Clint Robinson. Photos courtesy of Minda Haas

First baseman/DH Clint Robinson came in at number 21 on Baseball America‘s annual Top Prospects listing for the Kansas City Royals heading into the 2012 season. The lefty was finally called up to the big leagues in June during Interleague Play. That was after 105 career minor league homeruns. Unfortunately, he only received four pinch-hit opportunities before being sent back to Triple-A Omaha. He was not recalled when rosters expanded in September or when Omaha’s playoff season ended.

Click HERE to read him tell about finally getting called up.

Robinson is known for his offense and two-strike approach, as he struck out just 65 times in 487 minor league at-bats this season. He walked 79 times. He did however have his worst batting average (.292) since his first full season in 2008 and his worst power numbers (just 13 homeruns) since 2009 in Wilmington (which is a pitcher’s ballpark). Robinson was a Triple-A All-Star once again (second year in a row and third straight season of making an All-Star team).

Robinson is in a Billy Butler mold, as he made 13 errors in 102 games at first base this season. Not sure what the Royals are going to do with him, but he doesn’t have anything left to prove in the minors. Maybe they’ll use him as trade bait?

To hear Robinson talk about his approach with Butler and Eric Hosmer in front of him, click HERE.

Check out a few at-bats of Robinson from September of 2012:

Omaha outfielder David Lough courtesy of Minda Haas (Royal Blues)

Omaha blew out one of the worst teams in the Pacific Coast League (Tuscon), 20-3.  The Storm Chasers pounded out 33 hits (that is not a typo) and every starter had at least two hits. The game was over after the third inning when Omaha scored eight runs in the 2nd and seven more in the 3rd. Mitch Maier hit a two-run homerun in the 2nd inning. Wil Myers hit a three-run homerun and David Lough hit a two-run homerun with two outs in the 3rd inning.

Myers (5-for-7 with four runs scored and three RBIs) and Lough (3-for-5 with five RBIs) fell a triple short of the cycle. Clint Robinson fell a homerun short of the cycle (5-for-7 with three runs scored and two RBIs).

The onslaught of offense made a winner of veteran Doug Davis, who allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk over six innings. The Storm Chasers bullpen trio allowed just two hits over the final three innings.

Leading 4-2 heading into the top of the 9th inning, NW Arkansas lost to Frisco, 6-4. The Rough Riders scored four runs on a Chris McGuiness one out grand slam. In the bottom of the 9th inning, the Naturals went down quietly, with three strikeouts.

That blast negated the solid start by Noel Arguelles, who allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits and five walks while striking out five over seven innings.

The Naturals collected nine hits, with Paulo Orlando and Mario Lisson each picking up three (Lisson hit a homerun).

The Naturals welcomed Justin Marks back from a long DL stint, but placed Yordano Ventura on the DL (he has minor carpal tunnel).

Wilmington beat Salem 5-0, as they swept Salem over their final three-game set. The Blue Rocks rode the arm of Matt Ridings, who did not allow a hit until the 6th inning. He pitched a career-high seven innings and allowed just three hits while striking out three and hitting two batters. He also had good defense behind him, as he induced ten ground ball outs.

Murray Watts and Luis Piterson provided the bulk of the Blue Rocks offense, as both collected two hits, scored a run, and drove in a run (Watts hit a homerun).

For more on Ridings’ outing, check out this article on milb.com.

Kane County pounded out 15 hits, as they beat Cedar Rapids, 9-5. Five Cougars had multi-hit games. The bottom two in their order, Henry Moreno and Kevin David, went a combined 5-for-8 with four runs scored. Moreno hit his first homerun.

All of that offense made a winner of Kyle Smith, who allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out four.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 2-for-2 with two walks in Burlington’s 8-0 loss to Bluefield.

July 8, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; USA batter Wil Myers drives in a run with a fielder

The Triple-A All-Star Game was held on Wednesday night and Wil Myers took home the MVP award to cap a fine week of All-Star accolades. The Pacific Coast League beat the International League in Buffalo, 3-0. Myers went 2-for-3 with an RBI. He was one of only two players two record a multi-hit game (Leslie Anderson of the IL also collected two hits). Myers played left field.

Clint Robinson came off the bench to play first base and went 0-for-1 (a strikeout). Ryan Verdugo pitched the third inning, walked one, and struck out one. Tommy Hottovy recorded the first two outs in the 8th inning. He struck out one.

NW Arkansas broke their eight game losing streak on Tuesday night with an 8-7 walk-off win over San Antonio. They had Wednesday off before starting a four-game road trip in Springfield on Thursday.

It was ugly in the beginning, as Naturals starter Noel Arguelles didn’t make it out of the first inning after allowing four runs. However the offense battled back, they got enough out of their bullpen, and had a little luck. In the 9th inning, Michael Liberto led off with a single and Yem Prades followed with a walk. After a strikeout and a pitching change, Brian Fletcher walked to load the bases for John Whittleman, who delivered a sac fly to tie the game. A throwing error home led to the winning run scoring.

Wilmington began their home series with Potomac with a 6-2 victory. Brooks Pounders picked up his second win in the Carolina League with six solid innings. He allowed two runs on seven hits while striking out eight.

Matt Fields continued his power-hitting, as he went 3-for-4 with his 7th homerun with the Blue Rocks.

Kane County collected just five hits, but beat South Bend, 3-0. They scored single runs in the first, 5th, and 6th inning.

Aaron Brooks picked up the win with seven shutout innings. He allowed four hits while striking out six.

Bubba Watch: Burlington’s game in Kingsport was postponed.

That offense made a winner of Nate Adcock, who allowed two runs on four hits and a walk over six innings.

Alex McClure

NW Arkansas needed a two-out, RBI single from Alex McClure to walk off against Arkansas, 3-2. After Ryan Dennick blew Sugar Ray Marimon‘s first Double-A victory (6IP, 4H, R, OBB, 4K) in the top of the 9th inning, the Naturals came through in the bottom of the inning, With two outs and nobody on base, Carlo Testa was hit by a pitch. Despite the fact that Mario Lisson was the only Natural to not record a hit, he did walk to bring up McClure and his heroics.

Wilmington finally won a game in the second half, as they beat Potomac, 7-3. They scored three runs in the 8th inning and four runs in the 9th. Orlando Calixte hit his first homerun for the Blue Rocks, a three-run shot that broke the 3-3 tie.

Yordano Ventura was solid, as he allowed two runs on four hits over seven innings. He walked two while striking out seven. The P-Nats runs against Ventura came via a two-out, two-run homerun in the 2nd inning.

Kane County scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning, but could not hold on, as they lost to Beloit, 4-2. They unfortunately went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

The bullpen duo of Cody Fassold and Malcom Culver did not allow a hit over the final four innings. Only one man reached base (via a Fassold walk).

June 9, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Kansas City Royals first baseman Clint Robinson (25) looks into the crowd from the dugout against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fourth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE

In Game 1, Omaha won 8-0. They scored in just two innings: a three-run 4th inning and a five-run 7th inning. Irving Falu accounted for the runs in the 4th inning with a homerun. Clint Robinson hit a two-run homer in the 7th inning. Salvador Perez (who caught all seven innings) and Wil Myers were the only Storm Chasers to not have a hit. Johnny Giavotella returned and went 2-for-3 with a stolen base.

Everett Teaford got the start and allowed three hits and a walk over five shutout innings.

A seven-run bottom of the 6th inning propelled Nashville over Omaha in Game 2, 10-3. The Sounds sent eleven men to the plate and Omaha used three pitchers in that big inning. If you happen to be clamoring for Jeremy Jeffress‘ promotion, check out his line for Saturday: 0.1IP, 2H, 5R, 3BB, OK. He took the loss, threw a wild pitch, and threw just ten of his 24 pitches for strikes.

Myers hit his 11th homerun as a Storm Chaser, a solo shot in the 3rd inning. CRob in his first games since his demotion from the big leagues went 2-for-3 with an RBI in the second game.

NW Arkansas is NOT having a good week, as they lost again on Saturday, 7-2 to Springfield. They are just 1-6 since last Sunday. A five-run 2nd inning did in the Naturals.

The Naturals scored two runs in the top of the first inning, but couldn’t muster anything else. They went just 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. John Whittleman hit his 11th homerun of the season.

Wilmington lost the slugfest to Winston-Salem 9-5, while watching them celebrate the first half title at Frawley Stadium. The game was tied at 5-5 after four innings (the Dash led 5-0 after the top of the 3rd inning). The Dash scored two runs each in the 6th and 8th innings off Blue Rocks reliever Cole White, which was the difference in the game.

Well Tyler Sample didn’t lose, but he didn’t pitch that well either. His command was off, as he walked four and hit two (Cyle Hankerd twice). All four walks came around to score. At least he gave the Blue Rocks five innings.

The Blue Rocks had seven hits, but three players had two hits each.

Kane County is also just 1-6 since Sunday, as they lost to Cedar Rapids, 7-5. The Cougars have now lost four in a row.

Leadoff man Justin Trapp went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases. Outfield All-Stars Jorge Bonifacio and Lane Adams went 4-for-8 with three runs scored and two RBIs.

Sure, we could count his second pro season in Burlington as a rough patch. After all, he only had an .806 OPS, his lowest at the end of a full season in his minor league career.

In 2010, he won the Triple Crown in the Texas League, helping lead Northwest Arkansas to a championship. He had 75 extra base hits that season. Last year, he helped lead Omaha to a Pacific Coast League title with his bat. Opening up 2012, he’s sitting on a .312/.383/.532 line over 620 games as a minor leaguer.

Now, he finally gets his chance in the big leagues.

With the Royals heading to Pittsburgh for their first series in a National League park, Robinson was added to the Royals roster as an extra bat off the bench. To make room, Ryan Verdugo was optioned back to Omaha after being called up. Verdugo didn’t make an appearance in his brief time in Kansas City.

Clint Robinson. Photos courtesy of Minda Haas

Robinson has toiled in the minors for a long time, but his trip to Pittsburgh may be the extent of his action for now in the big leagues. The Royals will return to Kansas City to face Milwaukee next Tuesday at home but also hit the road right after that three game series to play at St. Louis and at Houston, so Robinson might stick around through those series if the Royals pitching staff doesn’t get overworked and necessitate a 13th pitcher.

Why hasn’t Robinson been up sooner? First, Billy Butler and Eric Hosmer are firmly ahead of him and Robinson doesn’t have any flexibility to play anywhere but first base (much lIke Butler). Also, Robinson has always inspired skepticism. As a former 25th round pick, he’s been a pleasant surprise. Scouts question his bat speed and ability to hit major league lefties (sounds familiar). He’s also 27 years old – older than both players ahead of him on the depth chart – and the upside is limited.

Still, it’s a great story and it’s good to see him get any opportunity. Maybe he can hit a little in limited time and if an injury befalls Butler or Hosmer, the nerves may not be there should he be pressed into action. He might impress someone on another team and become part of a trade. Who knows?

We talked to Clint Robinson on the inaugural episode of the Kansas City Baseball Vault and he spoke about his approach to his game while waiting for his chance behind Hosmer and Butler.

It’s been a rough week.

But fret not. There are some things to be positive about, even some at the big league level. But first, a few Royals farmhands are having excellent starts to their 2012 seasons.

Jason Adam (photo via Clint Scoles at PinetarPress.com

Most impressive early on is Jason Adam. The 2010 fifth round pick out of Kansas City spent most of last year in Low A Kane County and had an up and down but reasonable season. For starting out in A ball shortly after high school, he held his own.

Adam was assigned to High A Wilmington to start the season and has been great so far. Through three starts, he has a 0.51 ERA in 17.2 innings pitched. With that, he has a 16/5 K/BB ratio and in today’s start, he was a ground ball machine. Before the season, he talked about improving his delivery to the plate and controlling the running game and it seems his delivery may be faster to the plate than it was last year. According to Jason Parks, he broke five bats in Wednesday’s start and two of the hits against him could have been ruled errors. Impressive stuff.

In Adam’s old stomping grounds, the Kane County Cougars are hitting the ball all over the place. The quartet of Lane Adams, Daniel Mateo, Justin Trapp and Jorge Bonifacio have a combined 69 hits in 196 at bats. Adams has driven in 14 runs to the lead the team and Bonifacio – a popular breakout pick – has found a new patience at the plate. Last year he walked 16 times in 258 plate appearances. In 2012 he’s already walked nine times. On the pitching side of things, Edwin Carl is following his up his ridiculous 2011 (76 strikeouts in 36 innings). He has 14 strikeouts through 13.1 innings with a 2.70 ERA and only three walks allowed.

Thankfully, Alan Barrington’s scouting report on Wil Myers and the Naturals seems to be the anomaly, as the Royals top hitting prospect is off to a good start in Double A. He leads Northwest Arkansas with three homers and has a .318/.348/.614  line. The only downside is that he’s struck out 17 times in 44 at bats. That could catch up to him if he doesn’t adjust. Yem Prades has hit as well, with a .342/.375/.421 line in 10 games.

The defending Pacific Coast League champion Omaha Storm Chasers are off to another good start, lead by Tony Abreu and Max Ramirez. Abreu has a 1.003 OPS through 13 games with eight extra base hits. Ramirez has 19 RBI and five homers. The Robinsons – Clint and Derrick – are doing well too. Clint Robinson is still mashing minor league pitching, carrying a .903 OPS into tonight’s game and Derrick Robinson has a .364 average during a 10 game hitting streak.

On the mound, Nathan Adcock has had three good starts, putting up a 1.27 ERA in 18 innings. We can hope that continues, as he’s  walked seven batters, hit three more, and only given up 11 hits. If the control continues to be an issue, he may regress. But we’re staying positive here, so he may be an emergency option if the Royals suffer injuries in the starting rotation. In 60.1 big league innings as a Rule 5 pick, Adcock had a 4.62 ERA, which isn’t good, but considering his situation, it’s not bad either. Jeremy Jeffress and Franciseley Bueno are doing well out of the bullpen in Omaha too. Jeffress has 11 innings pitched and has given up just two runs. Bueno  has a 9/1 K/BB ratio in 8.1 innings. His ERA stands at 1.08 after four appearances.

So it’s not all doom and gloom in the Royals organization. There are some significant names doing some damage in the minors. While the big league team tries to get out of a losing streak, there’s still good baseball down on the farm.

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Omaha opened up at home, kicking off their second season in Werner Park (and as the “Storm Chasers’) with a come from behind 8-4 win over Albuquerque.

Clint Robinson scored three times and had two doubles, while Kevin Kouzmanoff drove in three with two doubles. Johnny Giavotella went 2-5. Will Smith got the start and survived two bases loaded jams, but didn’t have the control he usually has. He walked six and was lifted after three innings and 74 pitches. Ethan Hollingsworth and Jeremy Jeffress held the Isotopes in check while the Royals started to come back and eventually gained the lead. Louis Coleman struck out the only batter he faced to earn a save after Tommy Hottovy put two batters on.

Northwest Arkansas opened on the road at Corpus Christi and the only real bright spot was a decent start from Chris Dwyer. The lefty has had his struggles, especially last year, but he struck out five and, even better, walked just one over 4.1 innings. The Naturals lost 9-0 but due to five errors, only five of the runs were earned.

Christian Colon had a rought 2012 debut with two throwing errors while going hitless in five at bats. Wil Myers was 1-3 with a single and a walk.

Kane County scored nine times in the second inning, including a triple and grand slam from outfielder Lane Adams. They turned around and gave up six runs in the bottom of the inning though, but held on to win 11-10. Daniel Mateo went 2-4.

The pitching started out rough, but the Cougars held on with the combination of Matt Ridings and Nick Graffeo, who combined for the final 3.1 innings, holding the Quad Cities River Bandits to one hit while striking out four combined. Graffeo worked the ninth for the save.

Wilmington in High A didn’t play today, but kick off their season on Friday on the road against Myrtle Beach. Tyler Sample, 2008 third round pick, gets the first start for the Blue Rocks.

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The 2011 Omaha Storm Chasers received their PCL championship rings this week, photo courtesy of Ethan Bryan

Several current Kansas City Royals played in Omaha and received their PCL championship rings earlier this week from general manager Dayton Moore and Storm Chasers GM Marty Cordaro. Nine players from Omaha’s roster made the big leagues last year, but that didn’t stop the team from bringing home the title.

Celebrating minor league success during spring training has become a common thing since 2008.  Last spring they honored Northwest Arkansas’s title and of course the triple-A squad from last year. The Naturals have been in the postseason three times in the last six seasons (2006, ’09, ’10). Idaho Falls won divisional titles in back-to-back seasons of 2006 and ’07 and Burlington in 2008.

Six players played on all three of those championship teams: Ryan Eigsti, Johnny Giavotella, Mike Moustakas, Clint Robinson, Danny Duffy and Brandon Sisk. Ex-Royal Jeff Suppan wasn’t at the ceremony due to him starting for the San Diego Padres.

For long-time manager Mike Jirschele, it was the first time of tasting postseason success after two first round losses in 1995 and ‘96 for the then Omaha Royals.

Hopefully the next step for Kansas City is the success that the current nucleus of the team translates to success in the major leagues. Other franchises have seen rewards once highly rated talent reached the parent club such as the Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins to name a few. Albert Belle, Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez and Charles Nagy helped the mid-90′s were part of the Indians young that meshed with the teams veterans. After the 2002 season the tribe again aquired young talent such as Brandon Phillips, Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner.

Minnesota who was had a great run of success got things going with a roster which included home grown talent such as Torii Hunter, Jacque Jones, A.J. Pierzynski, Doug Mientkiewicz and Johan Santana to name a few.

For myself and I’m sure many of you who bleed blue, you’re glad to see the importance Moore has put in bringing players up level-by-level since he took the job. The confidence that this group has by winning together without a doubt has fans believing that this coming season might actually be “Our Time”.

Elliott, Moose, and Hosmer

Spring Training baseball is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

My friend Mark and I traveled to Surprise,Arizona in hopes of watching a couple of games and maybe getting a couple of autographs.  We were completely unprepared for the amazing experience that awaited us.

For two days, we watched batting practice, situational drills, and throwing games.  We saw Kevin Seitzer pitching extra batting practice and making a game of it—Eric Hosmer and Jarrod Dyson beat Mitch Maier and Clint Robinson by one point.  We saw the outfielders practicing their throws to every base—Alex Gordon beat Jeff Francoeur in that game.  Frenchy demanded a one-throw rematch.  Danny Duffy threw a bullpen session and looked phenomenal.  Johnny Giavotella and Billy Butler spent hours fielding rocket shot ground balls.  But one of my favorite memories from Spring Training 2012 is Elliott.

Wherever Elliott went, he was surrounded by ballplayers.  The six-year-old blonde-haired kindergartner from St. Joseph knew the names and numbers of everyone and wasn’t afraid to ask the hard questions.  When introduced to Bubba Starling, Elliott asked, “Bubba, when will you be in the majors?”

Bubba smiled and laughed, “I don’t know yet, Elliott, I just don’t know.”

On Monday, before warm-ups, the players gathered around Elliott and started quizzing him on who wore what number.  Elliott answered every one correctly.  One of the players even responded, “I didn’t know he wore that number.”  (Elliott has always been a numbers guy.  His dad used to let Elliott stay up late watching the games on TV while using various scenarios to teach him math skills—a brilliant parenting strategy.)

Elliott got the opportunity to step on the field during batting practice, watching Seitzer help the players make their adjustments.  Moustakas and Hosmer and Gordon all spent some time with him in between swings.  Jason Kendall gave Elliott a fungo bat to practice his own swings.  Gordo watched Elliott swinging and commented, “The kid’s a natural.”

I spent a few minutes visiting with Scott, Elliott’s dad, and learned a little more.  Elliott has loved baseball from the age of 2.  Most evenings after dinner, Scott and Elliott would watch the Royals on TV and play ball on a makeshift diamond in their living room.  Elliott was a couple of months shy of turning three when he attended his first game.  At the game, he knew all the names and the numbers of the entire roster.  However, the numbers were too large for his vocabulary.  Instead of saying, “Twenty-five,” Elliott would say, “Two and five.”

Since that day, it’s been nothing but Royals baseball for Elliott.  He has participated in a couple of summer baseball camps sponsored by the Royals in 2010 and 2011.  He practiced his throwing and hitting while making friends with Bruce Chen, Chris Getz, Tim Collins, and Nate Adcock.  He amazed all of them by quoting their statistics from the week and quickly won their admiration.

One of Elliott’s highlights from Spring Training was visiting the locker room.  He was the center of attention.  From the players to the front office staff, everyone overwhelmed Elliott and his family with kindness and compassion (and pictures and autographs, too).

Elliott, you see, has spina bifida.  On March 1, he underwent his twelfth surgery, a VP shunt revision.  Elliott focused on the important things going into the surgery, telling anyone who would listen, “I’m feeling brave today.  My cousins are gonna come visit and I’m going to Spring Training next week.”

Elliott stayed for the duration of Monday’s game which the Royals lost 2 – 1.  On the way out of the stadium, Elliott spotted his favorite player, Alex Gordon.  Gordo high-fived Elliott and spent a few quality minutes with him.  It was the perfect ending to a perfect Spring Training experience.

Two days after returning home from Arizona, Elliott is playing baseball on the Wii and waiting for the start of the regular season.  He’s already making plans to head back to Surprise next year.

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37 – Sean O’Sullivan- Yes it’s his number but how will Sully be used this year? He spent time in Omaha last year plus came out of the bullpen at times in Kansas City. Many fans are still waiting on him to do something productive for the organization since he was acquired.

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From my perch here in Kansas City I want to gaze north to Omaha, where the Storm Chasers will once again be jam-packed with top flight prospects this season. Even with a horde of elite players making their way to the big leagues last season, Omaha will be looking to improve upon their stellar 2011 campaign (79-63 record, first place).

Before I begin the predictions, allow me a couple of ground rules. First, I will only include two set-up men and a closer for the bullpen. The rest is just too much of a crapshoot, and may include players not currently in the system. I’m also going to cheat a little bit and include six rotation candidates. One of the six will likely earn the role of the long reliever, and I’m not going to try to decipher that race. Also, only the starters on offense will be included. I’m not diving into the bench. There are too many options, too many variables, and, well, ultimately this is my list so I get to do what I want.

Hypothetically, I’d like to come back to this post as the season begins and judge these predictions. Surely, some (if not all) of my projected starters will not pan out, and it’s always fun to look back under the lenses hindsight and deride yourself for going all in on fool’s gold. There is also the (ever so slight) possibility that I nail the predictions and get the opportunity to write a self-congratulatory column about it while being showered in the confetti I bought for the occasion. Either way is a win in my book.
Without further ado…

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The Royalman Report

The Royalman Report’s Troy Olsen was invited to I-70 baseball for a discussion of the current state of the Royals in the offseason, but mostly for a special interview with 2010 Texas League Triple Crown winner Clint Robinson.

Troy and I-70 host Bill Ivie asked Clint about what he’s working on, how he likes his nickname and his time in the minor leagues, winning a championship and his recovery from hernia surgery.

Click the embedded player below to listen to this week’s show or you can download the mp3.

If you want your business featured during breaks on the Royalman Report, contact us at 816-394-9578 or email royalmanreport@gmail.com.  

Kelly's in Westport - official sponsor of the Royalman Report

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While the Royals might not be very active, given that they’re not interested in spending in free agency and have a lot of the lineup set, there aren’t quite the rumors flying like last year’s meetings. Nonetheless, there is interest in Joakim Soria and Greg Holland, particularly from Toronto.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted that the Royals are “downplaying” but would likely move Soria for a starting pitcher and would listen on Holland. The acquisition of Jonathan Broxton and collection of young arms in the bullpen make it easier for the Royals to trade either or both and have little lost in the effectiveness of the bullpen overall.

Rany Jazayerli feels a big trade brewing – he calls it Dayton Radar, or “Daydar”.

Greg Schaum of Pinetar Press thinks that David Lough and Clint Robinson will be traded this week and given an opportunity to play elsewhere. Can’t say that I disagree with that. Both are blocked by better players in the starting lineup or overshadowed by progressing prospects on their way up. He also thinks Jed Lowrie might be a fit, since the Red Sox seem to be shopping him.

Bob Dutton from the KC Star is in Dallas and will have a live chat today at 1 p.m., according to his Twitter feed.

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Had he entered professional baseball years earlier, he’d likely have been the Royals starting first baseman or designated hitter in 2005. As it happens, he’s risen up prospect lists while Kansas City has Billy Butler entrenched at DH and Eric Hosmer on the cusp of superstardom. Robinson, without any other positional options, is left out of the mix.

That’s a shame, because Robinson, since day one as a pro, has hit everything that’s come his way.

Clipped from: kingsofkauffman.com (share this clip)

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This year, the Naturals hope to repeat, while the Omaha Storm Chasers try to add to the success in the Pacific Coast League playoffs.  Kane County is also representing the Royals in the Midwest League.

Playoff series started yesterday.  So how did everyone do?

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Wil Myers, Nate Adcock, Christian Colon and Clint Robinson are the headliners, with an quirky age range of 20 years old (Myers) to Robinson (26).

They’ll be joined by pitchers Jeremy Jeffress, Bryan Paukovits and Brendan Lafferty.

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Starter Luis Mendoza, designated hitter Clint Robinson and Johnny Giavotella (who had a three run double for Kansas City tonight at Detroit) were named to the 12-man roster.  Omaha was the only team with three players named.

Mendoza’s season is most surprising, with a 2.15 ERA over 138.1 innings pitched.  He threw a one-hitter earlier this season and may be a call up in September since the Royals are looking to limit the innings of Danny Duffy and Jeff Francis next month.

Robinson has been slugging most of the year after winning the Texas League Triple Crown last year.  He’s had a ridiculous August, hitting nearly .500 with an OPS north of 1.300.

Giavotella was called up to Kansas City on August 5 and has hit .253/.293/.379 in the big leagues.  In Omaha, he had produced a .338/.390/.481 line.

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Here’s the crazy thing.  His August batting average actually went down despite two hits.

He’s making a fine case for a September call-up.  The question is if he’ll get his opportunity.

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I, as all Royals fans do, pride myself on having the heart and time-tested stamina/patience to weather all horrible baseball that is played by the Boys in Blue at different points throughout the season. The key is to try and find the small things that can keep you positive even as your team nestles down into the familiar comfort of last in the A.L. Central, happily mutters “I’m home,” all while planning its eventual takeover of last place in all of baseball.*

*Yes…that was a little dark and hopeless, but I feel like I’m entitled to an outburst now and then because I try to stay positive for the most part. We all know how hard that can be around this time of the season. (more…)

Giavotella, our #13 prospect entering 2011, is hitting .323/.377/.443/.820 this season with 22 doubles and nine stolen bases.  He’s had an amazing June, racking up a .390 average and .995 OPS this month, including the most hits of any professional player at any level (45).  For the year, he has 105 hits.

Robinson has carried on from his 2010 Texas League Triple Crown winning season by hitting .330/.404/.573/.977 all season with 17 homers.  He leads the Storm Chasers in homers, RBI, runs scored and walks.  We had him ranked #19 in our prospect rankings before the season.

They aren’t the only Storm Chasers invited to the game.  With David Lough and Lorenzo Cain having strong seasons, I thought they might have a shot, but instead Luis Mendoza – yes THAT Luis Mendoza – will be a PCL All-Star.

His 2.75 ERA leads the Pacific Coast League.  He’s probably been lucky, as he’s walked 3.5 batters per nine innings and only struck out 3.9 per nine, but hey… he’s still leading the PCL over 75.1 innings.  Can’t deny him that.

In other minor league All-Star news:

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Lower levels have already named their All-Star rosters and the Midwest League (home of the Kane County Cougars) will play their game tomorrow.

Three Cougars will be there – all pitchers:

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Lorenzo Cain (courtesy of Gage Matthews)

Watching the big league team, we get to see Alcides Escobar and Jeremy Jeffress with regularity.  Jake Odorizzi is destroying High A lineups – and was the Princes of Kauffman Pitcher of the Week for the second week in a row.

We haven’t heard much about Lorenzo Cain.

That will probably change after going 4-5 tonight in hitting for the cycle and driving in seven.
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Of course, that’s where the Royals are now. While prospect discussions are always fun and can be interesting, the recent acclaim the system has generated have boosted prospect news to heralded status. Great sites like Greg Schaum’s Pine Tar Press have folks out at several minor league games to witness players’ performances and relay information to the Royals fanbase. It’s extremely helpful to hear this information and stay informed.

However, there’s an issue here as well. While I love hearing about the progress of the minor leaguers, it does put some occasionally unwarranted pressure on the big league club. When Royals players are struggling, there are calls for those players to be benched or demoted in favor of the minor leaguers that have been raking and could take their place. And that’s fed by all the reports about minor league progress.

Now, I’m not trying to bemoan prospect tracking. I love doing that and I would hate to lose that information. Instead, I’m trying to make a few points about being sensible with call-ups and demotions.

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The Omaha assignments were expected, with Clint Robinson getting his first shot at Triple A and David Lough returns after a decent 2010 with the (then) Royals.  Clint held his own in spring training, hitting .389/.400/.889 with two homers and nine RBIs in 19 plate appearances.  Lough hit .235/.350/.235 in 20 appearances.

Derrick Robinson returns to Northwest Arkansas to follow up on a season where his hitting finally started to show signs of developing.  On top of another 50 steal season, he got on base 34.5% of the time.  He added more extra base hits than in any other season, as well.  This spring, he hit .364/.417/.636 in 12 plate appearances with a double and triple, but didn’t attempt any stolen bases.

Bianchi is going to spend some time in Double A to get back into baseball rhythm after missing all of 2010 with a torn elbow ligament.  He’s been hampered by injuries his entire career but has always been a solid prospect in the Royals system.  If he gets back in gear in Double A, he should play most of the season in Omaha and might be a utility option in Kansas City if things go well.  Bianchi struggled in spring training games, getting just one hit – a double – in 16 plate appearances.

The Royals roster stood at 49 players in camp after the moves, including non-roster invitees Eric Hosmer, Irving Falu, Salvador Perez, Mike Montgomery and Aaron Crow, among others.

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Billy Butler is extended with club-friendly options, and at age 24 could be a batting leader in the American League for the duration of his contract.

Kila Ka’aihue hopes to build off a strong September, and so far in spring training he has two homers and if nothing else will get a shot to hit everyday.

Eric Hosmer has been the star of spring through the first batch of games and should be looking for a 3-5 month lease in Omaha if he hasn’t lined it up already.

And then there’s Clint Robinson, the lowest on the totem pole, but the second oldest of the group.  All he’s done is win the Triple Crown in the Texas League, get added to the 40 man roster, and through 10 at bats (standard sample size disclaimers apply) has four hits and five RBIs.

These four, none of which have turned 27 years old, can only occupy two spots in the lineup.  Even if somehow the Royals got creative and moved Hosmer to the outfield, Robinson’s still the odd man out.

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Nobody has been reported to be in the best shape of their life yet, but I’m sure that’s coming.  My hunch is that Brayan Pena is the first such reference when it happens (and it always happens).

But that’s not important.  Onto the news:

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Rankings:
~ Baseball America #28
~ Royals Prospects: #28
~ Royals Review #33
~ Kevin Goldstein: #NR
~ John Sickels #20 C
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It’s not a surprise why the Naturals were selected. Led by Mike Moustakas until July and then by Eric Hosmer (not to mention Texas League Triple Crown winner Clint Robinson), the Naturals were the most loaded minor league team in the most loaded system in the game today. Up and coming prospects Johnny Giavotella, Salvador Perez and pitchers Danny Duffy, Everett Teaford, Mike Montgomery and John Lamb were among the featured prospects in Arvest Ballpark this season.

Congratulations to the Naturals and if you’re on Twitter, send a congrats to Naturals GM Eric Edelstein (@EricBaseball).

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A look at the pitching staff is here.

The hitters are examined here.

Today, we’ll look at who should fill those vacant spots and why.
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The date today is October 20.  According to MLBTradeRumors.com, that puts us a month from the finalization of the 40 man roster and the Rule Five Draft (that is unconfirmed but that’s the speculation of the date).

A quick refresher on Rule Five eligibility rules:

• Players who signed when 18 or younger are eligible for the draft after five years.
• Players who signed when 19 or older are eligible after four years.
• If these players aren’t on their teams’ 40 man rosters, they’re exposed.

Also remember that a player selected in the Rule Five Draft, they must remain on that team’s 25 man active roster for the entire season or be offered back to the original team.

That all being said, what players are the Royals going to have exposed to the draft, and what players should they protect?
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Mike Moustakas earned the top rank in the list after leading the minor leagues in homers over two levels (despite missing the first two weeks of the season, even).  Eric Hosmer came in right behind him at #2 after ripping apart Carolina League pitchers and continuing the dominance in the Texas League.  Mike Montgomery finished the trifecta and was joined by Aaron Crow who came in at #6 (despite a demotion in midseason – BA likes his long-term potential).

Reliever Louis Coleman was ranked #16, so the Royals have a quarter of the rankings in their possession.  Additionally, Baseball America noted that Danny Duffy and John Lamb would have made the list as well, but they hadn’t thrown enough innings to qualify.  Clint Robinson, who won the Triple Crown in the Texas League, was omitted with the note that he’s not viewed so much as a prospect but more of an extra bat.  I’ll add that he’s also old for his level and could benefit from a new challenge in Triple A.

Still, looking over the level of talent at the Double A level this year, it reinforces the idea that while the Royals are close to contending, it’s still about two years from really starting to take shape.  It also means that next year’s Pacific Coast League rankings may be littered with Royals as well.

I hope that’s the case.

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Will Smith pitched 6.2 scoreless innings with six strikeouts to earn the clinching win.  Smith, you’ll remember, was one of the arms the Royals got from the Angels in return for Alberto Callaspo.
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Mike Montgomery got the win in the clinching game.
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And then there’s Clint Robinson who managed to win the Triple Crown in the Texas League.

No biggie.
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It should be no surprise that Mike Moustakas is the recipient of the Brett Award and John Lamb won the Splittorff Award.

On top of those honors, the Royals also named players of the year for their minor league affiliates today.
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Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer‘s fine seasons have earned them All-Star honors, but what other prospects will represent the Royals? Read on.
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Clearly, he’s rebounding in a big way which presents the question – is he ready for Double A? Moreover, even if he is ready, should he be promoted?
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