The Billy Butler Era Begins

by RoyalsRetro on May 1, 2007 4:45 PM EDT Comment 36 comments

Per 810, Billy Butler has been promoted from Omaha, Ryan Shealy on the DL.

Also, Ryan Braun has been shipped to Omaha and Neal Musser is back.

Billy Butler is here! The franchise is saved! AL Pennant here we come!!!!

Let's hope he doesn't get the Justin Huber treatment.

Thoughts on where he plays? Outfield? DH? Where do you hit him in the lineup? Will he just sit the bench and pinch hit and get acclimated to the big league lifestyle?

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Who the hell cares where he plays..

Let's just get that stick in the lineup. Too bad Sweeney can't still play 1B, eh? Butler is bad in the outfield, then again so is Brown. Any hitting help at this point is a positive.

winning records follow good bullpens

by slayor on May 1, 2007 4:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

By the way, could Justin Huber be anymore hated?

Seriously. I don't know who's wife Huber banged in the offseason, but he is truly destined to rot in the Royals minor league system.

winning records follow good bullpens

by slayor on May 1, 2007 4:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

If they have called him up

I say put him in LF everyday and be smart about when to take him out of the lineup. He COULD NOT BE WORSE than Emil Brown. Let's see what the kid can do. KC has been giving up outs like crazy from slots 6-9 so what is the harm? If his defense is awful but he can hit, KC needs the production. For a kid like Butler, the best way to get him acclimated is to put him in the lineup. Sweeney will DH most of the time so not really not option there. I would hit him in the 6 or 7 hole

DeJesus -CF
Grud - 2B
Teahen - RF
Sweeney -DH
Gload - 1b
Butler - LF
Gordon - 3B
Catcher
Pena - ss

by daveyork on May 1, 2007 4:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Service time question

If we call him up, and send him down in two weeks, and don't call him up again til after the all-star break, we have still pushed back his first arbitration year to after the 2010 season, right?

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on May 1, 2007 4:55 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

does anyone know?

i think theres a loophole about short-term call ups, but i'm not sure

FIRE BELL

by FireBell on May 1, 2007 6:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

For that short of time

he almost certainly would not qualify as a "super two" arbitration-eligible player after the 2009 season.

by Gopherballs on May 1, 2007 6:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Dayton Moore Press Conference at 4:20

I'm glad I have tickets for tonight! Hope the rain stays away.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on May 1, 2007 4:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I WANT TO GO TONIGHT

::pouts::

Greinke Jersey: $99 Outfield Plaza Ticket: $14 Meeting Your Idol: Priceless

by loyal2theroyals on May 1, 2007 5:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Bell's different lineup every night...

Drives me nuts! Here is my proposed new lineup:

DeJesus - CF
Teahan - 3B
Gordon - 1B
Sweeney - DH
Grudz - 2B
Sanders - RF
Butler - LF
Buck - C
Pena - SS

The only thing that would make sense in changing the lineup is getting German regular at-bats. I'm not a big fan of LaRue, and Gload is a back-up only.

Anyone disagree?

by BrothaTeacha on May 1, 2007 5:02 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I disagree

What difference does it make how often a manager tweaks a lineup? Do you think a hitter really needs the constancy of hitting 5th every night or hitting 7th every night? I don't think it makes a bit of difference.

Hitting is situational. If you come up with a guy on third and nobody out, you want to hit a sac fly. It doesn't make any difference if you are hitting leadoff, 4th or 9th. Lineup "roles" are the most overrated and overanalyzed BS in baseball. Sure, you need the good OBP guy batting leadoff and the best hitter third and a good hitting power guy cleaning up. But the constant whining on this site about Bell making minor tweaks like moving a guy from 6th to 7th or similar crap is just mind blowing. It sounds like just complaining so you can complain about something.

by NYRoyal on May 1, 2007 5:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It matters

Hitting is mental as much as anything at this level and most players need that consistant mental approach to their ABs and a big chunk of that is where in the line-up they hit and who is hitting around them. The pressure of hitting in the upper third of the line-up is greater than hitting in the lower third because of the expectations. Look at TPJ, if he was putting up his numbers and hitting leadoff or second we would crucify him. When Gordon was in his slump one suggestion that we all agreed on was to move him down in the order to take pressure off of him. Where a guy is hitting in the order really does matter and having some consistancy really does help to improve a players approach.

by EricConley on May 2, 2007 8:20 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Butler is in the lineup

Playing LF and hitting 7th.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on May 1, 2007 5:05 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Butler has to play LF and almost everyday

Nothing else makes any sense.

By the way, the Justin Huber love doesn't make much sense. He projects to be a below average first base bat.

by NYRoyal on May 1, 2007 5:38 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

you mean worse than Shealy?

yea... the love doesnt make much sense, but he's been long-time screwed... going back to the T-Long era

FIRE BELL

by FireBell on May 1, 2007 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Why is only one month important

Shealy hit pretty well for the Royals last year in much more playing time than his one month of part-time service this year. Why is this month all that is meaningful? Why is last year ignored when evaluating Shealy?

by NYRoyal on May 1, 2007 6:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

which is why he got the 2005

futures game MVP?

Greinke Jersey: $99 Outfield Plaza Ticket: $14 Meeting Your Idol: Priceless

by loyal2theroyals on May 1, 2007 6:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Who is the least happy Royal

Justin Huber or Emil Brown. Boy, I bet it you put those two in a room right now you'd hear a bitch-fest like few before.

Rock Chalk Talk for pretty good KU College Baseball Coverage

by James Quinn on May 1, 2007 5:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

It's a wrap for emil....

I don't know what he did to the Royals, but I guess having pretty good back to back seasons wasn't enough. This spells the end of his playing time, I see Reggie getting more AB's than Emil. Either that, or we're going to move him. Either way, we've pretty much ruined Emil's trade value.

I guess Gload is the new fulltime 1B? Weird.

Who will get moved before the tradeline? I'm thinking Reggie, Emil, and Odalis. I expect them all to be gone.

winning records follow good bullpens

by slayor on May 1, 2007 5:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Emil had very slow starts

in 2005 and 2006 and I don't see why the Royals would have expected any different in 2007. Why didn't they trade him for whatever they could get, earlier? I'm not that baseball smart, but I could see this situation coming from a mile away.

This Butler callup re-emphasizes how out-of-balance the franchise's collection of positional talent is.

by tfn on May 1, 2007 6:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bell said

Sweeney might play 1B on occasion.

I presume that will have to wait for a few days until Sweeney finds his glove and/or breaks in a new one. :)

by loyal2s dad on May 1, 2007 6:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

he won't get injured though

Benny deems it impossible.

Greinke Jersey: $99 Outfield Plaza Ticket: $14 Meeting Your Idol: Priceless

by loyal2theroyals on May 1, 2007 6:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

How do you think...

It will affect Gordon, mentally, if Butler starts tearing the league apart limb by limb?

-- A Pilgrim in an Unholy Land. (Seattle)

by RoyalsFanInMarinerTown on May 1, 2007 6:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Healthy competition

I think I remember reading something to that extent about last year's AA team. If Butler's tearing the AL a new one, maybe it will jump start Gordo.

Greinke Jersey: $99 Outfield Plaza Ticket: $14 Meeting Your Idol: Priceless

by loyal2theroyals on May 1, 2007 6:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think they'll be BFFs

by NHZ on May 1, 2007 6:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well, have they played a lot together?

I was thinking that if they have, then it might be a calming influence for Gordon. Hopefully.

by mazoboom on May 1, 2007 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

WHY DO I HAVE TO HAVE CLASS

by wildthang on May 1, 2007 6:35 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

It could be worse

it could be a FINAL.

Greinke Jersey: $99 Outfield Plaza Ticket: $14 Meeting Your Idol: Priceless

by loyal2theroyals on May 1, 2007 6:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

NO WAY

IF IT WAS A FINAL I COULD WALK IN ACE IT AND LEAVE IN TWENTY MINUTES.

I GOT TO JUNIOR COLLEGE, ITS LIKE MIDDLE SCHOOL ALL OVER AGAIN.

by wildthang on May 1, 2007 6:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not at a junior college,

but I still get what you're saying. The week befoe finals is so much worse than the finals themselves.

by NHZ on May 1, 2007 6:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

then skip it, you hussie!

be a MAN!

Greinke Jersey: $99 Outfield Plaza Ticket: $14 Meeting Your Idol: Priceless

by loyal2theroyals on May 1, 2007 6:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Whoa

thedude is being called out!

by NHZ on May 1, 2007 6:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

No TV tonight

The game will not be broadcast here in Lawrence. I have MLB.com but I will have to wait until around midnight before I can watch it on-line.

I guess I'll catch Butler's first game as a Royal on the radio.

Rock Chalk Talk for pretty good KU College Baseball Coverage

by James Quinn on May 1, 2007 6:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

searching for service time info btw...

if anyone wants to help me that'd be cool

by royalsreview on May 1, 2007 7:06 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

What's the particular question about service time?

For arbitration eligibility, it is either 3 full years or finishing in the top 17% percent in terms of service time of players with more than 2 but less than 3 full years (provided the player was in the majors for at least half of the previous year). Generally, the cutoff is somewhere between 2 years, 4 months and 2 years, 5 months.

For free agency, it is 6 full seasons.

by Gopherballs on May 1, 2007 7:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Does Buddy Huberize Butler

By putting him on the bench instead of starting every day where he belongs? I don't know that I love this call up for this reason (and this reason alone). Hopefully, GMDM is pulling a few more strings than he's letting on.

by CentralChamps2009 on May 1, 2007 10:50 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs