The regulars are all at about 150 plate appearances and we’ve already got some pretty strong opinions about the direction each player seems to be heading. Let’s just hit the 1-4 hitters based on the lineup card Ned Yost submitted in today’s disappointing game against the Astros and we will tackle the last half of the lineup later this week. (All stats are current through the first 40 games of the season.)

1. Lorenzo Cain – Compare .308/.376/.423/.799 in 40 games to .262/.308/.397/.705 in his first 40 games in 2012. Last season he got hurt early on, so he didn’t make it to 40 games until mid-August. It’s been so nice to have Lorenzo playing regularly despite the fact that I wince when the man sneezes because, who knows? He might injure himself that way. He’s been producing and I hope he does so all season. Stay healthy, Zo!

2. Alcides Escobar – Esky has a line of .250/.278/.345/.624 through 40 games, but has really struggled in the last 15 games where both his average and OBP have dropped over 40 points each. Through 40 games in 2012, Alcides had a line of .301/.342/.418/.760. I think everyone expected Alcides’ offense to flatten out a bit, but he’s better than the line he has at the moment. Hopefully he’ll break out of the slump he’s been in for the past 2 weeks.

3. Alex Gordon - A1* is raking right now with a slash line of .343/.367/.535/.902. Some concern regarding his plate discipline has been voiced as he’s been known to do a good job of working counts the last few years but has swung earlier and more often this year. As far as I’m concerned, if you’re producing like he is, I won’t be upset. I’m not too worried that he’s going to change his approach dramatically. I think it won’t be long before he starts seeing more pitches and taking more walks. As long as he’s driving in runs/getting on base consistently. I have no complaints. Last year, Gordon had a line of .231/.320/.363/.683 after 40 games, so it’s hard for me to really do anything but (very quietly grumble) about how he has seemed to walk less so far this year. WHISPERS:  (But just so you know…Alex had 20 walks in the first 40 games of last year but has only 7 in 40 games this year. On the other hand, he already has 29 RBI’s which is 11 more than he had this time last year. Circular reasoning is circular.)

*It’s hard not to gush about Gordon….nothing beats a Scobee gush, of course….but still.

4. Billy Butler - .273/.378/.439/.817 with 8 doubles and 5 home runs. Compare this to .297/.357/.523/.879 with 11 doubles and 8 home runs. Billy had 10 walks in the first 40 games of the 2012 season and has more than doubled that number in the first 40 games of 2013 with 22. I love Billy’s plate discipline, I always have. However, I’m really hoping he will get/take the opportunity to drive in more runs as the season progresses. Especially due to the fact that his getting a walk this year is often nullified by the inconsistencies of his teammates hitting behind him.* If Hosmer and Moustakas can’t produce, his walks won’t mean as much.

*Excluding Sal Perez who is doing well and will be discussed in a follow-up post.

There’s the first half of the lineup. These guys don’t look too bad aside from a slumping Escobar who could easily turn things around with a good week.

However, I’m not looking forward to seeing what the back end of the order has to offer. Until later this week…..

That’s the record James Shields had after his first 8 games started in 2012.

We talk all the time on here about how overvalued the “W’ is as a statistic, but unfortunately, the world we live in still hasn’t seemed to consider the ridiculous ways an individual gains a “win” or a “loss.” Michael talked last week about the way Shields’ record seemed “Grienkesque” in the way he’s compiled a 2-3 record despite an ERA of 2.48 with 53 strikeouts and 14 walks

Guess what Shields’ record was after his first 8 games in 2011?

3-1 (ERA – 2.08) 51 SO and 13 walks

There are some conflicting statistics here. Shields’ 2011 and 2013 stats are very similar and yet the discrepancy in record is pretty glaring. 7-1 to 3-5.

However, in the first 8 games of 2012, James had an E.R.A that was actually more than an entire run higher than his current progress. The difference? In 2011 and 2013, Shields was getting an average of 4.125 runs per game from his offense. In 2011, it just worked out that he was on the right side of the fence. In 2012, Shields, though still good, wasn’t anywhere near his current progress. However, his offense was averaging 5.125 runs a game.

All of this to say, I’m kind of bummed out that James has been getting slapped with so many losses. Not because I think anything of the “win,” but because I hear too many people talking about “wins” and “losses” as if they are the one thing that defines a pitcher’s success.

It gives me a headache.

So to all of you people, Shields has had a great start to the year. Don’t be morons. If a pitcher is good, it makes sense that he would probably have more wins than losses when the season ends. If he pitches well and his team provides him any sort of offense, he’s likely to do all right in that department.

However, if his team is struggling offensively (as the Royals have been this season, though it looks like they brought their bats to the game against the Angels last night) then it’s not too unbelievable to see James hang a 3-5 record through the first 8 games of the season.

Just stop acting like his record is important and have faith that the bats will start to pick up and help steer the course of his record back onto the straight and narrow.

I think this is just as important for the fans as well. We all have our rituals that make us feel as if we somehow hold sway over the outcome of a game. There’s the effervescent rally cap, a classic maneuver a fan makes when his team is struggling late in the game.

Down here in Bolivar, there are two bros that watch/follow Royals games with me and we all have our own rituals for coaxing victory out of they guys. We all went on a stadium tour a few months ago and at the end, we got some Royals swag to take with us. The hats we got were a little bit crummy. They weren’t even snap-backs. They were like those lame belt-loop ones that hardly anyone our age wears.

Anyways, after mocking these hats incessantly, my buddy Trev has started rocking his during the game because every time he wears it, we start scoring runs. It’s a little eerie, really.

My other buddy Jake has a bat signed by Amos Otis that he likes to hold during the games. It makes the players play better. For reals.

I, myself have this awesome Royals light that I turn on after each Royals win. Much like, Paul Revere….or something.

What do you guys do?

I want some weird traditions, man.

Naturally, the worry is how the team will stack up against the rest of the A.L. Central. So far, the results are positive. They’ve played each team this month and, regardless of a win or loss against Cleveland tonight, will only have LOST one series against a division foe. That series loss came in the first three games of the year. Overall in the month of April, they’ve gone 7-4 against the division.* They dropped two out of three to the White Sox, swept the Twins, split with the Tigers and will either take three out of four from the Indians or split with them.

*Again, pending tonight’s game

Let’s take a look at how the rest of the division is faring in-house:

Cleveland Indians - As of yet, the Indians have only played the White Sox and us. They’re 3-2 against the Sox (one game got rained out) and they’re currently 1-2 against us for a record of 4-3 against the division.

Minnesota Twins- The Twins have actually won series over both the division favorite Detroit Tigers and the Chicago White Sox this month. What’s hurt them was getting swept by the Royals earlier in the month. They haven’t played the Indians yet and currently hold a record of 4-4 against the division.

Chicago White Sox- The White Sox won their first series of the season against the Royals, but have struggled against the rest of the division ever since. They have lost series against both the Indians and Twins. They have yet to play the Tigers. Their divisional record is currently 4-6

Detroit Tigers - The (mostly) consensus pick to win the division, the Tigers lost their first series of the year against the Twins and split their series with the Royals for a divisional record of 2-3. They haven’t played the Indians or the White Sox yet.

The Royals are the only A.L. Central team to have played against each of their divisional foes. As stated above, aside from a slight sputter out of the gates against the White Sox, they’ve played well in these games. It’s going to important for them to have continued success against these teams as they push forward into May.

CURRENT STANDINGS

1. Kansas City Royals – (13-9)

2. Detroit Tigers – (13-10)

3. Minnesota Twins – (11-10)

4. Chicago White Sox – (10-14)

5. Cleveland Indians – (9-13)

Six of the Royals ten wins have occurred in games where the opposing team has drawn first blood. That is six wins out of eleven games where the other team has scored first.

This may not seem like a big deal until you look at the first seventeen games of last year and notice that the Royals dropped all eleven games in which their opponents scored the first run(s) of the game. Granted many of these losses were achieved during the great winless drought of April 2012.

There has been plenty of talk about the struggles of this team. Hey, it comes with the territory. We KC fans are generally only happy when we’re miserable. People are worried about Holland after all of twelve games….he comes in and blows through the Red Sox for 2 saves in the doubleheader today. People worry about the unfortunate location of Kelvin Herrera‘s pitch yesterday and he comes in and goes two strong innings in the doubleheader’s nightcap. The small sample size rule is still in effect and the outcry I see on social networking (specifically Twitter) makes me cringe.

On the other hand, the struggles of Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer are legitimately troubling. I hope they can pull it together. If not, something needs to happen.* I would say that seventeen games is too small of a sample size for them too, but their struggles date back to last season.

*The amazing thing about saying that “something needs to happen” is that you can just say it without really having to back it up. Ok, maybe that’s not true. I guess the most logical option would be to send at least Moose down, if not both of them. The only problem with that is you are faced with starting Tejada, Johnson and/or Falu (if they called him up). I think I’d rather ride the Hosmer/Moose train for just a little while longer. Good grief, they need to get it going, though.

Yeesh, I got off track there.

I think the above stat is very important because it signifies that the Royals are still capable of coming from behind and winning tough games. They were unable to do this last April during that debacle of a losing streak and thusly, had an awful record at this point last year.

I think the capability of winning tough games like these will be a make or break factor for the 2013 Royals. So far, they’ve proven that they’re up to the challenge.

1. JAMES SHIELDS VS. CWS – James Shields debuted in Chicago and threw to the tune of 6 IP/1 ER/6 SO/0 BB. It was a great first start for the newly-anointed Royals #1 hurler. The only problem was the home run he gave up which ended up being the difference-maker as Chris Sale pitched an even finer game to beat him. (B+)
2. ERVIN SANTANA VS. CWS – Here lies one of the bigger rotation question marks heading into the season. Will Santana retain some of his former glory….or will he Sanchez us? One start wasn’t and shouldn’t be capable of giving us enough information to determine how Santana will pitch this year, and his final line was a mixed bag. 6 IP/4 ER/8 SO/1 BB. The really annoying part of this game was the fact that Santana gave up 3 home runs. It’s something you don’t expect to see every outing, (I hope I hope) but it’s a little disconcerting nonetheless. However, the 8 strikeouts to 1 walk is somewhat comforting. We will simply have to see how this plays out. (C+)
3. JEREMY GUTHRIE VS. CWS – Awarded a large contract in the offseason, I wasn’t sure what to expect here, but Guthrie came through in his first start. 6 IP/1 ER/ 9 SO/ 1 BB. The real stand-out here is the 9 strikeouts, which is something I was not expecting out of Guthrie. If this is something he can maintain, that’d be great but I expect something of a regression from that. But I’d take 6 or 7 strikeouts to 1 or 2 walks a game. We need more starts like this out of Jeremy. (B+)
4. WADE DAVIS VS PHI – An attempt to make Davis a starter after a successful year as a reliever is up in the air and Davis’ first start didn’t exactly inspire confidence. 4 IP/ 4 ER/2 SO/ 0 BB. He gave up two home runs and didn’t last too long, but he only threw 76 pitches so it’s likely that the team didn’t want to stretch him out too much this early in the season (as well as in the cold weather of Philly). (C-)
5. LUIS MENDOZA VS PHI – Luis Mendoza was named the 5th starter very late in Spring Training and came out in his first start and showed that he deserves the spot for now. 6 IP/1 ER/7 SO/3 BB. Not a bad line at all, although 3 walks is a little more than I think he needs to be giving up. He only gave up 2 hits though, so I think that evened it out. I’m interested to see if he can keep striking guys out at a high rate. (B)

That being said, at the time of the demotion, there were essentially four candidates elligible for the 5th spot in the rotation. Bruce Chen, Luis Mendoza, Will Smith, and Yordano Ventura are all getting a good look. Granted, most individuals think it would be a long shot for Ventura to jump the other three to get the spot. I think the same goes for Will Smith, though he’s looked good in limited time this spring. That means that the two frontrunners for the position were and are Chen and Mendoza.

And Chen may have very well played himself out of those talks on Saturday.

After a debacle of a 1st inning where Bruce gave up 3 home runs, including one to ex-Royal David Dejesus, Chen ended up throwing 92 pitches, giving up 7 runs and 5 home runs. In fact, Chen has given up 7 home runs and 12 earned runs in 13.2 innings.

Now the caveat of spring training stats is exactly that….it’s spring training. But it’s not like Chen has a proven track record to look at over the last few season to give us assurance.

So why should he get the 5-spot instead of Luis Mendoza? Mendoza had a decent second half last year and (knock on wood) couldn’t be any worse than Chen.

It speaks to the difference in this year that we can have a discussion over whether Chen or Mendoza should be our 5th starter. In all honesty, I’m not TOO concerned about who’s taking the bump in that spot. (As long as it won’t be Hochevar)

So what do you think? Has Chen played his way out of a rotation spot? Or do you think his most recent outing won’t matter?

I think there are two camps in the Hochevar debate at this point:

1. This group wants to see Hochevar dominate spring training to justify his stupid contract. They want to see him finally pan out and earn back some of the trust he’s betrayed over the last several years. They read the articles about Hochevar’s “discovery” of problems he had pitching out of the stretch and they hope that maybe this is the “discovery” that finally actually makes a difference because, Lord knows, none of the others have amounted to much. Now I’m not saying this group is naive to Hochevar’s deficiencies. I think you’d have to be a fool not to see them at this point. But they realize that organization will probably refuse to abandon Luke at this point and are just hoping a miracle happens.

2. This group, of which I am a part, hopes that Hoch just blows it throughout spring training and the organization somehow comes to the realization that they’d be better served cutting the ties before the regular season starts and saving themselves some money. As I stated above, I don’t think the organization will be willing to part ways with Hochevar unless he absolutely implodes.

This presents an interesting conundrum. Is it okay, as a fan, to kinda sorta halfway root for one of your pitchers to suck? Here, I’ll put it nicely. I hope that Luke Hochevar pitches like the Luke Hochevar we’ve seen over the last few years. I guess that’s a bit vague as he’s shown a FEW flashes of brilliance in that time. But I think if you look at the overall product, you’ll catch my drift.

So far, Luke Hochevar has pitched in three different games:

• On February 27th, Hoch was knocked around for 2 ER in 1.2 innings. He gave up 2 hits and 3 walks to the Milwaukee Brewers.
• On March 5th, he gave up 3 hits and a walk in 3 innings against the Athletics. Nothing resulted in runs, though, so I’m sure the outing was looked on as a positive one by the organization.
• Today, Hoch showed some 2012 form as he got tagged with 4 ER over the course of 3.1 innings pitched against the Angels. 3 SO, 2 BB, and 5 hits before he was replaced by Bruce Chen.

Look, I know it’s spring training, but we’ve done this dance before. I don’t need to see Hochevar blow games in Arizona to know that I don’t want him blowing games during the regular season. My mind was made up before he ever took the mound this spring.

What do you think? Is it wrong for me to hope he blows it?

Spring training stats are not typically a good indicator of how good a team is going to be during the regular season. Just because a player dominates spring training doesn’t mean he’s going to have a good season. 2012 Eric Hosmer is an example of that. However, as much as I say that and KNOW it. I still look at spring training stats pretty frequently throughout the month of March. It’s kind of a win-win situation. If the stats are good, I think, “Hey, the team is playing well. Maybe that will transfer over into the regular season.” and if the stats are bad, I get to chalk it up to spring training.

That being said, the Royals are playing pretty well so far, so maybe that will transfer over into the regular season!

That being said, here’s a look at some meaningless spring training statistics through 9 games!

1. The Royals are leading the MLB in team batting average at .338. The closest teams are the Athletics and Dodgers at .309. That’s a pretty wide margin. Must mean the offense is back.

2. The Royals are 3rd in the MLB in on-base percentage at .391. They only trail the Astros and Dodgers. Looks like firing Seitzer was the problem for the Royals last year!

3. The Royals are tied with the Angels for the MLB lead in triples. Each team has 7. Don’t ask me how this is important, but it is! TRIPLES!

4. We are currently leading the MLB in team E.R.A., standing at 3.00. Clearly the acquisitions made in the offseason have solved our pitching woes.

5. And to further back up #4, the team’s WHIP is 1.13, which is good enough for…you guessed it! First in the MLB!

Look, It’s easy to be snarky about the Royals. Most individuals who have followed the team closely for several years have to be. It covers up the years of anguish.

I can’t pretend it isn’t nice to see it, but I feel safer keeping spring training success at arm’s length, rather than embrace it as a sign of good things to come.

And I know better than to praise the team’s success on Twitter or Facebook as I’m seeing so many people doing. There’s way too much of a chance that that’s going to come back to bite you in the butt.

Highlight #1

Our tour guide took us up to the Hyvee level seating so we could look out on the field. It was a little strange to see part of it covered in snow, but it was good to be home nonetheless. Our tour guide gave us some time to enjoy the view and then told us that many different people have asked her what the weirdest thing she’s ever seen as she’s given  various tour. Eventually, she just started telling every tour the story.

Apparently, as she led one group up to the Hyvee level one day, she looked down and saw a deer out in center field.. After she got over her initial shock, she saw that it was one of those deer targets hunters use to practice. Ned Yost was down the right field with his bow shooting arrows out towards center.

We all laughed at this dubiously and asked if she was kidding. She shrugged and said, “I guess if you’re Ned Yost, you can do whatever you want on the field.”

Highlight #2

We got go down and check out the executive board rooms you can “rent” out or whatever. It got me to thinking how awesome it would be to have a board meeting at the “K.” Then I thought about how much work I’d actually get done if the corporation I worked for set up a meeting during a Royals game. None. No work would get done. No work at all.

Highlight #3

A great story our guide told us was that she couldn’t allow us into the indoor batting cage because apparently, one tour guide took his group in there and let them essentially just take whatever they want. Soooooo they don’t let tours in there anymore.

Highlight #4

The whole tour was awesome, but the point I was looking forward to the whole time was when we got to hang out in the dugout. I know it probably sounds juvenile, but sitting in the dugout was one of the best things I’ve gotten to do in a long time. You follow the team closely, live and die with each win or loss, and, if you’re lucky, you get to rant about something once a week for a blog covering your squad.

And then you get to sit in the same dugout as the players you write about and you have to hold in your 9-year-old inner SQUEEEEEE.

I held it in, but had an unforgettable time nonetheless. It’s nice to see Kauffman in a new light. The old girl looked pretty good.

I don’t pretend to have a claim on loss or pain. I know that lots of people have experienced losing someone they cared about and, when I think about it, I had my Grandpa for 23 years. That’s longer than plenty of people have their grandparents. It’s longer than some people have their parents. But that doesn’t lessen what I feel and writing is the best therapy. So I would like to share a few brief stories about my Grandpa and who he was to me. Baseball is sprinkled in here and there, but I’m more concerned with remembering the man who has helped shape me. If I’ve shared these stories before, forgive me. I need to live them again.

One day when I was somewhere around the age of 8 or 9, my parents dropped me and my brother Levi off at my grandparents’ house while they went to run errands. Usually, my brother and I would run inside, watch T.V. and eat all the dessert our stomachs could hold. But on this day, for some reason, we were kicking around outside trying to find something to play with. We decided we wanted to play baseball, but we didn’t have any gloves, bases, bats or baseballs. After scrounging around for a bit, I found an old board that was about the length of a bat. It wasn’t rounded or anything and it promised plenty of splinters, but it looked as if it would do in a pinch. My brother rooted around and found one of those giant super balls. You know those huge versions of bouncy balls? They are not supposed to be hit with a bat at all and promised an evening of stinging hands, but we decided we were going to play anyways. We proceeded to let our grandparents know that if they wanted us, we would be playing baseball in the backyard. They surprised us by coming outside and joining us.

I don’t remember how we divided our teams, but somehow it ended up being my brother and I versus Grandpa and Grandma. I don’t remember what happened during our inning at the plate, but I will never forget an inning where my grandparents came to bat. I was pitching while my brother set up somewhere behind me. I’m sure I was probably thinking that I needed to be respectful to my grandmother and not throw her any knuckleballs, sliders, or splitters.* When I saw that she was in her stance waiting on my throw, I tossed the ball towards the plate. She surprised Levi and me by slashing a grounder right past my feet.

*8 or 9 year-old me was convinced he had at least 6 different pitches. In reality, I had one pitch. Straight and not very fast.

Once I got over my initial surprise, I ran towards the ball and picked it up, assuming I’d have time to run over to first for the force-out.

My grandma beat me by two steps.

I confusedly walked back to the “mound” and looked towards the plate. In stepped my Grandpa, left-handed and menacing. I remember thinking of how Ruthian he looked and how I wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d pointed that old board out over our heads, calling his shot as the Babe once did himself.

I tried to throw my grandpa “junk,” but I think I knew what the outcome was going to be before I even let go of the ball. My grandfather absolutely destroyed the pitch, sending it skyrocketing over his and Grandma’s small vegetable garden. My brother and I tore after the ball, but by the time we had secured it, my grandpa and grandma had already rounded the bases.

I probably retell that story at least once a year to my parents. I just love the fact that rather than pretend that my pitches were too nasty for them, my grandparents played hard and knocked me out of the box. I still remember feeling awestruck watching how far Grandpa had hit that ball.

***

Another Grandpa/baseball-related instance I remember fondly happened last June. I went with my dad to visit my grandparents at their house and I ended up sitting at their kitchen table, watching the Royals play the Cardinals. During the first few innings, I watched the game by myself and as Grandpa would walk through the kitchen, he’d ask how the team was doing. Finally, he came in and sat down with me and started watching the game. We mostly watched in silence, aside from the occasional joke or observation. My grandfather was often a man of few words but I simply enjoyed just being around him. That was enough. I honestly don’t remember how long we stayed there. The game went 15 innings and I know I watched some of the extras with Grandpa because we couldn’t believe how long it was going. Honestly, the end-result doesn’t matter. I just remember it being a good day of watching baseball with my grandpa.

***

I’ve mentioned before that this is my first year teaching high school English. I’m somewhat of a worrier, so I spent most of my summer break thinking of all the things that could go wrong. Kids exploding….co-workers hating me….me maybe not actually knowing anything about English.

My dad took me back over to my grandparents’ house a few weeks before I had to move back down south to start my job. As my grandfather talked to my dad, my grandmother asked me how I felt and I told her how nervous I was. She told me it made sense to be nervous about a new job but that I’d get over that soon and get a little more used to it every day. We spent the rest of the time chatting about different things and eventually, the time came for Dad and I to leave. Very quickly, Grandpa asked me if I was ready to be a teacher. As I said before, my grandpa was a man of few words. I was a little surprised by his asking, but quickly poured out what I was feeling. I told him that I didn’t think I would be very good. I told him that I was nervous about dealing with a bunch of kids I didn’t know and a community I was unfamiliar with.

My grandpa smiled at me and said, “You’ll do fine. I’d bet on you.”

***

So, I’d like to say thanks to the man who showed me so often how he loved me in his actions. My grandpa was so good at just being there. He came to birthdays. He came to basketball games. He showed me how much he cared about me and my brother.

I’d like to say thank you to the man who, along with my father, has shown me the type of man I’d like to be.

I love you, Grandpa. I love you and I miss you. Thanks for all the memories you’ve given me. I look forward to seeing you again.

And thanks for beating the tar out of that pitch I threw all those years ago.

-Ethan

Baseball will be back so very soon.

As such, it got me to thinking about a recurring thought I seem to have as each new season approaches. Baseball is one of the best sports to watch live.

People may scoff and say, “Well, you’re a baseball fan, so that’s not really much of a statement to make.” But I went to several different sporting events in the past year, and I still feel that this statement holds true.

I’m a Kansas City Chiefs fan, painful as that may be, and this year I went to the game between between the Chiefs and eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens. It wasn’t a bad game. In fact, it was one that I thought the Chiefs should have won.* But as I walked back towards my car, I didn’t find myself necessarily glad that I’d come to the game as opposed to watching it on T.V. Of course, there is something to be said for the experience of seeing a football game live, but even if the Chiefs had won, I think I would have enjoyed it in the comfort of my own home just as much.

The one sport I played in high school was basketball, and this probably ranks highest in my “almost better when it’s live” countdown. I went to a few Mizzou games last year and, while I enjoy watching it live, it’s still not as good as baseball. I enjoy the atmosphere of a basketball game, especially one that comes down to the last minute. However, I still can’t say that I’d rather spend money to buy a ticket for a game on the court as opposed to a game on the diamond.

The only other sport I’ve experienced live this year is one that is starting to grow near and dear to my heart. I wasn’t a huge hockey fan until I started going to Missouri State club hockey games after I started college in Southern Missouri a few years ago. For four dollars, I was able to purchase a student ticket that allowed me to stand right up behind the boards and shout at the players as they crush each other. There’s nothing like a hockey puck flying at your face and causing you to recoil, only to have it smack against the glass, making you sigh in relief. Also, hockey has fights and fights are cool.

I don’t know why I like watching a live baseball game so much. There’s something about the pacing. Some people get annoyed but what they consider a “slow sport,” but I think the breaks give you time to tune in to everything that’s happening on the field. I emotionally flourish and perish much more based on how a Royals game is going in comparison to any other sports I watch.

So that’s why the next few days can’t pass any quicker for me.

But it wasn’t until I began writing for the site that I was introduced to the dearth of baseball information that exists on the internet.

Two years ago, the extent of my Royals information came from Royals.com, the Kansas City Star and ESPN highlights (what little coverage they give to the Royals anyways.) I didn’t even discover Kings of Kauffman on my own. A roommate showed me a post asking for writers for the site and that’s when I first discovered the wealth of baseball discussion within the blogosphere. I started going crazy, reading everything that was available and looking for more. I had been missing out for years and never even realized it.

That being said, I’m going to list the 5 sources I’ve been going to for baseball information for the last two years. These sites will probably be familiar to you, so I’ll tell you a secret. I’m selfishly posting this in the hopes that you’ll give me some new places to read about the Royals and baseball in general.

1. ranyontheroyals.com – It’s here that Rany Jazayerli posts pretty regularly about the Royals. His posts are always, interesting, insightful, and humorous. Some of the best baseball writing I have read. The fact that his focus is the Royals just makes it that much sweeter.

2. sportsonearth.com (mostly Joe Posnanskia) – Joe Posnanski is a wonderful sportswriter. The fact that he spent part of his career in Kansas City becoming a Royals fan. He’s a national sportswriter, so he doesn’t focus on the Royals as much as Rany does, but when he writes about the team, or even being a sportsfan in Kansas City, he writes amazing articles.

3. MLBTraderumors.com – During the dreaded offseason, this site is a Godsend to help you keep up on all whispers of goings-on regarding your team. Very useful.

4. Baseballreference.com – Everything you ever wanted to know about baseball. You could spend years scouring this website and still not have even broached the amount of information available to you. It’s insane.

5. Fangraphs.com – All the amenities an advanced statistics-lover could desire. I’ll be honest with you. I typically come away from reading one of these articles feeling as if I understood 1/3 of what was written. They make my head hurt. But it’s a good hurt.

*****

Again, I’m not trying to hide the fact that this is more for my benefit than yours. These are 5 pretty well-known sources of  baseball information on the web. What are some new ones you guys have for me to visit?

Gimme some reading material.

**Update

As I looked back through this and read the first comment made, I realized that I totally left Bob Dutton in the dust. I voraciously follow Bob on twitter and read his articles on www.kcroyals.com as well as the Kansas City Star. I was and am planning on doing a piece on Royals twitter handles you should have and Dutton’s (@Royals_Report) is on the list. More on this next week!

The Royals are spending more on payroll this year. A lack of willingness to shell out the cash is typically a mainstay complaint for most Royals fans. They move from just under 61 million dollars (27th out of 30 MLB teams) in 2012 to app. 78 million dollars (20th out of 30 MLB teams).

Many people will look at this as a step in the right direction for the Royals as they’re shelling out more money than they ever have before. In fact, as the above Yahoo article states, the Royals were the #5 overall team in positive payroll percent change at +28.04%.

However, if you look back at the Royals payroll ranking in the past 5 years before 2012, you may find that the jump is not very awe-inspiring.

2011: 30th in the MLB (36,126,400)

2010: 20th in the MLB (72,267,710)

2009: 21st in the MLB (70,908,333)

2008: 24th in the MLB (58,245,500)

2007: 22nd in the MLB (67,116,500)

So while many less-informed fans may be excited about more money being spent than ever before, it once again comes down to one thing:

Allocation, allocation, allocation.

Seriously. It doesn’t take a genius to understand that spending money pales in comparison to spending money wisely. And yet, when I and other Royals fans I’m familiar with complain about the way the club spends money, I continually get the same response.

“Well, at least they’re finally spending money.”

No, you idiot. That doesn’t guarantee you a winner.

Okay, I’m not naive enough to believe that JUST spending a crapload of money doesn’t always get you very far in professional sports. But wasting money makes me even angrier than not having any to spend. That’s why, to me, paying over 4 million dollars to Luke Hochevar is a waste. That’s why I can’t figure out the Miguel Tejada contract.

You can tell me it’s good that the Royals are spending a little more money and I will agree with you, but it’s hard to fully back Dayton Moore on some of the ways he chooses to spend that money.

I’m not saying that being the Royals’ G.M. is an easy job. I’m sure it’s more difficult than I can even imagine, but without a legitimate explanation for moves like these, I continue to be wary.

Spring Training starts in a month and there are a lot of hopes riding on this season. I’m just not sure how these recent moves have helped the team.

On a last note, The Los Angeles Dodgers’ estimated 2013 payroll is increased 123.9% from their 2012 payroll. That figure is mind-boggling to me. The combined payrolls of all 30 MLB teams this season will surpass 3 billion dollars.

That is insane.

*I’ve forgotten the exact amount of days. It’s written on the board in my classroom.

This means that in just over a month, I will be able to watch the Royals play again and despite all the oft-questioned moves of Dayton Moore in the last month, I’m very excited to watch this new team. I’m also very aware that the whole thing could blow up in my face, but nonetheless, I’m excited. I can’t help it.

This is causing me to come to two very important realizations for the coming year.

• I’m becoming more and more confident that Jeff Francoeur is going to be our everyday right-fielder this year. I’d much rather there be some sort of platooning option, much like the Dyson-esque idea put out there on the site a few days ago. I don’t know that Dyson will ever establish himself as a serious contender for consistent MLB time, but at this point I don’t think Francoeur should be garner a starter’s portion of at-bats. Unfortunately, it’s looking more and more an inability to find some way to cut ties with Frenchy’s contract, means the Royals are going to play him consistently in right.
• I’m resolved to being disappointed about the production from the 2nd base, both offensively and defensively. I really don’t know why we signed Miguel Tejada, but I’m thinking that whether it’s Getz, Gio, or even the old man, there’s a lot more that could go worse at that position than positive.

Hmmmmmm

It’s easy to have high expectations going into a new baseball season. Everyone is on the same page. However, I feel like I’m going to treat this year’s team like I treat that movie everyone says is awful. I’ll go into it with severely low expectations and that way I can possibly end up pleasantly surprised. The same mentality goes towards the two aforementioned positions. I will not expect much production from either and if and when some modicrum of production appears, I will be pleasantly surprised.

40-ish days until baseball, People!

But as I’m sure you know if you’re checking this site during the cold, bitter offseason, there’s just something about baseball. That being said, I want to talk a bit about some games that I am planning on trying to hit this year. Now, I’m going to be living back home in St. Joseph this summer, so I guarantee that I’ll be going to many more games than this throughout the year, but these are the ones I definitively want to hit.

1. Opening Day – Okay, I’ve never been to opening day. I could cite a few different reasons. I’ve generally had school to deal with and honestly, despite the excitement that comes with the beginning of each new season, I’ve never been pumped enough to spend money in these last few years to go see Bruce Chen, Luke Hochevar or someone similar serve court to start a season out. But this year, with Shields taking the mound, I believe that it might be enjoyable to see Kauffman filled up while watching the season begin.

2. Jersey Day – Jersey day is awesome.  I’ve gone the last 4 years and always enjoy it. I’m a sucker for free gear, though, so if that’s not something that appeals to you, I suppose you should skip. But the jerseys always look pretty sweet (in my opinion) and I feel like it makes more sense to pay 30 bucks to go see a game and get a free jersey than it does to throw down $80+ for a jersey and no game. It’s math.

3. Any Game Against The Cardinals – I love going to these games because nothing tastes as sweet as beating the Redbirds. They always travel well and enjoy trying to make a point of filling the stadium with more red than blue. Getting to experience and revel in a victory over St. Louis firsthand is a treat. Trust me.

I’m shooting for at least 15 games this season. It may be a lofty goal, but teachers get a summer break (sweet!) so I think it’s doable.

What are some games you’ve got marked down as “must-sees” this season?

And….Gasp! Your Royals fan wants a jersey! But how will you know what player’s jersey to invest in? Royals players seem to zoom in and out of Kansas City as if Kauffman Stadium was a giant revolving door. And buying a Royals player’s jersey is like trying to keep up with the most current Iphone. You’re gonna have to trade it in next year for a new one. Well, fear not, procrastinating shopper! I will help you acquire a jersey that will (hopefully) last for awhile. The trick is to disregard guys you don’t think will be around for much longer…..or guys that stink…unless you’re trying to make a point. Well, we’ll get to that.

I hope this gives you some direction in your holiday jersey-acquiring endeavors. And seriously. If you find an Jose Offerman jersey somewhere in the Large to X-large range, you let me know and we will figure out a way for you to get that to me. (You’ll see what I’m talking about in a minute.)

Let’s get started:

1. George Brett – Okay, this is kind of a cop-out, but…I mean…you can be assured that he’s never going to be traded. So there’s that.
2. Salvador Perez – Once he was back from injury last year, it looked like the Royals made one of the smartest moves in history by extending him right before Spring Training last year. This guy’s jersey is a long-term investment. It’s a smart buy.
3. Alex Gordon – Those who bought his jersey right after we drafted him have spent a couple of years sweating out the purchase, but he’s finally come up spades as a baseball player in the last few years. I think this would be a safe buy.
4. Carlos Beltran – Being that I was hardly alive the last time the Royals played a significant game in September/October, I can say that the first Royal I really followed with vigor was one Carlos Beltran. That guy was a great Royal. Heck, he was one of the few people who put on a Cardinal uniform last season that I didn’t loathe. I didn’t like him….but I didn’t loathe him either. Incidentally, please buy the ROYALS Beltran jersey and not the Cardinals one, unless you want to break your special Royals fan’s little heart.
5. (Insert Super Obscure Jersey Here) – I am a gentleman who loves an obscure jersey. A couple of years ago, I went to Chiefs training camp and saw a guy in a Dustin Colquitt PRO BOWL JERSEY! Mad respect goes to that guy for laying down lettuce for that outerwear. How many of those do you think have been sold. 3?….5?….It can’t be double digits. Anyways. I love when someone snags an obscure jersey to wear to games. I’m talking about your Jose Offerman jerseys, your Doug Mientkiewicz* jerseys and the like. If your Royals fan likes obscurity as much as I do, this may be the path for you to take. You may have to do a little research to figure out which obscure player would be best, but trust me….the overjoyed look on your loved one’s face will be well worth it. (*I just Googled Mientkiewicz’s name to see how to spell it. Did you know that guy is managing the Minnesota Class-A advanced team now? Wasn’t expecting that. Interesting.)

I may not be excited about what we gave up, but I’m definitely excited about having Shields in the rotation. And yet, the greatest joy of this trade for me is that it pushes Hochevar farther and farther away from having a chance of being a regular starter for the Royals.

So far the Royals’ rotation seems to be shaping up in the following manner:

1. James Shields
2. Ervin Santana
3. Jeremy Guthrie
4. Wade Davis
5. Bruce Chen/Luis Mendoza/Will Smith?/Luke Hochevar (Heaven help us)/Anyone else you guys can come up with.

I come to the Royals with a desperate case against Luke Hochevar. Why you tendered him a contract is beyond me, but even though you’ve wasted the money, don’t let him see the mound. Countless arguments have been made against him on this site as well as others and it doesn’t matter if you believe in advanced statistics, regular statistics or good ol’-fashioned eyeballing, Luke Hochevar is terrible.

September 27, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Luis Mendoza (39) pitches during the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

I’m not sure what you guys think, but at this point, the options look like Bruce Chen, Luis Mendoza, or Will Smith, at least until Paulino or Duffy get back.

The thing that is confusing to me is the amount of people I’ve heard say that Chen is absolutely deserving of the 5-spot. The argument is typically followed by a comment about how Chen is “good for 10 wins a year.”

I hate this argument. Wins and losses are never indicative of a pitcher’s success. I don’t think Bruce Chen was good at all last year and with another year on him, I doubt the direction is trending upwards.

An argument could be made for Will Smith. He got some good service time with the MLB team last year, but I think that the job should Luis Mendoza’s to lose.

An E.R.A.+ of 100 is generally considered that of a league average pitcher. It’s a better stat than typical E.R.A. because it takes into account other factors affecting pitchers none the least of which is the effect different parks have on a hurler’s stat.

The pitcher with the highest E.R.A.+ of the three pitchers last season is Luis Mendoza with a 97. Will Smith and Bruce Chen weren’t even close with a 77 and an 81 respectively.

I don’t care that we still have to pay Chen a lot for a second year of a contract that never should have happened, I think Mendoza should be in line as the 5th starter unless someone comes in and completely blows up spring training.

Mendoza’s got my vote.

*I’d like to take a moment here at the end to say that my thoughts and prayers are with the families of the children and adults senselessly taken from the world this week in Newtown, CT.

My high school was small enough that there was not a baseball team. We had track, cross-country, basketball, and eight-man football, but no baseball. I really started following the Royals passionately during my freshman year of high school. It wasn’t long before I felt I had the authority to act supremely snobbish whenever someone started talking about the team. I knew who Alex Gordon was. I knew Hochevar was going to be the next coming of Zack Greinke.*

*I didn’t know as much as I thought.

It wasn’t long before I realized that judging and mocking people who I think are “lesser fans” than myself was a waste of time.* Anymore, I think are willing to call yourself a Royals fan, you deserve no mockery from people who have, perhaps, followed the team for a couple more years than you have. You’re not really jumping on the bandwagon of a winning team. Heck, when and if the Royals ever amount to anything, I’m going to be so ecstatic about the state of things, I don’t think I’ll have time to get annoyed by “Royals fans” suddenly appearing out of the woodwork.

*Unless it’s a fan of another team telling me about how dumb Royals management is. Look, the Royals often make foolish decisions. But if I hear the “the Royals traded Carlos Beltran and Jermaine Dye!” argument, I will ignore you. It proves to me that you haven’t been tuning in for about ten years.

Anyways, this spiel actually comes from watching that new Dick’s Sporting Goods commercial that was released a few weeks ago. If you haven’t seen it, watch it here.

This reminds me of why I love sports in general and specifically, baseball. As an individual who majored in English and is currently a high school English teacher, I enjoy things for the stories they tell.

The reason I’m a fan of baseball? All the stories I’ve gotten to be a part of. Each game I’ve watched was a story. Each game I’ve attended was a story. Stories that I experienced with family and people close to me and that makes each story special.

The reason I love baseball is because when I’m sitting in the stands watching Alex Gordon lace a double into the corner to drive in two runs, I am immensely happy. And when Hochever gives up 7 earned runs in the first inning of a game, I am sick to my stomach.

“Well, uh….Luke has got good stuff…..and toughness….grit….words.” (Don McPeak-USA Today Sports)

Baseball tells a story and that is why I come back to the Royals year after year. The stories may not always be happy. But they are MY stories and that’s a connection that can’t be broken by how well the team plays.

Although, it’d be nice if the team could be good.

1) The first news article I saw was entitled “Getz returns to Royals with one-year deal.” This isn’t necessarily so funny in and of itself, but a quote by Chris Getz regarding his injury-plagued season made me chuckle:

You kind of know if you’re going to be around .300 and there are other years where you’re kind of inconsistent and battling to be around .250,” he said. “That was the hardest part, because I felt I was having one of those around-.300 years, but I just kept being knocked down by injuries.

I don’t exactly know where Getz is coming from. I find it doubtful that a player comes into a year thinking, “Man, it feels like a .250 year,” or “Man, there’s no way I’m hitting anything less that .300 this year.” Mostly this is funny because in all the years Getz has been in the league, he only sniffed .300 in 2008 as a member of the White Sox where he batted .286. So here’s to hoping that Getz “feels like it’s another .300 type of year.”

2) The next article that caught my eye was entitled “Glass keeps future in mind as Royals eye upgrades.” There are plenty of amusing quotes to tickle your innards as you read, but I chose this one:

What we’ve said is we need to be in the $70 million range to break even, and our goal is to try to continue to break even,” Glass said. “We’re not interested in making money, but we don’t want to subsidize it to any great extent.

I could sit here and discuss with you the issues with this statement, but as luck would have it, Rany just posted an article that discusses the budget and he does it in a much more knowledgeable way than I ever could. The article doesn’t strictly deal with the financial straits of the franchise, but he does hit on it at the end and his posts are always worth a read. Take a look at it here and smirk cynically at the idea of “breaking even” with me.

3) The final article I’m taking a look at is “Royals uniform numbers a Powerball coincidence.” I’m originally from St. Joseph, Missouri, which is near Dearborn and when I originally heard that one of the Powerball winners up there had used Royals uniform numbers to pick numbers, I thought it was a pretty good story and was hoping that it proved true. My hopes were, however, dashed:

The Hills, from Dearborn, Mo. (pop. 496), near Kansas City, did not pick their winning Powerball Lottery numbers by summoning up the uniform numbers of Royals stars of the past. It was a nice theory bounced around the Internet for a while on Friday.

Apparently these guys are Royals fans, though, so maybe they’ll donate some of their winnings to payroll?

I don’t think that’s unreasonable.

Obviously, Jake Odorizzi has arisen as the primary pitcher to make a splash at the big league level in the upcoming season. After spending the primary part of the 2012 season in (AAA) Omaha, where he went 11-3 with a 2.93 ERA, Odorizzi got a brief glimpse of the majors to the tune of 7.1 innings pitched with 4 earned runs, 4 strikeouts and 4 walks.

This year, hopes are riding pretty high on Odorizzi’s success. But what about the farm’s now tarnished former golden boys, Mike Montgomery and John Lamb?

Montgomery is coming off a fairly ugly year split between (AA) NW Arkansas and (AAA) Omaha. He went 2-6 with a 6.67 ERA at (AA) ball and 3-6 with a 5.69 ERA at the (AAA) level. Maybe he’ll come to spring training and blow everyone away. Maybe he will continue to be awful. He seems to have taken a giant step back and I will be surprised if he makes any kind of noise this season. I’m hoping he’ll surprise me anyways.

I don’t want this guy to fall off the map. (Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE)

I’m really intrigued by John Lamb, though. Spring training in 2013 will mark just under 2 years since Lamb went down with Tommy John. It’d be wonderful if he came out and pitched adequately enough to make the big league squad.

It’s true that the only reason Lamb looks better at this point is due to the fact that he didn’t have the chance to be as bad as Montgomery was. It’s possible that given the same opportunities that Montgomery had last year, Lamb might have tanked as well. Fate saw differently, though, and now I’m ready to see if Lamb is up to the task.

In my mind, it’s likely that Lamb and (definitely) Montgomery will probably need some more time honing their stuff in the minors, (if they don’t completely flop that is) but if one of them could shoot out of the gates this year and prove themselves worthy of a spot in the rotation, how great would that be?

I think we are in desperate need of some solid arms moving up the pipe to the big leagues and I think Montgomery, Lamb, and Odorizzi are the closest to making a splash. If 2 out of 3 can surprise us in 2013. That’d be huge.

I just want to see one of these highly touted arms actually come to the major league team and have success.

In 2011, Escobar hit: .254/.290/.343/.633. He also had 73 SO, 25 BB, stole 25 bases and was caught 9 times.

In 2012, Escobar hit: .293/.331/.390/.721. This was coupled with 100 SO, 27 BB and 35 stolen bases while being caught only 5 times.

I don’t consider myself a player-analysis guru. Far from it, in fact. I originally thought that Escobar’s improvement must have come from a increased amount of patience at the plate. However, I don’t know that that’s true. Escobar only walked 2 more times in 2012. I generally look and see if there was a significant change on the kinds of counts a player swung on throughout the season.

Alcides’ “first-pitch swinging” percentage went up from 24% in 2011 to 25% in 2012. His “swinging-strike percentage” went up as well from 12% to 14%. I don’t know if these are stats that are big factors or what the league average of such statistics is, but I expected to see significant change in these advanced statistics and others, and I”m not seeing much of a bump.

One reason for the uptick in production probably has something to do with Alcides’ somewhat inflated BABIP of .344. The traditional idea is that a BABIP should average out around .300. Escobar’s BABIP from 2011 was .285, so, if you believe in sabermetrics, it’s reasonable to imagine that Esky’s production should be expected to fall somewhere near the median of the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

Even if that’s so, and Escobar hits somewhere in the “.270″ area, his ability to steal bases has shown growth and that makes him even more of a danger. Stealing 10 more bases in 2012 while getting caught 4 FEWER times is nothing to sniff at.

Escobar has shown an increased ability to steal bases. Or Yost just sent him more in 2012. You make the call. (John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE)

In my opinion, Escobar’s ability to swing the lumber and become an offensive threat is merely gravy upon the meat and potatoes of my estimation of him as a player.

Escobar has great range and is capable of making highlight-reel plays. He is, in my opinion, one of the best defensive shortstops in the A.L., if not baseball. He made a few more errors in 2012 than he did in 2011, but his incredible ability to get to the baseball makes up for that slight bump.

And if he is somehow able to maintain this sudden outburst of offensive prowess?

It’s gravy, Baby. Gravy.

The Tampa Bay Rays are a team that have been connected with the Royals as possible player-swap partners. There’s a wealth of pitching talent in the southeast and it’s been postulated that the Royals could afford to give up a bat which said Rays have indicated they’re in need of.

I’ve been thinking a lot regarding how I would feel about shipping Billy Butler somewhere. I love Billy. He’s a great hitter and he’s a long-standing statesmen on this team, but he’s also a designated hitter that doesn’t really have the ability to excel at any other position. This makes it easier for me to see us parting with him. But that fact also lessens his value to other teams, particularly of the N.L. persuasion.

You can sit there deciding the happy medium where the Royals can give up something valuable but gain something valuable in return, or you can completely ignore it and resign yourself to heartache.

I generally am pretty intimate with resignation, but find it increasingly hard to be so when prestigious sports magazines comment on trade possibilities for Kansas City. That happened in this week’s copy of Sports Illustrated Magazine. A cousin of mine asked me if I’d read the article about the Royals getting David Price. I assured him I hadn’t and proceeded to do so.

It was one of those “5 Deals That Should Happen” type of lists and the #1 deal was David Price for Alex Gordon, Johnny Giovatella, and Mike Montgomery.

Are you kidding me? I think you pull the trigger on that deal in a heartbeat.

Gordo is one of my favorite Royals, but considering management’s refusal to utilize Giovatella, Montgomery’s struggles, and the Royals desperate need for an ace , I think this is a no-brainer.

Now, obviously this is just some sportswriter’s analysis of what HE thinks would be a good deal for both teams. I believe the likelihood of this happening is embarrassingly low. That being said, apparently one writer finds it worthwhile enough to list it in Sports Illustrated.

I know better than to be hopeful. The off-season is a time for wild possibilities. I honestly don’t think the proposed situation would be a good deal for the Rays.

What do you think about that idea? Would you put your stamp of approval on that trade for the sake of acquiring David Price?

That’s why I’m interested in what fans have to say about Hosmer after the season he’s had this year. Here’s a link to a year-old article about Hosmer’s extension candidacy. Look at the first comment. It’s crazy how a year can change things, huh?

During last year’s offseason, we here at Kings Of Kauffman wrote various articles about ways the Royals could attempt to entice Hosmer to sign an extension and attempt to buy out years of Hosmer’s arbitration and maybe a year or two of free-agency. Now, it remains to be seen whether Hosmer’s sophomore slump is a fluke or a sign of things to come.

Looking at Hosmer’s slash line runs the risk of melting your face a la “Raiders of the Last Ark,” but I’m willing to do it anyways.

.232/.304/.359/.663

I’m still able to draw a few positives from his season. He took more walks this season. He took 56 walks this year compared to 34 last year. And it wasn’t like that stat is swollen based on more plate appearances this season. He only had 35 more PA’s in 2012 than he did in 2011.

His BABIP was also significantly lower in 2012 (.255) as opposed to 2011 (.314). Using that .300 benchmark that most individuals like to use for an average BABIP, it seems safe to say that Hosmer could be due for a bit of a bounce-back.

I hope this happens because honestly, I think I’ve finally come to the conclusion that it’s unlikely that Hosmer will sign an extension with the Royals. He’s a Boras client with huge, if somewhat tarnished, potential and as we don’t and likely never will have the monetary capacity to retain Hosmer’s services in the long-term, I’m fairly sure he will migrate to a wealthier climate when his indentured servitude is complete.

Now, if the Royals somehow prove that they have some remote shot at contending between now and his release date, I think it’s possible that we may have more of a shot at keeping him around. He has seemed to jell with his teammates and winning makes everyone happy.

Either way, I want Eric Hosmer to make paper.

If the Royals actually make good on their promises of contention in the short-term, it will raise the possibility that Hosmer will want to post up in Kansas City for the long-term. I’m betting that if the Royals are successful next year, it will be partly a result of Hosmer having a comeback year.

However, I’m okay with the other scenario as well. Hosmer could turn things around and make it clear that he has no intention of sticking around, regardless of the Royals’ success or lack thereof. If this happens, it will mean that (hopefully) the Royals will be able to spin Hosmer for a wealth of talent.

So, in my mind, Hosmer making  money will be a win-win situation. It means that he broke out of this crummy slump. Whether it’s a (reasonable) amount of dough coming from us in the form of an extension or whether it comes from another team that we trade him to in the next few years, I think I’ll be at peace.

Unless we trade him for a Jermaine Dye-like return.

Then….there will be no peace in this heart.

Luke Hochevar Is Affirmed As A Significant Contributor To The Starting Rotation

• This issue has been infinitesimally discussed and rehashed as the season came to a close. Luke Hochevar is a bad starting pitcher. His inconsistency is stroke-inducing. He’s worn out his welcome. It’s understandable that the organization may not want to acknowledge the egg on their face. They may not want to admit to a failed #1 overall draft pick. But it’s better to acknowledge a mistake than to continue to throw a guy out there and continually tell a burnt-out fan base that he’s just about to “turn the corner” or “figure everything out.” Pull the plug, stick a fork in him, whatever cliche you like best…Luke Hochevar should not be a significant part of the rotation going forward.

Frenchy Reigns Supreme

• Jeff Francoeur is a great teammate. A great clubhouse some guy. But there is absolutely no reason that he should be the Royals starting right-fielder next year. The job should be Wil Myers’. If Francoeur is still the starter by mid-April, the organization has some explaining to do. I don’t think Myers has anything else to prove. We still owe Francoeur a significant amount of money for this next year, but that’s no excuse to keep Myers tethered in the minor leagues when he is an offensive (and possibly even defensive) upgrade.

It’s Announced That Danny Duffy and Felipe Paulino’s Rehabilitation Will Take Longer Than Anticipated

• Tommy John surgery hurt the Royals last year and when this season rolls around, we will still be feeling the after-effects. That means that there needs to be absolutely NO hiccups in the recuperation of Danny Duffy and Felipe Paulino. Duffy was impressive last year before he got hurt and Paulino has been quietly steady in his production during his time as a Royal. Dayton Moore’s recent comments about how we can’t build our team through free agency makes the recovery of these two pitchers even more important in my opinion.

These are just a few scenarios I think could railroad the Royals’ before the season even starts. Happy thoughts, I know. However, we snagged Santana today via a reasonable move. I suppose it’s good that Dayton is sticking with his “strike quickly” mentality. We’ll have to see what else happens.

The Royals were underwhelming throughout the 2012 season. After a heart-breaking losing streak early in the year that completely deflated the already laughable “Our Time” moniker, I suspected that these Royals were, in all likelihood, going to shoot far below the expectations that had been placed on them before the season started. Part of that was the unrealistic belief that many Royals fans had about the team and the “weak” division, but this team seems to struggle even meeting fans in the middle. They didn’t have the pitching from the get-go and were soon crippled by injury and sub-par performances by expected breakout stars.

There were bright spots. Sal Perez made his contract look like an absolute steal for the organization and the bullpen had another solid year overall, but aside from looking vaguely threatening as we approached the All-Star Break just before getting swept by the Tigers and spiraling once again, we were disappointing.

Fast-forward to football season and I was hearing the same pre-season hopes regarding the Chiefs. They were a team with a lot of young talent that seemed poised for a breakout year. They were in what was considered a weak division and looked like they had a great shot to win the A.F.C. West.

Then they remembered that they’re a Kansas City sports team. They are so bad they are making the headaches of the Royals’ season look desirable.

I hate whining sports fans, so I’m trying to avoid that, but good grief, what do I have to do to get a successful franchise to root for? The Royals are bad, the Chiefs are bad, Mizzou football is dashing my hopes of at least being passable in its S.E.C. debut. (Laughable mementos like THIS don’t help any.)

I’m not a soccer fan, so I don’t really feel qualified to rejoice in the success of the Sporting.

That leaves Mizzou basketball.* My one last hope at glory. I think if they struggle, I may go off the deep end. I don’t believe it’s too much to ask that one of my teams actually have a successful season.

*Cue Michael Engel arguing that I should be a Jayhawk fan……..Cringe.

I’m desperately clinging to the hope that the basketball Tigers can carry my sanity for this sports year and I’m adamantly hoping that Dayton Moore and David Glass deliver on these promises, half-promises, and/or somewhat retracted promises that they’re spouting.

I, like many people I’m sure, am sick of my teams being consistently bad. Something’s got to change and if there aren’t some fairly drastic things happening during the Royals offseason, it looks like we’re in for more of the same.

“Mooses?” (more…)

That being said, I’ve not had much of a chance to watch Tony Abreu play. Here’s his offensive slash line in the 19 games he’s appeared in this season:

.266/.273/.375/.648

I don’t pretend to be able to make an assessment of defensive ability, so if you’ve got an opinion on that, throw it out there. But when questioning whether Abreu should be retained on the 40-man roster next season, I have to ask the question: Can you tell the difference between Abreu and Irving Falu?

Here’s Falu’s line in 20 games:

.375/.384/.486/.870

Falu has been a lot more successful offensively this season in a similar, albeit small sample size of games and plate appearances. Again, my ability to assess Falu’s defensive capabilities is limited based on my inability to watch the games and or decipher advanced defensive metrics. However, a quick eye test tells me that both Falu and Abreu are fairly similar in physical capabilities. They both throw right-handed and they both switch-hit. They both have last names that end in “u.” Falu is 29 and Abreu is 27 which means that they’re both probably too old to become much more than decent fill-in guys.

Honestly? These guys are the same player to me, which means I only think we need one of them on the bench when next year rolls around. I think I like what I’ve (briefly) seen from Falu more than what I’ve seen from Abreu. If you’re an Abreu apologist or someone that thinks both guys need a spot on the bench or even the 40-man roster, explain yourself to me. Otherwise, I think Falu has more value than Abreu.

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Playing for the U.S. team will be Jake Odorizzi and Wil Myers. Most Royals fans should recognize the names of two of the organization’s top prospects. (more…)

All-star picks can be a point of great contention and, in my case, are often embarrassing. This is because I make a lot of my picks based on my gut reaction mixed with a sprinkling of statistical success and often, my picks don’t make a lot of sense. But I’ve decided that I’m not worried about ridicule this year and I’m going to go into this selection process cold and allow you to make the journey with me.* I’m filling out my ballot as I write this. I’m not Buster Olney. I don’t care. Let’s do it. (more…)

*I believe I’ve mentioned that I randomly get really frustrated after some Royals’ losses. Therefore, I feel that it behooves me to write about something other than tonight’s game.

I’ve said this often, but my family is very much into going to garage-sales and my dad is the wizard of garage-sale deals. The freaking Gandalf of outdoor-purchasing get-togethers. He always comes up with amazing finds with an “aw-shucks” attitude that cracks me up. I’m always excited when he’s been out and about. (more…)

Those dreary days were a purgatory that seemed as if they’d never end. In the midst of a streak like that, you begin to question not only your commitment as a fan, but your sanity as well. (more…)

I am thoroughly cowed.

There’s something about actually being at the stadium that made me think we could finally score our first win at home. There’s also something about actually being at the stadium that makes it so much more depressing when we lose. (more…)

In a desperate attempt to avoid the fact that our starting pitcher only made it through 2.1 innings last night, I’m going to focus on the “fights” that occurred during the game. They weren’t really fights, more like giant shoving matches made awesome by the fact that Ned Yost got right in the middle of the second one. (more…)