Apr 14, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost (3) during batting practice before a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

The first decision that prompted outrage was the removal of James Shields after 8 scoreless innings on Monday. You know the story, Shields was cruising having allowed only 2 hits to the punchless White Sox but Yost chose to bring in his closer, Gregg Holland, to finish the game. Holland blew the save and the Royals eventually lost in 11 innings. I actually didn’t have a problem with this move. In his previous 9 appearances, Holland had allowed zero earned runs and struck out 16 in 9 innings. The league hit .156/.206/.219 against him during that time so it was reasonable to expect Holland to come in and pitch and scoreless 9th. Games like these are heart breakers and, spoiler alert, will happen again.

Last night’s decision is harder to defend, so I won’t. With the go ahead runner on base Yost turned to the absolute worst guy to go to, Luke Hochevar. Hoch’s struggles with men on base are well documented so it came as no great surprise when the run scored. He’s been pretty solid lately, and Aaron Crow was being saved for a save situation, so the move made some sense, but it would have made more if Hochevar had started the 8th inning. A manager has to put his players in position to succeed and Yost didn’t do that last night. Since he didn’t learn anything the last time Hochevar let inherited runners score we can only hope he was genuinely paying attention last night.

A move, or rather non-move, getting less publicity is Yost’s decision to not send George Kottaras to the plate in the 9th inning. Instead he trotted out the low OBP trifecta of Jeff Francoeur, Salvador Perez and Mike Moustakas. Kottaras has come to the plate in a late and close situation six times this year and has drawn a walk in four of them. They needed a baserunner and, small sample size or not, he’s shown an ability to get on base.

The last time Jarrod Dyson started a game he had 2 hits, 2 RBIs and a stolen base. That was April 28th in a 9-0 win against the Indians. In the 8 games since, Jeff Francoeur has put up a .200/.250/.333 line in 32 plate appearances. Dyson has seemingly been typecast as Billy Butler‘s late game pinch runner. He’s good at it, sure, but there’s absolutely no reason he shouldn’t be starting against right-handed pitching.

The Royals chose Luis Mendoza over Bruce Chen.

A revelation. A breath of fresh and reasonable air. In my post on moving a certain terrible pitcher to the bullpen, I noted that the fifth starter decision might be a signal that Royals decision makers are changing their approach/perspective … are maturing really. So, it seems, they have … at least a little … maybe.

Mar 18, 2013; Surprise, AZ, USA; Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost (left) during the fifth inning against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The evidence for this decision was clear; Mendoza pitched much better last season and this spring. He’s at the peak of his career; Chen is about a month away from Social Security. The fact that a few years ago Chen had a slightly above league average season means very little compared to the travesty of last season, and everyone (that is anyone with eyes and the capability to reason) saw it. Everyone saw that Mendoza is a better option for the fifth spot (I use hyperbole with the term ‘everyone’ for emphasis on just how many people thought Mendoza the better option than Chen).

But that’s never stopped the Royals before. Everyone saw the awfulness of the Yuniesky Betancourt signing, and that didn’t stop the Royals from signing him and then compounding the situation by giving him a starting job at second base. Everyone saw that paying Jose Guillen money to play baseball would be a bad idea. Sign away. Over the course of many, many years, the Royals have turned their backs on reason, and there was evidence suggesting that this year, the year they’re supposed to be going for it, might be the same (tendering Luke Hochevar a contract!!!!).

Choosing Mendoza as the fifth starter flies in the face of their terrible decision making and seems to support the very simple notion that they are trying to play the best players most often (it seems so simple, right!?). It also seems to indicate that they can accurately evaluate who the better of two players is, a flimsy claim for this team from time to time. It’s not that my evaluation ability is better than those calling shots for the Royals. I mean, it is, but that’s not the point. The point is the Royals have typically been in the extreme minority in their opinions on players and still gone with grit over game performance, guts over the ability to hit a baseball.

The good spring decisions they’re making are, of course, only one step. Other important decisions lie on the horizon that will indicate if those calling the shots at Kauffman really have a new approach capable of winning. They’ve already settled on J.C. Gutierrez as the final man for the bullpen, which is, I think, not a terrible decision just a calculated one. Many on Twitter are unhappy that Donnie Joseph didn’t get the job, and while I might have chosen him, I certainly see the logic in a small-market, relatively low-budget team maintaining some priority on inventory. The backup catcher spot went to George Kottaras, another reasonable decision. But once the season gets rolling and a player starts to struggle (perhaps a certain right fielder), this ‘new approach’ will be tested, as it will near the All-Star break when Danny Duffy and Felipe Paulino come back and when it will be decision time on whether or not to move Ervin Santana.

Approaches to running a baseball team are not based on one or two decisions, they are the lens through which an organization sees the game, the perspective of their gaze. The Cardinals and Rays have winning perspectives. They don’t just make a good decision every now and then; they make consistently good decisions. In the past, when Ned Yost saw Hochevar allow 7 runs in an inning, based on his post-game comments and talk surrounding Hochevar, it seemed like he literally saw something different than I did. That’s because his perspective seemed much different than a sane person’s. It’s hard to change perspective, and I hope that we can begin to mark this time as a time the Royals decision makers found a way to change theirs. It’s looking like that might be the case.

August 22, 2012; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Kansas City Royals left fielder Alex Gordon (4) on deck to bat against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Royals in their history have been prone to throwing a speedster at the top of the lineup regardless of an ability to get on base. I single Kansas City out here because this is a Royals blog but this line of thinking is popular across all of baseball. It’s why somebody like Omar Moreno can accumulate over 3500 plate appearances at leadoff despite a .306 career on-base percentage. Speed kills, but it also blinds.

Despite the presence of Kenny Lofton Jarrod Dyson on the roster I firmly believe that Gordon remains the best option to bat first. He’s one of the better leadoff hitters in team history, if not the best. Ned Yost hit a home run when he inserted Gordon at the top of the order two years ago. It was an outside the box type of thinking that we’re not accustomed to seeing in Kansas City. All Gordon has does in that spot is put up two of the top four highest on-base percentages by a Royals leadoff hitter (min. 250 PAs).

In a perfect world you would absolutely want a Lofton type of player batting first. Kansas City doesn’t have one though. Luckily they just happen to have someone better.

Ned Yost made this signal more than anyone in the AL in 2012. Photo Credit: John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE

The Bill James Handbook just came out for the 2013 season. This publication includes general stats for players but also more advanced measurements – including the actions of managers. Looking over these I notice some interesting observations from Ned Yost’s 2012, some of which debunk some myths. For instance:

Ned Yost bunts more than anyone!

That’s what it seems like watching the games, at least. The Royals will get somebody on base, it feels like a rally’s starting and then, like clockwork, there goes Yost, giving away an out.

In fact, according to the handbook, Yost attempted 37 sacrifice bunts, seven below the AL average of 44, and second least among AL managers. Part of that could just be the lineup he had in 2012. Eric Hosmer, Billy Butler and Mike Moustakas aren’t likely to be asked to lay one down. Alex Gordon could probably do the job, but often, he would be the guy on base you’d want to move ahead a base. Alcides Escobar and Chris Getz tied with eight sacrifice bunts apiece last year.

Now, in 2011, he called for a sac bunt 65 times. That would have led the AL in 2012. At the least it appears that the lineup and roster will determine this tactic more than just a blind adherence to philosophy.

Another different lineup?

Lineup order is tricky to interpret. In general, there’s not a significant advantage to lining up batters by alternating handedness or by putting faster players at the top, or a good “put it in play” guy batting second. There are so many different teams and rosters, it can get pretty random. The best approach is to have batters who can get on base towards the top of the lineup and batters who can drive them in in the middle. But then are the batters in the middle of the lineup particularly skilled at driving in runners or does it just look that way because they come up with runners on more often than the number eight hitter? Lots of factors to consider.

To an extent, I think there’s an importance to lining up your batters to take advantage of your best hitters. Batters at the top of the order will see more plate appearances than those at the bottom. In 2012, the Royals leadoff hitter came to the plate 753 times. The ninth batter only came up 612 times. So with that in mind, batting Alex Gordon and Billy Butler down in the lineup is going to hurt your lineup.

The perception is that Yost is changing lineups at random and almost even recklessly. However, in 2012, he put out 118 different lineups. The AL average was 120. The NL average was 123. In 2011, he had 87 different lineups, which is partly due to a lack of significant injuries and stable performance, but with so many rookies making debuts, it would seem like it would come closer to a typical number. In 2012, he was right in the average range, although, again, it seemed like he was summoning Bob Boone‘s old ways.

In actuality, among AL Central teams, the Royals submitted the second least different lineups:

• Cleveland – 122 lineups (116 from Manny Acta, 6 from Sandy Alomar Jr.)
• Detroit – 121
• Minnesota – 121
• Kansas City – 118
• Chicago – 75

Yost leaves his pitchers in way too long!

The stat the handbook has for this is the Slow Hook. They built a “damage score” that calculates Pitches Thrown + ten times the number of runs allowed. Then you rank all games and the top 25% are Slow Hooks. The bottom 25% are Quick Hooks.

Anyway, Yost had 37 slow hooks. The AL average was 43 in 2012.

Now, the caveat with this calculation is that it doesn’t say HOW slow a hook it may have been, or that the starter is so bad that his pitch count doesn’t get high enough to really build up that “damage score”. Also, letting Jonathan Sanchez throw 70 pitches and give up seven runs (140 damage score) isn’t quite as bad as 100 pitches thrown while giving up four runs. It’s all about context. If the myth was true, I’d figure to see Yost leading the pack in this category. Over the course of his career, he’s usually been in the 37-44 range. He may keep some pitchers in way too long, but not necessarily any more than other managers in the league.

Some areas that Yost led AL managers in – relief pitchers used (500), intentional walks issued (44), “good” intentional walks issued (where the next batter hits into a double play or no additional runs score and the team gets out of the inning – Yost had 29), and BOMB intentional walks (when multiple runs score after the intentional walk – Yost had 11). He used relievers on consecutive days (108) more than any manager but Joe Maddon of the Rays (123) and Joe Girardi of the Yankees (115). Yost made the least defensive switches in the AL (15).

Of course, the most important stat of them all – wins – is what matters, and Yost was obviously below average last year.

I understand why Kevin Seitzer will no longer be the team’s hitting coach, and really, I’m okay with it. He was unable to help Eric Hosmer battle his way out of a season long slump and he couldn’t right Mike Moustakas when the third baseman started slumping in early June. Their regression, more than anything, is likely what cost Seitzer his job. They are expected to be offensive cornerstones for the next half decade so 4-6 month slumps are simply unacceptable. Whether it’s deserved it or not the hitting coach will almost always shoulder the blame when young stars under perform.

At the same though, there is something that bothers me about his removal.  The Royals finished 12th in the American League in runs scored and that cannot be laid solely at the feet of Seitzer. Ned Yost and Dayton Moore each made contributions that hampered the offense so they deserve an equal share of the blame.

“A walk, a base-hit and boom — there’s three runs. I think that’s the major difference in philosophy.” -Ned Yost

I’m sorry but when has this ever been Ned Yost’s philosophy? I am happy that he decided to channel his inner Earl Weaver mostly because I never suspected he possessed an inner Earl Weaver. And why would I? A single, a stolen base, a sacrifice bunt, a

Aug 29, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas (8) is congratulated by hitting coach Kevin Seitzer (left) designated hitter Billy Butler (center) and manager Ned Yost (right) after scoring against the Detroit Tigers in the fourth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE

sacrifice fly and boom – there’s one run is more to Yost’s tastes than a three run home run. We watched it play out all year. Nearly half of the team’s sacrifice bunts this year occurred in the first three innings. Eager to score first Yost would play for one run and often would do so with a runner already in scoring position. Couple this with an insanely aggressive base running style that led to too many free outs and you start to see why runs were hard to come by.

The quote above is basically an admission that high on-base and slugging percentages will lead to more runs. Except we know those aren’t the stats the organization values. On more than one occasion a member of the coaching staff or front office expressed amazement that the offense was struggling given the team’s high batting average (.265, 4th best in the AL). Basically this is the part that bothers me about Seitzer’s ouster. If batting average is the money stat, and the team has a high average, then why let the hitting coach go?

“We have to understand the importance of on-base percentage.” —Dayton Moore, October 2008.

Four years later we are still waiting on Moore to understand – not only the importance of on-base percentage – but also how it correlates with runs scored. A quick look at some players he acquired via trade or free agency since uttering this quote shows a distinct lack of understanding. Off to the side are their career on-base percentages at the time of acquisition.

Mike Jacobs – .318
Willie Bloomquist – .322
Coco Crisp – .331
Yuniesky Betancourt – .302
Rick Ankiel – .316
Scott Podsednik – .340
Melky Cabrera – .328
Jeff Francoeur – .310
Yuniesky Betancourt – .292
Humberto Quintero – .268

To be fair, a couple of those moves paid off (Podsednik and Cabrera) but the rest were complete failures. How many general managers in the game today would have let Francoeur and his 81 OPS+ block Wil Myers all year? How many would have allowed Betancourt to come to the plate over 200 times? How many would have carried both those players on their roster? The answer to all three questions is, of course, just one. Dayton Moore.

Kevin Seitzer was the fall guy but – and I can’t stress this enough – he shouldn’t have fell alone.

On today’s episode, I talked with host John Ackeren about the Royals, their recent moves, who’s on the hot seat, as well as some of the minor league talent still making its way up the pipeline. Also on the show are Michael Castillo of our USC site Reign of Troy and Josh Lobdell of Detroit Jock City.

FanSided Radio is geared towards you, the sports fanatic. We bring you the shows and content you are looking for in sports podcasts. FanSided Radio is your way to listen to great sports talk, whenever you want to listen!

Thus ends a notorious period of questionable defense, low on base percentages and general scorn from fans. Betancourt was signed this offseason to a $2 million contract for 2012 with the goal of using him as a utility player.

To fill his spot, the Royals called up Tony Abreu, who played shortstop mostly in Omaha. He’s hitting .322/.347/.492 as a Storm Chaser in 453 plate appearances.

After the game, Ned Yost said that Betancourt was wanting more playing time and his attitude wasn’t fitting in the locker room.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jul 4, 2012; Toronto, ON, Canada; Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost (3) looks on from the dugout against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE

I use to have this football coach who was a little bit kooky, a little bit nutty in a down-home-Midwest-drill sergeant kind of way.  He had a flattop haircut decades after that was something people were still doing. He use to pad up and play scout team quarterback with us, which felt odd even at the time. He also had these incredible sayings that kind of made no sense. The one that’s sticking in my mind at this moment is “If you always do what you always did, you’ll always get what you always got.”

It seems true enough even if it’s completely false. Sometimes, you can in fact just keep doing what you’ve always done with differing results because the circumstances surrounding that action change. For example, a large group of people in New York continued to back mortgage futures into the mid 2000s, at first making billions of dollars and then losing billions of dollars when the housing bubble burst. Same doings, differing results.

That said, I think it might help Ned Yost to learn my old, zany coach’s lesson a little bit. Recently, he made a statement to Bob Dutton, my favorite beat writer of all time, that Dutton put in an article about Yost’s “steady as she goes” approach to losing many baseball games: “You don’t do crazy stuff that you wouldn’t do if you were winning ballgames. You try to stay as even-keeled as you can. You stay positive. You keep working. We don’t change anything.”

I read this, and immediately, the voice of my old coach popped into my head, “If you always do what you always did, you’ll always get what you always got.” Yes! Of course! When you experience sustained losing, you must change something or you will continue to lose. That seems like the most basic sports principle of all time, and yet, it alludes Yost. The principle behind Yost’s philosophy, I’m guessing, is to not be overly swayed by small sample sizes. Statisticians know the perils of this. But the Royals are 41-60. They’ve lost 21 of their last 27. That’s not a small sample size. It’s in fact a very healthy sample size when the question is should something be changed? Abso-freaking-lutely something should be changed!

There is a point when patience becomes impotence, when faith in the ability of your guys is clearly misplaced. As Royals fans, we know where that faith is misplaced: Jeff Francoeur and Yuniesky Betancourt. Are the Royals a winning team, even with an optimal lineup of the organization’s best players (yes I used “organization” intentionally as our best second baseman and right fielder are currently in AAA)? Maybe, maybe not. But to consistently repeat an action, like playing two players who are not effective, and expecting changing results when the circumstances surrounding that action never really change is willful ignorance (Some call it insanity; too me, that’s a slight on the truly insane like myself and Donald Trump).

Is Yost stupid? I don’t know for sure, but I doubt it. I’m guessing he’s a decently smart baseball guy. He’s just not wise. He’s clearly not a big picture guy, and that’s just crazy when the biggest picture he should be concerned with is doing whatever it takes to win baseball games. It feels like he’s more concerned with getting players to play well. It would seem like these two things are connected, but they really aren’t. He needs to get the team to play well. Sometimes, that means changing the team so it doesn’t include dead weight. And yes, he needs Dayton Moore’s help to do this.

Moore showed some signs that he might be a little wiser than Yost. He made a change today, trading Jonathan Broxton for a couple of solid minor league arms. Kudos for Moore for taking a player who had some value to other teams but not really to the Royals and turning it into some value for the Royals. Now, he and Yost need to figure out how to do that with players inside their own organizations or both of them may learn what the brutal winds of change their so hesitant to bring about feel like when they’re sweeping them away.

Will Hosmer have another series like he did last time the Royals played the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim? Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

When Last We Saw …

KC and LAA haven’t seen each other since the first week of the season when the Royals took two-of-three against the Angels. Los Angeles won the opening game before Kansas City took the next two, my how things have changed during the year for both franchises during the season.

Season Series …

In the season opener LA won 5-0 in a well pitched game from Bruce Chen but it was Jared Weaver who got the win as Aaron Crow took the loss. Erick Aybar hurt the boys in blue driving in three runs during the five run eighth which was the difference in game one.

The next day Kansas City touched up Dan Haren en route to a 6-3 victory evening up the series. Jeff Francoeur went 2-for-4 driving in two, Eric Hosmer batting in the third spot was 2-for-5 which he scored twice with an RBI. Not to be forgotten Luke Hochevar went 6 1/3 innings allowing two runs with four strikeouts.

Easter was the last time these teams played with the Royals beating the Angels 7-3 moving to 2-1. KC struck Ervin Santana for three runs in the highlighted by Billy Butler hitting a two-run homer that brought in Hosmer. Country Breakfast and Hos combined for six of the seven runs Kansas City scored, Jonathan Sanchez picked up the win to show how long ago this was.

4/6 – Royals 0 @ Angels 5
4/7 – Royals 6 @ Angels 3
4/8 – Royals 7 @ Angels 3

Probable Pitching Match-Ups (All Times Central):     

Friday, 9:05 pm – Bruce Chen (7-8, 5.57) v. C.J. Wilson (9-6, 2.82)
- Chen has two no-decisions in his last two starts for the Royals
- In his last start against the Mariners he left the game after 5 1/3 innings when Ned Yost might of left him in too long. Chen struckout six, allowing four runs on seven hits.
- Wilson who came over from the Rangers in the offseason will be facing the Royals for the first time this season. In his career he’s 3-0 with a 2.34 ERA against Kansas City in 13 career appearances.
Saturday, 9:05 pm – Will Smith (1-3, 7.97) v. Garrett Richards (3-1, 3.53)
- Smith who was drafted by the Angels in the seventh round of the 2008 draft will face his original team for the first time.
- Last week against the M’s he went 6 1/3 innings taking the loss giving up four runs on eight hits. He did strike out five walking just two Seattle hitters.
- Richards three wins have come against the Mariners, Diamondbacks and most recently the Tigers last week in Detroit. He went seven innings allowing three hits, striking out two with four walks.
Sunday, 2:25 pm – Luke Hochevar (6-8, 4.91) v. Jered Weaver (10-1, 2.20)
- Hochevar like Chen has no-decisions in his last two starts but the impressive stat is how he’s gone at least five innings in each of his last eight starts.
- Luke went seven innings against Minnesota on Friday night which the Royals lost 2-1 in 11 innings but struck out six without a walk allowing just a run.
- Weaver was masterful on Opening Night against KC and his only loss came on May 13 at Texas. Like Hochevar he went seven innings on Friday but picked up his 10^th win against the Rangers in Anaheim.

Jonathan Sanchez can’t have a night like this again. He gave up five runs and two homers before recording an out. It happens. Baseball isn’t an easy game, and pitchers will have off nights. Even Greg Maddux had off nights.

This whole season has been an off night for Sanchez, though, and that’s the problem.

Jonathan Sanchez. Photo Credit: John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE

Sanchez is now 1-6 with a 7.76 ERA in 53.1 innings. He’s walked more batters than he’s struck out. He’s made 12 starts now, and he’s made it past the sixth inning once. Moreover, there are rumors that he isn’t exactly the most motivated of players on the team.

The Royals still lost on Monday night, but Louis Coleman and Everett Teaford ate up innings and at least stopped the bleeding. Teaford, however, was tomorrow’s scheduled starter.

After the game, Ned Yost made a point to say that he had to talk to Dayton Moore about tomorrow’s starter. The underlying idea was that Sanchez’s spot might factor into that, and it should. He’s been awful – Bob Dutton pointed out that the 7.76 ERA is the second-worst in team history among pitchers with 50 or more innings pitched.

Somebody’s going to have to come up tomorrow. Doug Davis is scheduled to start for Omaha and has been a possible addition for a while now. He’d have to be added to the 40 man roster. The Royals don’t have a player on the 15-day DL to move to the 60 man at this point, so someone would have to be designated if Davis were the guy to get the call. Sanchez is owed $5.6 million this year, but he’s a sunk cost at this point. Would you rather try to salvage the remaining $2M-plus of his contract or get someone who might be able to do better than the 7.76 ERA?

The Royals lost Melky Cabrera in the process of acquiring Sanchez. It stings and it’s the most unbalanced trade Dayton Moore’s made in hindsight. The instinct is to try to keep him around and get something, some sign of encouragement that he can turn it around.

But that’s not going to happen. He was suspect as a pitcher because of his tendency to get wild and use too many pitches. Now that he’s getting hit and hit hard, he’d need a complete overhaul to get the magic back. Yeah, he’s a guy who’s thrown a no-hitter, but he hasn’t done much since 2010.

There might be some who say they can’t just cut a veteran loose and it’s disrespectful to him, but in a season that’s seen some bad starting pitching, Sanchez’s starts are too much to take. Sometimes feelings have to be hurt. This isn’t recess. It’s not a rec league. It’s Major League Baseball and Sanchez doesn’t look like a Major League pitcher anymore.

I can’t convince myself to keep him around anymore.

The Royals had a 5-3 lead when Bruce Chen took the mound to start the fifth inning. He gave up a single, got two flyouts and then A.J. Pierzynski hit a line drive up the middle. The Royals sent pitching coach Dave Eiland to talk to Chen but it did no good. On the second pitch, Dayan Viciedo golfed a homer to left-center to give Chicago the lead.

Now, it was a tough pitch to hit and Chen didn’t make a mistake. Viciedo hit one out he could have easily let go, but Chen wasn’t sharp most of the start, either.

Ned Yost said later he could have pulled Chen earlier in the game or, if it were the sixth inning, the second hit would have been his last batter. He admitted that with it being the fifth, he wanted to leave Chen in to get the third out and qualify for the win. In doing so, the Royals fell behind, and, despite some scraping and clawing to tie the game and retake the lead, ultimately lost in the 14th inning.

I get it. Yost wanted to get his veteran the win in his stat column. It’s not the first time a manager has done so, and it won’t be the last.

But it really should be the last, and here’s why:

Pitcher wins don’t tell the whole story. They tell you that a pitcher was in the game when his team took the lead and he was the earliest pitcher to appear with that lead. Usually, it’s a starter. But a pitcher win doesn’t tell you the quality of a pitcher’s appearance. It doesn’t qualify that he may have walked six batters and gave up six runs but because his team scored seven, he’s the winner. It only tells you who was on the mound when that team had the lead.

Fast forward to the bottom of the ninth. Billy Butler hits a chopper that somehow gets him on second base. Jarrod Dyson pinch runs. If Dyson is able to steal third, or the Royals were able to get a base hit, or he finds any way to score, the Royals win in walk-off fashion. The pitcher who would have “earned” the win would have been Jonathan Broxton.

Nevermind that Broxton blew the lead in pursuit of another misleading stat, the save.

Here’s what a save tells you: a pitcher finished the game and held a lead that was one, two or three runs. Of course, baseball has turned the save into something only closers can get. Nobody else pitches with the lead in the ninth but the closer. Unless they fail spectacularly, that role isn’t changed. Often that’s the best reliever on the team, but sometimes it’s just a guy who’s been a closer before and has the “closer’s mentality”.

Broxton didn’t have it last night. He’s often not had it. Kevin Youkilis singled on the second pitch to lead off. Broxton has allowed 13 of 32 batters leading off to reach base – that’s a .406 on base percentage. So 40% of the time, the leadoff batter reaches against Broxton.

Last night, the single was the least of his concerns. Adam Dunn and Alex Rios walked on four pitches each. So the bases are loaded. There’s nobody out, Broxton is on the brink of disaster. If it were a remote incident, I don’t mind chalking it up to one night after a long break being an issue, but this is a consistent problem with Broxton – he allows too many baserunners.

Broxton drew some support from fans during the All-Star Final Vote. The idea was that, with 20 saves in (then) 23 opportunities, that he was doing his job. While I can’t refute that he eventually got the saves, can anybody feel confident when he comes into a game? How much is on Broxton and how much is just on getting away with it? Last night, for instance, Broxton should have given up the go-ahead run, but a strong throw from Jeff Francoeur, a great effort by Salvador Perez, and a little helpful umpiring turned a run into an out.

Broxton has had ten appearances where he faced three batters and recorded three outs. In only three of those outings has he done so without putting on a runner.

Would anyone’s feelings have been hurt if Yost had brought in Tim Collins or Louis Coleman after the second walk?

I’d like to think that these are isolated problems. But Broxton hasn’t been sharp most of the year and expecting him to keep putting on so many baserunners and maintaining an ERA anywhere near where it is now (2.20) is foolish. It will catch up to him at some point and Yost needs to be ready to play for the team win rather than keeping Broxton just because he’s the “closer”. Fangraphs has Broxton’s FIP at 3.52 and his xFIP at 4.15. I think that’s a lot closer to where he’ll end up than where his ERA is now. He’s stepped into a tough situation. He’s trying to be the same player he was before injury and he’s following Joakim Soria.

Chen has given up six runs in seven of his 19 starts (and four of his last six). He’s given up two or less runs in seven of his 19 starts as well. He’s hit or miss – and you can usually tell by the third inning which it is. Last night, he gave up two homers and three runs in the first inning. The homer against Viciedo was a tough break (because, again, it wasn’t like Chen threw a pitch right down the pipe – it was down and out of the zone), but putting two on and with Chen’s struggles recently, Yost acknowledged after the fact that he should have pulled Chen. Kelvin Herrera was ready in the bullpen.

For the want of that pitcher win, Chen made one more pitch and the game changed.

Maybe next time, Yost will decide if it’s better to ignore the pitcher’s win column if it means the team’s increases by one.

We were honored to be a part of the Baseball Prospectus event on Sunday afternoon.

The Royalman Report came to you from the historic Gem Theater in the Jazz district at 18th and Vine in a panel format. Included with us was Craig Brown from Royals Review and took questions from attendees related to the ideal pitching staff, David Glass, Jake Odorizzi, Mike Montgomery and more.

It was a very special moment and we’re appreciative of the Joe Hamrahi and the Baseball Prospectus guys for inviting us to take part and also want to thank Bob Kendrick from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum for taking time out of his busy schedule to help us set it up at the Gem, as well.

Don’t forget the Royalman Report is on every Sunday at 7 and catch our new show, The Kansas City Baseball Vault on ESPN 1510 AM Thursday’s at 6.

You can listen below or download the mp3 directly.

The Royalman Report is hosted by Troy “Royalman” Olsen with co-host Michael Engel and features Chris “Fake Ned Yost” Kamler and 610 Sports blogger Jeff Herr and airs  live Sundays at 7 p.m. central time at RoyalmanReport.com as well as on Livestream.com/RoyalmanReport.

Subscribe via the RSS feed and get updates when new episodes are uploaded.

Stuck in a cubicle, on a road trip, or using your smartphone?  Stitcher is a multi-platform radio app that’s available on Apple products, Droid, Blackberry and other phones.  Find us here on Stitcher.

You can also subscribe via iTunes: JUST CLICK HERE (and iPad, iPhone, iTouch users can get the Livestream app here to watch live or archived shows).

Follow the Royalman Report on Twitter.  While you’re at it, track down Kings of Kauffman on Twitter as well.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

May 22, 2012; Bronx, NY, USA; Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost (3) in the dugout against the New York Yankees during the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium. Yankees won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

I remember thinking about how the Royals might go about winning games with such a terrible starting rotation before the season began. It’s hard to win when you can’t pitch, and it looked like for a majority of their innings they’d be getting bad pitching. I thought then that with such a good offensive lineup they would need to win a significant number of high scoring games—6-5, 8-6 and so on.

Right now, the Royals are 23-30, not good, but not out of the realm of where most people thought they should be—especially considering the 12-game losing streak. But when I reflect on how they’ve won those games, the high-scoring battles aren’t ringing any bells. Why? Because they haven’t won any.

That’s really not fair; they have won one. Yes, one. The Royals record when their opponent scores 5 runs or more is 1-20. That’s not very good for a team whose lineup was suppose to carry them.

Now, obviously, the offense hasn’t produced as expected. They’ve scored 214 runs all season, that’s 4.03 runs per game. Eric Hosmer has been a shell of himself, though he’s shown some signs of life lately. Alex Gordon struggled early and is starting to turn it around. Jeff Francoeur also struggled early. The Royals also had an abysmal time hitting with runners in scoring position (though their overall team batting average is good enough for ninth in MLB, another piece of evidence to support the notion that BA isn’t everything).

The offense has been weaker than expected, but that alone doesn’t tell the story either. In Saturday’s loss to Oakland, the Royals got down early thanks to another Luke Hochevar-like effort by Luke Hochevar. They were down 6-1 after the fourth inning. I’ve heard players on this team say they have the fire power to come back from deficits like this, which is good because they’re going to have plenty of them.

It all fell apart though after the Royals scored two runs to make it a game at 6-3. At that point, it looked like they might actually mount a comeback, but they couldn’t make those 1-run innings 3-run innings. Then, Louis Coleman, Aaron Crow, and some really terrible defense gave us a glimpse of Royals teams past, and it was over 9-3.

As those of you who watch baseball know, the game is played in context. Different elements of each game impact other elements of that game. Think about the rally-killing sac-bunt Ned Yost called for in the fourth inning tonight. That had huge ramifications throughout the game. That took a potential 5 or 6-run inning and made it a 3-run inning. If Yost had been thinking about how his team would probably need many more runs to win that game, he probably wouldn’t have called for a sac-bunt.

So, the issue isn’t that the Royals aren’t scoring a lot of runs—they’re not—but that they aren’t scoring a lot of runs when they need to. This isn’t necessarily a solvable problem, but it’s not necessarily something to be written off as unsolvable either. People would be very wrong in tossing this issue aside by saying Well they can’t control when the runs come. They come when they come. Not true.

Managers have a pretty good idea of when they’re going to have to play for 7 or 8 runs (anytime Will Smith is pitching for example). Maybe that means fewer sacrifice bunts or playing more offensive players on a given day. Maybe it means running less to wait for extra base hits, knowing that a stolen run won’t do much for you. Maybe it means keeping spirits high when the team is down by the third inning.

For players, this issue seems more psychological. Last season, when the team was 8-20 through 53 games when opponents scored 5 or more runs, it felt like they were in every game—even when they were down 5 runs. The same sort of “overcoming all odds” mentality is lacking this season. Maybe it’s because some players have struggled at the plate, and they feel less confident about their ability to recapture a lead. I’m not sure. But it just doesn’t feel the same.

Obviously, a team is going to lose more games than not when it gives up at least 5 runs. But for this very unique team, they have to win more high scoring games than they are currently. They have to feel comfortable playing from behind. With a bad rotation, that’s going to happen a lot. Yost needs to make decisions with this in mind. His mentality with virtually every starter, except maybe Bruce Chen and Felipe Paulino, needs to be one that focuses on getting into the other teams bullpen early and playing for big innings. Otherwise, this team will not flirt with .500 this season like they should.

The Royalman Report - logo by @AHairOffSquare

Fake Ned took a trip up to Omaha to watch the Storm Chasers and was lucky enough to catch Jake Odorizzi‘s debut and some great play by Wil Myers. Tonight, he’ll recap what he saw, who he talked to, and share some audio.

We’re also going to talk about the Royals and their last homestand, probably more on Eric Hosmer and Alex Gordon‘s struggles, the shape of the starting rotation and generally try to figure out what the heck the team can do from here on out to get back on track.

The chat room and livestream broadcast will be below for you to chime in and interact with us in the studio as well as fellow listeners:

The Royalman Report is brought to you by Kelly’s Westport Inn at 500 Westport Road in Kansas City, Missouri.  Tell them the Royalman Report sent you.

(more…)

Tonight we continue an exciting new venture for Kings of Kauffman and its podcast, the Royalman Report.

Jeff Logan of the Kansas City Baseball Historical Society joins forces with us to form the Kansas City Baseball Vault on Kansas City’s ESPN 1510 AM from 6-7 p.m. every Thursday night. Listeners can tune into traditional radio or streaming live on 1510.com.

On tonight’s show, we’ll talk with Kevin Goldstein of ESPN.com and Baseball Prospectus about such topics as the Wil Myers and Jake Odorizzi promotions, Eric Hosmer, and other prospects. Kevin’s a great baseball commentator and shared his time with us back in November. Quite a bit has changed since then. You can follow Kevin at @Kevin_Goldstein on Twitter.

We also have former major league catcher Doc Edwards lined up as our second guest. Doc played for the Kansas City A’s from 1963 to 1965 and currently manages the San Angelo Colts in the United Baseball League. He’s supposedly going to call us from the dugout during a game, so maybe we’ll see if we can call a squeeze play during the show.

Just like last week, we plan to have a trivia question and a giveaway, so be sure to listen in. Last week, three listeners won free ticket packages to go see the Kansas City T-Bones. You like winning things, right?

Follow the Kansas City Baseball Vault on Twitter and Facebook for future programming updates. Also follow Kings of Kauffman for article updates, discussion and other information.

With my ideal lineup the Royals I feel would put up more runs than they currently do . Photo Credit: John Rieger-US PRESSWIRE

Wednesday night against the Red Sox we saw a line-up that had everyone a buzzed given how it looked after it was publically revealed. Fans seemed to be surprised at Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas getting midweek rest and Billy Butler time at first. Results being what they are that lineup is 1-0 this season.

With the off day taking place I started thinking about what I’d do if given the chance to set a lineup. Here is my ideal lineup.

1. Jarrod Dyson, CF – Currently hitting .283 overall at the moment, in the 13 games he’s played in KC he’s led off 12 of them. In those 12-games he is hitting .286, 2-of-3 on the base paths with a .662 OPS and 17 total bases. His speed when he reaches has given the opposition fits moving around on the bases which flustered Matt Albers.

2. Johnny Giavotella, 2B – Here is the guy I’d like to hit second even though I also like Alex Gordon in this spot. The numbers I’m drawing upon are from 2011 and aren’t that glossy because Ned only hit Johnny second five times. Still he was 6-of-21 for a .286 average with a homerun, three doubles and a triple. Johnny just seems to make something happen each at-bat to get on base.

3. Billy Butler, DH – Country Breakfast has batted in this spot 17 of 30 games played during the 2012 season the difference is his batting average hitting third is .254 to as opposed to .353. In this spot he’s hit four HR’s with 14 RBIs compared to two and 9 when batting fourth. Interesting to note Billy has been plunked three times when batting in this spot.

4. Eric Hosmer, 1B – This is in good faith as I need not remind anyone that Hos hasn’t hit at all this season thus far. Nonetheless don’t let what’s happened the first 30 games make you think Hosmer won’t hit his projected numbers.

5. Mike Moustakas, 3B – The fifth spot really gave me pause because it’s a spot that I liked Alex or Moose at over Frenchy. To me in I’ve liked the small sample size I went with the long-term thought here of Moustakas. It was only one game that we saw Mike hit fifth but and he went 1-for3 this spot is where I’d like him to be while wearing a Royals uniform.

6. Alex Gordon, LF – Gordon in the sixth spot? With a deep lineup, Gordo just got pushed down in my lineup but could easily get flopped with Moose depending on the match-up.

7. Jeff Francoeur, RF –Francoeur hitting seventh is something most actually want to see with how slow he’s started. Like Gordon, Francoeur hasn’t hit in this spot since 2010 and actually had success. In 165 plate appearances he belted six HR’s plus driving in 30.

8. Brayan Pena/Humberto Quintero, C – I’d rather Salvador Perez here but nothing we can do about that  until he and Manny Pina come back. If we could combine Pena’s bat with Quintero defense I’d take that.

9. Alcides Escobar, SS – Has better numbers hitting eighth than in the ninth spot but I really like him here with the ability to turn over the lineup. While only hitting .260 in 77 plate appearances he does have 20 hits. In the ninth position is where 8 of his 10 doubles are in addition to his lone homer and triple. Batting ninth has been good for Esky’s as 10 of his 12 extra base hits have come in this spot. So far in 2012 his slugging percentage risen up to .410 from last season’s .343 average.

This arrangement leaves Chris Getz, Irving Falu, and Mitch Maier plus whatever catcher who isn’t playing on the bench. The Royals are averaging 3.9 runs but let’s make that four by rounding up and I think that this lineup could surpass that.

Stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed and follow Mike Vamosi on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story.

May 07, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jonathan Sanchez (57) is relieved by manager Ned Yost (3) in the fourth inning of the game against the Boston Red Sox at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

Today, I realized I can no longer do this.  I can’t be hopelessly optimistic about someone who has given me little in return to back up my optimism.  I was never a fan of the Luke Hochevar pick in the 2006 draft, but I sucked it up and tried to find a reason to like the pick and give my support for Hochevar.  First, let me state that Hochevar should have never been the 1st overall pick and because of his selection there, he is going to be the most scrutinized player from that draft.  It’s also hard to swallow that Evan Longoria, Clayton Kershaw, and Tim Lincecum were all top ten picks that year as well, and were passed on.

While Hochevar hasn’t been bad every time out, what makes him so frustrating to watch, is the fact he is one of the most inconsistent pitchers in the game.  He’s had days of complete game shutouts and then he’ll turn around and have an outing like the home opener onslaught that a sold out crowd witnessed earlier this year at Kauffman Stadium.  A starter needs to be consistent, something Hochevar is not.  Yeah, Bruce Chen won’t dominate a line up but you can expect 6 innings and 2-3 runs every time he toes the rubber.  There’s peace of mind knowing what to expect from your starter on any given day.

That being said it really is time to at least scan around for other options to start in place of Hochevar and Jonathan Sanchez.  I’m not sure how much longer their leash is, but it can’t be too long.  Sanchez and Hochevar combined have went past 5 innings only twice thus far this season.  Hochevar is now the 6th worst pitcher in MLB history according to ERA that includes pitchers with over 100 starts.  That’s an interesting piece of information that can be found here* along with the rest of the top, or should I say bottom, ten.  I tend to get a sick feeling in my stomach every time it’s Sanchez’s turn in the rotation.  I know 5 walks and 3 innings is very likely.  These two make watching the Royals a nauseating task.  Normally, I’m not this down on the Royals, but I hate seeing the starting pitching give these types of performances.

*It’s interesting to note Kyle Davies is right in front of Hochevar on this list.

Therefore, there may come a time relatively soon where a change has to be made.  Ryan Verdugo, Nate Adcock, and Everett Teaford are all guys I truly believe can give us a quality start just about every time out.  The most important things a starter can do is keep the team in the game and go deep in the game to preserve the bullpen arms throughout the season.  Jake Odorizzi is also an intriguing name that I’d love to see in Kansas City at some point during the season.

I really don’t like giving up on a player, but it appears as though Hochevar is not capable of overcoming his blow up inning more times than not.  I believe there is a lack of focus there, even though no one will come out and say that.  I’m sure he prepares himself very well and puts in the time and effort, but there is something with the mental side of his game that is just not adding up.  A guy with the repertoire of pitches that Hochevar sports should not be nearly this inconsistent and should be a top of the rotation starter.  It’s just very frustrating to continue to watch him and anticipate his blow up inning.

All I’m hoping for is this doesn’t continue.  Whether Hochevar and Sanchez figure out a few things and can pitch deeper into a game or Ned Yost finally makes a move and replaces one or both of them with a few candidates I mentioned earlier, something will need to change.  The starting pitching is the weak spot of the team but that doesn’t mean you can’t make changes to try and produce different outcomes.  These two are certainly not cutting it.

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

March 12, 2012; Surprise, AZ, USA; Kansas City Royals center fielder Jarrod Dyson (1) steals second base against San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford (left) during the fourth inning at Surprise Stadium. Dyson advanced to third base on a throwing error by Giants catcher Eli Whiteside (not pictured). Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

If you haven’t heard, Lorenzo Cain’s rehab was derailed by a hip flexor problem, and it’s going to take a few more weeks, perhaps even a month, to get him back into the Royals lineup. This is, of course, bad news for a team that doesn’t really need more bad news.

After a hot spring, people began hoping Cain could be a faster, more defensively sound version of Melky Cabrera. At the very least, he would be a defensive upgrade and a slight offensive downgrade—a trade the Royals were obviously willing to take at a key position like center field with Cabrera’s contract considerations.

I was of the belief that Cain had the potential to be a solid .280/.320/.480 guy who plays great centerfield in a ballpark that demands speed in the outfield. Some thought he would never hit that much, but his limited track record in the majors and his productive minor league career suggest otherwise. Forget what his swing looks like; it works.

Now, what are the Royals left with? Not much. For most of Cain’s absence, they used a mix of Mitch Maier and Jason Bourgeois. Neither was very productive. Recently, they sent Bourgeois down and brought up Jarrod Dyson, who looks every bit the bench outfielder with his inability to hit big-league pitching. He started Friday, and it looks like Ned Yost is going to give him a chance to start for a while.

Here’s the thing about Dyson. Right now his numbers suck—.231/.267/.308—but I love the way he’s trying to play the game. He saved the Royals some runs in Friday’s game with a terrific sliding catch on a ball many other centerfielders wouldn’t have gotten to. He keeps hitting the ball on the ground and drawing the infield in with bunt looks. I’ve watched a few Storm Chasers games with Dyson as well, and it looks like he has the ability to be a patient hitter as well. That’s very important as a leadoff hitter. Patient, slap-hitting, good defense, that’s his ideal game. He has to be that type of player to be successful in the big leagues.

If you’d like a comparison to Dyson, think Juan Pierre. Their games should be identical if Dyson wants to be successful. Pierre’s had a lot of success in MLB and helped a lot of teams win by slapping the ball around and running. He helped lead the Marlins to a World Series championship with that style of play. If Dyson can be like Pierre, hopefully with a better arm from the outfield, he can stick as a starting center fielder.

Will that be with the Royals? I don’t know. It looks like right now, this is his tryout. If he plays out of his mind and the Royals keep winning, this disabled list stint might be a curiously long one for Cain. If I had to put a percentage on it, I’d say there’s a 10 percent chance Dyson plays well enough to usurp the starting job from Cain. But Dyson would have to play better than he has ever indicated he can. Cain has so much upside and such a rare blend of speed and power it will be difficult to take that job from him before he has a chance to prove himself. Dyson is more of a one-trick pony, but a very important trick that the Royals don’t have otherwise.

We’ll see how Dyson does with his tryout. Soon, the Royals will have to decide what to do with that situation. If Dyson plays well, he may for the Royals into a very tough decision. If he doesn’t, let’s hope his play doesn’t facilitate another nose dive and Cain gets back in time to see the Royals reach .500.

You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed. Or follow me on Twitter @MarcusMeade.

Alex Gordon by the numbers gives you the best option as a leadoff hitter. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE

My idea for a lineup is to have one that you use every single day, with the exception that it be tweaked for day games. This hasn’t been the case at all through 19 games I’ve long felt guys will get comfortable if they can get into a routine.

So far this season Alex Gordon, Jason Bourgeois, Jarrod Dyson, Yuniesky Betancourt and Chris Getz have all batted leadoff for the Royals. I won’t accept that if healthy Lorenzo Cain would have batted leadoff because the highest he’d batted had been second which only happened on opening day.

Gordon has shown flashes of coming out of his early season slump but hasn’t yet found a consistent home this season in the lineup. He’s batted leadoff opening week, moved down to the fifth spot for a couple days then he’s moved up to number two. Ideally Gordon might be best in the fifth spot but over the last year he’s been good at the top of the lineup on a team that lacks that guy.

In 89-games during the 2011 season he hit .305, 383 OBP, .916 OPS in 422 plate appearances. In addition he hit 18 homeruns, was 10-of-16 stealing bases, 56 RBI’s with 197 total bases. Not what the typical leadoff does but it helped everyone else out in the lineup.

Dyson tonight in Minnesota is getting another chance to leadoff after being recalled from Omaha this afternoon with Bourgeois being sent down. Getz got the chance in Cleveland and we were told he be “the” guy.

Prior to the series opener in the Twin Cities Ned has used 15 lineups in 19 games, last season Yost had 87 and to up the numbers to include interleague play it was 89. The fifth spot has been held by Gordon or Jeff Francoeur, let me say I like Franchy in the clubhouse and defensively but the guy needs a break from batting fifth or a day off.

Francoeur is hitting .227, no homeruns, three RBIs while scoring just six-runs, hardly befitting of battling fifth in the lineup. Move him down get his groove back then put him back if that’s where you want him Ned.

Mike Moustakas occupying the sixth spot (here is your guy who should be promoted to fifth batting .303, 2-homeruns, 8-runs scored and nine RBIs). With the numbers I just listed here is your fifth spot batter which at this point makes the lineup better. At the end of the day if you gave KC fans a 3-4-5 of Billy Butler, Eric Hosmer and Moustakas you’d have a grateful fan base.

Having the same lineup day in and day out helps players I firmly believe because they are creatures of habit. Telling a baseball player they will be in the same spot daily will put them at ease which usually produces better results. Now if after a period of say one-two weeks players aren’t producing then changes need to be made.

Mike Moustakas has produced the numbers that be well served in the fifth spot of the lineup. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-US PRESSWIRE

I concede the importance of righty/lefty match-ups plus prolonged slumps but changing lineups just for the rational of it didn’t work the day before or consecutive days doesn’t work for me. Pick a lineup let it go and then makes changes accordingly is all many of us ask.

Stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed and follow Mike Vamosi on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story.

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…)

Apr 7, 2012; Anaheim, CA, USA; Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer (35) celebrates after scoring a run against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-US PRESSWIRE

This past weekend the Royals took the series from the Angels by winning the rubber game yesterday, 7-3.  With the help of solid starting pitching and some nice hitting performances, the Royals left Los Angeles on a high note.  As I was watching the games, there were many great things I saw as well as some pretty lackluster performances.  I don’t want to put too much emphasis on Alex Gordon‘s hitting, or lack thereof.  I believe Gordon will be just fine and getting all worked up over three games just seems like a waste of time.

The most impressive thing I took from this series was how well the Royals hit two pretty darn good starters from the Halos.  On Saturday they roughed up Dan Haren for 5 earned in 5.1 innings pitched.  They also recorded 11 hits against the usually dominant righty.  On Sunday, the hitting continued from Saturday into the first inning.  Billy Butler capped a 3-run first with his first homerun of the season.  Ervin Santana allowed 5 earned through 5.2 innings pitched on Sunday and he and Haren both allowed 2 homeruns a piece.  I think there’s something to be said about what this lineup is capable of producing on a daily basis.  This offense might very well be on its way of becoming one of the most feared lineups in the American League*.

*As I am writing this the Royals are currently getting shutout by Tom Milone, granted Gordon and Mike Moustakas aren’t playing.

The downside of things from this weekend was the base running and the bullpen.  As I’m watching the game against the A’s right now they have continued the trend of bad base running.  I’m not sure if it’s a lack of focus or some bad luck but this team can’t afford to give up free outs.  The strength of this team was supposed to be the bullpen and right now it has looked like the weakest link.  Almost every reliever so far has had a forgettable outing.  I’m also not too fond of some of the moves Manager Ned Yost has made in regards to the bullpen.  I am certainly not a believer of Tim Collins being used as a left-handed specialist, which seems to be his role through the first few games.  It was nice to see Jonathan Broxton come in the 9th on Sunday and shut the door on the Angels by striking out the side.

The season is still very young and there is nothing to worry about at this point.  Alex Gordon will be on his way to breaking out of his funk and many of the bullpen arms will have strong seasons.  It would be icing on the cake if the starters kept up their strong outings throughout most of the year, but being a realist I don’t see that being the case.  It would be great to see this team end the west coast trip with a 5-1 or 4-2 record as they head back to Kansas City for the home opener on Friday against Cleveland.  With that being said things seem to be shaping up to make for a great home stand at ”The K”.

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

Alex Gordon Makes an Out. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

I warned the other day that it’s important not to overreact early in the season.

The Royals have played three games. That’s less than 2% of the entire season. Alex Gordon has one walk in 14 plate appearances but has no hits. He’s struck out six times.

Words like “struggling” are flying around.

Monday night, against lefty Tom Milone, Gordon will have the night off. Manager Ned Yost said that he was thinking about it after yesterday’s win but hadn’t committed. Tonight, though, Jason Bourgeois will take over for him in left field.

Similar to my warning about overreacting early in the year, it’s also important not to overreact to early decisions. Still, I have to scratch my head about this one.

No, Gordon hasn’t hit well yet, but he hit all through spring and hit all of last season. If such a stretch had happened three days earlier during spring training, there wouldn’t be any issue, but it’s the regular season and that means games count and decisions, apparently, have to count for more too. I can’t help but think that this is some micromanagement by Ned Yost.

Jason Bourgeois has a good track record against left-handed pitching – .328/.369/.409 for his career in 200 plate appearances. That’s better than Gordon’s .234/.311/.400 in 683 plate appearances. Last year, Gordon was .278/.358/.471 in 212 plate appearances. It’s an assumption, but I’d suggest that Gordon of last year is closer to who he is right now. Against Milone, who had an average fastball velocity of 87.8 mph last year, is the exact type of lefty that Gordon made big improvements against last year – his hits on soft tosses from southpaws were a big part of his breakout last year – and a pitcher with five career starts, and none in the American League, seems like a good guy to face to get back on track.

But Gordon sits. The Royals gave him an extension and think a day off is what he needs rather than a chance to get back in there.

Look at it this way. Gordon hasn’t been good in the first three games, but he also faced Jered Weaver – arguably a top five pitcher in the AL who also dominated Eric Hosmer and Billy Butler – and Dan Haren, who’s among the best pitchers around too. Ervin Santana is no slouch either.

It seems like unnecessary meddling. Yost tried to mess around on Sunday as well, after two games sticking Lorenzo Cain at the bottom of the lineup and moving Alcides Escobar up. He said it was to protect Mike Moustakas, who had Brayan Pena and company hitting behind him, and I can partially buy that, but again, it just seems like moving players around when it’s not necessary. Big picture, this young team may benefit more from getting into their roles and learning what they need to do in them, not get bounced around all the time.

It’s only a couple of games, but it’s not a promising sign that Yost seems to want to move things around right away. Maybe he’s getting into his rhythm in the young season too and wants to jump out to a good record right away. I can live with that, but if it’s early May and Yost is still flipping players around in the lineup, I’d wonder if there’s a big picture at all. Player performance is one thing, but after three games, what are you really looking at? Every player has had a bad three game stretch. That it comes in the first series of the year is what makes it look more significant than it should. If Gordon had went hitless in two at bats at the end of a game in late June, then continued on an 0-12 stretch in the next few, would it stand out? Probably not like it does at this point where his on base percentage is .071.

I hope Yost is right and one day off is all it takes to get Gordon back on track, but I think he’s best served to let Gordon work his way out of it.

Kansas City Royals designated hitter Billy Butler (16) hits an RBI double Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE

With opening day looming, I wanted to give a few of my predictions for this season.  This spring has been a roller coaster ride of injuries, disappointment, and excitement and I‘m trying to make some sense on how this season might fare.  There couldn’t have been too many folks predicting that Lorenzo Cain would be one of the best hitters in all of spring training, so that‘s what makes it confusing.  I believe this squad is certainly capable of building off of last year’s second half momentum but a few key injuries could hamper any further progression.  That’s why I think they will contend for a few months but the lack of experience and missing some key players, through injuries, will keep this team at 80 wins for the year, but I think most Royals fans will gladly take an 80 win season.  So, without further ado, here are my top 5 predictions for the season.

My first prediction comes out of the bullpen.  With Joakim Soria out for the year, the Royals will look somewhere else to fill the void of the former All-Star.  I believe Greg Holland will be the guy Ned Yost names as his closer.  While Aaron Crow and Jonathan Broxton snatch a few saves throughout the season, I predict Greg Holland as the full-time closer as he notches 30 saves.

I’ll stick with pitching for my next prediction.  The rotation won’t be the brightest spot for the team this year, but Luke Hochevar certainly will do his fair share.  Hochevar will continue his spring dominance and carry that into the regular season where he will win 15 games and finish with an ERA under 4.00 for the first time in the majors as a regular starter.

One of the more interesting things to watch will be how last September carries over into this year for Mike Moustakas.  I think we will see more power from Mous, but he still will show some struggles at times at the dish.  I look to see him hit 25 homeruns, which might seem like a lot, but it certainly is attainable for someone who has as much power as he does.  His average, however, will hover around the .260 mark throughout the season.

One thing is certain, I cannot wait to watch Lorenzo Cain roam centerfield at “The K”.  He has hit the cover off the ball this spring and has shown some good pop on top of that.  It is not out of the question that he hits 20 homeruns and finishes one stolen base shy of 20 steals, which is what I have him doing this year.  Just how Melky Cabrera had a very nice spring last year and relayed it into a great year, I think Cain will do the same thing this year for the Royals.

My final prediction is for a guy who has been a steady performer in his first few seasons in the big leagues.  He is always hitting for a good average but has been looked down upon, in the past, for his lack of elite power.  I had always thought it will take him some time to grow into his power, which I think in the second half of last season we saw a glimpse of what he is capable of doing.  I am, of course, talking about “Country Breakfast”, or Billy Butler.  A few more doubles in the past, will now turn into some homers for Butler, this season.  I believe he will hit .331 and finish 3^rd in the American League behind Miguel Cabrera and Robinson Cano in the batting title race.  Butler will continue to impress people with his consistency and he might even make a case for one of the top right-handed hitters in the game.

These are some of my thoughts and predictions for this season.  I hope everyone enjoyed reading what I think are realistic outcomes for the year and I’d love to hear some of your opinions regarding my predictions or if you have some you’d like to add.  It’s always fun to toss around some ideas on who we think will do what this year.  Oh and by the way, we are only two days away!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I’m glad you asked. As always, the players I choose to feature are based loosely on their inherent value to the club, as well as a healthy dose of pure unadulterated subjectivity.

The MIRAGE DIVISION

Max Ramirez – Spring stats: .391/.481/.826 with three home runs and 11 RBI’s.

I predicted a while back that Ramirez would get play with the Royals this season, and in the meantime, Salvador Perez’ injury has made that notion a greater possibility. That being said, I find it hard to believe that Ramirez will be a 1.307 OPS player  moving forward.

Instead, it seems like Ramirez is cleaning up in the scenario best suited for him – against quadruple-A pitching. He may well get forty games on the big league roster, but a period of sustained success would be a first in the big leagues.

In the meantime, I’ll air on the side of caution.

Chris Getz – Spring stats: .333/.370/.375 with three stolen bases.

Saying that Getz is due to regress is as drab as saying that the sun is hot. Nonetheless, it is always terrifying to see Getz swing the bat well in spring training because we can never predict what Ned Yost might do under the spell of a couple gritty Getz performances. Just know this: the closer we get to the regular season, the more likely it becomes that Yost picks Getz to man second base over the struggling Johnny Giavotella (who we’ll get to later).

Mitch Maier – Spring stats: .333/.394/.500 with four extra base hits.

See Getz, Chris.

Maier has always had the innate ability to crush the ball during spring training, but so far it has never translated into consistent regular season success. He’ll probably make the team again, but his .894 spring training OPS should not illicit much optimism. Maier will be 30 in June and he’s more likely to regress at this point than make significant strides I’d love to be wrong on that though.

Wil Myers – Spring stats: .278/.278/.278 with no extra base hits

Myers wasn’t in camp long enough to form a solid opinion on, so I’ll provide you with an unsupported one. Despite hitting for zero power this spring, Myers is due for a breakout season at AAA Omaha. He’s the best of the hitting prospects left at the minor league level, and he should be more comfortable beginning his second season in the outfield. I think Myers will display enough power to go with his sweet swing to earn a late-season promotion.

Salvador Perez – Spring stats: .000/.000/.000

Salvador Perez will miss the first half of the season with a knee injury. Peter G. Aiken-US PRESSWIRE

This is an easy one. Perez suffered through a wild spring training that saw him sign a club friendly contract extension, promptly go 0-15 in his first spring training at-bats, and then suffer a knee injury that will cost him at least the first two months of the season. Admittedly, all those zeroes across the board are pretty jarring.

Perez’ spring was a mirage, though, because I expect him to be a reliable player moving forward. His bat, which looked too good to be true during his call-up last season, was too bad to be true during his miniscule spring sample size. His offense should eventually be more than capable as a supporting skill behind his stellar defense.

The Royals will closely monitor Perez as he rehabs this injury and he should be re-installed as a lynchpin of the organization by the All-Star break.

Tommy Hottovy – 0.00 ERA, 6 IP, 7 strikeouts, 0 walks.

Great story, seems like a great kid. The peripherals are there too. It’s funny, we aren’t supposed to take too much stock in spring training stats, unless of course there is competition at a position. Then those stats suddenly become a deciding factor in the shaping of the roster. Hottovy has been excellent this spring, but that doesn’t mean he’s making the team. There are simply too many other players ahead of him, even with the almost certain extended loss of closer Joakim Soria.

-Mike Montgomery – 20.50 ERA, 2.2 IP, 1 strikeout, 3 walks.

Montgomery was simply too bad to be believed in his limited time with the big club this spring. Royals Nation now just has to hope that Monty can avoid the type of early season swoon that submarined his 2011 campaign.

Even with the struggles, however, Montgomery is arguably the best arm in the Royals farm system, and he’ll get plenty more chances. I think he’ll pull himself together and make his major league debut during 2012.

-Jonathan Sanchez – 21.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts.

If Sanchez’ spring is not an aberration, then may God have mercy on my soul. Sanchez has made Bruce Chen look like Steve Carlton in managing to pitch only three innings this spring. Sanchez has, however, packed  a lot of work into those innings, giving up seven runs and walking two batters during what has been a disastrous introduction to Royals fans.

Something tells me Dayton Moore is not in a rush to get Sanchez signed to an extension.

The Real Division

Billy Butler – .415/.478/.732 with 3 home runs, 4 doubles, and 7 walks.

Butler has been clinical this spring in what has been a welcome continuation of his late-season surge in 2011. He is absolutely mashing right now, and seems poised to become a feared hitter this season.

In fact, Butler even showed up to  camp in good enough shape to convince Yost to give him an occasional start at first base. He appears ready to put together is best season yet. Stop me if you’ve heard that before.

Alex Gordon – .405/.460/.643 with 2 home runs, 4 doubles and 6 walks.

Any lingering reservations about the long-term ability of Gordon should be put to rest by his torrid spring. I won’t take too much time breaking down Gordon, since I’m fairly sure that 99.9% of the fan base saw last season as a true breakout, but I must admit it’s been nice of him to spare us a spring worth of questions regarding his long-term prospects. This guy is ready to be the star he was always supposed to be.

Lorenzo Cain – .486/.537/.1000 with 4 home runs, 7 doubles, and 4 walks.

Lorenzo Cain's big Spring Training has been the real deal. Matt Kartozian-US PRESSWIRE

I thought Cain was too good for Triple-A last season and his scorching spring training performance this season will be taken as proof of that notion. Cain may be the most impressive Royal in Arizona right now, as his .500 spring average has just been ridiculous. I don’t think Lorenzo lamented playing in Omaha last season while Chris Getz and Mitch Maier earned major league paychecks. Oh wait, no, he definitely did.

Cain is proving that there is no fire quite like the one lit under somebody who is blocked for an entire season by wholly insufficient roster filler. Although even Cain must have understood how crazy it was that all three of KC’s outfielders had career years and stayed healthy throughout 2011.

Eric Hosmer – .367/.431/.571 with 2 homers, 4 doubles, 7 walks, and 17 RBI.

At this point it has almost become a bore to wax eloquently about Hosmer. He is one of a handful of the best young players in the game, and has also solidified himself as a clubhouse leader to boot. Interesting fact that made me like Hosmer even more this spring: he is half Cuban, and thus bilingual. It wasn’t hard to understand why Hosmer is the most popular player on the team before, but now it makes even more sense.

All that being said, is there a player you would trade Hosmer for straight up right now? I say no.

Greg Holland – 3.86 ERA with 7.0 IP, 11 strikeouts and 1 walk.

This spring Holland has shown exactly what he is. He’s a strikeout machine who is a could easily become a top-flight closer, perhaps as soon as this season. Holland is also the main reason why Royals fans seemed strangely ambivalent about the loss of closer Joakim Soria to Tommy John surgery.

The bullpen should be one of the best in baseball this season, and Holland is the best of the bunch.

Alcides Escobar – .324/.359/.459 with 2 triples.

I’ve always believed that Escobar will eventually hit acceptably, so I can only hope that his spring performance is a sign of things to come. If so, then Escobar’s recently minted contract extension might be even more favorable than that of (recently injured) starting catcher Salvador Perez.

Luis Mendoza – 0.77 ERA with 11.2 IP, 12 strikeouts, and 1 walk.

Okay, I must say that I didn’t see this one coming. Admittedly, I’ve frequently written Mendoza off as a rotation candidate before, but those days are over. The Royals have been insistent in their assertion that Mendoza has it figured out, and I finally believe them.

Furthermore, if Mendoza was “in the mix” for a rotation spot coming into March, then what has he possibly done to hurt his chances? Do I even need to mention that two Royals starters have put up an ERA over 20?

My prediction: Bruce Chen starts the season on the DL, Mendoza makes the rotation.

Bruce Chen – 15.00 ERA with 12 IP, 6 strikeouts and 1 walk.

Spoiler Alert! I think Chen might have some sort of injury, and if not, needs to fabricate on immediately. That two-year contract he signed in the off-season has an ominous feeling to it already. After a couple of above average seasons, Chen may be ready to become the rotation’s resident albatross.  I’d like to think he is simply taking time getting comfortable, but at his advanced age, it’s prudent to be skeptical. I hope I’m wrong.

Mike Moustakas – .216/.275/.243 with 1 extra base hit and 9 strikeouts.

Moustakas has had a rough spring, as is evidenced by the fact that his slugging percentage rest 32 points below his OBP.

Haven’t we seen this story before? I know it’s tempting to say that Moustakas will simply get through this and pick up where he left off last September, but I have a foreboding feeling that tells me otherwise. Moustakas may end up being more Alex Gordon than Billy Butler, as in, he might take some time to realize his considerable potential. Sure, he should be able to improve upon his Spring Training line (how could you not), but by how much*?

*Was that previous paragraph designed as  a complicated jinx intended to spark Moustakas into a fantastic April? Absolutely! I’m definitely ready for Opening Day.

You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.

Mar 16, 2012; Surprise, AZ, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher

Some people don’t believe there is such a thing as a “good problem,” and seeing as how the Royals had only seemed to have the bad kind until recently, many of these people might have been residents in our very own fan base. I’m here to tell you that the Royals have a good problem…several in fact. (more…)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Luis Mendoza's may have what it takes to be a key part of the Royals in 2012. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

Can we all agree on one thing? The Royals’ starting rotation doesn’t have a track record that suggests it will be good in 2012. I know it’s the spring and everyone’s optimistic and hopeful and talking about chips on shoulders and shoulders on chips and so forth, but where I live—reality—this is a mediocre rotation. Do I hope they’ll be great? Sure I do. But a very wise man once said, “Well, you can wish in one hand and crap in the other and see which gets filled first.”

With that in mind, the bullpen looks like it will play a more important role than a bullpen might on a team with a more established rotation. David Lesky of Pine Tar Press had an article this Thursday outlining the importance of Joakim Soria to the bullpen and made a terrific point that the Royals will be in some games where the starter has to come out in the third or fourth inning.

I love the phrase “swing man.” It sounds like the guy is part of an elaborate Danny Ocean style con. The swing man for the Royals this season is going to play a very important role, perhaps more important than any other swing man in the league. Is everyone clear on what a swing man is? A long-relief bullpen guy who occasionally makes a start when needed.

It seems clear the Royals have an offense and bullpen capable of competing but a starting rotation capable of working a drive through window (just to add more chip to the shoulder). Sometimes, they’re going to need a swing man who can not only cover the long bridge from starter to bullpen during short starts, thus saving vital bullpen innings, but also jump in and start when Bruce Chen, or whoever, has to miss a start.

If the Royals want to compete, this pitcher needs to be able to stop the bleeding in a game and give the Royals lineup a fighting chance to get back in the game. He needs to be good enough to win a start here and there, but not so good that he should be in the rotation. He also needs to be someone who may not have a high ceiling but has a decently high floor so the Royals don’t have to worry about foster his talent in the minors. Do the Royals have a guy like that?

Hello Luis Mendoza. For those readers who haven’t heard of Mendoza, he’s a 28-year-old pitcher who burst onto the scene last season in AAA with incredible, if deceiving, numbers. In two starts in September with the big club, he pitched very well, winning both. That said, nearly everyone who thinks and writes about the Royals is in agreement that Mendoza’s 2011 was an anomaly. He doesn’t strike a lot of hitters out. He had never shown that type of promise before 2011, and he had some things really go his way.

That’s not to say that Mendoza isn’t any good. He is good. He just doesn’t miss enough bats to be considered a legitimate starting candidate. But he is perfect as a candidate for the swing man role. He’s got the arm for it—he pitched 158 innings last season. He’s pitched in a relief role before. The Royals don’t have to worry about ruining his potential by putting him in this role because he’s 28. His potential is this role.

If Mendoza struck out more hitters or had a more ridiculously low walk rate—it was decent in 2011 at 3.37 in AAA and 3.07 in the big leagues—he could be seen as a back-end starter. In essence, he’s almost good enough to start, but not quite, which makes him perfect as a swing man. Plus, he’s out of options, which means the Royals have to either keep him in the majors or hope he clears waivers, which he probably won’t.

It’s not just that Mendoza falls short of being a starter. He actually fits the Royals swing man role perfectly. He seems to be a contact pitcher, but doesn’t give up a ton of home runs. If a pitcher does give up too many walks, which Mendoza doesn’t seem to and doesn’t give up too many home runs, all he really needs is good defense behind him and a limited role. The Royals should have a pretty good defense, and with a limited role, Mendoza doesn’t have to be spectacular, just consistently average.

I’ll be very surprised if Mendoza is not the Royals’ swing man on Opening Day, especially because he’s out of options. Of course, I could be wrong about his abilities. Maybe, he’ll get rocked every time out, and the Royals will turn to another swing man—Everett Teaford or Nate Adcock. But if that’s the case, there’s really nothing hurt. Those were starts they were probably going to lose anyway. Ned Yost claims that Mendoza is getting a look as a starting pitcher this spring. I can’t see that happening. But he could be a very valuable resource as a swing man, I’m thinking worth as many as 4 wins when thinking about spot starts, long relief, and saved bullpen innings (not in WAR but just in a general sense of helping the Royals win).

I’ve started the campaign: Mendoza for Swing Man in 2012. We’re not well funded but at least we’re low in numbers as well.

You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.

Or follow me on Twitter @MarcusMeade

I’m sure I speak for all Kansas City Royals fans when I ask that you consider this young and upcoming team this year. I respect that you currently do not like the offers that you have received by other clubs at this time and will sit out until something to your liking comes your way.

Roy Oswalt announced he'll wait on signing with a team on Thursday hopefully this helps KC's chances Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-US PRESSWIRE

 At this stage of your career it’s hard to fault you for wanting to chase a championship having fallen short in previous attempts with the Houston Astros and most recently the Philadelphia Phillies. Sure the Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals are built to win now with their current rosters, but anything can happen in the game of baseball as you well know.

The Red Sox, Rangers and Cardinals are solid options for someone in your current position, but why not the Royals? I don’t need to remind you that since 1985 the club has had minimal success, however, have you seen the parts of this roster?  Your spot in the pitching rotation is assured and you could have any of the first three spots that you desire.

I think you’d fit in well with Luke Hochevar, Bruce Chen, Jonathan Sanchez and Felipe Paulino who currently project to be the team’s first four starters. You’re known for working deep into ballgames, but should the need arise, how about this bullpen bridge that can get you the win with Greg Holland, Jonathan Broxton and all-star closer Joakim Soria to nail it down?

Since you’re coming from the National League I’m sure you’ve got some concerns about run support and how the Royals lineup could help you out in that regard. Let me introduce you to the team’s starting lineup: Alex Gordon in left, Johnny Giavotella at second, Billy Butler at DH, Eric Hosmer at first, Jeff Francoeur in right, Mike Moustakas at third, Salvador Perez behind the plate, Lorenzo Cain in center, and Alcides Escobar at short.  That’ll be up to Ned Yost and not myself, but it gives you an idea of what to expect.

Sure you may think that fans aren’t passionate in the Kansas City market with all the losing that takes place, but after last season we cannot wait to kick off 2012. Also we’ve got a little event coming in July know as the All-Star Game, which hasn’t been in town since the 1973 season. So, these are a handful of considerations for you and for a one or two-year contract that you might be seeking.

Let me also point out that Kauffman Stadium is very pitcher-friendly with its dimensions. In addition, road trips to Comerica Park in Detroit and Target Field in Minneapolis are on the schedule multiple times within the division. We also feel that with you on board it would counter the Tigers lineup and help KC contend in the division or the wildcard.

I hope that you have all the necessary information that you may need in considering Kansas City for your 2012 pitching destination. The fan base would really enjoy having you on this staff as the team tries to change the culture.

Sincerely,

Royals fans

Mike Sweeney knows a thing or two about being in the best shape of his life. Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

You hear it every year.

Some aging or oft-injured player shows up at Spring Training and proudly declares that they are in the best shape of their life. They say they’ve dropped some weight, or stopped eating fast food, maybe hired a chef or personal trainer.

It’s an annual rite of passage that (aging and oft-injured) former Royal Mike Sweeney perfected in the spring of 2007 with his revelation that yoga* had “paid big dividends” for him in the off-season. At the time it was a ray of hope for Royals fans who had seen Sweeney labor for years with an unforgiving back. But as is often the case, it was a mirage.

*Another classic nugget from that yoga article: Buddy Bell’s spring training assertion that Sweeney would be plugged in as the every day clean-up hitter behind, wait for it, 2006 franchise home run leader Mark Teahen. Sweeney ultimately played less than half the season due to injury and hit only seven home runs. Teahen played the whole season and also hit only seven home runs. Makes you appreciate Eric Hosmer, no?

The “best shape of my life” routine has become such a popular spring training cliche that it has (naturally) inspired its own internet meme. Maybe it’s just something about the hopeful nature of spring training. Maybe it’s the thin Arizona air. Regardless, something about the spring inspires a certain delusional hyperbole that affects both players and fans alike.

I’m not immune. I buy into the hype*. After all, how could yoga not provide increased flexibility for Mike Sweeney’s woeful back?

*Maybe I’m just a hapless writer with an exercise regimen that even Bartolo Colon considers lax, but if I could only get in touch with Manny Ramirez‘s fertility doctor, jet over to Germany for a controversial blood spinning procedure, and show up for the first day of spring training, I just might be in the best shape of my life too.

So when the Kansas City Star’s Bob Dutton reported that current Royals Mike Moustakas and Billy Butler had shown up to camp in terrific shape, I immediately began daydreaming excitedly about the possibilities. Here’s the choice quote from manager Ned Yost, who may or may not have giggled gleefully immediately after delivering it.

“There are a ton of position players here, too. Billy Butler and Mike Moustakas — I’m extremely proud of both of those guys. They are in the best shape they’ve been in their career. Billy looks great, and I hardly recognized Moose, he looks so good.”

First, let’s consider Butler. He has been the most consistent player on the team for three consecutive seasons, yet somehow seems to leave fans wanting more. It’s early in the spring, but gushing quotes like “best shape” and  “Billy looks great” bode well for turning 2012 into a career year. In a recent interview with Robert Ford at 610 Sports in Kansas City, Butler sounded bound and determined to make this season his best yet. In listening to the interview, I couldn’t help but think that Butler sounded mature for a 25-year old. It’s exactly what we’ve all wanted to see from him.

Butler needed to come into camp ready to go, especially after he spent parts of the off-season as the subject of internet trade speculation. Although nothing ultimately happened, and the front office never seemed especially close to making a move, it’s worth wondering whether the trade rumors had any impact on Butler’s decision to come into spring training sporting a more svelte physique.  Regardless of motivation, I’m just happy to see Butler looking trim at the start of camp. My overactive imagination can already envision Butler legging out triples and providing a serviceable backup at first base.

As for Moustakas, he was already a guy who was expected to make big strides in 2012 after a roller-coaster 2011. But when he showed up for camp 10-15 pounds lighter after a season spent focusing on conditioning and lateral movement at third base, the Royals brass must have been impressed. Nothing is better for a young team than for its young team leaders to seize the role as the hardest workers, and Moustakas seems to understand that. It’s another example of a player who is mature beyond his years. Moustakas is not interested in beginning this season with another prolonged cold spell, and he’s willing to whatever is necessary to avoid such a pitfall.

All of this determination, all of this potential, all of this pride and confidence, it’s an amazing feeling for Royals fans. After so many years of spending these hopeful February and March days talking ourselves into an inferior product, there is finally reason for fledgling optimism in Royal Nation. It’s a unique place for Royals fans of my ilk, who have never even been alive when a Royals team made the playoffs.

Most years, I try to convince myself that “this is the year” for the Royals to turn the corner. The logic is always flawed, and the basis for optimism wobbly. A case for the Royals to compete was always a hollow argument.

But this year is different. When I have delivered my annual argument for why the Royals can compete, it feels measured. Reasonable. Real. Today the Kansas City Royals are in the best shape I’ve seen them in my lifetime.

It feels good to say that with a straight face.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.

Royals manager Ned Yost is now under contract with the team through 2013. Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE

Now, before you go into hysterics over the announcement (one way or the other), keep in mind that the move is a common one for manager’s entering the final year of the contract. The generally regurgitated narrative is that a manager cannot exert sufficient control or discipline over his players while his own contract status is up in the air. The argument makes some sense, especially considering that some star players make ten times the annual salary of their manager. If a manager does not have a commitment beyond the current season, then he is essentially on the hot seat.

The scenario is akin to an impending free agent. With no commitment from his current team, that player is usually in full “me” mode, out to prove their worth to every other team in the league during their walk year. Likewise, when a manager operates without that security blanket, it is easy for them to lose focus of the long haul and adopt a win-now philosophy in a desperate attempt to either earn an extension or spruce up their attractiveness to rival clubs.

If you don’t believe me, just ask Jim Riggleman, who quit mid-season in 2011 because he wasn’t under contract for 2012.

So Ned Yost got his security blanket today. But that thin veil of security should not be mistaken for a ringing endorsement. Without a mid-season extension, he will be right back in the same position next off-season.

The Royals front office clearly wants to see what Yost will do with a full season of Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Salvador Perez, Johnny Giavotella, and the rest of Kansas City’s much-publicized youthful core. 2010 and 2011 were simply preparation for this season, when Dayton Moore and Co. expect tangible improvement, i.e., a boost in the standings.

2012 is a test. Moore could have eliminated the option and given Yost a contract extension, ensuring his continued employment for years to come. But he( justifiably) didn’t.

I know it’s hard to think of Yost being on the hot seat on the day that his option was exercised. But that is exactly where he will be if this 2012 season does not end as magically as we all hope it will.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.

(more…)

In a way, the Royals are similar to that band of misfits with the simple dream of being able to belong. By some luck, some guile, and intense loyalty and friendship, they overcome traps, trials and tribulations to win the “rich stuff.” A corny comparison? Yes, of course. But watch this team – the youngest in the game – and try not to get caught up in the excitement yourself.

Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas aren’t just the key hitters of Dayton Moore’s past drafts in the majors, but they’re best friends. Johnny Giavotella is tight with the two as well, and the group as a whole embrace the hazing and lumps that a rookie or young player will endure. They seem to take it in stride, knowing that you pay your dues early on, all the while earning respect by being all-business on the field. The clubhouse chemistry has shifted dramatically after years with a pouting Jose Guillen and a temperamental Zack Greinke. These guys like each other and in some way, those high spirits may carry over to the field.

That’s the hope, at least.

(more…)

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.

(more…)

Dayton Moore hasn’t been quiet, but he’s reached a point, I think, where he’s confident in the team he’s assembled. A crop of highly-regarded prospects showed that they belong in the big leagues last year and the hope is that they’ll be the future for the next few years.

It’s causing Royals fans, we happy few, to get a bit more optimistic than we’re used to.

(more…)

Rany looks at age and draft pick success.

The meat of Rany Jazyerli’s article is based on something he wrote on Baseball Prospectus about the  age of high school players when they were drafted. In a Gladwell-ian study, he deduces that those players who are drafted at a younger age out of high school are more likely to turn into stars.

I find it interesting because it raises the concept of diminishing improvement as most players age. That is, a player who is 18 years old will make more improvements (generally) on his way to 19 than he will in the year between 21 and 22.

Rany uses his research to compare Bubba Starling with eighth overall pick in 2011, Francisco Lindor of the Indians. Lindor was 17 when he was drafted and, under the Indians tutelage in instructionals, is drawing rave reviews. Starling is recovering from a quad strain.

Of course, there is more out there:

(more…)

If someone can take Kyle Farnsworth, Joel Peralta and Juan Cruz and head to the playoffs, well, he’s probably deserving.

For those interested…Ned Yost finished 9th in the voting, which was conducted by writers from all of FanSided’s MLB sites.  To check out the full final vote, Blaine Blontz at Call to the Pen has the full rundown at the link below:

Clipped from: calltothepen.com (share this clip)

And yet, I’ve had more fun following this year’s group of players than, perhaps, any other (with 1989 and 2003 in the discussion).  Maybe I’m a sucker. Maybe I’m just hopeful, but I felt like tides were shifting in the second half of the year and the developments of this season could carry into next year and beyond.

As usual, the Royals played well in September (and I still don’t know why this is the pattern), and as a bonus, most of the lineup was comprised of rookies.  That’s a source of hope for next season and beyond.

But we have to wait until next year to see more Royals baseball. Unfortunately, that’s a long wait.

(more…)

Frenchie saw success coming back in January (via MindaHaas.net)

If, back in December, I’d have told you that newly-signed Jeff Francoeur would hit 20 homers as a Royal in 2011, that wouldn’t be too far-fetched.

At least, as a young Brave superstar in 2006, he hit 29.

But if I’d have told you he would also steal 20 bases (22 to be exact – so far), I think you’d be correct in calling me crazy and questioning my judgment.  And yet, on September 23, 2011, Jeff Francoeur joined Amos Otis, Bo Jackson and Carlos Beltran as the only Royals to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases in the same year.

(more…)

Another Walk-Off Victory (AP)

The future is now.

Yes, I know it’s been said a million times. And I’m well aware that this team is slotted to finish no higher than fourth place, hardly a successful season. BUT – the pieces are in place and are forming a bond right before our eyes. The ingredients are on the table, we just need someone to run to the store & grab some pitching.

(more…)

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.

(more…)

"The Show"

I was now going to have to put into words what had just been one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

Going back to last Friday, when I received the call from the Royals telling me that I had been selected to participate, I had a mixed pot of emotions. I was completely ecstatic, and could not believe that this dream was going to come to fruition. At the same time though, I darted to the part of my personality that fears being underprepared and out of my element.

(more…)

Super cool Alex Gordon photo courtesy of Minda Haas (mindahaas.net)

Because it’s been yet another struggling year though, the annual “at the break awards” are about as fun to come up with as it would be to watch Yuniesky Betancourt try and hit a slider. Well, I guess that would be quite enjoyable now.

Every year it seems like the picks for any of the categories boils down to the lesser of two evils, and even though there would seem to be a clear-cut winner for the Most Valuable Player on the offensive side, there still isn’t a ton of excitement when looking at all the numbers. (more…)

Eric Hosmer got his first major league hit – a single through the hole at second.  He was also intentionally walked in the bottom of the ninth.

And for the sixth time this year, the Royals won in walk-off fashion.

(more…)

This week on the Royalman Report I joined Troy “Royalman” Olsen and Brian McGannon (of Royals Kingdom) at the KC Icehouse to talk about Kevin Appier’s election to the Royals Hall of Fame, the Royals homestand and hot start to the season, and Troy offered some apologies to Alex Gordon, Ned Yost and others.

To listen to the show, you can find it in the following ways:

• Go to RoyalmanReport.com
• Download the MP3 directly
• Download and subscribe on iTunes
• Listen from the embedded player below.  Just press play.

Usually, the Royalman Report is presented by Kings of Kauffman live on Sunday nights at 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.  This next Sunday, however, we will not be live, but there should be a podcast to download and listen to.  The following week (Easter Sunday) we are not planning on having a show (though we could always change our minds).

In the meantime, you can call in to the Royalman Hotline at 1-816-394-9578 to leave a voicemail with any comments, questions or what have you and we may play it on the air.  You can also direct questions or comments to the Royalman Report on Twitter.

Stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.

Despite losing the season opener, Melky Cabrera, Jeff Francoeur and rookies Aaron Crow, Nate Adcock and Tim Collins all performed well.

The old guard, however, was up to their usual tricks.

(more…)