Team website today

by loyal2s dad on Jan 8, 2007 5:22 PM EST Comment 20 comments

In yet another less-than-stellar mailbag today, the less-than-illustrious Dick Kaegel decides to answer an email question about whether Alex Gordon might be able to obtain certain statistical measures if he makes the team out of spring. (The numbers suggested by the questioner were 290 avg, 20 HR, 85 RBI, and 25 SB).

Apparently, this a-hole must have selected the question just so he could mock the poor guy. His response was to not even give the question serious consideration, instead, his response was something like: "Wow! Not even George Brett did that".

I will now proceed to defend the questioner, because he might know more about baseball than Kaegel, but what he does not have is the power of the podium afforded Kaegel by being the designated lackey for the team.

Brett did not have the benefit of college baseball, nor did he have nearly the same minor league accomplishments that Gordon has.
Minor league baseball stats are projectible, whether our dumb organization believes it or not. PECOTA is a widely accepted projection model, and it sure and the hell has Gordon pegged for closer to what the questioner proposed than what Brett did as a rookie.
This is an example of picking one extreme example to make your point, while ignoring all others. Kaegel picked a Hall of Famer, who happened to start quite a bit slower than many HOFs do, to make his point. In addition, some players actually come close to peaking their rookie seasons. Take a look at Fred Lynn and Kevin Seitzer.
Don't like stats, Dick? Then how about listening to scouts? Numerous scouts, prior to LAST SEASON, NOT THIS ONE, were already saying Gordon was the best player in our camp!!!!! I would venture to say they will probably be saying the same this spring. In fact, Teahen might be the only other guy mentioned in the discussion, IMHO.

What is really going on here? Well, in my opinion, Kaegel has been instructed to answer the question this way in an attempt to dampen the hype about Gordon, and seemingly lower the pressure on him. In fact, he even speculates that Gordon very well won't make the team out of spring.

Lesson learned? Well, I guess you need to be aware when you are reading potential propoganda. A website run by the team is bound to have a different (read, less than objective) agenda than most intelligent fans want to hear.

I truly hope Gordon makes the team out of spring now, and makes Kaegel look like an idiot. (Well, I should say even more of an idiot than he already is). Personally, assuming he makes the team and stays healthy and the manager doesn't decide to bat him 8th behind Berroa or something, I could see Gordon obtaining the figures stated by the questioner. The only number I would say is too high might be the SB figure - although I'm sure he would steal 10-15.

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here's the link

http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070106&content_id=1774221& ;vkey=news_kc&fext=.jsp&c_id=kc

these mlb.com links are absurdely unwieldy by the way

by royalsreview on Jan 8, 2007 6:32 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Gordon

is the one piece I have no doubt about...he will start the season at third and start it well...and yes those Brett rookie numbers are ridiculous...he worked his hairy bean bag off to get were he ended...Gordon will walk easily with ROY

Buy the ticket, take the ride.

by PhattStairs on Jan 8, 2007 7:37 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Right on

Really can't improve on that dissection of Kaegel.

Tough even to improve on that sobriquet "designated lackey."

However, since this is likely not the last time the blogosphere needs to shed the often harsh light of truth on his scribbles, allow me to suggest some alternatives we might use in the future.

(1) Timid poodle Dick Kaegel

(2) Obsequious MLB peon Dick Kaegel

(3) Panting lapdog Dick Kaegel

(4) Unctuous hack Dick Kaegel

(5) In-house bootlicker Dick Kaegel

(6) Gutless corporate mouthpiece Dick Kaegel

(7) Untalented shill Dick Kaegel

(8) Puffed-up PR popinjay Dick Kaegel

[Look ma, no thesaurus!]

Feel free to use freely and without attribution.

Keep up the good work!

by howserfan on Jan 8, 2007 9:12 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

how about dusting off an old one:

the nattering nabob of negativism

by buddyball on Jan 8, 2007 11:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

(5) In-house bootlicker Dick Kaegel

That gets my vote.

by James Quinn on Jan 9, 2007 7:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

He gets paid by the Royals...

what do you expect? His ass would be canned so fast if he even hinted that something was wrong with oh lets say Berroa. Everything he writes is pablum and his column is probably okayed by one of the Walmart men before it goes up to the site.

I feel sorry for the hack. But a job is a job.... and you have to do what you gotta do to keep that paycheck. So, that is why I view his column like I do charmin toilet paper. It is soft and absorbent...and deserves to be flushed.

by grudz69 on Jan 8, 2007 10:31 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Guess it's just me

but the comments seem a bit over the top. My sense is he's probably just being honest. He's hyped Gordon plenty in the past. Imagine how old it gets answering the same questions, many of which are just plain dumb.

He did say in an interview that Berroa could be out of baseball in a couple years, so I don't think he's all spin.

By all accounts he's a pretty good guy and very well liked and respected in the profession, just doing his job like all of us and meaning no harm, so I'm inclined to cut him some slack.

Just a different opinion. Call me a Kaegel shill.

by chukar on Jan 8, 2007 11:26 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

You are right...

He did say Berroa could be out of baseball in a couple of years. (be still my beating heart) But, his columns are mostly rehashed organizational news. So, I will cut him some slack and just not read his column for anything news worthy.

There did I go a little easier on him....

by grudz69 on Jan 8, 2007 11:53 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

dick kaegel

does anyone read the mailbag from the other mlb sites? they're twenty times better than ours. they actually give rumors and opinions that are worth a hell. i'm disappointed in his fluke column. we get much better insight here and i'm proud to say that.

royaldaddy-Bob Hamelin's #1 fan

by royaldaddy on Jan 9, 2007 1:10 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Yea, but

We get JoPos, while other cities get stuck with morons like Phil Rogers, Jay Mariotti, Rich Griffin, Woody Paige, Bill Plaschke and Skip Bayliss.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Jan 10, 2007 9:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Kaegal writes on behalf of the team

I don't understand what else you would expect from him. I would consider it a pretty unprofessional and backward idea for any organization (or business) to hire writers who criticize.

Would you really expect him to encourage the Royals to dump Berroa or fire Bell, for example, because of their "struggles"? It is a professional opinion-article on behalf of the organization.

There are no Wal-Mart men. There's no payola. There's no "shut-up about this"...that's "conspiracy theory".

http://royalsnation.proboards62.com

by JRaider2005 on Jan 9, 2007 1:17 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I was in Walmart the other day and there

were Walmart men all over the place in those little vest type outfits. Working hard for the owners of the Royals.

Professional opinion .... Hmm, otherwise known as a paid lackey. No criticism, only fluff...

No payola... he gets a paycheck from the Royals.

No shut up about this.... only approved fluff...

Conspiracy theory.... none what so ever...

Sorry, I agree other teams have columns that actually question the moves of the organization. The Royals don't. IMHO....

by grudz69 on Jan 9, 2007 2:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

You're venting your anger in the wrong place...

Other than providing more intelligent analysis (which, on that front, I agree with you. There are more knowledgeable team writers out there), I don't see what more you want from him.

I agree with the poster below that it is essentially propaganda that serves no consequence.

The team hires the writer to speak on behalf of the organization and their views toward certain players, events, etc. Of course he's not going to Rob Neyer us with his opinions.

If you want to get mad at anyone, get mad at the owner, team president, and much of the former management (or get mad at Dayton's new staff if you want to, although it is a little premature to do that). Get mad at Buddy Bell, or even the players themselves...but the team writer?

Although personally, while we're at the games, I think we should burn the team ushers and the people who serve lemonade in the stands. They are in obviously in on it as well.

Jack
http://royalsnation.proboards62.com

by JRaider2005 on Jan 9, 2007 6:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

his wife

has also worked for the royals for years, for what its worth

by FlintHillsRoyal on Jan 9, 2007 7:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

No, just the peanut vendors....

Sorry... Loyal2'sdad.... just had to say it.

by grudz69 on Jan 10, 2007 12:33 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

In January

I will read any Baseball news I can find. Dick Kaegel is paid to do a job and he does what is required of him. As far as his column, I take it with a grain of salt as part propaganda, partially informative.

lordbyronk

by lordbyronk on Jan 9, 2007 3:45 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

agreed

i'm a fiend

by FlintHillsRoyal on Jan 9, 2007 7:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

This peanut vendor is not in on it

In fact, I really need to be more careful while working. There has been a time or two when what I've seen transpire on the field has sent me into a mini-rant in front of the fans!

That could be the end of my job there someday - but in a way that would be OK - sometimes you have to say what you believe.

One example from a couple of years ago (or was it last year?) was when DeJesus lost a leadoff single
due to the lineup being posted differently on the dugout wall vs what was turned in to the umpires. That set me off on a two-inning rant. Fortunately, the ball club has been so inept the last decade, most fans listening to me complain must either agree or are secretly amused/entertained by it all.

by loyal2s dad on Jan 10, 2007 10:43 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Final post on this (I promise)

Perhaps the Royals and the Star are just giving the people what they want. There is just a general niceness to the Midwest, and to Kansas Citians in particular. People prefer their news sugar coated, and maybe that's OK.

The result of this may be that the community never really puts any true pressure on ownership to fix the problem.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want the Star to start covering the team like a New York paper or anything, but maybe a compromise. It's OK to question and/or criticize moves once in a while. I personally like the approach Rob and Rany take - they are both avid Royals fans, and they may heavily criticize things at any given time, but they also will praise when warranted. That's what the Star should be doing. As for the team website, of course it will be slanted, it's just that I think it shouldn't be as slanted as it is. Also, maybe if the Star had more honest coverage and more articles in general, I wouldn't bother reading the team's propoganda in the first place.

by loyal2s dad on Jan 10, 2007 10:55 AM EST reply actions 0 recs