Royals Win Again - Bannister is Who We Thought Davies Was
by royalsreview on May 7, 2009 4:49 PM EDT
in News
131 comments
The Royals continued their recent mastery over the Seattle Mariners today at the K, thanks in large part to a career start from Brian Bannister, who struck out seven and walked only one in six innings. Considering that he'd only managed seven strikeouts in his previous eighteen innings this season (against 10 walks) Bannister's afternoon was stunningly successful.
(Personally, I credit Miguel Olivo's game-calling skillz. He's that good. John Buck would have led to twenty Seattle runs...)
The Royals cooled off a bit offensively, but still scratched out enough offense against He Went to Jarrod Washburn and some random dude out of the Seattle bullpen.
With two more victories over Seattle, the Royals are now stronger in Wyoming than they've been in decades, with the Mariners forced back to damn near the western border, if not out of the state entirely in many places. According to reports, the municipal water supply in Grass Creek will be died powder blue later tonight, to celebrate the glory of the Royals.
Soria was not especially awesome. People seem worried.
The Royals are 18-11. They are in first place.
(static... )
My internet signal is breaking up, we now return --
Manny Ramirez... Brett Favre... Bulls-Celtics Greatest Ever... Zack Greinke was depressed three years ago... Brett Favre... Manny Ramirez impotence joke....
1 recs |
131 comments
Email
Print
Comments
Can I request a moratorium on "first"?
Unless you are speaking of the Royals place in the standings…
WTF, self?
by minda33 on May 7, 2009 4:52 PM EDT reply actions 14 recs
Rec'd for beautiful reasons
Kansas City Royals: your 2006 and 2007 NL Central champions!
by mazoboom on May 7, 2009 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
sure mazoboom
you may be a suitor to my daughters, mainly because you rec’d this post
one’s a psycho
one’s active duty US Navy (girl after daddy’s pwn heart)
the other is a single mom (mom of the other light of my life)
Yeah? From what I hear, you couldn't hit water if you fell out of a f@#%ing boat.
by BillyMojo on May 7, 2009 5:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
which one looks like the overflow girl?
Kansas City Royals: your 2006 and 2007 NL Central champions!
by mazoboom on May 7, 2009 5:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm going with the pyscho
(his label, not mine)
by royalsreview on May 7, 2009 7:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm guessing that's a good guess
I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.
by devil_fingers on May 7, 2009 7:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
you are both correct sirs
Yeah? From what I hear, you couldn't hit water if you fell out of a f@#%ing boat.
by BillyMojo on May 8, 2009 8:13 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
You can, and I concur wholeheartedly
I’ve never understood it.
"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
by Sweep_the_Leg on May 7, 2009 4:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
you get a fourth rec
for what it’s worth, and from the overflow thread I see that when emotions are high it’s okay to be a pottymouth occasionally!
Yeah? From what I hear, you couldn't hit water if you fell out of a f@#%ing boat.
by BillyMojo on May 7, 2009 5:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Great USC pitchers.
1. Randy Johnson
2. Brian Bannister
174. Mark Prior
by Uscbalto on May 7, 2009 4:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Where's Mark McGwire on that list?
I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal.
by kcscoliny on May 7, 2009 4:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
YEY!!!
In the Royals game of life, Neifi Perez is the rake.
by Matty486 on May 7, 2009 4:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
In other news...
Banny started hot last year and then flamed out hard and fast later on. Chances that happens this year?
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway - An Onymous
by ratherfantastic on May 7, 2009 4:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Is this a post about Manny's viagra usage?
by Uscbalto on May 7, 2009 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
ZING!
but really this is about Banny’s pitching
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway - An Onymous
by ratherfantastic on May 7, 2009 4:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Definitely possible.
But what if, say, the Royals win half the games started by Davies/Banny/Hoch/Pontoon? And more than half of the Greinke/Meche games? I mean, we don’t have to count on Banny being this effective all the time to enjoy a pretty Fing awesome season.
by stuckinstl12 on May 7, 2009 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Still can't wait for Luke to come up...
Ponsoon hasn’t sold me yet
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway - An Onymous
by ratherfantastic on May 7, 2009 5:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
you mean you're still considering buying?
you might be alone on that one
by RoyalsFanInBillings on May 7, 2009 7:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeaaaah...
guess you’re right.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway - An Onymous
by ratherfantastic on May 7, 2009 8:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
FWIW, he also started out hot in 2007
I think 2009 will be somewhere in between his 2007 and 2008 results.
The immoderate moderator
by NYRoyal on May 7, 2009 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
ruin it, please
In the Royals game of life, Neifi Perez is the rake.
by Matty486 on May 7, 2009 4:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
18-11? Really?
Does anyone know if Banny will pitch Tuesday and we skip Ponson, or will Ponson get to start again and everyone will get an extra day of rest.
In the Royals game of life, Neifi Perez is the rake.
by Matty486 on May 7, 2009 4:55 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
extra day of rest...
puts Zack as the starter Friday: Zack, Buck Night + Fireworks = craziest crowd this season at the Kougar.
by nkkc on May 7, 2009 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes, and it better be an extra day of rest
I bought decent tickets for next Friday specifically because I assumed it was going to be Zack’s next home start.
"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
by Sweep_the_Leg on May 7, 2009 4:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
"The Kougar" will never catch on, mercifully
by sterlingice on May 7, 2009 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Hopefully.
I always think of Madonna when that name comes up, and that’s not the image I want of the K.
by hunter s. royal on May 7, 2009 5:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
You don't think
Smellinger has enough reach to pull it off?
by stuckinstl12 on May 7, 2009 5:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Mellinger
seems to becoming more readable lately(like he’s stealing ideas from this site) but that idea is major fail. The Royals organization seems so conservative, I can’t imagine they’d let that nickname take hold.
by hunter s. royal on May 7, 2009 5:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
i had the same suspicion of stealing ideas.
i actually started to create a fanshot about it. Alas, I abandonded it due to having to get soem work done.
Don't Stop Believing!
by KC Chris on May 7, 2009 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I've got tickets for Friday
So my vote is don’t skip anyone. I want to see Greinke…
by Big Guy on May 7, 2009 4:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Screw you all :)
They have to skip Ponson to set up Greinke pitching on Memorial Day when I’m going to probably my only game of the season.
by KCScuba on May 7, 2009 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
As long as someone is Davies...
I don’t really care who it is.
by djk royal on May 7, 2009 4:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Well, assuming it's not Greinke or Meche
"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
by Sweep_the_Leg on May 7, 2009 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
This is exciting!
I’m a huge Cubs fan, love da RedSox & cheering for the Royals since the 80’s!
I rather watch the Royals than the Cubbies
GO ROYALS 7 GAMES OVER WOW!
"Loyal? I'm the most loyal player money can buy."
- Dodgers, Astros, Brewers, A's & Angels pitcher Don Sutton
by CubFreak on May 7, 2009 4:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Last time we were 7 games over
September 25, 2003
Chaim Mattis Keller New York City's # 1 Royals fan!
by cmkeller on May 7, 2009 5:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
who was winning the division then?
Yeah? From what I hear, you couldn't hit water if you fell out of a f@#%ing boat.
by BillyMojo on May 7, 2009 5:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
i'm happy
bookies all across this great nation scratch their heads, shrug and start taking odds on weather we fold before or after the all-star break.
"red bull is amaZing" -Coco Crisp
by grantfunk on May 7, 2009 5:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
it doesn't seem real...
that the Royals are 18-11. I feel like I should take a snap shot of this moment and save it forever. I almost feel guilty the way they are winning some of the games. Somehow this year, especially during the last 10 games that nearly everything is going their way. Winning close games, winning low scoring games, winning high scoring games, winning extra inning games. So hard to get used to, but I like it.
go royals
by daverclear on May 7, 2009 5:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I wasn't able to watch...
did Soria look as bad on TV as he did on Gameday?
And do we have any armchair trainers/doctors that can wildly speculate on what is wrong with his shoulder? At some point, the problem stops just being “soreness,” “tightness,” or “stiffness” and becomes “injuryness.”
"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
by Sweep_the_Leg on May 7, 2009 5:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
He did not look good.
Poor control mostly. He was missing fastballs on the outer corner by a foot, and his slow curve was erratic. He also seemed quite uncomfortable on the mound, fiddling around between pitches longer than normal. Either seemed a bit physically ill, or perhaps just disgusted over his unusual ineffectiveness.
by hunter s. royal on May 7, 2009 5:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
agreed about fiddling between pitches.
I was at the game and kept waiting for Hillman to come out of the dugout. It felt like that was what Soria was waiting for.
If you were thinking, you wouldn't have thought that.
by Warden11 on May 7, 2009 7:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
He just needs to pitch through it
They’ve done all the MRIs, etc. They’ve let him rest. At some point in any rehab, you have to work through pain to get back.
For example, did you read where Gordon was on an exercise bike the same day he had his surgery on his hip? Sometimes it’s worse to sit around an let things tighten up than it is to risk “further injury”.
Soria looks like his stamina is down a little bit and he definitely looks like he doesn’t have full confidence in his stuff yet. He didn’t throw all his pitches either. It looked like mostly fastballs, which isn’t his dominant stuff.
by Big Guy on May 7, 2009 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It just didn't look like I've ever seen Soria before
After the first two batters, he was laboring to find the strike zone. He looked frustrated. He took longer between pitches. It didn’t look like him at all. Something isn’t right with him physically.
The immoderate moderator
by NYRoyal on May 7, 2009 5:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It's like I asked in the overflow thread
Is it time to DL him and shut him down completely for a couple of weeks?
I’m not thrilled with our other bullpen options but I don’t want to ruin his arm for the rest of the season and rest of his contract.
by sterlingice on May 7, 2009 5:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'd evaluate him over the next few days and seriously consider shutting him down completely for a couple weeks and a 15-day DL stint
The immoderate moderator
by NYRoyal on May 7, 2009 5:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Clearly his stamina is down
because he’s been used too much lately. (don’t know how to do the sarcasm font)
What other purpose could shutting him down have after he’s been cleared medically? The guy needs to pitch. They’ve been plenty careful with him already.
by Big Guy on May 7, 2009 5:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
If he's getting tight or sore when he's pitching, then there is a physical problem
My guess is that he is getting tight or sore and that is why he suddenly can’t find the plate. Being “cleared medically” doesn’t necessarily mean that a player is fully healthy. It just means that they don’t know that he has a physical problem or that they can find it. Often you don’t know until the player pitches. I think he showed today that something is still wrong.
The immoderate moderator
by NYRoyal on May 7, 2009 5:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
as with Alex
being allowed to play through pain that eventually required surgery
And my suspicions even though Gil has no reason to lie about it in interviews “lower back” aches
And Waechter’s “lateral strain”
And dare I say it, Joakim’s shoulder stiffness
We’re nearly 20% into the season and we’ve won right at two-thirds of our games. And someone else posted our record up to now and included last September. That skews things a bit but there’s no question, this is a hot team.
My point is this, do we have a weakness at ‘medical staff’?
Yeah? From what I hear, you couldn't hit water if you fell out of a f@#%ing boat.
by BillyMojo on May 7, 2009 6:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
My point is this, do we have a weakness at ‘medical staff’?
Perhaps. Or maybe it is just injuries happening. Hard to say.
The immoderate moderator
by NYRoyal on May 7, 2009 6:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
carroll wrote earlier this spring that the med staff was pretty bad...
but hey, this org has been so great across the board the last decade, i’m sure there was nothing there
by royalsreview on May 7, 2009 7:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I remember Rany writing about it a year or so ago as well.
"Things could always be worse." - Buddy Bell
by buddyball on May 7, 2009 10:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm sure the grounds crew and the parking lot attendants have sucked too
Apparently they all have the taint of an organization that “doesn’t do things the right way.” All hail the right way.
The immoderate moderator
by NYRoyal on May 8, 2009 1:14 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It has never made me feel good
that our “trainer” is that big fat guy that huffs his way out to the field every once in awhile. I guess it shouldn’t matter. The guy can be a medical genius and just not take care of himself. But, for some reason it just doesn’t seem right. If I’m a player, why should I listen to that guy?
Royals baseball. Where .260 would be orgasmic.
The General Theory of Royaltivity
by kabrink on May 7, 2009 8:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
and good gosh people may I be a calm voice of reason
Juan KKKruz is a very reasonable alternative. (for a bit)
Don’t get a cerebral aneurism over it just yet.
And it may be just a case of an off day. We can’texpect Soria to be nothing but whiff-whiff-whiff game over every inning?
Oh man how these threads are going to light up when ZacKKKKKKKKKK walks two in one inning and then K’s the #3 batter only to give up a 3-run tater to the cleanup guy in the first inning of a game, then settles down and gets all the next 26 batters in order and we still win 4-3 in the next start he makes here at home. OH NO HE NEEDS MEDICAL ATTENTION!!!!
Yeah? From what I hear, you couldn't hit water if you fell out of a f@#%ing boat.
by BillyMojo on May 7, 2009 5:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
+100
Juan KKKruz is a very reasonable alternative.
He’s a damned good alternative. He’s not Soria good. But he’s “good closer” good. And it’s not like most closer save situations are high leverage. They aren’t.
The immoderate moderator
by NYRoyal on May 7, 2009 5:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
To a point
Oh, I agree that Cruz could do a good job closing and that’s part of why everyone was so excited for his signing- he has Proven Closer™ stuff and could do it.
I’m not as excited about everyone moving up a role in the bullpen. So who does that make your other high leverage guy, the guy who takes Cruz’s spot?
- Tejada? Walks could be a problem, but dude can get a K
- Mahay? He’d have been my choice if he were still pitching like early last year. But since the injury he just hasn’t been right.
- Wright? Keeps him from being able to do 2 and 3 inning stints when necessary. Is he really good if you put him in the 8th inning type role?
- Farnsworth? How could that go wrong?
- Ho-Ram, other fluff…
Again, I’m not opposed to sending Soria to the DL. Heck, I suggested it. But it’s not as simple as a smooth transition when everyone else moves up a slot in the pen.
by sterlingice on May 7, 2009 5:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m not as excited about everyone moving up a role in the bullpen. So who does that make your other high leverage guy, the guy who takes Cruz’s spot?
Wright and Tejeda would do very well in the 8th inning and/or fireman role. And Mahay can handle lefties.
But it’s not as simple as a smooth transition when everyone else moves up a slot in the pen.
As the Royals have, IMO, multiple good relievers, I think the transition would be very smooth. Sure the bullpen would lose its best pitcher and that’s not a good thing. But there are multiple good pitchers to pick up the slack. The bullpen wouldn’t be as good without Soria. No question. But it would still be good. And with potentially Rosa getting the call with Soria out, the front end of the bullpen gets better.
The immoderate moderator
by NYRoyal on May 7, 2009 6:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Rosa coming up
…would be interesting.
And I know you know the points I made. I just needed to crystallize them in my head. We do have multiple good pitchers in the pen but there seems to be this odd comfort level that comes with the witchcraft of bullpen building and that’s what I’m concerned about.
I was just thinking back to 2007 and correct me if my memory has grown fuzzy. It seemed like having Dotel as a placeholder in the closer spot made all the difference in the world between the first two months and the next two months. It freed up Greinke to be that high leverage guy for the actual dangerous situations. Soria was able to move into a more comfortable role and drastically improved, tho some of that has to be his maturation in his rookie year. Riske and Gobble pitched well and Peralta was pretty good, too. So, similar situation- lots of good arms. But for the first two months, the bullpen was lost but when Dotel got off the DL, it just clicked as everyone settled into better roles.
Now maybe that’s baseball parlance for Buddy Bell didn’t know what the heck to do with his pen for the first 2 months. A corollary to that is maybe Zack was just so good out of the pen that year that once Buddy learned how to use him right, in a somewhat non-traditional role, it helped everything else fall into place. I’m perfectly willing to accept that.
Or that the drop from Dotel to whoever took his spot (Bale? Nunez? Other? I forget) was a big drop. But I remember thinking Dotel wasn’t all that great- 3rd or 4th best in the pen. It was just that he was Proven Closer™ so he got that role.
I’m probably just looking at a situation with too many moving parts and trying to draw a single conclusion from it.
by sterlingice on May 7, 2009 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I was just thinking back to 2007 and correct me if my memory has grown fuzzy
You were right about the Dotel making the second two months better than the first two months. An additional good reliever helps. But there’s also the third two months of that season without Dotel. IIRC, the bullpen was great in that period.
The immoderate moderator
by NYRoyal on May 7, 2009 6:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
No, it's very true
I think I couched my comments in the overflow thread- asking someone who had actually seen the game if they saw something physical.
by sterlingice on May 7, 2009 5:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Viva la victoria de las Chagos Archipeligo!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chagos_Archipelago
They already got the color scheme right
by Official Arrowhead Pride Parade on May 7, 2009 5:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
man whatta flashback
Patrol Area off of the ROCK (Diego Garcia)
Yeah? From what I hear, you couldn't hit water if you fell out of a f@#%ing boat.
by BillyMojo on May 7, 2009 5:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
yay team!
where tpj used to happen but no longer does due to his current dl status.
by blue bandwagon on May 7, 2009 5:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
who here used Jared for their engagement ring?
by royalsreview on May 7, 2009 5:11 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Her friend is pretty dense
I would have gotten the hint when she asked the lame question about “What’s a 13 letter word for …”.
by Big Guy on May 7, 2009 5:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I did not patronize any brick-and-mortar jewelry business
I had no desire to pay even more for what was already the most expensive item I’ve ever purchased (Non-Financed Division) just to pay for even more terrible radio, print and/or TV jewelry ads or their rent/overhead.
"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
by Sweep_the_Leg on May 7, 2009 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
thats why im going to god damned africa
and mining that thing myself
by wildthang on May 7, 2009 7:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Went to the game..
It was good.. but the 20,000+ kids screaming got a bit annoying
Bloomquist. God? Or just an illusion? You be the judge.
by focs on May 7, 2009 5:11 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Sounds like my description of the last time I went to Sams Club
by Cairo on May 7, 2009 5:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thankfully at Walmart I can't understand the language they are yelling
I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal.
by kcscoliny on May 7, 2009 5:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Politically incorrect;
but absolutely true.
by hunter s. royal on May 7, 2009 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
or Chuckie Cheese
"Things could always be worse." - Buddy Bell
by buddyball on May 7, 2009 10:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
On tv it sounded like 20,000 12 year old girls
Not good.
The immoderate moderator
by NYRoyal on May 7, 2009 5:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
it wasn't all 12 year old girls,
a lot of under 12 year old boys. They scream just like the females.
If you were thinking, you wouldn't have thought that.
by Warden11 on May 7, 2009 7:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It amazes me that in all the years they pack all those kids in the upper deck for a game
they’ve never had any (major) incidents with one of more of them:
1. Falling down the stairs;
2. Falling over the railing into the lower bowl;
3. Falling off the top;
4. Climbing onto the light support/overhang structure.
It just must be a complete zoo up there. God bless the teachers/chaperones who put up with that for 3+ hours.
"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
by Sweep_the_Leg on May 7, 2009 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It's a chore.
But honestly, most of them are half asleep by the 3rd inning.
If you were thinking, you wouldn't have thought that.
by Warden11 on May 7, 2009 7:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
the beer helps with that.
Royals baseball. Where .260 would be orgasmic.
The General Theory of Royaltivity
by kabrink on May 7, 2009 8:47 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
mini sweep + mini sweep = something we haven't seen in awhile
go royals!
where tpj used to happen but no longer does due to his current dl status.
by blue bandwagon on May 7, 2009 5:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I have to admit..
this was the first time since i can remember i was actually worried about soria blowing that save.. he just was awful but still got out of it.. like great closers always do
Bloomquist. God? Or just an illusion? You be the judge.
by focs on May 7, 2009 5:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Thankfully even mediocre pitchers can save 3-run games
and a hurt Soria is still good enough for that
Kansas City Royals: your 2006 and 2007 NL Central champions!
by mazoboom on May 7, 2009 5:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
yeah isn't it great that
we can get him a 3 run lead once in awhile and not just a 1 run lead
i didn’t get to see it on TV but as saves go, it’s still a good save.
yeah I’ll admit I was a little nervous but fergwashsakes it wasn’t like in the recent past. In the recent past I would have just turned off the radio and said ‘fuck it it’s blown’
I really did expect an out somehow.
Nice that it came down to a “Battle of the Titans” so to speak, Mexicutioner vs. The Ichiromachine
Yeah? From what I hear, you couldn't hit water if you fell out of a f@#%ing boat.
by BillyMojo on May 7, 2009 5:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Toronto was hot, Seattle was hot
But the ROYALS took care of that.
bring on the Angels
I"M LOVIN’ IT!
"Loyal? I'm the most loyal player money can buy."
- Dodgers, Astros, Brewers, A's & Angels pitcher Don Sutton
by CubFreak on May 7, 2009 5:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
A Bannister question for anyone who watched the game
I watched the game and it didn’t look to me like he gave up even one hard hit ball. Maybe that one grounder to Aviles that he got the error on. Am I missing anything? It looked like the M’s hitters couldn’t square up on his pitches (all of which were moving). Missing bats is great. But you can also get a lot of mileage out of missing the sweet spot and inducing weak contact. And a pitcher’s low LD% isn’t luck.
The immoderate moderator
by NYRoyal on May 7, 2009 5:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Denny was
saying things like that throughout the game.
Said things like it seemed like they (except for Ichiro) were obsessed with trying to pull.
I don’t know how to exactly quote him on it but the general tone of his voice made it sound like they looked completely disgusting offensively.
I can quote one word he said, and I wish I could invoke the context. He said they were “hacking”.
Yeah? From what I hear, you couldn't hit water if you fell out of a f@#%ing boat.
by BillyMojo on May 7, 2009 5:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree with you
But keep in mind that the M’s looked generally AWFUL offensively. You could say the same thing about Ponson’s start last night if you take out like two hits.
Waiting for April.
by DC Royal on May 7, 2009 5:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Clearly he was helped a lot by the fact that the M's are a poor hitting team
But so far, he’s been doing this in all of his starts. He’s succeeding by inducing weak contact in the ways that pitchers can sustainably do that:
(before today’s game)
LD% 16.4% (19% is about average, and it will be lower after today’s game)
IFFB% 26.9% (not sure what average is for IF flyballs, but I know this is very, very high)
Studies have shown that neither LD% nor IFFB% are about luck. Pitchers have a great deal of control over those numbers. Now I’m not saying that Bannister is going to maintain a tiny ERA or that he’s an ace. He isn’t. But those who dismiss Bannister need to come to grips with the likelihood that he’s a decent MLB starting pitcher. How decent? We’ll see.
The immoderate moderator
by NYRoyal on May 7, 2009 5:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
i was at the game, had good seats
and the mariners looked awful at the plate
they weren’t really squaring up much, they were really pretty patient but when they got strikes they weren’t doing shit with them
realistically speaking
by slayor on May 7, 2009 7:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The strikes were on moving pitches that were difficult to hit
Banny’s cutter is actually pretty good. There’s a reason that Banny’s LD% has been low in each of his starts.
The immoderate moderator
by NYRoyal on May 8, 2009 1:15 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
now the question begs to be asked
since it was Banni and the Pwntoon Boat
was the pitching really that good or are the M’s bats really that crappy?
I watched “part” of last night’s game and Pwnsoon looked maybe a little better than his other starts, this time he got more run support early. Banni? Maybe we do have SOME genious genius office types that let him extend his spring until he’s really ready.
but it sounds like Seattle’s offense is melting down like ours used to.
Yeah? From what I hear, you couldn't hit water if you fell out of a f@#%ing boat.
by BillyMojo on May 7, 2009 5:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
was the pitching really that good or are the M’s bats really that crappy?
A bit of both. Neither Ponson nor Bannister are as good as their frankly dominating performances in the last two games. If they were really this good, they’d be aces. Against good hitting teams, they woudln’t have fared as well. But I think they both pitched well. And against better hitting teams, I still think they would have done well, certainly quality starts for each.
The immoderate moderator
by NYRoyal on May 7, 2009 6:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The M's did look bad.
But it’s not like Bannister was sharp. Threw almost 30 pitches in the first inning. A lot of high counts in the next few innings. Around the 4th, I was really worried about him making it to the 6th.
If you were thinking, you wouldn't have thought that.
by Warden11 on May 7, 2009 7:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
But it’s not like Bannister was sharp. Threw almost 30 pitches in the first inning. A lot of high counts in the next few innings.
I think he’s going to pitch like that all season. He know he doesn’t have the stuff to just throw pitches in the strike zone. He has to nibble. He has to work around the edges. And this is going to lead to some K’s and some walks. And it’s going to lead to a lot of poorly hit balls. This is going to lead to a lot of high pitch innings. That is quite possibly sharp enough to make him a middle-of-the-rotation starter. You don’t just get guys out by blowing them away with a 95 mph fastball.
The immoderate moderator
by NYRoyal on May 8, 2009 1:17 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
that's pretty much echoing
that JoPo blog
Yeah? From what I hear, you couldn't hit water if you fell out of a f@#%ing boat.
by BillyMojo on May 8, 2009 8:25 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Banny/Manny
Is Bannister stronger in the day light (ie Super Man )?
Is Manny actually a female, hence the steroids= estrogen supplements?
Which would be better in the sun?
by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on May 7, 2009 5:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
You Royals may think you have won, but the Mariners are the true moral victors.
Here’s why: Jeff Sullivan gets to update the Yuniesky Betancourt-Ichiro-Suzuki-Jamie Moyer unintentional walk counter. Moyer’s stuck at 4 BB, while Ichiro moves up to 3 BB and Yuni up to 2! Just look at how happy we are!
by Decatur on May 7, 2009 5:33 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
I love the Seattle Blog .gifs
so imaginative (unlike my generic ones found on the interwebs)
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway - An Onymous
by ratherfantastic on May 7, 2009 6:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
After 29 games in 2003
The Royals were 20-9. That’s where they reached the early-season peak 5.5 game lead. Then the slide down the standings started; they went 7-19 in their next 26 games, falling to 4.5 back before the pre-All-Star break charge.
We kinda need for the slide to not happen this year. The pre-break charge, on the other hand, may commence as planned.
This space for rent.
by jonfmorse on May 7, 2009 6:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
was at the game today too
- mariners looked awful at the plate, bannister was nibbling effectively. he did a good job
- dave owen needs to be moved off first base. the end
- is soria hurt? because he did not look comfortable
- billy butler is about to go 20 for 35, or something equally ridiculous
- mike jacobs cannot hit lefties
- good thing olivo can sac bunt
realistically speaking
by slayor on May 7, 2009 6:25 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Are we counting there that Billy is already 7 for his last 12?
by sterlingice on May 7, 2009 6:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
So he'll go
13 for 23, it’s all good.
This space for rent.
by jonfmorse on May 7, 2009 7:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
perhaps we need a baconator tied on a stick by a string of hope, to entice ole’ Billy to start smacking the yard ball.
by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on May 7, 2009 6:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Did somebody say HOPE?
Joe brings us hope. He’ll motivate Billy.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway - An Onymous
by ratherfantastic on May 7, 2009 6:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
*Jose*
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway - An Onymous
by ratherfantastic on May 7, 2009 6:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
how many games was his PEDs suspension
it was 50 was it?
by royalsreview on May 7, 2009 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It was only 15
Since it wasn’t from a random test. It came out in the media (San Fran paper), didn’t it?
by sterlingice on May 7, 2009 6:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
thanks...
obviously, the day’s big story had me trying to imagine what had happened with guillen…
by royalsreview on May 7, 2009 6:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
And his suspension was reduced to zero before opening day, IIRC
The immoderate moderator
by NYRoyal on May 7, 2009 6:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
i thought he actually sat out some time...
I guess I could google this
by royalsreview on May 7, 2009 7:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
He didn't
He was just a fat ass, because he assumed he wouldn’t be available for the first 2 weeks.
The Allard Baird of incisive internet discourse.
by kcbottom9th on May 7, 2009 7:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Another fantastic message from my Mariners fan friend....
Well, this is the beginning of the terrible end. M’s should be back to sucking now. My response? Play him off Keyboard Cat!"
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway - An Onymous
by ratherfantastic on May 7, 2009 6:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
As I was just watching on TV I could be wrong but....
I think Soria is OK, just rusty (as Trey would say.) After the first two outs, he faced Jr. and didn’t get either of the first two calls on the inside corner and had to go outside half on Jr. who can handle that anyday. It threw him to not be up in the count. He usually is. Had he got either of those calls it would have been a different inning.
by Steve Hovley on May 7, 2009 7:50 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Shaking the dust off
It is too be expected from a rust pitcher
Soria will be fine. Why, when calls aren’t going your way, would you not be afraid of pitching to Jr. I am a Royals fan deeper than the blood that stained Grass creek, but I grew up a Mariners fan in the 90s. By that I mean I was/am a Jr fan.
Soria is and will be the dominant RP he always was. But getting put into that situation first time out after some pain, man that would warm up even the ice in his veins a bit.
Glad to see him back! By the way how many games did we win where we didn’t need Soria? Calm down all, he’ll/the Royals will be fine.
by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on May 8, 2009 1:10 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Not to bring up the closer debate again
but Mellinger’s KC article today had some quotes from Trey about the Soria situation.
Trey said it was all due to rust, and that they would have to make sure that he was getting regular work.
Assuming Trey’s not lying about an injury again, one way to get around the regular work issue this year would be to make Soria the fireman. He’d pitch much more regularly than waiting around for the traditional 9th inning save.
Odds of this happening though: 0.2%
by Top Ramen on May 8, 2009 10:51 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
yeah, the disconnect
in the logic (Trey’s) is unreal.
Royals baseball. Where .260 would be orgasmic. [I was right! We're hitting .265 and we are fairly orgasmic right now.]
The General Theory of Royaltivity
by kabrink on May 9, 2009 1:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
Related FanPosts on Royals Review
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2009 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
