Lunchtime Royals Links: Where Flyballs Carry the Best Edition

your life will never be the same. I have 3 boys (12, 5, and 18 months) and couldn’t be happier. Best of luck to you!

I’m glad to see Moustakas heating up, but Hosmer has been awful in Wilmington. I’m really curious to see how many of the BA top 100 we have and where we rank overall. DM’s doing the right things but if it doesn’t produce results then we need to get somebody else in there.

I am going to make a bold prediction-the Royals will be very near or even slightly over .500 next year. Besides the fact that I’m looking through powder-blue glasses, I expect the bullpen to get fixed next year. I also expect the offense to get significantly better with continued improvement from Gordon (I’m actually starting to get excited about him, he seems to be turning a corner) and continued improvement from Butler. I don’t know what to think about the defense, b/c it will be very dependent on what moves DM makes (and I know that he hasn’t inspired confidence lately) but I really think we’ve seen the last of Jose Guillen in the field, at least every day. The one area that I think we may not see great improvement is defensively at catcher. If we go with Pena, he helps our offense but he isn’t great on defense. I also think that we’re a little due, this season has been bad for a lot of legitimate reasons, but I also think that we’ve had some bad luck and some of that is due to change. You heard it here first!!!

with the moved in fences, the park was crazy

I have to admit I don’t have the attention span to absorb the “carry” stuff right now,.

I will say that Brian Cartwright’s component park factors are very helpful (don’t know if they’re still avaiable for download, and/or if he’s going to update for the latest mods to the K), as they separate out not just by component, but by batter handedness.

They confirm what most would already suspect about the current K: it’s more like the “classic” K of the 70s and 80s — it is pretty neutral for run-scoring overall, while depressing HRs significantly and increasing hit rates on balls in play. So it’s going to slighlty favor hitting styles like DDJ’s and Butler’s, and be somewhat unfriendly to guys like Gordon (and very unfriendly to guys like Jacobs, as the K is even more unfriendlyto LH homer run hittesr than Dolphin stadium, especially ones who kinda stuck to begin with). That’s not meant as an explanation or excuse, just putting it out there. I don’t think it’s significant enough to say “wel, dump Gordon” or “resign Butler for 10 years” or anything, though.

Personally, I don’t think teams should go nuts about finding players to “suit their environment,” given that the other teams have to play there as well. It’s hard enough finding good players as it is, even for good GMs, and Dayton Moore is…. not good.

My “gut” instinct is that if you have to choose between a pitchers park and a hitters park, you’d want a pitchers park. It’s pure anecdotal, but I remember Barry Bonds saying he thought playing in big parks like Candlestick and SBC helped him really hone his hitting, since he knew he really had to wait for the right pitch to drive because he knew he’d really have to make solid contact (it also helps if you’re Barry Bonds, but you know what i mean). I also remember A-Rod saying he had to adjust moving out of GAB to New York because in Arlington you could “square up” less and still get some homers. Obviously, he digured it out enough to hit 48 jacks for NYA in 2005 and 54 in 2007, and, again, being A-Rod makes a difference.

Seems like having a hitters park, even like the pre-2004 K, can also mess with your young pitchers a bit too much.

As for players in particular, I think you just go with the best combination of offense and defense you can. So many “how to fix the Royals” articles I read say “they have to improve their offense so sign [slow slugger] for whatever he asks for!” or “we have to improve defense so move TEahen to first!” (Mellinger) without thinking about overall player value. Yes, a runs saved counts as much as one scored. But a run scored counts as one saved. The Royals defense would undoubtedly be much improved with an outfield of Paulo Orlando and Jose Duarte in place of Teahen and MITCH. But those guys would also hit like Willie Bloomquist (maybe!).

I do think defense, particularly outfield defense, is still undervalued relative to offense, but the window is closing for that (and the Royals aren’t even up to standard in the current market). Putting guys like DDJ, who are ~average defensive CFs, in the corner is a smart move anywhere — even if they have down years with the bat, or for the position, they more than make it up with defense. The “three CF outfield” isplaying to good results in Seattle, Tampa Bay, and elsewhere. I don’t think MITCH is a full-timer, but again, this would be true in most parks. That’s why is would have been good to get Ryan Langerhans when he was avaiable…

but now I’m rambling.

The quote ends with Glass’s vote of confidence.

unless it ends with wholesale dumpage of the FO, medical staff, and Mr. Hillman at end of year. Of course, if he continues to be an “involved” owner after a new staff comes in, it will make no difference and will still be BAD.

Manager Trey Hillman has come under fire from fans and the media. But Glass said Friday he has complete confidence in his general manager.

What does Trey Hillman coming under fire have to do with his confidence in DM?

I agree though, it’s never good when Glass says he wants to get more involved.

I want to watch them get swept in the NLDS again.