1.043 WHIP (these numbers aren’t from his best season, I’m talking about his entire five year major league career), he averages 37 saves per season, he is a two time All-Star and his name has appeared on Cy Young and MVP ballots.  In other words, he’s pretty stinkin’ good.  Would the Royals seriously consider trading a young, successful pitcher whose best days may still be ahead of him?  Believe it or not, there is precedent for the Royals to do just that. (more…)

Al Hrabosky – The Mad Hungarian (Sports Illustrated)

#2 on our Royals All-Time Name Team

The middle of Christmas / New Years week is no time for hard hitting news or brain strain caused by disagreements over year end organizational moves.   We’ve had several days now to dissect the Yuniesky Betancourt signing and consider what it means to the organization.  Half of Royal Nation has been calling for Dayton Moore’s head on a platter over this decision, and the other half have yawned and scoffed at all the silly fuss over a part-time utility player.

Just since last week, we signed Twins castoff Jose Mijares as a left handed reliever to take some pressure off Tim Collins, and we’ve pondered the merits of chasing after Roy Oswalt to bolster our rotation.  Whether you agree or disagree with these moves and potential moves, I’m glad they’re giving us a reason to talk baseball.  Not a bad week’s work for a small market team smack in the middle of the cold offseason.

Enough with the hard news.  Now that Christmas is over, you’ve opened your presents and drank the egg nog, it’s time to loosen your belt and join me in a light hearted look at the history of the Royals and some of the names that have made the games entertaining. (more…)

Yuniesky Betancourt, the Bad Penny (AP Photo)

I must have had a premonition.  In last Sunday night’s post Patience is Better than Sacrifice, I stated my belief that one of the positive aspects of the Zach Greinke trade was Dayton Moore’s nifty inclusion of Yuniesky Betancourt in the package.  What a pleasant and unexpected surprise for all of us.  We all feared that Dayton’s unnatural attraction to Yuni (read about Dayton’s early attempts to acquire Yuni in Mike Engel’s post here) would hinder our efforts to build a championship caliber team.

It was no surprise when Greinke was traded and we were very happy and relieved to learn of the group of young and talented players the Royals received in return for him.  What we didn’t expect was for Yuniesky to be included in the deal.  We were stunned.  We were thrilled.  We had renewed hope for the future.  Yuni was gone and the black hole at Shortstop was filled by a young wunderkind named Alcides Escobar.

And then just like a bad penny, Yuni turned up again.  (more…)

Cliff Lee - poster boy for Patience is Better than Sacrifice

I’ve been listening to the expert opinion spinners tell us what the Royals must do to fill their gaps and lay the final bricks of Mission 2012.  There is little discussion of consequence regarding our need for a utility infielder (except Gage Matthews’ post here on Kings of Kauffman and our Winter Meeting notes), the topic simply isn’t sexy enough.  We need a lefty reliever, but again, not much passionate discussion about this either.  (No surprise, Michael Engel has a good story here on KoK.)  However, a topic that is receiving some enthusiastic debate among many media sources is our need for a front line starter.

Most are saying we can’t afford a bidding war for a quality free agent so we’re left with no choice but to dip into our minor league treasury and trade away our blue chip stocks.  If we had no hope of ever filling these needs internally, and if a trade was the only possible way to bridge the final gap of a championship caliber club, then I would tend to agree with them.  But I don’t agree, and I think we do have a choice.

The Royals have found themselves in an interesting position.  They finally have some commodities that are the envy of baseball, a currency that even the Steinbrenner family can’t print as proficiently as we can right now – a deep pool of talented but unproven, young, high potential trade-worthy athletes.  Many of these players could command a high price on the open market, but they are also very valuable to the future of the Royals. (more…)