Kyle Davies' 7.77 ERA World Tour: The Number of the Least

by kansasjohn on Jul 8, 2011 7:28 AM EDT

According to the Pixies, man is 5, the devil is 6 and God is 7.

So, what do Kyle Davies’ 7.77 ERA and 7 losses mean? Is Kyle Davies a god among men? Have the Royals hit the triple sevens jackpot?

http://www.biblewheel.com/topics/seven_meaning.asp:

"In Scripture, seven symbolizes completeness or perfection."

Unfortunately, not in this case (unless making arguments against Dayton Moore). Kyle Davies’ 7.77 ERA and seven losses are not symbols of perfection. Kyle is more likely one of the seven angels associated with the Apocalypse. If so, his pitching may be one of the seven plagues from Revelations - water turns to blood and fish die, the sun causes hell fire on earth, we suffer eternal darkness and Kyle pitches: six of one or a half-dozen of the other, it is all the same.

http://www.whats-your-sign.com/spiritual-meaning-of-numbers.html:

"Sevens, like Threes, deal with magical forces. Sevens deal with esoteric, scholarly aspects of magic. Representative of scholarly activities, mystery, and the focused search for esoteric meanings. Seven deals with the activation of imagination and manifesting results in our lives through the use of conscious thought and awareness. Ruled by Saturn, Seven can represent impractical dreaming, but with a deeper understanding of the aspects of Seven, you can quite deftly utilize its magical vibration to your own benefit."

If Saturn has beguiled Dayton Moore, perhaps this explains management’s "imagination" or "impractical dreaming" that Davies is a bona fide big league pitcher. Or, to put a positive spin on things, maybe Kyle will develop, by way of wizardry, a "magical vibration" pitch that cannot be hit.

http://towerweb.net/alt-lib/seven.shtml:

"In the Apocalypse, there are seven churches of Asia , seven candlesticks, seven stars, seven trumpets, seven spirits before the throne of God, seven horns, seven vials, seven plagues, a seven-headed monster, and the Lamb with seven eyes."

Clearly, this means that the training staff needs to examine John Lamb for extra eyes. Clearly and unambiguously. Either that or Tower of Power is coming to the K.

http://www.worldofslots.com/tips-strategies/do-lucky-numbers-hold-significance-in-slots.html:

"Do Lucky Numbers hold Significance in Slots? As with any form of gambling, online slots is laced with lucky numbers. For instance, the number 7 appears in quite a few favorable slots situations such as the winning combination 777. But does the number 7, or any other number for that matter, hold any special significance in slots? Speaking from a logical point of view, no, numbers are not going to influence the outcome of your spins (unless we're talking about winning combinations of course)."

This knowledge explains the following dialogue:

Reporter: Why is Kyle Davies still on the team?

GMDM: He and Treanor have a winning combination, duh. Seven! Seven! Seven! Seven dwarves! Seven seas! 7-11! Seven-layer salad and the TV show "Seventh Heaven!" And don’t get me started with "logic;" for the sake of Hosmer, I'm a follower of Saturn. Yes, marching Kyle out there is a gamble, but, like Ned Yost, I like to play hunches.

Do you, the readers, have any other explanations for Kyle’s numbers?

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Comments

we're on to something

by Freneau on Jul 7, 2011 11:10 PM EDT reply actions

In Lawrence

at the corner of 19th and Louisiana, across from the high school, there was the “Jesus #777 Laundromat.” When I lived at 17th and Tennessee I used to do my wash there. I felt truly blessed in my freshly baptized clean underwear.

"First we got the bomb and that was good, 'cause we love peace and motherhood
Then Russia got the bomb but that's okay, 'cause the balance of power's maintained that way
Then France got the bomb, but don't you grieve, 'cause they're on our side (I believe)
Then China got the bomb, but have no fears, they can't wipe us out for at least five years" --Tom Lehrer

by Juancho on Jul 8, 2011 4:22 AM EDT reply actions

I used to do laundry there too!

"Things could always be worse." - Buddy Bell

by buddyball on Jul 8, 2011 3:42 PM EDT up reply actions

7 chipmunks twirlin' on a branch, eatin' lots of sunflowers on my uncle's ranch.

You know that old children’s tale from the sea.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Jul 8, 2011 8:56 AM EDT reply actions

definitely one of the better parts of that movie

by kansasjohn on Jul 8, 2011 10:31 AM EDT up reply actions

Well done....I like it, I like it a lot

I suffered from a relatively severe Kim Deal fetish back in the day….

by Nighthawk at the Diner on Jul 8, 2011 9:08 AM EDT reply actions

met her in a bar in Dayton years ago.

…brief, but she seemed nice. Not as pretty as she was in my mind’s eye, but she shattered no images.

If women only slept with nice guys...guys would only be nice. And they don't. And we're not.

by setupunchtag on Jul 8, 2011 12:06 PM EDT up reply actions

You had me at

“Clearly, this means that the training staff needs to examine John Lamb for extra eyes.”

Well done.

I'm waiting for my wave of talent to arrive.

by mitchfreakingmaier! on Jul 8, 2011 10:58 AM EDT reply actions

Thanks. We never really knew exactly what his season ending surgery concerned. I know they said “Tommy John,” but it could have been multiple extra eye removals.

by kansasjohn on Jul 8, 2011 11:19 AM EDT up reply actions

yes, excellent

"Things could always be worse." - Buddy Bell

by buddyball on Jul 8, 2011 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions

ERA over 7 means it's time for me to dust off my chemistry joke from the Jose Lima era:

“7.77? Is that his ERA, or his PH level?”

"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

by loyal2sdad on Jul 8, 2011 11:16 AM EDT reply actions

or his PSA number (which would be bad)?

"Things could always be worse." - Buddy Bell

by buddyball on Jul 8, 2011 3:44 PM EDT up reply actions

I lost track of things during June

Didn’t watch many games. I started paying attention again around the time that it was announced Davies was coming off the DL and we were going to a 6-man rotation. First thought, “Kansas City Royals, baby”.

I simply do not understand why they keep trotting Kyle out there. The seven thing is the only logical answer.

by Skillet13 on Jul 8, 2011 11:20 AM EDT reply actions

The Brad Pitt movie?

by kansasjohn on Jul 8, 2011 11:23 AM EDT up reply actions

Much like John Doe

forced that huge guy to eat spaghetti until he burst, Dayton is forcing Davies to keep taking the mound until his ERA reaches Mazarro/Gobble proportions and his career bursts, if you will.

by Skillet13 on Jul 8, 2011 11:28 AM EDT up reply actions

Management would never make Kyle "take one for the team"

like they did to Mazzaro. You just don’t do that sort of thing to family like Kyle.

by kansasjohn on Jul 8, 2011 11:36 AM EDT up reply actions

Kyle Davies

Is one of the seven deadly sins.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Jul 8, 2011 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions

How many runs does Davies have to give up in one inning tonight

before he’s sent down, DFA’d or sent to live with Kevin Spacey?

by LaFLamme on Jul 8, 2011 12:27 PM EDT reply actions

It won't matter . . .

. . . he is the Prodigal Son.

Like in the Creedence Clearwater Revival song.

by kansasjohn on Jul 8, 2011 1:54 PM EDT up reply actions

When I see Davies listed as the starter

I narrow my eyes and mutter, “Davies” kind of like how Seinfeld did with his “Newman” thing.

by Skillet13 on Jul 8, 2011 12:50 PM EDT reply actions

Is there any arguable case for him starting at this point?

It is just an automatic loss. Who benefits from this? What is the point? Why not just eat the money and forget it? If I were “local,” I would truly feel robbed to spend $30 to watch him pitch for the home team.

by Gus Zernial on Jul 8, 2011 1:57 PM EDT reply actions

Some stat guys will tell you he hasn't really been that bad

FIP of 4.88, right around replacement level.

Still, he’s not part of the future, so why keep sending him out there, especially when he’s giving up oodles of runs?

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Jul 8, 2011 2:00 PM EDT up reply actions

Agreed

He isn’t worth $3.2M.

What should a replacement level pitcher cost?

by kansasjohn on Jul 8, 2011 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions

This is pretty funny, saw while checking odds for tonight

Free Play from Doc’s Sports. #978 Take Over 9 ½ in Detroit @ Kansas City (Friday 8:10 pm MLB.tv) Game 2 of this 4 game series to end the first half of the season will take place on Friday night at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. A pair of bums are schedule to face one another tonight and we fully expect a high scoring game since Rick Porcello has an ERA of 4.96 and Kyle Davies has an ERA of 7.77. Since 4/19, Davies has allowed at least 3 runs in all of his starts. In his last outing on 7/2, he gave up 7 runs in just 3 inning of work. Despite Porcello having better seasonal numbers of late, he has actually pitched worse than Davies of late. In his last 5 starts he has given up 27 runs and I expect him to be rocked yet again on Friday night. The Over is 16-5 in Porcello’s last 21 starts vs. a team with a losing record. The Over is 5-2 in Davie’s last 7 home starts. We will not worry about who wins this game and just side with the Over. Make sure to play this game as listed pitchers.

by Gus Zernial on Jul 8, 2011 2:19 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't know

If you dismiss the 16 run game at Coors, the Royals offense hasn’t been exactly tearing it up lately. If it’s the over, it’ll be something like 11-2 Tigers.

by Skillet13 on Jul 8, 2011 2:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Still, you can't argue with the "pair of bums" part.

by Gus Zernial on Jul 8, 2011 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes.

I think Davies has the worst starter ERA for 44 IP or more. Jon Lackey is close with a 7.47.

by kansasjohn on Jul 8, 2011 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions

UPDATE:

All the cosmic numbers are out of wack. Davies now has eight losses and somehow managed to lower his ERA to 7.74. The moon is not in the seventh house. Jupiter is not aligned with Mars.

by kansasjohn on Jul 8, 2011 11:33 PM EDT reply actions

KansasJohn

Where have you been? You fell in love with this site didnt ya? We miss ya on Royals.com……..some of us there can use your wisdom

Cap it, and watch the players association strike it. http://budtheclark.mlblogs.com/

by ChosenOneK on Jul 12, 2011 3:55 PM EDT reply actions

Thanks.

I might get back in the swing of things. Dick Kaegel is a bit much for me; it is more propaganda than truth (or what I consider the truth).

by kansasjohn on Jul 12, 2011 5:35 PM EDT up reply actions

yeah, I rarely read the articles anymore

they are quite frusterating……..I go there for the fans that are on there daily, I dislike a lot of them, but those are the ones that need my guidance the most, lol. Good to see apathy has not taken you yet……the other day I was discussing how we could best judge Bob Mcclures value and try to determine, based on pitchers stats, whether or not he is detrimental to the team…..

I suggested the only way we could do that was to compare and contrast many pitchers stats BEFORE they were a Royals player (if applicable) to when they were a Royal and also to after they were a Royal (If Applicable) and we would need a large group of players…….I suggested this could make an excellent blog, because all those mcclure haters may just be surprised………BTW, Im not a fan of Mcclure nor do I hate him….I just dont understand the working assumption that we, the fans, have any merit in deciding an MLB pitching coaches competance…….IMO, its way over our head, to which some would say, look at the stats, to which I would say is unfair because of an obvious lack of talent

It would take a LOT of research, but I thought of ya because thats what you do…do ya see what Im sayin?

Cap it, and watch the players association strike it. http://budtheclark.mlblogs.com/

by ChosenOneK on Jul 12, 2011 6:58 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes, that would be a lot of work.

There are a ton of variables as well, such as how good the D is on various teams in different years. I might look at a few pitchers.

by kansasjohn on Jul 12, 2011 8:18 PM EDT up reply actions

How bout...

you exclude Humber and De La Rosa from there

Cap it, and watch the players association strike it. http://budtheclark.mlblogs.com/

by ChosenOneK on Jul 12, 2011 11:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Getting rid of Humber was only a mistake in hindsight.

It is too big of a task to try to assess McClure’s impact. Even the smartest, self-admitted baseball geeks over here acknowledge no real methodology to affix a value or grade on McClure.

I don’t remember anybody saying last year that the Royals should have kept Humber. It is 20/20 hindsight. The same might be true of De La Rosa, insofar as he had 5+ ERAs his two years in KC.

I went over to the Royals’ site. There is a lot of irritating crap over there, like 810 WHB-mimicking “Billy clogs the bases” (can anybody come up with two or three actual examples of that literally happening this year?) and commentary that Melky is a good defensive outfielder (mental patients know better). That sort of stupidity gets shot down real quick on this site.

by kansasjohn on Jul 13, 2011 12:05 AM EDT up reply actions

LOL

you gotta love those who regurgitate info…….there are still a few knowledgeable fans there, but yes, this sites fans are better-I told you that the first time I happenned to see ya on here……..on that site, there are personalities that do not allow themselves to be wrong-Its very entertaining for me sometimes to break down what they say and throw it back piece for piece………I told a guy that (and this was a small argument) Collins Changeup wasnt in the 70’s cause his fastball is 94 or so because almost to where its a rule of physics, changeups are 8-12 MPH slower than their fastball, any faster and the pitch would fail to distinguish itself from the fastball, any slower and it wold be too hittable…………you know what that dumbass responded to me with? he said that Collins has two changeups-one in the 80’s and one in the 70’s…..LOL like he has a changeup for his changeup or something……….I just didnt respond, I hope anyone who read it can make the assessment that is so obvious to me, but ya never know with those fans…..sorry, this is long, but I wanted to give ya an example of the foolishness on there and how to have some fun with it….

Cap it, and watch the players association strike it. http://budtheclark.mlblogs.com/

by ChosenOneK on Jul 13, 2011 12:30 PM EDT reply actions

Yes, I think it is the "can

by kansasjohn on Jul 13, 2011 2:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes, I think it is the "can't be wrong" types that rub me the wrong way.

And the overly optimistics, as in Gordon will hit “.330 avg .405 obp .635 slg 120-140 RBIs 20 SB w/30-40 bombs this year.”

The Billy haters really rub me the wrong way. There is virtually no acknowledgement of his abilities (only disabilities). Billy ONLY grounds into double plays (never mind that Adrian Gonzalez, Torii Hunter and Albert Pujols are on pace to break that record). Billy NEVER drives in runs. Billy NEVER moves runners over. He ALWAYS strikes out. He ONLY hits singles.

by kansasjohn on Jul 13, 2011 3:16 PM EDT reply actions

THAT.....

is a very frusterating group………and they are NUMEROUS over there……….I recently copied a fanpost written over here that defended what BB does and showed his RISP stats which are fine, and cited the source………and they shut up about it for about two days…….but thats it……I ignore most ignorance on their opinions, but when they start correcting eachother with incorrect information…………. THAT bothers me…..

Cap it, and watch the players association strike it. http://budtheclark.mlblogs.com/

by ChosenOneK on Jul 13, 2011 6:46 PM EDT up reply actions

How could you forget

BASE CLOGGING

Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
Rock Chalk Talk

by Warden11 on Jul 14, 2011 6:44 AM EDT up reply actions

Exactly.

I just read a nice one:

Good to finally see someone else that realizes Butler sucks. He does nothing but pop up, GIDP, or K in important situations. Then he’ll get a 2 out single when the game is already over to boost up that average.

That’s right, he only cares about his batting average.

I also like the people that mercilessly bash Butler and then say he should be traded for an ace.

by kansasjohn on Jul 14, 2011 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions

Yeah me too

Cia la Vie………..Is that how you spell it? I just wanted to say something along the lines of…….Yeah, weve all heard it before….saying it several times dont make it true….Unfortunately, the problem with baseball is that if your doin a good job, your only successful 3 out of ten times…….

Cap it, and watch the players association strike it. http://budtheclark.mlblogs.com/

by ChosenOneK on Jul 14, 2011 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Back on June 1, Soren Petro was complaining about Butler

not hitting better with the bases loaded. I sent him an e-mail that said, in part:

Butler, in 2,417 plate appearances (not counting yesterday), has a grand total of 39 plate appearances with the bases loaded and hit a corresponding .278. Thirty-nine plate appearances is a rather insignificant sample.

Butler underperforms against his career .298 batting average in two areas: runner on 2B (.256) and bases loaded (.278). Otherwise, at least based on career numbers, he hits better than another Royal in every other runner(s) on base scenarios (RISP .310 to .307; men on .320 to .314; man on 1B .333 to .324; man on 3B .371 to .324; men on 1B & 2B .316 to .303; men on 1B & 3B .400 to .364; men on 2B & 3B .314 to .284). The lower numbers belong to George Brett.

If we are allowed to focus on the positives, Butler, through 2,417 PA and 2,170 AB (age 25), has a .298/.362/.453/.815 line. Brett, for seasons 1974-1977 (2,515 PA and 2300 AB & age 24) had a .311/.357/.458/.815 line.

(I never received a response.)

by kansasjohn on Jul 13, 2011 7:07 PM EDT reply actions