Royals Lose Again, Slide Closer to Last Place
by Freneau on May 30, 2009 9:45 PM EDT
in Kansas City Royals News
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PrintGil Meche had one of his best starts of the season, but thanks to a weak offensive night, some bad defense, and a nice start by Mark B----e (you learn to spell it if you care) the Royals lost again.
The Royals are now 23-26 on the season.
- Meche looked great tonight -- 7 IP, 5 Hs, 2 BBs, 7 Ks -- showing little of the signs of being "off" that many of us had seen, or thought we'd seen, the last month or so.
- There were three triples during the first four innings of this game and by my count only one of them was truly legit. The strangest involved Mitch Maier awkwardly leaping and missing a Jermaine Dye flyball.
- So none of us have any reason to doubt that the Royals will handle any possible injury to Coco Crisp absolutely flawlessly, right?
- The Bale inning was just a bizarre fifteen minutes, but the Cruz effort in the ninth was more troubling. Although the fifth run was caused by a Alexei Ramirez "single" off Bert's glove, the preceding run was all Cruz. Losing the game because the Getz, Fields, & Podsednik trio beats you is bitter. Of course, the Royals were paced by the Bloomquist-Maier combination all night, so ... well, I guess, nothing.
- Miguel Olivo had a big homer in this game, replacing John Buck after the latter left the game in one of the oddest Royals moments since the hives game for DDJ.
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crap
I think, without more carefully looking that the schedule, I’d have to say “no”
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.
We have Greinke versus the Sox tomorrow
Then monday off, and three at Tampa and Toronto. Neither team has been playing particularly well as of late.
"Do they have people that tall in Mexico?"
oops
misunderstood the question. Read it too quick. I thought it was if the Royals would finish .500
My bad. I retreat into temporary agnositicism on the question
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.
by Matt Klaassen on May 30, 2009 9:51 PM EDT up reply actions
The Indians series
That follows Toronto is the last AL one before the interleague stretch. I say we definitely hit .500 by virtue of winning 4 out of the next 9 and then beating up on NL teams.
"Do they have people that tall in Mexico?"
I can see the Royals beating up on TO a bit
are they going to miss Halladay?
Cleveland is still scary. They probably won’t make the playoffs, but I still think they’re the most talented team in the division, overall. Maybe equal with Detroit. That won’t be enough to make them serious contenders without a lot of luck, given the hole they’ve dug
Not sure what that means for the Royals
I’m lazy, who do the Royals have in interleague again besides the Cards?
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.
by Matt Klaassen on May 30, 2009 9:54 PM EDT up reply actions
Tomo Ohka is pitching for the Indians at the moment
I retract my statement above
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.
by Matt Klaassen on May 30, 2009 9:55 PM EDT up reply actions
I would bet money that Cleveland gets over .500
Questionable starting staff aside – and btdubbs, Ohka historically hasn’t been that bad – I think they’ve got the talent to dig themselves out of that hole.
"Do they have people that tall in Mexico?"
I don't see us beating NL teams up
this season. This team is struggling to score due to their lack of pop and impatience at the plate.
I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal.
if we get backk over .500
i’ll make a youtube video of me eating a royals hat
realistically speaking
I don't know how someone could logically watch this teams AB's and think
they could get above .500. IMPATIENT…Buerhle throws strikes but he wasn’t particularly sharp to start the game and they just helped him out. The BB have disappeared
I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal.
on the plus side,
I think I’m going to get to watch the Greinke-Tallet pitching duel up close this Friday
Perhaps I’ll figure out how to LiveBlog it…
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.
Didn't Mellinger try that and get a cease and desist from MLB?
by stuckinstl12 on May 30, 2009 10:00 PM EDT up reply actions
seriously?
I was just gonna make comments from my BlackBerry
of course, I use Bell, and the game is at Rogers Centre, so they might block out all other phones…
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.
by Matt Klaassen on May 30, 2009 10:01 PM EDT up reply actions
what's up with Crisp's injury situation?
that is really causing problems on both sides of the ball for the Royals
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.
I don't know
Some of these important front page jerks should get on that. :P
"Do they have people that tall in Mexico?"
yes I have
It’s not taht he’s good witht he bat, but that I think he’s better than Bloomquist, Maier, and Hernandez, some combination of which (at least two of them) will be hitting for as long as he’s out
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.
by Matt Klaassen on May 30, 2009 10:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Interleague will come back
they will get back over I think. I curse and swear my allegiance to them away several times a season (just like tonight) but I always come back the next day. The number of games that they just GIVE away really gets to me. A winnable game like tonight gets blown because of the simple fielding of two bunts. If they could figure out how to work pitchers for walks (like the Twins do) it would help them tremendously. I’m just tired of stupid mistakes that even little leaguers are taught to avoid. They give up 5 runs tonights but literally handed the White Sox 3 of them. At some point pride has to take over and you get sick of looking like a bunch of chumps. Instead of watching tomorrow’s game I’m going fishing instead. Maybe sitting out on a boat with a cooler, some tunes, and pulling in some largemouths will improve my outlook.
Hillman really has no problem not sugar coating anything...
in the post game interviews… Can’t imagine how he nearly lost the dugout last year
Are you telling me Jesus Christ cant hit a curve ball?
what's he saying?
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.
by Matt Klaassen on May 30, 2009 10:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Basically just threw Butler under the bus...
without checking the DVR he said something along the lines, that Buehrle didn’t beat us we gave it away. Said several times that (on Bulter’s blunder) that that is the way that play has been played for a long time.
Are you telling me Jesus Christ cant hit a curve ball?
by averagegatsby on May 30, 2009 10:05 PM EDT up reply actions
nice
well, he’s an older veteran guy, not really part of the team’s future…
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.
by Matt Klaassen on May 30, 2009 10:06 PM EDT up reply actions
My problem is that...
He comes down really hard on the tough plays that we should make but you never hear him rip players for blunders… Say anything Guillen has ever done.
Are you telling me Jesus Christ cant hit a curve ball?
by averagegatsby on May 30, 2009 10:08 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm agreeing with you
I guess Hillman subscribes to the “it’s not a mistake if the player’s nowhere close to the ball” theory fo fielding
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.
by Matt Klaassen on May 30, 2009 10:10 PM EDT up reply actions
well i mean shit everybody knows guillen has the range of a lawn gnome
no reason to talk about it in the postgame. but two fieldable bunts? yes, you talk about that stuff, because it’s plays that could have been made
realistically speaking
I think you can mention that they were mistakes...
but he really chastized Butler there, not Bale…
I think you mention it in the post game, then afterwords you take Bulter into the office and say “Hey Buddy… Come on” Not and I quote… “He should be comfortable with that play right now, play has been that way for a long time… He pushed it had a little momentum, thats not a new play”
Are you telling me Jesus Christ cant hit a curve ball?
by averagegatsby on May 30, 2009 10:13 PM EDT up reply actions
I know...
and I really think Hillman is going to slit his own throat if this season spirals out anymore… which means Gibbons will probably be our manager next year and Cito has proven how laughably bad he really was in Toronto
Are you telling me Jesus Christ cant hit a curve ball?
by averagegatsby on May 30, 2009 10:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Cito knows the secret, which is unfortuneatley why I suspect he didn't work
he doesn’t make a lot of moves, knowing how little it matters, which makes people think “HE ISN’T DOING ANYTHING!!!111”
which is dumb
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.
by Matt Klaassen on May 30, 2009 10:12 PM EDT up reply actions
well Hillman doesn't make a lot of moves either...
and the few that he does make are often questionable
Are you telling me Jesus Christ cant hit a curve ball?
by averagegatsby on May 30, 2009 10:14 PM EDT up reply actions
I think he reacts too much to hot/cold streaks, messes with the lineup in the wrong spots
Cito is more of “steady hand,” which I suspect (based on nothing but my oh-so-reliable “gut”) is at worst, “average” as a manager, and probably a bit better overall. I dunno, haven’t followed the Jays as closely this season. It will be fun to see Halladay come in second for the Cy again this season.
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.
by Matt Klaassen on May 30, 2009 10:16 PM EDT up reply actions
well in Hillmans defense...
His roster really doesn’t have a lot of wiggle room. Of course that could be a lit of Hillmans fault, but like it has been said a thousand times already, there are definitely players that could be brought up more usefult than the ones we have up
Are you telling me Jesus Christ cant hit a curve ball?
by averagegatsby on May 30, 2009 10:19 PM EDT up reply actions
also I doubt...
Cito ever intentionally walks TPJ
Are you telling me Jesus Christ cant hit a curve ball?
by averagegatsby on May 30, 2009 10:15 PM EDT up reply actions
between the two yeah.
both bunts SHOULD have been outs, and those were the winning and insurance run
Are you telling me Jesus Christ cant hit a curve ball?
by averagegatsby on May 30, 2009 10:08 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.
by Matt Klaassen on May 30, 2009 10:13 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
this proves the previous statement ridiculous right?
Are you telling me Jesus Christ cant hit a curve ball?
by averagegatsby on May 30, 2009 10:22 PM EDT up reply actions
not unless Butler improves
if he keeps bouncing between the blue line and .350, then he’s basically a Ken Harvey equivalent.
Butler’s the fattest man around who can’t use his strength to hit more home runs.
yes its unfortunate that power peaks at 22
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.
by Matt Klaassen on May 30, 2009 10:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Brady Anderson disagrees
Are you telling me Jesus Christ cant hit a curve ball?
by averagegatsby on May 30, 2009 10:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Butler hasn't been totally weak there
he got 25 homers hitting at the launching pad in High Desert.
But if he can top 15 this year, that’s nice. But it’s not really a sign of 30 HR power.
I don't think many of us expect that kind of HR power from
Butler. Personally, I expect him to get into the 20s yearly and supplement that with high averages and a decent walk rate. That’s still a heck of a hitter.
"Do they have people that tall in Mexico?"
I'll let people make that judgement for themselves
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.
by Matt Klaassen on May 30, 2009 10:23 PM EDT up reply actions
I would say so
Billy’s better than Harvey ever was right NOW, and has a lot of room for growth (not physically).
"Do they have people that tall in Mexico?"
Billy is good
but not good enough. If he was on a team with Youkilis, Ortiz, Manny, et al, sure he’d be fine but when he’s the best we’ve got? not good enough. i think that’s the problem we’ve got. too many just so-so players on the hitting side, and some with very poor defense.
I hereby resign from this post.
by Home Run Tony Cogan on May 30, 2009 11:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Are we really bitching about a 23 year old
that is hitting just below .300?
I understand the team is pretty shitty right now, but Billy isn’t deserving of a lot of blame. Yeah, he had a boneheaded play tonight. Shit happens.
If you were thinking, you wouldn't have thought that.
by Warden11 on May 30, 2009 11:54 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
+1
Couldn’t agree more…The line of players to bitch about starts quite a bit below the 23 year old
I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal.
IF HE’S NOT EVAN LONGORIA HE’S CRAP!!!111
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.
by Matt Klaassen on May 31, 2009 12:43 AM EDT up reply actions
Have you noticed what's up
with Manny and Ortiz lately? Your example isn’t so great at the moment.
Billy doesn’t have to be a superstar to be a good contributor.
"Do they have people that tall in Mexico?"
We need Tom Emanski
Jesus Fucking Christ.. is Butler high or what?
OF COURSE I CAN MAKE THIS PLAY STANDING A FEW FEET FROM THE BASE WITH THE RUNNER BEHIND ME, AND NOBODY IS GOING TO BE ON THE BASE BEHIND ME
Maybe they could use that drill where they throw the baseballs into the trashcans.
Does Emanski have a drill for working the count?
you didn't know?
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/49108
Are you telling me Jesus Christ cant hit a curve ball?
by averagegatsby on May 30, 2009 10:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Too fat to bend all the way over to field the ball
Where’s Pete LaCock when you need him?
Wasn't a good play, obviously
Anything’s better than Jacobs.
"Do they have people that tall in Mexico?"
WOW
finally looked at the Royals interleague… geez, they couldn’t fit The OKC RedHawks on to the schedule?
Other than STL, they get PIT, HOUR, ARI, and CIN?
Maybe I should be a bit more confident
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.
Big game if they happen to lose with Zack tomorrow this could
stretch out to a 7 game losing streak. The offense needs a big day tomorrow to try to get out of this funk.
I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal.
I agree
I guess we can just keeping hoping that Zack can keep putting up 0s and ones every game, but just in case he doesn’t…
Danks isn’t that great so far this year, but he’s a good pitcher, and a LHP, which will neutralize the Royals better hitters (Jacobs and DDJ are good. vs. RHP, Teahen actually has a higher OPS than either of them now, but he’s a lefty, of course). Callaspo, Butler, and Guillen have to "bring it’ tomorrow. Hopefully Olivo will also pick tomorrow to unleash some of his limited supply of offensive asskicking.
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.
by Matt Klaassen on May 30, 2009 10:09 PM EDT up reply actions
the question shouldn't be .500
should be will they finish in last place? this is 1/8 of the season we’re now talking about that they have been playing absolutely dreadful. the hitting is terrible, the defense is terrible, and the pitching has not been good enough to compensate. now 22nd un UZR (actually 16th last year-who knew?). our strand rate is among the worst in all of baseball. you would think that some of that would even out, but some of that is a function of defense. i did this same exercise last year, and i’ll do it again-you go through this roster and there are just too many places where there are holes, with no pluses to offset them. 2B, SS, possibly 3B, and probably a #5 starter are all places where we need to upgrade just to become a .500 team.
I hereby resign from this post.
by Home Run Tony Cogan on May 30, 2009 10:06 PM EDT reply actions
This is a team of destiny
You know what we need to do? We need to do it live.
FUCK IT – WE’LL DO IT LIVE!
by Royals Nation on May 30, 2009 10:06 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Just another example of why everyone should hate this Ass Hat
Are you telling me Jesus Christ cant hit a curve ball?
by averagegatsby on May 30, 2009 10:09 PM EDT up reply actions
"Now…put that in your [BLEEP]ing pipe and smoke it." -Hal McRae
"I was doing this when BJ was in his father's nutsack." -Renzo Gracie
already watching
Are you telling me Jesus Christ cant hit a curve ball?
by averagegatsby on May 30, 2009 10:27 PM EDT up reply actions
really wish I would have been in SF...
a couple weeks later so I could have seen a game at AT&T
Are you telling me Jesus Christ cant hit a curve ball?
by averagegatsby on May 30, 2009 10:27 PM EDT up reply actions
We need to start looking for spare infielders
Allard Baird would have probably traded for Shelly Duncan instead of Mike Jacobs
Im sure David Eckstein is available somewhere
Are you telling me Jesus Christ cant hit a curve ball?
by averagegatsby on May 30, 2009 10:36 PM EDT up reply actions
he's actually putting up a 0.5 WAR for SD at the moment
getting paid $500,000 less than Bloomy
Craig Coujnsell is getting the same as Eckstein, and playing better
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.
by Matt Klaassen on May 30, 2009 10:42 PM EDT up reply actions
and how many people here's head would explode...
if we traded for either of those guys
Are you telling me Jesus Christ cant hit a curve ball?
by averagegatsby on May 30, 2009 10:43 PM EDT up reply actions
well, to be fair-
We’d celebrate if we traded Willie Ballgame for them.
If you were thinking, you wouldn't have thought that.
no point in giving up anything for them
my point being that they were both free agents that people here (including myself) pointed to as preferable to Bloomquist at the time of the Bloomy contract fiasco
they aren’t good, but they’re better than Bloomquist, and cheaper
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.
by Matt Klaassen on May 30, 2009 10:45 PM EDT up reply actions
touche~!
the horrors of playing a replacement level player who’s actually making RL salary would be visited on the Royals (Maier). It’s sort of like a left-handed starter, as jackie ballgame might say:
“replacement level players much more valuable when signed to multi-year contracts”
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.
by Matt Klaassen on May 30, 2009 10:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Hey, you've got to overpay to got that kind of talent in KC
I assume it would’ve taken a 2/9.25 deal to get them here
And Albert Pujols just said...
Im Albert Fucking PooHoles, If I didn’t swing it wasn’t a strike
Are you telling me Jesus Christ cant hit a curve ball?
How long until Coco goes to the DL?
I suspect he plays at least once.. then goes on the DL the next day
Alberto Callaspo
does the team know if he has the arm to be an outfielder? because he doesn’t have the fielding skills to be a second baseman.
he hasn't been awful at 2nd
Are you telling me Jesus Christ cant hit a curve ball?
by averagegatsby on May 30, 2009 10:39 PM EDT up reply actions
okay, so we move Callaspo to the OF...
where there really isn’t room for him, then play Tug at 2nd?
Are you telling me Jesus Christ cant hit a curve ball?
by averagegatsby on May 30, 2009 10:41 PM EDT up reply actions
If he's actually slow, like everyone says, he'll probably struggle just as much in the OF.
Plus, I’m not sure his bat translates well to a corner OF spot.
WGN didn’t show a very good replay of the ball he dropped in the 8th(?). Was it a horrible play, as it looked?
by stuckinstl12 on May 30, 2009 10:41 PM EDT up reply actions
but it happened against the Giants
Are you telling me Jesus Christ cant hit a curve ball?
by averagegatsby on May 30, 2009 10:40 PM EDT up reply actions
The best team in the worlds with the greatest fans in the world led by the worlds greatest anouncers...
just said “Royals pounded by the White Sox 5 – 3”
Are you telling me Jesus Christ cant hit a curve ball?
just another reason to hate them
Are you telling me Jesus Christ cant hit a curve ball?
by averagegatsby on May 30, 2009 10:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Minor League Rule 5 selection
Cousin of the actor, lefty and former semi hard-throwing ChiSox prospect. Has bounced around the low minors for the last couple years. In my opinion, this is probably his last year in the organization. 5.77 ERA in High-A ball as a 26 year old? Fail.
by Royals Nation on May 30, 2009 11:34 PM EDT up reply actions
my uncle looks like a blond Ray Liotta... Kinda creepy sometimes
Are you telling me Jesus Christ cant hit a curve ball?
by averagegatsby on May 30, 2009 10:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Where would this team be if we had signed Orlando Hudson...
Are you telling me Jesus Christ cant hit a curve ball?
thats what Im getting at...
would Callaspo even made the 25 man? And would Teahen have been traded if we had a bonified 2B?
Are you telling me Jesus Christ cant hit a curve ball?
by averagegatsby on May 30, 2009 10:52 PM EDT up reply actions
calling in a research request
from the MLB.com board
I’m not a stat guy, so this is an honest question… Are errors killing this team?
It seems like every box score I see has AT LEAST one error, often multiple.
Are we on a pace to set any sort of record?
Are runs scoring off of these errors?
Do these run-scoring errors ultimately end up costing us games?
Anyone?
gotta figure out the ‘runs scored due to errors’ thing
I think it's more mental errors
like not hitting the cutoff man and not being able to convert two bunts into outs, that sort of thing. they’re not errors i don’t think, and not sure they factor into UZR either, but they’re killers. I know that Trey kind of aired out some players tonight, but he’s got a right to be frustrated. this team plays like absolute crap. ultimately it’s his job to get that fixed and get them playing up to their potential.
I hereby resign from this post.
by Home Run Tony Cogan on May 30, 2009 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Bradford Doolittle did an analysis on his KC Star blog
The short answer is no – Not many error lead directly to runs.
The real reason for the losses is that they can’t score more than 3 runs a games.
Boston College and Texas are in the 16th inning
2-2
I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal.
Bot. 17th.. I haven't seen anything like this at a NCAA regional
Pitching is usually fried and crispy by now.
Boston College with five hits in 17 innings?!
Today, we are all Honkballers.
19th inning
Texas reliever (Austin Wood) has pitched 11 innings of no-hit ball with 13 K’s.
BC reliever (Belfiore) has pitched 9.2 innings of three-hit ball with 11 K’s.
These guys are closers.
Today, we are all Honkballers.
Wood threw 146 pitches
they would NEVER do that in the pros
I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal.
having seen Texas play
I’m not shocked at this….they have great pitching and
not much offense……good luck to the loser of this game
trying to come back and win 3 games in 2 days…
I can't believe Wood is still in the game.
That’s ridiculous they are playing with his future.
I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal.
I know I can't believe it
Texas has had one scoring rally but BC really hasn’t been close
I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal.
his future is none of their concern
it’s their playoffs……….
by Fernando Vina School of Linguistics on May 31, 2009 7:32 AM EDT up reply actions
I am so glad
I did not see this Royal’s game in person. I was on the road. The fielding gaffes sounded excruciating on the radio. Even shiny, happy, Bob Davis was incredulous and denigrating to the involved players and Denny was simply disgusted.
I think my cub scout team once lost a game like that. I was embarrassed then.
Is it safe?
Its over for this year
The offense is terrible, the bullpen is falling apart, the defense is just awful and it appears we have only have 3 reliable starting pitchers. I don’t think it would be a stretch to say that this team will never be over 500 again this year. We are now in our comfort zone of 4th place and for the rest of the season will play to stay out of last. This team lacks leadership and does not know how to win games. This hurts because for the 1st time, this team had a chance to win the division in quite a while. I think now we can offically say “wait until next year”
When Thome came up with the bases loaded last night
did anyone else secretly want to see Kyle Farnsworth brought out to pitch in an opening day do over?
We’d get to hear Trey give the “I didn’t realize you were going to ask baseball questions” response again.
JoePo would write another article or two completely confused about the decision, and Mellinger would write a series of articles defending the decision and telling us how Trey knows better than everyone else.
Don't forget
“I hear a lot of whining about Kyle Farnsworth giving up game-winning taters, but I don’t hear to many compalints about those strikeouts he got against Chris Getz and Josh Fields.”
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.
by Matt Klaassen on May 31, 2009 10:40 PM EDT up reply actions
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