OH JESUS NO-THE DEVIL IS BACK

by wildthang on May 14, 2007 2:47 AM EDT Comment 23 comments

WHY?!?!?! This weekend just keeps on getting worse. UGH.

KANSAS CITY -- The Royals added some infield depth and promoted a familiar face Sunday. Kansas City recalled shortstop Angel Berroa from Triple-A Omaha and placed Ross Gload (strained quadriceps) on the disabled list.

Berroa, the 2003 American League Rookie of the Year, will see time at multiple infield positions, including shortstop and third base. He was supposed to be the starting shortstop, but was demoted to the Minors on March 24 after hitting .263 with 14 strikeouts and no walks in 38 at-bats during Spring Training.

Berroa will backup Tony Pena at shortstop and Alex Gordon at third. With Ryan Shealy (hamstring) and Gload on the disabled list, Mike Sweeney and Gordon become the primary first baseman. Bell recently said Billy Butler could also see some time at first base.

The move could also help resurrect Berroa's career, a career that has gone downhill after a 2003 season that yielded a .287 average with 17 homers and 73 RBI. Since then, Berroa's average, on-base percentage and slugging average have fallen every year, bottoming out at .234/259/333 in 2006. The on-base and slugging percentages ranked as the worst in baseball among players who qualified for the batting title.

Berroa worked out in Kansas City in the offseason to improve his hitting and range in the field, but struggled throughout the spring. Bell still wanted Berroa to be in the Opening Day lineup on March 15, saying "We expect him to be our shortstop," but little consistency forced the trade for Pena. Bell said he wished Berroa would improve, improvement that came with a promotion after six weeks with Omaha.

"If he's doing great, we're going to see him with us or with somebody else. If he is doing well, I'd have no problem at all putting him in the lineup again," Bell said on March 24.

Berroa was hitting .303 with a .336 on-base percentage and a .369 slugging average with four walks and 17 strikeouts for Triple-A Omaha before the call-up.

Gload, the team's primary first baseman against right-handed batters after Shealy hurt his hamstring, also tweaked his quadriceps earlier this season and hurt it again Sunday. Gload was batting .284 and was tied with Mike Sweeney for the team lead in RBI (17).

After winning 11-1 over the White Sox on Sunday afternoon, the Royals begin a four-game trip against the Athletics on Monday night in Oakland.

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YESSSS

I was worried I'd have to change my screen name.

by Berroa is the devil on May 14, 2007 9:32 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Both Shealy and Gload out

And still no Huber. Please just trade him for anything, Moore. This is painful to watch, and really unfair to the guy.

Berroa has only barely posted a .700 ops in AAA. Is that supposed to warrant a promotion?

by marbotty on May 14, 2007 10:23 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Another angle from this article

From reading that, if Gordon is going to play some first now, just exactly when is Butler going to play? It kinda sounds like he will only start versus left handed starting pitchers to me. If that's the case, for CHRISTSAKES send him back down to Omaha to play every day! He's 21, and YOU JUST DON'T DO THIS TO YOUR BEST PROSPECT!!!!!

Where the HELL is GMDM on this decision? How can he allow this stupidity with Butler????????????

by loyal2s dad on May 14, 2007 10:29 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Have to Agree

our young studs need to play everyday regardless. Why not Huber? We know what Berroa can do, and we know even more about what he can't. I guess the Royals need to trade Huber to a team that will get him a chance. And above all get a manager that will give playing time to young players that will benefit from it and improve, not give playing time to veteran riff-raff that are at the level that they will be at and not improve.

lordbyronk

by lordbyronk on May 14, 2007 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm sure GMDM has a plan

but BB has the gameday authority on how players are used. So even if GMDM is thinking that Butler will come up and play everyday BB can usurp that (to an extent) by not putting his name on the line-up card. The GM's job is responsible for who is on the team and the manager is responsible for how that team is used. But I agree, if BB decides to play Berroa instead of Butler two things should happen: first Butler should be sent down and bring up someone who doesn't fit into out long term plans to ride the pine, and secondly BB should be fired.

by EricConley on May 14, 2007 11:08 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Why in the hell Berroa?

Compare and contrast these three players. All can play SS and 3B. Cortez can even play 2B and 1B. (Stats from Omaha's latest)

Fernando Cortez 2B 34 111 24 35 4 1 3 9 50 15 21 4 0 .397 .450 .315 .847 1
Mike Aviles SS 36 140 19 44 6 2 2 23 60 13 12 1 2 .365 .429 .314 .794 4
Angel Berroa SS 30 122 15 37 5 0 1 15 45 4 17 2 1 .336 .369 .303 .705 5

So, why is Bull back up. Could it be his salary is driving the Walmart boys crazy? Or, could GMDM really be shopping him as a utility infielder. I know none of these three are in our long range plans. But, if you want versatility then Cortez is way above Bull.

I just don't understand this at all.

by grudz69 on May 14, 2007 11:22 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Fernando Cortez

If you look at his previous years, his numbers are terrible (as in an OPS below 570). So I am guessing he's playing way above his head right now and will crash and burn soon.

by Berroa is the devil on May 14, 2007 11:57 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

FIRE DAYTON MOORE!

Just kidding, but I'm really confused as to how he constructs a roster. Who's going to play 1B? Sweeney? With his awful glove and injury history? Gordon? With him struggling at the plate in his first MLB season? Butler? At a position he's never played before?

What gives? What did Justin Huber do to deserve this?

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on May 14, 2007 12:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Long term plan

I really think GMDM has a long term plan. He recognized before the season started that we didn't have enough to really win this year so he tried to strike the perfect balance of giving the youth the experience they needed to figure into the long term plan and show case the vets so that he can wheel and deal at the deadline. Comin gfrom Atlanta I know GMDM knows how to put a team together when he has teh resources to do it but right now he just doesn't have the bullets in the gun to put a good team out there so he's trying to make sure he gets a few more bullets back. I think we'll see a much more well rounded (and younger) team in August September than we have right now.

by EricConley on May 14, 2007 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Don't get me wrong

I too think GMDM has a good longterm plan. It's just frustrating when so many key pieces to that plan are struggling like they are. If he can swing a deal with some of the excess veterans by the deadline, I would be even more impressed.

lordbyronk

by lordbyronk on May 14, 2007 2:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

From perusing the daily boxscores,

I think Huber may be hurt (again) or something - he hasn't been in the boxscore for at least the last several days, if not longer.

Not to defend recalling Berroa (because one could convincingly argue it is indefendable), but perhaps Cortez and Aviles are not on the 40 man roster? I don't think either is, so the choice probably came down to Berroa or Blanco, and perhaps Berroa being able to play 3B tilted the issue slightly in his favor...

Again, not defending it, just offering up an explanation for what GMDM may have been thinking...

by loyal2s dad on May 14, 2007 2:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Correct

You're correct that Aviles & Cortes are not on the 40-man roster. Obviously, Berroa still is.

by Chico Lind with pants on on May 14, 2007 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Huber is on the DL in Omaha

So I retract my criticism re: Huber.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on May 14, 2007 4:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Have to ask the question,

how much better is Jr? Offensively, he is Berroa without the occasional power. Defensively he is on pace for more errors than Berroa last year, with the same penchant for blowing the routine play and HORRIBLE BASE RUNNING (ran into 2 outs yesterday, plus the idiotic play at 2B the other day, to name a few). Face it, if Berroa was having the same performacne everyone would be calling for his head.

Only advantage of Pena has been some additonal range and nice plays in the hole. I do think this makes him better, but honestly, overall it's pretty close. Just saying.

by chukar on May 14, 2007 8:07 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I honestly believe Pena has saved more than enough

runs. At least saved more baserunners. Berroa just watches balls go past him. I don't think he's dived since 2005.

by mazoboom on May 14, 2007 8:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

buddy's response

"We're happy to get him back," Bell said. "He's very deserving of it."

I don't even know what to say.

by Moose Tacos on May 15, 2007 4:56 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

That is one of the stupidest things Fuddo has

ever said. "He deserves it" What he deserves is to be on another teams bench.

by grudz69 on May 15, 2007 10:32 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I mean,

I guess you have to support your players (except Andres Blanco), but this just makes me shudder.

by Moose Tacos on May 15, 2007 11:22 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

What he deserves...

is to have Neifi Perez's career.

lordbyronk

by lordbyronk on May 15, 2007 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If the Devil

Ends up in a World Series, I will throw a fit.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on May 15, 2007 2:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Loyalty from a manager is admirable.

But, this is just sick...

by grudz69 on May 15, 2007 11:26 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

OHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOO

That is all.

A mind without purpose will walk in dark places.

by NHZ on May 15, 2007 12:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

While I agree that

Pena is not an upgrade offensively from Berroa, and that he seems destined to commit roughly an equivalent number of errors, I have to disagree with the overall assessment that his is just as bad defensively as Berroa was.

It's too early in the year for statistical significance; never the less, looking at most defensive metrics (including my favorite, zone rating) will show that he is an improvement over Berroa defensively. Looking at that subjectively, and even counting in the 9 errors, I firmly believe he is a better defensive shortstop than Berroa.

Should he be a starting shortstop in the majors? That's a different issue, and barring some significant improvement with his plate discipline (and that's not likely given his track record and current age), I would say no, he shouldn't be a major league starter, and no, he most likely will not improve enough to justify ever being a major league starter.

by loyal2s dad on May 16, 2007 4:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs