You'd think this was a parody...

by Bart41 on Jul 15, 2010 2:48 PM EDT

This Kaegel gem hit the Royals Web Site today.

So apparently, we're feeling pretty good about that 0.45% chance of making the playoffs this year. Gems like:

"You look at today and we're a good week and a day from being out of first place. That's the way I look at it. If something bad happens and some [other teams] start losing some games and we get on a bit of a run. ... I mean we were 10 games out at the All-Star break in Atlanta and we ended up winning the division. So we're in a good spot."

are absolutely ridiculous if thought about with any logic at all. Dick Kaegel must just be looking for some silver lining to this moribund season. "...Jason Kendall with bat-handling skill next..." really? Can we not get a little criticism for hitting a guy who while hitting 2nd has put up numbers like .250/.310/.286 (approx)? The fact that he's gotten 340 plate appearances this season is a complete travesty. The only regular position player under 27 is Billy Butler and these jokers seem happy with that. They feel this team is headed somewhere. We're 10 games under .500 and we probably need to play 48-26 ball to even have a shot at winning the division. I'm not sure if they are delusional or just creating a delusion to spur interest/belief, but it's a delusion nonetheless. If they aren't making every effort to deal every bit of useful veteran off this lineup, it's inexcusable.

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Hasnt this been covered?

What else is the Royals website supposed to say? “Gee, can’t wait for next yeat.”

by Boots 58 on Jul 15, 2010 2:56 PM EDT reply actions

I think they should talk about the procedure for ordering World Series tickets

But seriously, acting like this team is in contention is ridiculous and insults the intelligence of anyone who reads Kaegel’s mindless tripe.

And then Kaegel basically fawns over every bad player and bad move that Moore, Hillman and Yost have made. Talking about how great it is to have such a good “bat handler” as Kendall hitting second? Christ, that is exactly the kind of thing that makes the Royals a laughing stock. Well, the losing is the biggest thing, but it is details like Kendall that really make us look like an embarrassment.

The immoderate moderator

by Scott McKinney on Jul 15, 2010 3:08 PM EDT up reply actions

He was born 70 years too late

He would have been awesome at writing propaganda during WWII.

"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 Jul 15, 2010 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Instead of Baghdad Bob,

he’s KC Dick?

by AxDxMx on Jul 16, 2010 1:35 AM EDT up reply actions

I blame George Steinbrenner

I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at FanGraphs and Beyond the Box Score.

Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.

by Matt Klaassen on Jul 15, 2010 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions

uh, hate to break this to you, but

George Steinbrenner died a couple days ago. Look it up.

"Shot by my own men."

by StonewallPDS on Jul 15, 2010 4:09 PM EDT up reply actions

So He's Guilty

I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.

by philofthenorth on Jul 15, 2010 4:10 PM EDT up reply actions

I dont see Dick saying they are in conetention

The person saying they are in contention is Yost. Dick’s just point out a lot of things that have improved this year (or rather, things that have gone better than expected)

Yuniesky Betancourt appears to have widened his range at shortstop, Alberto Callaspo is much sharper at third base than second, where ex-shortstop Mike Aviles has adapted well. Billy Butler continues to improve at first base

All of these are true to some degree, and the Royals have been playing better over the past month.

Saying that Kendall is a “bat handler” seems like a back handed compliment to me. What else can you say about the guy that even sounds positive? Pods has “base-stealing potential.” It’s not worded in any way to say that he has been effective at it this year.

This looks to me like an article written during a boring all-star break as a filler, not an article trying to convince people that they should order playoff tickets from stubhub.

(That is how you order them in advance, right?)

by Boots 58 on Jul 15, 2010 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions

The best part

is that quote from Yost is old (relatively speaking). As of the day Kaegel actually wrote the article, the Royals would need ELEVEN “good days” to take first place (they are 10.5 games out at the break).

So Kaegel can’t even use an ACCURATE, ridiculously optimistic quote. He has to find one that has already been rendered obsolete, even allowing for its near statistical improbability.

"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 Jul 15, 2010 3:09 PM EDT reply actions

So, what you're saying is...

…he wanted to go with “we’re still tied for first in the division,” but attributing the quote to Hillman would have tipped everyone off to the fact that the quote was uttered on opening day. RIght?

by kcemigre on Jul 15, 2010 6:18 PM EDT up reply actions

the writers at MLB.com are paid to pump sunshine

who cares?

R.I.P. cwhitman412, Frederick0220, & Mets2k9

by doublestix on Jul 15, 2010 6:32 PM EDT reply actions

No doubt

Although they claim independence

Dick Kaegel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs

by kcbottom9th on Jul 15, 2010 6:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight

The Royals front office has always exhibited a tremendous amount of tolerance and professionalism towards writers who offer criticism of the club.

"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 Jul 15, 2010 6:48 PM EDT up reply actions

People probably "care" because all negative reporting on the team draws a ban and is not tolerated whatsoever.

Just a thought.

Killing time until time kills me

by EspeciallyK on Jul 15, 2010 7:13 PM EDT up reply actions

It makes sense to ridicule the ridiculous

The immoderate moderator

by Scott McKinney on Jul 15, 2010 7:51 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm sure you'll find more of the same out of the Baltimore beat writer

Checkout Royals minor league notes at www.14for77.blogspot.com

by kcscoliny on Jul 15, 2010 7:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Dick will not put his job is jeopardy.

Him and his wife both work for the Royals. They will not put their jobs on the line. It is just best to just ignore him completely.

- .-. ..- … – / – …. . / .—. .-. - .. . … …

by Jeff Zimmerman on Jul 15, 2010 9:55 PM EDT up reply actions

yup

R.I.P. cwhitman412, Frederick0220, & Mets2k9

by doublestix on Jul 15, 2010 10:44 PM EDT up reply actions

It's fun to ridicule his writings on the Royals which bear little resemblance to reality

It’s as if he’s writing about the Bizarro-Royals who are making all the right moves and have gotten themselves into contention. I wonder how many games it will take the Royals to win the World Series in Kaegel’s Bizarro World.

The immoderate moderator

by Scott McKinney on Jul 15, 2010 11:03 PM EDT up reply actions

Nobody is saying Kaegel needs to rip the Royals a new one and criticize everyone and everything...

..but there’s a difference between trying to “look on the bright side of things” and just writing extremely stupid crap that simply doesn’t make sense and is just an attempt to bullsh*t around the fact that the Royals are a bad baseball team.

Killing time until time kills me

by EspeciallyK on Jul 15, 2010 11:07 PM EDT up reply actions

agreed

It seems to me a good journalist who actually has an interest in reporting truth would find a way to do it, even while working for the Royals.

http://arrowheadaddict.com/

by big matt on Jul 16, 2010 12:31 AM EDT up reply actions

Dick will not put his job is jeopardy.

Him and his wife both work for the Royals. They will not put their jobs on the line. It is just best to just ignore him completely.

- .-. ..- … – / – …. . / .—. .-. - .. . … …

by Jeff Zimmerman on Jul 15, 2010 11:12 PM EDT up reply actions

48-26 so you're saying theirs a chance

Checkout Royals minor league notes at www.14for77.blogspot.com

by kcscoliny on Jul 15, 2010 7:09 PM EDT reply actions

perfect

just watched the movie

R.I.P. cwhitman412, Frederick0220, & Mets2k9

by doublestix on Jul 15, 2010 7:38 PM EDT up reply actions

I Liked It

A lot better than I expected to, but I say the same thing about “Encino Man”. Lowered expectations probably are a good thing where these two movies are concerned.

I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.

by philofthenorth on Jul 17, 2010 11:14 PM EDT up reply actions

I get the whole "he's just doing his job" thing, but

If he’s going to collect paychecks peddling this swill, he deserves to be made fun of a little.

Same deal for Dayton, really. Sure, he’s a GM of a bad team, so what is he supposed to say? I get that to some extent. But still, when you say stupid shit you’re fair game for ridicule, even if it is just part of “doing your job.”

If my job was to write/say propoganda for BP, I would expect to take some ribbing about it.

by big matt on Jul 15, 2010 11:03 PM EDT reply actions