The 2009 Royals No Longer Exist
by Freneau on Aug 9, 2010 5:22 PM EDT
in Kansas City Royals News
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PrintThe 2009 season was increasingly long ago in Royals land. Take a look at last year's Opening Day lineup:
C: Miguel Olivo (gone)
1B: Mike Jacobs (gone)
2B: Mark Teahen (yes this happened, also gone)
3B: Alex Gordon (gone and sorta back, but now a OF)
SS: Mike Aviles (vaguely around, not taken seriously as a SS option)
LF: David DeJesus (moved to RF, was going to be gone, injured and gone anyway)
CF: Coco Crisp (gone, barely lasted two months)
RF: Jose Guillen (gone, finally)
DH: Billy Butler (still around)
Only Butler, Aviles, and Gordon are still on the active roster, and only Butler really has a firm place in the team's immediate future. All three of the remaining guys have also changed positions.
The 2009 bench, has also been decimated. Gone are John Buck, Alberto Callaspo (became a starter), and Tony Pena Jr., along with random backups Josh Anderson, Ryan Freel, Luis Hernandez, and Tug Hulett.
The pitching staff has been a little more stable, but not hugely so. By innings pitched in 2009, guys that we can consider gone are: Gil Meche (129 IP), Jamey Wright (79), Sidney Ponson (58), Roman Colon (50), Juan Cruz (50), Ron Mahay (41), Kyle Farnsworth (37), John Bale (28), Ho-Ram (22), Lenny DiNardo (21), Yabuta (14), Carlos Rosa (10), and Doug Weachter (5). It's not like Luke Hochevar and Lerew are fully around either. Anyway, all told, that's 544 gone innings, 38% of last season's total.
Of course, many of these changes are not recent. The 2009 team disintegrated rapidly, and was further broken down in the off-season. I don't know what the real point of all this is, other than perhaps we spend way too much time talking about guys who end up being pretty transient.
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Dejesus is our best offensive player
He’s better than Billy only because he can actually run. How is he gone? He will be a starting OF next year no doubt
well, he's done for the season with an injury
and could still be traded
he’s hardly on the radar for 2010 anymore
What good is the ability to run
when you still make 392 outs per game on the basepaths?
I am now channeling Will McDonald's optimism.
yeah he's like a vegetable out there onbase
But he’s still one of our best players signed to a relatively cheap contract. I just don’t get how he’s not a big part of our team next year
by GobbleforCyoung on Aug 9, 2010 10:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Next Year's Team
Is still fighting a holding action waiting for more troops. DDJ could bring a good return in trade, but if not I’m OK with him playing out the string. Either way, he’s almost certainly gone in ’12.
I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on Aug 10, 2010 9:25 AM EDT up reply actions
Hmm
perhaps we spend way too much time talking about guys who end up being pretty transient
Does this mean the upcoming Jesse Chavez article is indefinitely postponed?
you deserve better than this organization, Will
I sincerely mean that
I'd like to think we all do
"Never get less than 12 hours sleep. Never play cards with a guy who's got the same first name as as city. And never go near a lady who's got a tattoo of a dagger on her body. Now you stick with that, and everything else is cream cheese." -Coach Bobby Finstock
by Sweep_the_Leg on Aug 9, 2010 5:35 PM EDT up reply actions
definitely
I’m too negative and bitter at this point, I deserve whatever I get
I feel bad for the people who are still living and dying with this team in a more raw, emotional way
(this probably sounds condescending, but I don’t mean it to be)
WTF JASON KENDALL IS THE BEST BASEBALL PLAYER OF ALL TIME
www.writersjunction.com
in Santa Monica, CA
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Aug 9, 2010 5:51 PM EDT up reply actions
Now Imma Let you Finish...
but Betancourt had the best season of all time! Of all time!
Your Friendly Neighborhood Weatherman...
Just add me to the Free Kila Campaign!
Miguel jogs up to the stage
Dayton shakes his head, “You never walk, do you?”
by the paperboy on Aug 9, 2010 7:29 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I also think the starting rotation is about to change
at the very least, one of the Davies/Banny combo will be gone in 2011
I would guess Davies is back by default, Bannister signs with the Padres after being non-tendered
Davies is younger and a little cheaper, and has a lower ERA this year. That would set the rotations as: Greinke, Hochevar (assuming he did not secretly undergo shoulder and elbow surgery), Davies, O’Sullivan, and Kevin Millwood as the fading veteran free agent to mentor the young guys. Chen also gets brought back on a minor league deal as the new Duckworth, and Meche spends the year alternating between rehab and rehab shutdown. I would expect the plan is to hope that this group can hold it together until June when the first of the pitching prospects start to arrive. Then Millwood could be flipped at the deadline for a couple of B prospects (or none).
So its over
and official – Meche is a bigger FA bust than Guillen if he doesn’t pitch decent again
I really have no problem with Greinke/Hochever/Chen/Sullivan/Davies
Its funny to have confidence in Davies but he’s certainly better than one of the worst pitchers in baseball, Brian Bannister. He better be gone I’m sick of him sucking
by GobbleforCyoung on Aug 9, 2010 6:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Banny's biggest problem...
is his head. It’s not a bad thing to be a stats guy, but you have to know when to say to hell with some stats. He is too cerebral on the mound…
Maybe he needs grit lessons from Kendall?
Your Friendly Neighborhood Weatherman...
Just add me to the Free Kila Campaign!
No, his biggest problem is an 89 MPH fastball
and several other mediocre pitches that do not get any swinging strikes. His walks are up a little this year, but he has been extremely unlucky on fly balls leaving the yard. If he reverts to his career HR/FB rate of 10% (he is at 14+% in 2010), he is a perfectly adequate back-end starter, preferably in the National League.
by Gopherballs on Aug 9, 2010 7:17 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
he's just one of the least talented players in MLB
Which is sad because he’s, from all accounts, a good guy
by GobbleforCyoung on Aug 9, 2010 10:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed.
Banny’s biggest problem is that he is a mediocre pitcher. If he would stop being so cerebral, he would still be a mediocre pitcher. If he was even more cerebral, he would still be a mediocre pitcher.
He’ll make a good pitching coach one day, though.
"I DARE you to make less sense."
THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER BRANDON DUCKWORTH
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 Aug 9, 2010 7:22 PM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
But if there were...
C’mon Chen would be a top candidate.
www.writersjunction.com
in Santa Monica, CA
by SagehenMacGyver47 on Aug 9, 2010 7:49 PM EDT up reply actions
I could see the development of a sitcom based around Ducky
Working title: Safe at Home
Duckworth would play a fictionalized version of himself, a recently retired borderline major league pitcher who now must adjust to life as a frazzled stay-at-home dad to his two wise-cracking but adorable children. After years of sacrificing her career for his, Ducky’s wife just went back to work as a pilot or pharmaceutical representative or some other job that keeps her away most of the time (in the original pilot, Ducky was recently widowed, but the dead wife backstory bummed out the test audience too much). Ducky spends most of the day exchanging one liners with the kids and getting into crazy schemes with his wacky neighbor. To help bring in male viewers, Ducky’s 18 year old niece moves in with them to help with the kids while she attends a nearby fictional college and to provide endless possibilities of Ducky as overprotective father figure plot lines. And if the story ideas start to run dry, Ducky could get a part-time job as a local TV sportscaster or maybe a coach for the college baseball team.
by Gopherballs on Aug 9, 2010 7:49 PM EDT up reply actions 8 recs
tremendous
Now to work on casting
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 Aug 9, 2010 7:56 PM EDT up reply actions
If the show waits until Parks and Recreation gets cancelled next year
Rashida Jones could be available to play the wife (with the role expanded). If not, whatever network picks it up would probably want to cast the breakout female contestant from its highest rated reality show. The wife would have to have dark hair to contrast with Ducky — the kids would be the hardest to cast, so if one parent is blonde and one has dark hair, kids of all hair color can audition.
The neighbor could go in a couple of directions. First choice would be the guy who played Leon on Curb Your Enthusiasm. Another direction is Patton Oswalt, who did that movie about being an obsessed Giants fan and could play him as a Ducky fan (minus the sadness and creepiness). If all else fails, I am sure the guy who played Bania on Seinfeld is available.
The niece would likely be a second tier graduate of one of those Disney tween shows, or if no name is attached, I am sure there is at least one very attractive actress in the greater Los Angeles area who could play 18 and funny.
Kids age too fast, so anybody currently working would be too old. That leaves an open call for seven and five year olds, preferably ones with a medical condition that makes them short.
How many episodes do we get in the can
before we stunt-cast Molly Ringwald, Andrew McCarthy, and James Spader?
I am now channeling Will McDonald's optimism.
I was thinking Ringwald myself
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 Aug 10, 2010 12:54 AM EDT up reply actions
Casting Call
Matthew Glave (Wedding Singer, Get Smart, bit part every TV show made in the 2000s) as Duckworth
Miranda Cosgrove as the 18 y/o niece.
Tim Allen as crazy neighbor (in an ironic twist)
No, Ducky has to play himself
That is non-negotiable.
by Gopherballs on Aug 10, 2010 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions
I can see a multi-episode arc
based on identity/lawsuit/paternity issues involving former Portland Trailblazer Kevin Duckworth
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 Aug 9, 2010 7:57 PM EDT up reply actions
You're the writer
start working on a script
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 Aug 9, 2010 8:54 PM EDT up reply actions
we've gotta go 80s style
where his ex-ball player ness is acceptable for network TV, basically just means he’s laid back
the foundation is in place
And this is a 2009 team
That many people thought had a shot at contending for the division title
remember how Greinke totally got tired of winning and was crappy the rest of the season?
oh, yeah
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 Aug 9, 2010 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions
"tired of losing"
nice joke, me
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 Aug 9, 2010 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions
The Lawn Mower Man
Well they’d be perfect lawns in april, and overgrown and neglected by august, and by september he’ll be making us burst into flames just by looking at us.
Man, so much change yet
Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball...Rock Chalk Talk
A mild disagreement
To me, Gordon and DDJ, in addition to Butler, have a firm grip on a starting spot next year. Gordon is in the process of validating all the hype, and DDJ will be kept, not traded in the off season, if for no other reason than he needs to show he is recovered from the thumb injury to increase his trade value.
"We're gonna win with pitching and defense" General Manager Dayton Moore, circa winter 2009
"Where did all these Indians come from?" General George Armstrong Custer, circa summer 1876
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