A Royals fan top ten list for the offseason

by daveyork on Nov 25, 2006 9:05 AM EST

Moved from the Diaries... Hilarious stuff from "daveyork"... I love the Mark Quinn/Andy Sisco Award

As many of you know, the Royals have a maddening consistency with their offseason work. I don't claim that this a final list but only one person's observations. Please feel free to add to any of all of them. My hope is that all of these will be proven wrong in 2007. Here goes:

Someone in the front office will comment on the progress being made in the rebuilding program and that Royals fans need to be patient. "We are committed to building with young players but it takes time to develop them properly" or something like that. You have heard it before.
The annual offseason comment by David Glass that he intends to give the GM more budget to work with so a winner can be build. It is a commitment to winning second in sports to Al Davis and the Raiders' "Commitment to Excellence."
The free agent market will be declared as "unpredictable" or "high priced" so the Royals won't be a factor yet . . .
The additional money budgeted for next year's payroll will be wasted on average to below average free agents who are untradeable and/or unwatchable. This spending is seen as a move in the right direction. By May, most of the moves are viewed as awful - there are so many examples I can't list just one. Can't resist Albie Lopez, though.
KC will inevitably make a move that will leave the baseball world scratching their collective heads - see #4. The term laughing stock usually follows the head scratch.
The Rule 5 draft will be a highlight for Royals fans because we know it will translate into one player who will stay in KC for the duration of the year regardless of value to the team. Sad to say but I do look into who the Royals might acquire from the scrap heap of the minors - changed rules make it more difficult in 2006.
At least one player will be added who "will add a veteran presence," "show them how to win," "play the right way," is a gamer," "will make a solid contribution to the organization," "is a standup guy in the clubhouse" Perhaps you could translate it into common fan language?
One player who fans have hope for in the upcoming season will horribly regress and live on only potential for the next season - The Mark Quinn/Andy Sisco award. Zack Greinke would also be a good candidate for 2006 award. Early odds on 2007 include Ryan Shealy and Esteban German.
The pitching staff that leaves spring training will fall apart within a month leaving KC to scramble to find adequate replacements (which are never found). There will also be a couple of players who make the team and will be released or demoted within a month. Who could forget Steve Andrade - yeah, I don't remember him either. Remember the depth of starting pitching in 2006 spring training with Runelys Hernandez, Denny Bautista, Jeremy Affeldt, Scott Elarton, and Zack Greinke, Mark Redman, et al.
There will be several ex-Royals who blossom with new teams. The question will be asked, "Why could he do that in KC?"

Well, that is the list. Check them off as you read or hear them. Some have started already. Some won't happen until 2007. When does spring training start?

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Happy Thanksgiving to you Mr. York...

I agree with all 10.

by grudz69 on Nov 22, 2006 7:48 PM EST 0 recs

Rebuilding through the farm system - add it.

The USA Today article on Royals Nov. 22 was an interesting read. The management quote of "We have to work our rebuilding plan or we are sticking to our plan to rebuild through the farm system" is used alot. Can any loyal Royal fan tell me what the plan has been for the last decade? And also, if we are rebuilding through the farm system, why don't we roll those extra millions into draft choices or international signings rather than sign the stop gap veterans who are burdens within 6 months of the season starting. How far would an extra 2.5 million go into signing 5-10 young players who long term will do more for KC than Jason LaRue?

For KC to be serious contender, it is true we need to build through the farm system like Minnesota and Oakland do. They have lost major league players over the years but have the replacements for them in the minors. One of the reason the KC system is so poor is that for the past 5-6 years David Glass/Allard Baird have made "signability" the biggest issue in drafting players. Signability is code for will sign for cheaper than the slot. How can forget the year they took players in rounds 5-10 and offered them $1,000 signing bonus - take it or leave it. It is amazing that Mike Aviles (Omaha in 2006) has made it has high as AAA. The others are washed out or in low minors. If the wisdom, you reap what you sow, is true - no wonder KC is struggling so much now. Our future has been sealed by the cheapness of management over the past years. The one consistent in Royals management has been the Glass family.

Wow, this has almost turned into a rant - hope you stayed with me this long.

by daveyork on Nov 24, 2006 7:38 PM EST up 0 recs

here's the link

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/al/royals/2006-11-22-organizational-report_x.htm

it also fits the patience angle

by LeoBloom on Nov 25, 2006 6:34 PM EST up 0 recs

About #5

We dont have to worry about being the laugingstock of the league this offseason. The dodgers already claimed that spot by signing Juan Pierre for 9 million a year.

by wildthang on Nov 22, 2006 7:50 PM EST 0 recs

keep this around for later, we'll need to return

to it at various points

the Mark Quinn/Andy Sisco award

CLASSIC!!

by LeoBloom on Nov 22, 2006 9:17 PM EST 0 recs

Consider a name change for the award.

The theory behind teh award is valid, however I think the problem goes further back than Quinn and Sisco. How about this name for the award, "The Bob Hamlin Regression from Excellance Award"?

Eric Conley "If a tie is like kissing your sister then losing is like kissing your grandmother with her teeth out." George Brett

by EricConley on Nov 27, 2006 1:31 PM EST up 0 recs

Outstanding

Haven't heard a Bob Hamelin reference in a long time! I cringe whenever I think a Royals player could win ROY award. Hamelin, Berroa - yikes! How do they get worse instead of better?

by daveyork on Nov 27, 2006 5:20 PM EST up 0 recs

Beltran has done all right

Except that he was given away in a trade!

by jbrocato on Nov 27, 2006 7:57 PM EST up 0 recs

10 more guarantees

1.The Royals will ignore the most basic signal of "possibly a good athlete" and sign someone fat.

2.The only ones beaten by Royals pitchers will be their catchers.

3.There will come a time when with the score close and late and with a runner on first Teahen will lay down a sacrafice bunt. And he will be praised.

4.Angel Berroa will, God forbid, continue to stay healthy.

5.The Royals blog will, without the use of spin at all, continue to clear up misunderstandings and give us an honest light about the teams chances.

6.The Royals will have an all star representative. The pundits will use him to point out what's wrong with the selection rules.

7.Buddy Bell will concede that the Royals need to play better.

8.The highlight of the season will be more pictures of Jan Sterger.

9.After being predicted to win about 33% of their games the Royals will go through a 3 week stretch where they win 37% of their games. Ownership will be "tickled."

10.All of you will return night after night after failing to find a more rewarding hobby, such as suicide.

by bretsyboo on Nov 23, 2006 1:12 AM EST 0 recs

bretsyboo.... suicide is short-lived hobby....

ask the turkeys of the world....

by grudz69 on Nov 23, 2006 1:34 PM EST 0 recs

blossom elsewhere

About the only item on that list that I could quibble with would be #10. It doesn't seem to me that very many Royals have unexpectedly blossomed elsewhere, certainly not several in a season. Who were you thinking of?

by tfn on Nov 27, 2006 12:34 PM EST 0 recs