The Jason LaRue era is over

by RoyalsRetro on Nov 19, 2007 5:17 PM EST Comment 44 comments

Flags were set at half-staff at Kauffman Stadium today, marking the end of an era. Longtime fan favorite Jason LaRue bid goodbye to KC for greener pastures on the eastern side of the state by signing with the St. Louis Cardinals.

What do I do with my customized Royals "LaRue" jersey now?!?!?

LaRue was greeted with much anticipation when the Royals acquired him last November for a player to be named later that was later turned into a bag of baseballs. LaRue had hit .194 with Cincinnati in 2006, and did not disappoint in repeating that performance in Kansas City.

LaRue got off to a hot start, getting a hit in his second game with the Royals. As late as April 11, his average was as high as .176 after a 1-4 performance against Toronto.

On April 16 he showed off his versatility, filling in at third base as manager Buddy Bell brilliantly moved Alex Gordon to shortstop after an injury to Esteban German.

LaRue also showed he could hit for power, when he clobbered a pitch over the wall in a loss to Detroit on May 5, lifting his average above the .100 barrier. Steroid allegations began to pop up after LaRue repeated the performance by going deep again on June 3 against Tampa Bay stud J.P. Howell, who blanked the rest of the team.

On July 3, LaRue had the game of his life. He was 3-5 with a home run in a 17-3 win over Seattle, leading to suicides of three Mariner pitchers.

LaRue slumped a bit to end the year, going 0-24 in August, but the team finished 24-31 in games in which LaRue started, a true testament to his grit and veteran presence.

Goodbye Jason LaRue. Maybe someday the Royals will spend the money to keep high priced talent like you, but until then, we'll have to grit our teeth as we watch yet another free agent flee town for bigger money.

Sub-.200 batting averages in Royals history

Minimum 100 at bats:

Donnie Sadler 2001 .129 (101 AB)
Butch Davis 1984 .147 (116 AB)
Jason LaRue 2007 .148 (169 AB)
Steve Jeltz 1990 .155 (103 AB)
Aaron Guiel 2005 .156 (135 AB)
A.J. Hinch 2001 .157 (121 AB)
Keith Miller 1993 .167 (108 AB)
Luis Alcaraz 1970 .167 (120 AB)
Bob Hamelin 1995 .168 (208 AB)
Joe Simpson 1983 .168 (119 AB)
Greg Pryor 1986 .170 (112 AB)
Bobby Floyd 1972 .179 (134 AB)
John Wathan 1984 .181 (171 AB)
Joe Keough 1969 .187 (166 AB)
Buddy Biancalana 1985 .188 (138 AB)
Larry Owen 1987 .189 (164 AB)
Jerry May 1972 .190 (116 AB)
Buddy Biancalana 1984 .194 (134 AB)
Tom Matchick 1970 .196 (158 AB)
Harmon Killebrew 1975 .199 (312 AB)

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Comments

awful...

awful player

he'll probably has a resurgence with the Cardinals...

or completely annoy their fans as TLR shows undying loyalty to him

either way, ugly

by FlintHillsRoyal on Nov 19, 2007 5:22 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Woo Hoo

Good riddance La-Poo

I may be drunk, but tomorrow I will be sober and you, ma'am, will still be ugly. - Winston Churchill

by fats on Nov 19, 2007 6:19 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Jason Larue

can proudly say he was in the same chart as Harmon Killebrew.

Chaim Mattis Keller New York City's # 1 Royals fan!

by cmkeller on Nov 19, 2007 6:33 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

How fitting is it that he signed

with the Cardinals. It's like he thought, "man, how can I get KC fans to hate me even more than they do?" The two are made for each other. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out Jason.

by royaldaddy on Nov 19, 2007 7:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Slap me and call me Susan!

LaRue got $850K plus incentives!

performance bonuses: $50,000 each for 40 starts, $100K for 50, 60, 65 starts.

That is a lot more money than I thought he would command.

The Cardinals went double dumpster diving in Kansas City actually. St. Louis also signed Dewon Brazelton to a minor league contract today.

Rock Chalk Talk for pretty good KU College Baseball Coverage

by James Quinn on Nov 19, 2007 7:20 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Odds are...

...he won't replicate his 2007 performance. I think he got his contract based on career numbers.

I probably disagree with you.

by NYRoyal on Nov 19, 2007 8:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Susan... and I can't reach that far....

by grudz69 on Nov 19, 2007 10:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Pepe LaRue

You're fired!

Play MLB Managers Survivor at Royals Nation! http://royalsnation.proboards62.com/

by Royals Nation on Nov 19, 2007 7:20 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I hope LaRue totally flops...

which I have total faith in and am utterly excited to watch...but doesn't this just highlight the power the AL is compared to the NL...STL is always picking AL players off of the scrap heap that do well and lead to them having a decent NL team and then making tons of money off of it...I'm tired of that B.S...the Royals would decimate that division, and instead we get years of last place in our division and Jay Leno jokes

Buy the ticket, take the ride.

by PhattStairs on Nov 19, 2007 7:27 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Can someone really flop

after batting just .176, and being under a .200 hitter the last two years?

I may be drunk, but tomorrow I will be sober and you, ma'am, will still be ugly. - Winston Churchill

by fats on Nov 19, 2007 8:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I feel sick.

The only Royals catcher I actually enjoyed watching in 2007 (I did not see Phillips) now with the Evil Empire!

It will be my luck he'll carry the Cardinals to a sweep of the Royals in St. Louis next June and I'll be cussed at again by arrogant Cardinal fans!

by jbrocato on Nov 19, 2007 8:10 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

What is it you enjoyed about watching Larue?

The strike outs, the ground outs or the pop outs?

How you could enjoy watching Larue and hate watching Buck is entirely beyond me. It must have nothing to do with baseball skills or performance.

I probably disagree with you.

by NYRoyal on Nov 19, 2007 8:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I think I compared my track record awhile back

I've seen LaRue homer in three different ballparks, including the Metrodome this summer.

I've also seen Buck go 0-for-6 twice, killing extra-inning rallies in both games, an 0-for-5 in Detroit, and so on. Put it this way, I have a better record watching Odalis Perez bat!

by jbrocato on Nov 19, 2007 8:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

So your opinion of players...

...is based entirely on what you see them do when you are in attendance? If Elarton had pitched a good game you were at, would you be sad to see him go? Isn't it actually more important what a player does overall in Royals games, not just the ones where you are in the house? I'm sure Buck didn't go 0-fer just to spite you.

I probably disagree with you.

by NYRoyal on Nov 19, 2007 8:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Trust me, Elarton stunk every time I saw him pitch

But if he had shut out St. Louis, yes he would be on my good side.

Since Buck hit under .230, it's safe to say the games I attended were not flukes.

You have to understand that I live 20 miles from St. Louis. It's not fun getting cussed out by arrogant Cardinal fans following a 14-inning loss in which Buck goes 0-for-6 and strikes out several times in extra innings. (Cardinal fans were arrogant enough before October 2006; the world championship was the worst thing that could've happened!)

by jbrocato on Nov 19, 2007 8:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Seriously, no offense....

And I mean no offense, but that's really a ridiculous way to analyze baseball.

What did this person do the 3 times I was in attendance? You ignore the overall performance and focus on what he did - for you - that one time.

.148/.240/.272, 66 games

Just think about that.

Play MLB Managers Survivor at Royals Nation! http://royalsnation.proboards62.com/

by Royals Nation on Nov 19, 2007 8:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I understand...kind of

I know it sucks when you go to a game and player draws the collar. But you've got to look a little deeper than that and deeper than his .230 batting average. Batting average is a really bad stat for evaluating a player's hitting. Buck's OPS was .738. Of the 30 MLB catchers with at least 325 plate appearances, Buck's OPS was 11th. Pretty good, huh?

I probably disagree with you.

by NYRoyal on Nov 19, 2007 8:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I meant to respond to jbrocato's post above

My bad.

Great post by RoyalsRetro. Hilarious, indeed.

I'm happy to see Pepe go. Ahhhh, addition by subtraction. Can it be any sweeter?

Play MLB Managers Survivor at Royals Nation! http://royalsnation.proboards62.com/

by Royals Nation on Nov 19, 2007 8:59 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

And for the Cardinals...

...it is subtraction by addition.

I probably disagree with you.

by NYRoyal on Nov 19, 2007 9:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

apparently the cards are excited about LaRue's D

even if its awesome, i dont see that that overwhelms the horrible offense

of course, against NL pitching, he may go crazy and post a .600 OPS

by royalsreview on Nov 19, 2007 9:51 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Did Buck even throw out 20% of base stealers?

For most of 2007, he was in the bottom five in all of baseball.

by jbrocato on Nov 19, 2007 10:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

21%

Awful. Only McCann, Torrealba, Barrett, Zaun, Kendall, Estrada, Bard were worse among catchers who caught at least 700 innings.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Nov 19, 2007 10:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

St. Louis pitchers

Get ready to hit eighth.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Nov 19, 2007 10:37 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Or even 7th now

by mazoboom on Nov 20, 2007 6:35 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Thank you RoyalsRetro....

You made a scotch and water be snorted out of my nose. You made me laugh hysterically longer than I have in sometime (Bell's last day). I am still giggling at this very moment. I even celebrated by making myself another scotch and water to toast a goodbye to Lala. If anyone can turn him around...maybe Tony the Tiger.

The bad thing is that Lala didn't move that far away... the good thing is that he is no longer a Royal.

I am so happy that my tail is wagging....or is that the scotch?

by grudz69 on Nov 19, 2007 10:51 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

now that is a disturbing thought

your tail wagging

you can rock me to sleep tonight......

Success is counted sweetest by those who ne'er succeed. - Emily Dickinson

by buddyball on Nov 19, 2007 11:48 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

P.S.

good riddance to a bad investment

Success is counted sweetest by those who ne'er succeed. - Emily Dickinson

by buddyball on Nov 19, 2007 11:50 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Jason LaRue

Will not be missed. Goodbye to the fifth highest paid player on the 2007 Royals payroll.

"I'm tired of all these stupid a$$ questions every day. Why the f**k would I hit Brett for Miller?" The rest is history.

by DC Royal on Nov 20, 2007 12:04 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

It's The La La

Connection; LaRue, LaPoo. TLR was almost as talented a hitter as Whiffie is now.

This could Buck's make or break year, but he doesn't have to improve much to keep his job for a long time. He cannot, however, afford to regress.

Being a fan is irrational, but what is the alternative?

by philofthenorth on Nov 20, 2007 12:41 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

i love that

the sarcastic post honoring a former player is getting 3X more comments than the positive one

we are sick

Hillman, you're on notice.

by FireBell on Nov 20, 2007 1:02 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

A good example

of wishing something on your worst enemy!

Let's Go Blues!

by powderbluesfor08 on Nov 20, 2007 3:19 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

He Won't Play

Yeah, with the best defensive catcher in the league - Yadier Molina - on the team, I don't think he'll see much playing time. The Cardinals just wanted a throwaway backup, like they do every day. He'll play every other Sunday and occasionally pinch hit when the Cards are winning or trailing by five.

by exit670 on Nov 20, 2007 3:27 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Unless

TLR quits and Buddy Bell takes over. Then LaRue plays four times a week.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Nov 20, 2007 4:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Actually all #2 catchers get significant PT

Even the best starting catchers get a good deal of rest. They have to. Molina has never played 130 games in a season, much less the 150 you predict for him. Like all backup catchers, Larue will get his share of playing time.

I probably disagree with you.

by NYRoyal on Nov 20, 2007 4:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Why would the Cards throw away $850K on

LaRue instead of signing 6 year minor league free agent. They must see something in him that didn't appear in 2007 for the Royals. LaRue was arguably the worst player in MLB last year. He was paid $5 million last year for that performance.

by daveyork on Nov 20, 2007 6:34 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

They didn't just look at 2007

If you look at LaRue's career, he had four really good seasons for a catcher from 2002-2005. His OPS+ over that span was 88, 96, 98, and 110. Those are really good hitting numbers for a catcher. Way above average. Then he was hurt in 2006 and hit poorly in his limited PT. And of course we all know about 2007.

When evaluating LaRue, or any player, you can't just look at the most recent season. That is certainly part of the evaluation, but you have to take into account prior seasons as well. The odds are that his 2008 won't look much like 2007. Will he have an OPS+ around 100? Probably not. But I wouldn't be at all surprised if his numbers were at or a little above average for a catcher.

I probably disagree with you.

by NYRoyal on Nov 20, 2007 6:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

he's got two AWFUL years

consecutively AWFUL years behind him now

thats pretty strong evidence he's done

perfect TLR guy though
perfect

by FlintHillsRoyal on Nov 20, 2007 10:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Of course, Buck has had FOUR awful years

by jbrocato on Nov 21, 2007 7:23 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Not really

For a catcher whose manager had a bizarre preference to play his backups way more often than is necessary, Buck has been at least decent offensively. Career .408 slugging and .704 OPS isn't bad, especially since he probably won't peak for another couple of years, and his plate discipline has gotten a lot better since his rookie year. If he can still pan out as a .250/.320/.450 guy who hits about 20 HRs a year, I'll be happy. Hopefully that isn't too optimistic?

by DarthYoshi on Nov 21, 2007 12:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

We think Buck is awful, but he is pretty average among MLB catchers in terms of offensive production.

I would like to see him step it up defensively.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Nov 21, 2007 2:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

St. Louis Post-Dispatch spin

First, they blamed much of LaRuesey's 2007 hitting problems on being unable to adapt to the American League. Second, they said that LaRue had committed to working intensively with Hal McRae to improve his hitting.

I can see the story now: "Problems in the Cardinals' clubhouse as Hal McRae, finally fed up with Jason LaRue's .132 batting average, used LaRue's bat to destroy a locker room urinal. Said McRae, "Well, it might as well be used to hit something"...

by CentralChamps2009 on Nov 21, 2007 12:08 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The MVP for any team playing the Royals

he really should have been eligible since he helped our opponents so much. They paid him 2 years, that's crazy. When any AAAA catcher could do the same job better for the minimum. Must be the gritty veteran factor. Oh well, it's over for the Royals at least and I can listen to my friend from STL gripe about how bad he is.

by lordbyronk on Nov 21, 2007 6:30 AM EST reply actions 0 recs