Royals Review

Player Performance Ed. 3 Final Results

focs — Fri, 16 May 2008 18:58:17 -0000

via img27.picoodle.com

Final Results April 28th - May 11th Based on 0-10 Scale

Joey Gathright -- 4.17 (-.71) Season Avg - 4.73

David DeJesus -- 6.31 (-1.07) Season Avg - 6.85

Jose Guillen -- 6.17 (+1.98) Season Avg - 4.23

Mark Teahen -- 5.50 (+.12) Season Avg - 6.04

Ross Gload -- 3.67 (-1.39) Season Avg - 4.89

Mark Grudzielanek -- 5.67 (-.64) Season Avg - 6.70

Tony Pena -- 1.92 (-.27) Season Avg - 1.93

Alex Gordon -- 6.34 (-1.16) Season Avg - 7.43

Billy Butler -- 5.50 (-1.19) Season Avg - 7.08

Alberto Callaspo -- 6.00 (-1.06) Season Avg - 6.65

Esteban German -- 3.00 (-.81) Season Avg - 3.81

John Buck -- 7.00 (+.69) Season Avg - 6.29

Miguel Olivo -- 6.84 (-.66) Season Avg - 6.47

Gil Meche -- 5.50 (+.56) Season Avg - 4.90

Brian Bannister -- 6.67 (-1.46) Season Avg - 8.20

Zack Greinke -- 8.84 (-.04) Season Avg - 9.09

John Bale (DL 15) -- N/A (N/A) Season Avg - 3.78

Brett Tomko -- 4.92 (-1.27) Season Avg - 6.33

Luke Hochevar -- 6.67 (-.21) Season Avg - 6.78

Joel Peralta -- 4.50 (-1.13) Season Avg - 5.07

Yasuhiko Yabuta -- 2.67 (-.21) Season Avg - 3.75

Leo Nunez -- 7.17 (-.33) Season Avg - 7.99

Ramon Ramirez -- 8.50 (-.19) Season Avg - 8.61

Ron Mahay -- 7.00 (+.69) Season Avg - 7.04

Jimmy Gobble -- 5.67 (-.83) Season Avg - 6.95

Joakim Soria -- 9.92 (+.04) Season Avg - 9.87

Most Improvment - Jose Guillen (+1.98)

Biggest Drop - Brian Bannister (-1.46)

Most Consistent - Joakim Soria (+.04) and Zack Greinke (-.04)

Best Player - Joakim Soria (9.92)

Worst Player - Tony Pena (1.92)

Well there ya have it.. I really hope we get more of you to PARTICIPATE in the next PPI we do, which will be evaluated from Tuesday May 13th to Monday May 26th (first game in the Tigers series to the last game in the Toronto series).. So keep a good eye and watch closely ill post the next evaluation on May 26th

The Player I would like to get

eboston — Fri, 16 May 2008 17:47:22 -0000

Josh Fields and play him at 1st. He's a 30 HR guy plays good defense (could easily move across the diamond) and at this point I would think he wouldn't be too difficult to trade for. Then it becomes a question of who we give up for him. I would say some of the obvious choices would be

German, Gload, Grudz, Teahen, Shealy, possibly some pitching prospects.

Once we came up with a long term solution at SS we'd have our IF set for a few years.

Gordo, Fields and Callaspo, with SS X, sounds nice to me.

This basically just came out of boredom but I was something I'd been thinking about so I thought I would see what others think.

The 100 Greatest Royals of All-Time - #55 Tim Belcher

RoyalsRetro — Thu, 15 May 2008 14:53:12 -0000

#55 on our countdown of greatness is gritty right-handed pitcher Tim Belcher.

Tim Belcher is a pretty overlooked pitcher in Royals history, but for three seasons he was a pretty solid, although not spectacular frontline starting pitcher. His numbers may look pretty pedestrian, but this was the dawn of the steroid era, when offensive numbers were beginning to explode and league ERAs hovered around 5.00. He threw at least 230 innings in two of his three seasons in Kansas City, a feat no Royals pitcher has since matched.

In America, many times we seem to adopt the attitude of Ricky Bobby - "If you're not first, you're last." You're either number one, or you're a nobody. We strive and strive and strive to be the best, and are not satisfied until we've reached that pinnacle.

The thing is though, you can do a very effective job, and be very happy, simply being very, very good at what you do. "60 Minutes" ran a piece a few months ago about how Denmark is the happiest country in the world. What's the key to their happiness? Being content with what they have and what they are. Only one person can be "number one", leaving the rest of us to wallow in bitter agony. Maybe we should be satisfied merely being really good?

What does this have to do with Tim Belcher? Well I don't think anyone would confuse Tim Belcher for being an ace. He never made an All-Star Game, never earned any votes for Cy Young and never won more than fifteen games in a season. But he had a pretty darn good Major League career and was a key member of three post-season ballclubs, including one Championship team. He was not the best, but he was very, very good at what he did.

Tim Belcher was a star at Mount Vernon Nazarene College in Ohio, with a 95 mph fastball. In June of 1983 he was selected first overall in the Amateur Draft by the Minnesota Twins. Negotiations with the Twins soured, with the ballclub upset that Belcher was represented by legal counsel in negotiations, a rare step in that day. His legal counsel was a little known agent by the name of Scott Boras. In those days, there was a draft in January for unsigned players, and with Belcher still unsigned by the Twins, the Yankees made him the first overall selection.

Baseball also had a free agent compensatory draft to compensate teams that had lost a free agent. Each team submitted a list of protected players, and those players unprotected were free to be selected by teams losing free agents. In January, the Yankees submitted their protected list, but failed to protect Belcher, who had still not signed. On January 31, Belcher signed with the Yankees. On February 6, former A's pitcher Tom Underwood signed with the Baltimore Orioles, meaning the A's were entitled to select a player from the free agent compensation pool. They chose Belcher, infuriating the Yankees, and causing Major League Baseball to re-examine free agent compensation.

Most Career Wins by the #1 Overall Pick in the June Amateur Draft
Mike Moore (1981) 161
Andy Benes (1988) 155
Tim Belcher (1983) 146
Floyd Bannister (1976) 134
Ben McDonald (1989) 78

Doesn't bode well for Luke Hochevar , does it?

The A's developed Belcher, but before he had a chance to pitch for the parent club, they dealt him to the Dodgers in 1987 for left-handed pitcher Rick Honeycutt. In his rookie season the following year, Belcher finished 12-6 with a 2.91 ERA and was third in Rookie of the Year balloting as the Dodgers won the World Series. In 1989, he won fifteen games and hurled 230 innings, striking out a career high 200 batters. He would pitch four full seasons in L.A. before being dealt to the Reds in the Eric Davis deal.

Belcher spent one and a half seasons in Cincinnati before being acquired by the White Sox in a pennant push. He then signed with the Tigers only to have a horrific season, losing 15 games and posting a 5.89 ERA. He resurrected his career with a decent season in Seattle, although he angered some after shoving a camera man after a lousy outing in the 1995 American League Divisional Series.

In January of 1996, the Royals were looking for a durable arm to replace departing free agent pitcher Tom Gordon, and turned to Belcher for a one year deal worth $900,000, plus incentives. Belcher exceeded expectations and provided solid innings for the Royals. In June, he won his 100th career game. In his next start, he showed off his fiery temper again by getting ejected in the first inning of his start against the Angels, then rushing home plate umpire Joe Brinkman. Belcher left a statement after the game questioning Brinkman's professionalism.

I was baited, I was ejected and I apologize to our team and fans. No apology ever to umpire Brinkman. I have my entire career had a good relationship with nearly all umpires. I respect the very difficult job they have. Umpire Brinkman's on-field attitude is an embarassment to his profession, paying little attention to his ability, his mechanics, or lack thereof. His demeanor is what drives most AL players into confrontations with him.

Belcher went on to have a fine season, culminating in a four hit shutout of the Blue Jays in September. He led the team in wins and innings pitched. He finished with a 15-11 record and a 3.92 ERA, 27 percent better than the league average and tenth in the league. He was named Royals Pitcher of the Year and was rewarded with a two year $4 million deal.

Belcher got off to an excellent start in 1997, giving up just one run in 7 1/3 innings in his first start against the Twins. He had back-to-back complete games against the A's and Yankees, then threw twenty consecutive shutout innings, including a complete game shutout against the Red Sox. Combined with Kevin Appier and Jose Rosado, the Royals looked like they had one of the best pitching trios in the league. By May 13, the three combined for an 11-6 record and a 2.16 ERA for the second place Royals.

Nobody believes in Tim Belcher . Nobody. Everybody believes he's an optical illusion. Maybe that's because he has played more cities than the Stones. His career has been filled with ups and downs and more downs and Hugh Downs. He's been traded, traded, traded, signed, signed, traded, and the Royals are his sixth team in seven years, but maybe he's got it figured out. He won 15 games for Kansas City last year. And this year he has been indomitable. He keeps coming at hitters. He throws 115 pitches a game. He mixes them. He spots them. He wins.

-Joe Posnanski

Belcher then gave up twenty runs over his next three starts, raising his ERA by two runs. In mid-July he would go through another atrocious stretch, giving up twenty-four runs in three starts. He ended the year with a 5.02 ERA, which for those days, was only slightly below average.

Belcher would get off to a good start again in 1998, giving up just one run in his first two starts. He would pitch effectively most of the year, leading to rumors the Royals would trade him to a contender for prospects. The Royals had three impending free agents who were in demand at the trade deadline - Belcher, closer Jeff Montgomery and third baseman Dean Palmer. General Manager Herk Robinson failed to trade any of them.

"There's still a third of the season left. We're playing better. We can still win some games. Who knows, right? Who knows. ''

Belcher would pitch well down the stretch and end with a 4.27 ERA and a team high fourteen wins. That winter, he would leave the Royals for the Angels. He would spend two seasons in Anaheim, with one notable game in which he engaged Dodgers pitcher Chan Ho Park in a kung-fu match.

Belcher retired after 2000, with 146 career victories in a very respectable Major League career.

BOD: Boyfriend of the Day May 14, 2008 & May 15, 2008

loyal2theroyals — Fri, 16 May 2008 05:19:11 -0000

I'm so sorry that I'm behind, but here's a double post! I'll go through the winners for the 14th first, then list the winners for the 15th followed by the totals after the two.

Also, I would like to note that I will be out of town starting tomorrow until Monday afternoon, so any wins we may rack up against the Marlins will be awarded in a similar fashion once I get settled in Monday evening.

Boyfriend of the Day

via kansascity.royals.mlb.co

Luke Hochevar!

Luke had a pretty solid outing on Wednesday. 6 shutout innings, with 5 Ks and only 4 hits. This is what we need from the rotation to keep our boys in the game and to balance out that crazy anemic offense of ours ;)

Smitten Kitten

via boston.redsox.mlb.com

Joey Gathright!

RBIs are fun! Especially when they come in twos!

Boyfriend of the Day

via i.a.cnn.net

Gil Meche!

Gil went 7 innings this afternoon, getting 6 Ks and keeping the run total down to 3. Stupid Kenny Rodgers couldn't even keep it THAT low. And against an awwwwwful offense to boot! Psh, Tigers suck (totally).

Smitten Kitten

via www.nydailynews.com

Jose Guillen!

Jose went 2 for 4 today with 3 RBIs and a home run! Yay, home run! He also drew a walk.

via mlb.mlb.com

Billy Butler!

Billy went 1 for 4, but he got 2 RBIs and managed to not screw up a double on the base paths! Billy ALSO drew a walk.

Amazingly enough, it says that the attendance for the game was over 34k. Something had to be going on today for that to even be possible...Eh, I don't care much!

Most Valuable Opponent

via content.ytmnd.com

oh yes, it's KENNY ROGERS!

Oh google, you bring up such amazing photos under image search. Never a dull moment, I tell ya. Anyways, Rogers only lasted 4 innings against the Kansas City Slaughter House (yes, my official name for the offensive lineup...because they either slaugher US, or they slaughter the competition). He gave up 7 runs, 11 hits, 1 home run, and 3 walks. Plus he only struck out our swing-krazy players once. ONCE!

BOYFRIEND OF THE DAY 2008
Player	BOD	SK	HM	Totals
Brian Bannister	3	0	0	15
John Buck	0	1	1	4
Billy Butler	0	4	0	12
David DeJesus	1	1	0	8
Joey Gathright	1	1	0	8
Ross Gload	0	1	0	3
Jimmy Gobble	0	1	0	3
Alex Gordon	0	4	1	13
Zack Greinke	4	2	0	26
Mark Grudzielanek	1	1	1	9
Jose Guillen	2	3	2	21
Luke Hochevar	3	0	0	15
Gil Meche	3	0	0	15
Miscellanea	0	1	0	3
Leo Nuñez	0	1	1	4
Miguel Olivo	0	2	0	6
Tony Peña Jr.	0	2	0	6
Ramon Ramirez	0	0	1	1
Joakim Soria	0	2	3	9
Mark Teahen	0	2	2	8
Brett Tomko	1	0	0	5

MOST VALUABLE OPPONENT 2008
Player	MVO
Denny Bautista	1
David Eckstein	1
Motown Muderers	1
Alex Rodriguez	1
Kenny Rogers	1
Jered Weaver	1

As a note, a BOD gives a player 5 points in the standings, a SK gives a player 3 points, and a HM gives a player 1 point.

Cortes returns

gordonrules — Fri, 16 May 2008 04:26:58 -0000

Went and watched NWA against the Tulsa Drillers tonight. It marked the return of Daniel Cortes from the DL. I came away mighty impressed. In the 1st got into some trouble lead off man reached on a hit off of a 3-2 pitch. He proceeded to steal second and third. Dan came around and struck out 2 in the first. He looked to me like he was getting frustrated with the strike zone early. Second inning was awesome struck out the side on no more than 12 pitches. He lasted into the 4 when with 2 out he left a curve up and out over the plate that was deposited into the street behind right field. Line was 4 2/3, 3 hits, 2 runs both earned, 0 walks and 5 strike outs. Like I said very impressive return from the DL. We say Hochevar pitch here and I see a lot of similarities between the 2. Sadly there is no radar gun here in Tulsa so I don't know who fast his stuff was. Looked great though. Other observations from the game Jose Duarte went 2-5 but was picked off after he walked and later thrown out by a mile trying to steal second. Mario Lisson looked like he had no idea what was going on 0-5. Lastly NWA won the game in the 12th 6-4.

Can anyone say Mike Aviles?!?

Royal2103 — Thu, 15 May 2008 23:20:30 -0000

Yes yes yes, I know he's been called a AAAA player who will only mature into a dependable backup. But take it from someone who lives in Omaha that this kid is the real deal. I've been on here before lauding his play and I got the normal complaints -- defense and he strikes out too much. Well for a slugging percentage nearing .700 he's striking out the 7th fewest of anyone in the minor leagues with over 100 abs. He's hit 18 doubles and 6 triples already and even stole 3 bases. Hit impressively in the spring but got tenured-out with the current logjam at 2nd in KC. Numerous scouts have put his arm as slightly above average and his range at average. (Not terrible considering the human vacuum at first that is Ross Gload...) Slightly troublesome are his 3 E at short in limited action this year (and his 33 4 years ago... yikes... he's gotten progressively better each year though) but more time there would help that and he does at least look comfortable.

Bottom line --

Are the runs TPJ leaves at the plate and on base too much to balance the 2-3 runs he saves a week? Yes, his defense has been darn near stellar this year (he better be buying Gload dinner every night) but you will never TPJ him hit over .250, with even a larger obp, in a starting role for the rest of his career. I for (maybe) one have no problem with a rotation of Grudz and Aviles at 2nd and Callaspo (who's just as questionable defensively, if not more so, at short) and Aviles at short. The kid has a sick stick from the right side and will not kill you defensively.

They should have made the trade with the Dodgers for German, because there's no way he can get the playing time he needs to showcase himself with this year's team. I like Grudz but his days as a royal may very well come to an end in July. Just try your Minor League Player of the year and see how he does...

And I really don't wanna hear in 2 years how everyone saw Aviles rise to fan favorite! Nobody thought Keppinger or Gotay would be MLB contributors either and Aviles has much more talent and a much bigger stick. Can/Will his average glove keep his above-above average bat out of KC's lineup?

The Office -- Season Finale -- Open Thread

royalsreview — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:32:48 -0000

A somewhat annoying cliffhanger seems inevitable. Here are some likely ones:

-Jim proposing, answer not given cliffhanger. I hope they don't do this since they've basically done it multiple times before and a significant portion of the show's fans actually don't care about Pam & Jim. And it isn't a cliffhanger if they make it a cliffhanger. If that makes sense.

- Michael being fired/threatened cliffhanger. I thought this was likely awhile back, but not anymore. Possibly killed by the strike and inability to setup the story line. In the British office David Brent actually gets fired, which remains one of the most stunning things I've ever seen on a TV show. I don't think they can really do that here, but some epsiodes-long hiatus is possible. Just maybe not starting now.

-Jim threatened with being fired/getting fired cliffhanger. I think this is the most likely
, since definte seeds have been planted on this plot line.

-Pam quitting cliffhanger. What I'm sorta hoping for. All depends on how you interpret the final scene last week: was that Pam's awakening that she needs to get out NOW or was it her realization that she's already scerwed, and that Jim is soooo dreamy and suuch a good businessman, so it's all good. Pam quitting could complicate the Jim Proposing Plotline.

25ish percent progress report

powderbluepower — Thu, 15 May 2008 07:39:02 -0000

I'm going to be gone this weekend looking for wedding locations in Norman. As a result, I won't be able to post the 25 percent progress report when it is appropriate (after Thursday's game). Since we're at a significant milestone, it's time for something different (also, repeating the line "pitching good, batting not so good" is getting tiring). Therefore, it's time for everyone's favorite 5-7-5 poems, HAIKU! I only used active players, so sorry Hideo Nomo, Luke Hudson and John Bale. No haiku for you. Maybe I'll spend a night coming up with some other form of poetry next milestone. I guarantee I/won't write a freaking sonnet /when the future hits.

We'll have a haiku about each of the 25-man roster's progress this year, starting with the pitching staff.

Pitchers:

His brain is like a gun
since his arm's not a cannon
Brian Bannister

Have you seen this man?
Introduce to Trey Hillman
"Turkey" Jim Gobble

The rotation's ace
A.L.-second ERA
Good job Zack Greinke

Got to like this kid
Solid after his first start
"Cool" Luke Ho-chev-ar

He's undefeated!
ERA's at 2-point-five!
Who now? Ron Mahay

The chin triangle
mixed results but not as great
Just so-so Gil Meche

The bullpen's surprise
has been this young set-up man
Lion-O Nunez

If he's in, we lose
Last ten games: nine team losses
Joel Peralta

Didn't we do him
About two haikus ago?
Ramon Ramirez

Zero ERA
Mexican Tough Save Machine
Joakim Soria

ERA sub-Meche
Not that good; not really bad
He is Brett Tomko

The worst ERA
on the team but nice nickname
Y. "Shake" Yabuta

Batters:

Did he have power?
I honestly don't recall
John Buck, are you real?

I AM THE POWER!
Not He-Man, but great slugging
Miguel Olivo

Hits more than Pena
But no hits in last six games
Mr. Callaspo

Trey is not a fan
Except as a pinch runner
Esteban German

His grit makes up for
Mediocre statistics
Or should it? Ross Gload

The future George Brett?
He can bat, but more pine tar
for Alex Gordon

I'm so glad I can spell
Hitting well last six games
Grudzielanek

The powers that be
don't make batting easy for
Pena the Lesser

He went to Rutgers
did not know that. Strong at plate
David DeJesus

Joey not Joseph
He's fast and that's about it
Speedy GonGathright

The Mendoza Line
is in the rear-view mirror
Go Jose Guillen

Is he good or not?
Low RBIs, high walk rate
Say what? Mark Teahen

Less runs than Pena
But he has a big boy bat
Big Billy Butler

Standings: 2.5 from top
one back from ChiSox, one
up on the Tigers

Eighteen/twenty-one
Is not a bad record at all
so LET'S GO ROYALS!

Greinke and the Brain Theme Song

Eppenweb — Wed, 14 May 2008 23:43:39 -0000

Sometime in the last couple of days, one of the Reviewers suggested the nickname "Greinke and the Brain" for Zack and Bannister. I love that idea, and in honor of the back-to-back wins we just received from them, here is the "Greinke and the Brain" theme song (sung, of course, the the tune of "Pinky and the Brain"):

Gee Brian, what do you want to do tonight?

The same thing we do every night, Greinke: try to take over the AL Central!

They're Greinke and the Brain,
Yes Greinke and the Brain
One loves the SABR,
The other throws flames
They're Royals pitchers, true,
But they're a fearsome du-
Oh, They're Greinke, they're Greinke and
the Brain Brain Brain Brain
Brain Brain Brain Brain
Brain

Before each game concludes,
Their talents are displayed.
They make batters look like fools,
'Til Soria gets the save!

They're Greinke and the Brain
Yes Greinke and the Brain
Their summer campaign
Is easy to explain
To give KC a chance
to the playoffs to advance,
They're Greinke, they're Greinke and the
Brain Brain Brain Brain
Brain Brain Brain Brain
Hooch!

Kyle Davies?

boxerdogmojo — Wed, 14 May 2008 20:26:43 -0000

Any chance Kyle Davies gets a shot in the bigs again soon? It looks like he's quietly putting together a pretty solid season in AAA. His walks appear to be down from previous years, ERA of 2.43, 1.22 WHIP. Maybe think about bringing him up as a middle reliever for awhile, to see how he does against major-leaguers, for a possible late-season move into the rotation? (I'm assuming he would replace Tomko in the rotation, with Tomko moving to the pen).

The Moose is Loose

kcscoliny — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:53:12 -0000

Where do you project Moustakas to be by the end of the year?

A. AAA Omaha

B. AA NW Arkansas

C. September Call up

D. Adv Wilmington

By the way he was 2-3 so far today with a 3b Rbi and a BB. That raises is average to .250 after a .190 April. Last 11 games he is hitting .386 with a .744 SLG. Solid numbers for a 19 yr old in A ball.

Rowdy finally shows his stuff.

grudz96 — Wed, 14 May 2008 04:03:22 -0000

Starting Pitcher Rowdy Hardy (1-3) picked up his first win of the season. Hardy threw five innings striking out two batters. He gave up three earned runs off of nine hits. Jarod Palmer recorded his third save of the season for the naturals.

Naturals 7 and Tulsa 3....

Not a great outing by Rowdy but a win is a win. The way his season is going I bet he is breathing a big sigh of relief. Go Naturals...

BOD: Boyfriend of the Day May 13, 2008

loyal2theroyals — Wed, 14 May 2008 03:51:02 -0000

This is so interesting...I'm sure I've noticed it before but watching this now, it seems like Greinke is just completely avoiding eye contact with the cameras and the reporters. Huh.

http://www.drivelinemechanics.com/images/soriastill.jpg

Anyways, on to the awards!

Boyfriend of the Day

via www.pantagraph.com

Jose Guillen!

Jose had a great game today, going 2 for 4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBIs. Watch out, his BA is up to an astounding 216!

Smitten Kitten

via www.drivelinemechanics.com

Joakim Soria!

Soria had a fantastic defensive play in the 9th and kept the game for our boys in blue. And from what I read, he's the last regular relief pitcher with a 0.00 ERA. Not too shabby

via i.a.cnn.net

Zack Greinke!

I almost hesitate to give Greinke a SK rather than a HM, but he managed to wiggle out of so many tough innings. Sure there weren't as many Ks as I'd like and he gave up a LOT of pitches in 6 innings, but the fact that he still tried to give it his all and kept the game from getting out of control and one sided is good enough for me.

BOYFRIEND OF THE DAY 2008
Player	BOD	SK	HM	Totals
Brian Bannister	3	0	0	15
John Buck	0	1	1	4
Billy Butler	0	3	0	9
David DeJesus	1	1	0	8
Joey Gathright	1	0	0	5
Ross Gload	0	1	0	3
Jimmy Gobble	0	1	0	3
Alex Gordon	0	4	1	13
Zack Greinke	4	2	0	26
Mark Grudzielanek	1	1	1	9
Jose Guillen	2	1	2	15
Luke Hochevar	2	0	0	10
Gil Meche	2	0	0	10
Miscellanea	0	1	0	3
Leo Nuñez	0	1	1	4
Miguel Olivo	0	2	0	6
Tony Peña Jr.	0	2	0	6
Ramon Ramirez	0	0	1	1
Joakim Soria	0	2	3	9
Mark Teahen	0	2	2	8
Brett Tomko	1	0	0	5

MOST VALUABLE OPPONENT 2008
Player	MVO
Denny Bautista	1
David Eckstein	1
Motown Muderers	1
Alex Rodriguez	1
Jered Weaver	1

As a note, a BOD gives a player 5 points in the standings, a SK gives a player 3 points, and a HM gives a player 1 point.

And all that could have been… (or, how I learned to start crying over Wladimir Balentien)

RoyalsFanInMarinerTown — Tue, 13 May 2008 19:03:31 -0000

Last season, as the trade deadline loomed ever closer, a sure-fire trade candidate was Octavio Dotel. Dotel was signed by the Royals on December 8, 2006, by Dayton Moore. While Dayton almost certainly had the ‘flip-a-player’ idea rolling in the back of his head, Dotel was officially handed the closer role.

Watch that lip, Octavio!

via mlb.mlb.com

"The back end of our bullpen has been a major focus," general manager Dayton Moore said . "It was a problem in '06. We feel we've made big strides in bringing it an identity."

Dotel had a rough start with the Royals, straining his oblique in spring training. Also newly acquired reliever David Riske was handed the closer job while Dotel was away, but performed very poorly in the role. Desperate to cover his ass, Buddy Bell turned to Rule 5 Draft Pick Joakim Soria. Soria stepped in, and started slamming the doors.

Mexi-tough

via i.a.cnn.net

...Soria was so dominant in the eighth inning that Buddy Bell sent him out to pitch the ninth with a 6-3 lead; Soria retired the side in order again, striking out the last two hitters. Soria was the de facto closer from that point until Octavio Dotel’s return from the DL, and then returned to the role after Dotel was traded. (Rany)

Dotel returned on May 23, 2007, versus the Cleveland Indians. He looked very hittable in that game, giving up 3 hits, including a HR to Travis Hafner, his 9th of the year. He improved greatly over his next

few outings, however, and eventually converted 11/14 opportunities, going 2-1 with a 3.91 ERA and 120 ERA+, and a WHIP of 1.522. Speculation on his impending trade really started in the June timeframe, with the Mariners, Braves, Red Sox, Dodgers, Indians, and Mets leading the parade to try and pick him up.

Of considerable interest to the community of royalsreview.com was the young Mariners (Tacoma Rainers AAA) outfielder, Wladimir Balentien . Eventually, the Balentien offer was ignored, and Moore elected to trade Dotel to the Braves for a familiar product (to Moore), Kyle Davies.

Davies likes to eat children when not on the mound.

via mlb.mlb.com

Kyle has had his share of problems in the minors and bigs, most frequently with Homeruns and walks. Now, giving up homeruns and walks with the consistency that Davies does is a very bad thing. No one doubts that he has ‘electric’ stuff, and that he could mature into a starting pitcher that fits well in the #2-#4 positions.

Davies did not impress in his starts with the Royals, or with the Braves, consistently. Currently he resides in the minor leagues, at Omaha, with a lifetime major league line including a 17-28 record over 287 innings, 1.725 WHIP, ERA+ of 70, and an ERA of 6.24.

This is what it looks like when Davies serves up your 500th homer of your career.

via blog.nj.com

There may be hope for Davies, yet. At Omaha in 2008, he currently holds a 4-2 record in 7 starts, going 37 innings. He is still walking too many batters, at a little under .5 /IP, and his K:BB rate is 3:2. His ERA is only 2.43 at the moment, but he has allowed 19 runs, only 10 of which are earned. With the jury still out on Davies, let’s all just hope for the best, shall we?

On to Wladimir Balentien. Balentien (24) was born July 2, 1984, in Willemstad, Curacao, in the Netherlands Antilles . On July 9, 2000, at 16 years and 1 week old, Balentien signed with the Mariners to play professional baseball. Balentien reported to the Mariners AZL Rookie team in 2003 for his first taste of professional baseball. He came hungry.

'C' is for cookie and that's good enough for me

via seattletimes.nwsource.com

In 2003, in 187 AB’s, Balentien had an OBP of .359, with an OPS of 1.017. In his 6 full seasons in the minors, he has never OPS’d below .772 (San Antonio AA), and only below .832 once. Lifetime OBP/SLG in the minors you ask? .342/.522. In addition he is stealing bases at a 75% clip over that time span, and is capable of playing all 3 OF positions.

Great! So he has had a successful MiLB career! Good job Wladimir! So what? Who cares? Well, even though it is a small sample size (in the MLB), it appears so far that the Mariners were right to trade Adam Jones for Bedard, and keep Balentien from the Royals AND the Orioles.

A quick line on Jones and Balentien, this year:

Name	BA	H	2B	3B	HR	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
Jones, A	.223	29	8	2	2	.271	.362	.633	73
Balentien, W	.239	11	2	0	4	.271	.543	.814	123

Neither’s OBP is even close to stellar, but look at the OPS. Balentien is right on target with his MiLB numbers so far. I have really enjoyed watching him in AAA over the past 2 years and then on TV so far this year. Last night he hit a monster homer off of Joaquin Benoit in Arlington, putting the Mariners back in the contest (They lost 13-12 in 10 innings).

The question is, in retrospect, do you feel we still maximized off of Dotel? Would you rather have Balentien than Davies? If Davies turns the corner, and becomes a dependable starting pitcher, and Balentien becomes a legitimate power threat (25-35 HR’s), which one would you rather have at this point?

The Filly leads them all!!!!

grudz96 — Tue, 13 May 2008 18:07:19 -0000

Starting week 7 of the fantasy baseball season here is how we stand. As all of you can see Loyal2 is holding a small lead over about 8 teams. It is a long season and we are just starting to have fun. Lets get out there and play ball.

RR Keeper League

Rank	Team	W-L-T	Pct	GB	Last Week	Waiver	Moves
1.	Loyal2s Gobstoppers	44-32-8	.571	-	8-5-1	1	8
2.	slayor royals	43-32-9	.565	0.5	10-3-1	9	17
3.	Sisquatch Kids	41-30-13	.565	0.5	8-4-2	11	15
4.	Marbot Destroy!	43-34-7	.554	1.5	8-6-0	8	13
5.	stuckinstl12	43-34-7	.554	1.5	6-8-0	16	16
6.	RaefzillaHamFighters	43-35-6	.548	2	7-6-1	15	20
7.	thedude925=awesome	39-34-11	.530	3.5	10-3-1	12	12
8.	Grudz's Bar & Grill	41-39-4	.512	5	11-2-1	2	16
9.	NYRoyal	38-40-6	.488	7	5-8-1	3	10
10.	Hoch	35-40-9	.470	8.5	8-6-0	6	22
11.	Daddy de los Royales	36-41-7	.470	8.5	3-10-1	4	15
12.	RR's Fun Bunch	34-40-10	.464	9	6-7-1	5	1
13.	Randa4Life	34-43-7	.446	10.5	3-10-1	13	5
14.	JQ's Sluggers	32-42-10	.440	11	6-8-0	7	9
15.	Matty486	29-44-11	.411	13.5	4-8-2	10	14
16.	gordonrules	27-42-15	.411	13.5	2-11-1	14	15

Royals rotation is one big happy family

NYRoyal — Tue, 13 May 2008 07:34:24 -0000

Earlier this season dedicated Royals fan and Olympic level sarcasmatist jonfmorse wondered aloud (if one can do anything "aloud" on a blog) what the ethos of the current Royals rotation is. He pointed out that in some rotations, the pitchers compete against each other and in others they work with each other for the betterment of all. The Braves rotation including Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz was mentioned as an example of a rotation that worked together and succeeded. At the time we had little information about what was going on behind the scenes in the 2008 Royals rotation. As always, Dick Kaegel makes all things clear in this article from the Royals official site.

"I've been on some teams where guys won't talk about game plans. They won't talk about anything because they just worry about themselves. It's tough. It's like being on an island. I don't see that here at all," Tomko said. This bunch puts their heads together regularly in the clubhouse, in the video room or even over dinner. There's a bonding in the works.

"I would say it's pretty good, because usually there's someone that I don't like, that I just don't want to be around," Greinke (4-1, 1.80 ERA) said. "But this time I like all of them, so it makes it easier. Because I'm the type that if I don't like someone, I avoid them and I don't even think about doing that with these guys. I like them all equal -- they're all cool guys, so it's nice."

"The reason we kind of mix together well is that everybody kind of has the same demeanor about them. Nobody is really outspoken," Meche said. "Everybody just kind of works the same. We all want to pitch well. We actually do talk a lot about pitching -- this is probably the most I ever have within a group."

To be sure, there are other topics mixed in -- golf swings or video games -- but it's mostly how to win baseball games. Hochevar (2-2, 4.94 ERA), who replaced injured John Bale in the rotation on April 20, is the eager-to-learn rookie in the group.

"Meche really helped me with my curveball in between my last two starts," Hochevar said. "I talked to him a lot because he's obviously got a good curveball, and I kind of picked his brain about what he does and what he thinks about on his curveball. It really helped me in my game and I was a lot more consistent about it."

I take every feel good story about the Royals from any source with a grain of salt. But this "they get along and they all work together to improve their pitching" story actually comes from the players themselves. It doesn't appear to be the product of Royals-official-site spin.

And this might just be my man-love of Brian Bannister talking, but I get the strong feeling that he doesn't have a particularly big head and that he's just happy to pitch well and help the team. He doesn't need to be the leader or the staff ace:

"Zack's kind of jumped out and is pacing us right now like Gil did last year," Bannister said. "It's always good to have that lead horse out there setting the pace. And I think we're kind of all falling in behind."

And then there's the nickname issue:

"I think the mark of a good player or a good staff or a good team is they create a nickname for themselves, so it's something to strive for," Bannister said. "My dad was a member of the 'Winning Ugly' White Sox. It's fun when you come together as a unit and people can identify you with one name. So it's something to strive for, but it only comes through a lot of hard work and, obviously, good performance on the field," Bannister said.

I think it is a very good sign that these guys are getting along and working together. Bannister and Meche have a particularly thoughtful approach to pitching and I'm sure they share a lot with the other pitchers, as well as learning something themselves. And, of course, the biggest asset in the rotation is Greinke. As we all know, he has a social anxiety disorder. I've got to think it's good for him to have other pitchers who he feels comfortable hanging around with and talking about pitching with. I also think it is going to help the Royals prospects of keeping Greinke long-term. Do you think he'd rather go into a strange clubhouse with new players in New York, Boston, Chicago or L.A. or re-sign with the Royals and pitch with the same group of guys that he's comfortable with?

Anyway, I haven't had any success coming up with a good nickname for the Royals rotation. I think they deserve one.

BOD: Boyfriend of the Day May 11, 2008

loyal2theroyals — Tue, 13 May 2008 03:47:16 -0000

I know you guys are probably anxiously awaiting a long drawn out post but...I'm not feeling it. I've been moving to a new apartment since 1 pm yesterday (minus the break I took to go see Wicked in KC) and it wore me out. But I heard a few things about the game and have made my decision.

Boyfriend of the Day

Brian Bannister!

Brian had 8 shutout innings in Sunday's win, allowing only 2 hits and striking out 5 in the process. ERA update: 3.75!

Smitten Kitten

Pink Bats!

Somehow, using pink bats is amazing for the Royals, as they managed to actually rack up 11 hits and 4 runs. Which...well, you know all that average runs per game stuff, you don't need me to beat it into the ground any more.

BOYFRIEND OF THE DAY 2008
Player	BOD	SK	HM	Totals
Brian Bannister	3	0	0	15
John Buck	0	1	1	4
Billy Butler	0	3	0	9
David DeJesus	1	1	0	8
Joey Gathright	1	0	0	5
Ross Gload	0	1	0	3
Jimmy Gobble	0	1	0	3
Alex Gordon	0	4	1	13
Zack Greinke	4	1	0	23
Mark Grudzielanek	1	1	1	9
Jose Guillen	1	1	2	10
Luke Hochevar	2	0	0	10
Gil Meche	2	0	0	10
Miscellanea	0	1	0	3
Leo Nuñez	0	1	1	4
Miguel Olivo	0	2	0	6
Tony Peña Jr.	0	2	0	6
Ramon Ramirez	0	0	1	1
Joakim Soria	0	1	3	6
Mark Teahen	0	2	2	8
Brett Tomko	1	0	0	5

MOST VALUABLE OPPONENT 2008
Player	MVO
Denny Bautista	1
David Eckstein	1
Motown Muderers	1
Alex Rodriguez	1
Jered Weaver	1

As a note, a BOD gives a player 5 points in the standings, a SK gives a player 3 points, and a HM gives a player 1 point.

2008 MLB Mock Draft

doublestix — Tue, 13 May 2008 01:38:41 -0000

Held yearly over at Minor League Ball has started discussions. I will be the scouting director this year, and JM Barten will take over shall I not be there for one reason or another. The mock draft will be held Saturday, May 31st, at 12:00 PM central time.

If anyone would like to partake in this discussion, I invite you to come over to Minor League Ball and post in our diary Fan Post. If we get enough people contributing (like I hope we can), I can start up a temporary message board for us to discuss. Here is the link for the initial thread--

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2008/5/12/508370/mod-royals

SS Where are we gonna get one?

kcscoliny — Mon, 12 May 2008 21:21:01 -0000

Pena is hitting below his weight which is impressive considering his slight build. He is as adept at bunting as Helen Keller would be and Callaspo lacks the range to be a long term answer. Berroa is out of chances. Aviles and Moustakas don't figure to be option at SS. So what is the answer trade a pitcher for a current prospect like Hu or draft Tim Beckham if he falls to us?

What SS prospect does everyone want? Or should we stand pat and hope Moose can play SS.

Here are our current MILB SS and their stats.

Player	POS	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	TB	BB	SO	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	AVG	OPS	E

Player

POS

RBI

OBP

SLG

AVG

OPS

Mike Aviles	SS	35	150	33	55	18	6	6	30	103	7	16	3	0	.396	.687	.367	1.083	4

Mike Aviles

150

103

.396

.687

.367

1.083

Angel Berroa	SS	31	119	21	37	9	0	6	14	64	3	18	4	1	.328	.538	.311	.866	3

Angel Berroa

119

.328

.538

.311

.866

Angel Sanchez	SS	31	117	17	23	4	1	0	10	29	17	25	2	1	.299	.248	.197	.546	7

Angel Sanchez

117

.299

.248

.197

.546

Chris McConnell	SS	32	122	9	32	12	0	0	9	44	11	14	10	6	.326	.361	.262	.687	7

Chris McConnell

122

.326

.361

.262

.687

Mike Moustakas	SS	30	121	14	27	3	0	4	11	42	8	20	3	0	.277	.347	.223	.624	7

Mike Moustakas

121

.277

.347

.223

.624

Of Brett Tomko and #5 Starters

Skirra — Mon, 12 May 2008 16:51:12 -0000

Here is a list of #5 starters and their stats sorted by FIP defined here. I tried to set 5 GS as my baseline for choosing a #5 starter. The point was to see what a #5 looked like using FIP and where Tomko fit in. If you have any complaints just list your choice for the #5 starter that you have in mind for a team along with their Team, W, L, ERA, and FIP. I will edit the post to fit them in I don't know if I included guys that are injured or have been demoted so help in that regard would be great.

I considered the order in which fangraphs had them sorted (they used win probablity added, WPA, as their criteria I did not.) In some cases I chose the guy that seemed most like a #5 to me and in the case of the Athletics I just chose one because they have a really good staff so far. In the case of the Tigers they mostly suck so I just chose they guy the Royals will face next. The Oioles didn't have 5 guys who met my 5IP criteria so I chose Trachsel because he seems like a fifth starter to me. For the Red Sox I didn't chose Wakefield even though they probably view him as their fifth starter because knuckleballers just don't compare to other pitchers very easily.

Player	Team	W	L	ERA	FIP
Clay Buchholz	Red Sox	2	2	4.5	3.17
Brett Tomko	Royals	1	4	5.67	3.37
Dustin McGowan	Blue Jays	2	3	4.47	3.64
Ghad Gaudin	Athletics	3	2	3.55	3.85
Mark Buehrle	White Sox	1	4	5.31	3.89
Miguel Batista	Mariners	3	4	5.58	4.15
Nate Robinson	Tigers	1	4	6.64	4.36
Boof Bonser	Twins	2	4	5.09	4.61
Mike Mussina	Yankees	5	3	4.36	4.81
Dustin Moseley	Angels	1	3	7.85	5.18
Matt Garza	(Devil) Rays	1	1	4.91	5.19
Paul Byrd	Indians	1	3	4.28	6.04
Steve Trachsel	Orioles	2	4	6.75	6.89
Jason Jennings	Rangers	0	5	8.56	8.02

Royals Review

Player Performance Ed. 3 Final Results

The Player I would like to get

The 100 Greatest Royals of All-Time - #55 Tim Belcher

BOD: Boyfriend of the Day May 14, 2008 & May 15, 2008

Cortes returns

Can anyone say Mike Aviles?!?

The Office -- Season Finale -- Open Thread

25ish percent progress report

Greinke and the Brain Theme Song

Kyle Davies?

The Moose is Loose

Rowdy finally shows his stuff.

BOD: Boyfriend of the Day May 13, 2008

And all that could have been… (or, how I learned to start crying over Wladimir Balentien)

How would you rate Dayton Moore's trade of Dotel to the Braves in return for Kyle Davies, by your own perception, on a scale of 1-10?

The Filly leads them all!!!!

Royals rotation is one big happy family

BOD: Boyfriend of the Day May 11, 2008

2008 MLB Mock Draft

SS Where are we gonna get one?

Of Brett Tomko and #5 Starters