Secrets of the AL Central, V

by royalsreview on Sep 24, 2008 12:45 PM EDT Comment 27 comments

The AL Central in September:

ROYALS: 15-8
Indians: 14-8
White Sox: 9-11
Twins: 8-12
Tigers: 5-15

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Sounds like a New RR t-shirt to me

STILL LOYAL TO THE (small print [September]) 2008 AL CENTRAL CHAMPS

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Sep 24, 2008 12:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

we haven't clinched yet

Just .5 games up

Kansas City Royals: your 2006 and 2007 NL Central champions!

by mazoboom on Sep 24, 2008 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

everyone knows

it is what you do in September that really counts!

The concept of progress acts as a protective mechanism to shield us from the terrors of the future. - Collected sayings of Muad'Dib

by buddyball on Sep 24, 2008 12:55 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

CLUTCH ROYALS

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Sep 24, 2008 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Royal Blue Pride

The concept of progress acts as a protective mechanism to shield us from the terrors of the future. - Collected sayings of Muad'Dib

by buddyball on Sep 24, 2008 12:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Where's the strike-interrupted 1981 season when you need it?

Maybe that’s how we could make the playoffs again one day – just as long as we can declare when the 1st “half” ends and the 2nd “half” begins.

(For you younger posters, research 1981 – it was quite the travesty, IMHO)

by loyal2sdad on Sep 24, 2008 1:14 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

BTW

Royals are actually 15-7 in September, not 15-8.

by loyal2sdad on Sep 24, 2008 1:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

sounds kind of like spring training

Don't forget to send your broken maples to the US Forest Service.

by 306008 on Sep 24, 2008 1:38 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

reverse extended spring training...

Is that then, “pretended Spring Training?”

Don't Stop Believing!

by KC Chris on Sep 24, 2008 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Two more wins

And we have our most wins in a month since August 1995 when we went 17-13.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Sep 24, 2008 2:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

…we shouldn’t change a thing in the off season. I mean, the Tigers haven’t packed it in or anything. They’re still competing for their all-world manager. No way that they’re just playing out the string. Right? – TL

by timlacy on Sep 24, 2008 3:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Shouldn't we also

Be playing out the string?

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Sep 24, 2008 3:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Young teams are less...

…likely to play out the string than a veteran one. – TL

by timlacy on Sep 24, 2008 3:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Did anyone say that the Royals are better than the Tigers going forward or that this good month means the team doesn’t need signifcant improvements?

But you should realize that the Tigers have big problems, including but not limited to pitching and key players aging and declining or facing decline.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by NYRoyal on Sep 24, 2008 4:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

And

They mortgaged their farm system for Cabrera/Willis and have now been ordered to cut payroll.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Sep 24, 2008 4:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, they gambled and overspent their means and now they have to cut back

Remember when we were worried that Detroit and Cleveland were going to dominate this division for the next 5+ years? I’m not saying they are bad teams, but this should be a winnable, competitive division for the foreseeable future.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by NYRoyal on Sep 24, 2008 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

My being a smart-alek...

…is the product of another thread here where we were deserved an excessive celebration penalty with regard to the month of September (e.g. GobbleforCyYoung’s post).

But I obviously love it that we’re playing better. And we did have two good series against Cleveland and the White Sox. Both of those most certainly mean something. – TL

by timlacy on Sep 24, 2008 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think the idea that we are just a couple players away from the playoffs is a minority position. A pretty small minority.

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by NYRoyal on Sep 24, 2008 5:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

What if the two players are Lance Berkman and Nick Markakis?

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Sep 24, 2008 5:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe if they are Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig (via a Wayback Machine)

This is just my opinion. I could easily be wrong.

by NYRoyal on Sep 24, 2008 5:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah...

I guess even 10-11 wins would still get this team just over .500.

Maybe Dayton could convince Sabean that Linecum is going to get hurt, and send him HOchevar for him?

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Sep 24, 2008 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

fire it up, Sherman!

The concept of progress acts as a protective mechanism to shield us from the terrors of the future. - Collected sayings of Muad'Dib

by buddyball on Sep 24, 2008 7:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

There's no excuse for any professional team playing out the string.

But if the Tigers want to finish below the Royals, that’s fine with me!

by jbrocato on Sep 24, 2008 3:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree, that was...

…just the skeptical pragmatist in me talking. We just can’t forget that while intensity is here, it is not the same as when teams are jockeying in April, May, June, and July—-depending on who are in the races and who aren’t. – TL

by timlacy on Sep 24, 2008 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If it isn't the Peerless Leader Trey, it was Alex Gordon

Yeah, me. Someone, I’ve become a big fan of one of the least charismatic players in the league.

But since Gordon came back, Royals are 8-2. And one of those losses he sat out. Yeah, he’s hitting .323 /.382 /.645/1.028. Of his 10 hits, 2 are homers, 4 and doubles. Unless I’m crazy, it seems his defense has been a bit better, too.

More importantly, he’s ended the Teahen at 3B thing, which means Teahen’s back in the OF, which means better OF defense (no more German in the OF) and slightly better 3B defense. It also means that Trey can’t play Guillen at DH as easily, forcing him into the outfield (although that hasn’t completely stopped him, and it isn’t clear if Guillen “helps” the team more in the OF given his defense) due to the Butler/Kila/Shealy logjam (well, I guess it’s mostly been at an excuse to sit Butler for being such a locker room cancer).

Yeah, I guess Shealy’s rally-killing homers every game have helped a little, too. Also Greinke’s Steven Segal-esque demolition of the remains of the AL Central. Or DDJ’s hatred of watching other guys stand around on the bases, forcing him to drive them in (isn’t he over .400 with RISP? — BETTER THAN ADAM DUNN, BABY!). it wasn’t until Alex came off the DL that the streak really got legs…

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by devil_fingers on Sep 24, 2008 4:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs