State of the Royals Address

by royaldaddy on May 30, 2007 12:37 AM EDT Comment 22 comments

Well, ladies and gentleman, here we are. We're stuck in 1997-2006 (excluding 2003). Nobody seems to be too worried about it. Buddy thinks that they just have to ride it out. Dayton is MIA. David Glass is making sure Wally World is keeping sweat shops fully operational and sucking the life out of hometown businesses. The fans that still care (all 12 of us) are ranting, raving and booing. The others have turned their backs on the guy who has been the only bright spot for the franchise in the past few years and they've already turned against the guy who is supposed to be the future. The Nationals aren't in this bad of a situation, folks. I hate to be the bearer of bad news. I know I'm going to seem like Debbie Downer, but this season is only setting our timetable for competing back a few more years. I want someone to address this fan base. Whether it's Moore, Glass, Dean Taylor, Muzzy Jackson, or Slugger for God's sake. I want some answers. We saw how this team is capable of playing. They beat some good teams during the last winning stretch. I want to know what the hell is going on and what they plan on doing about it. There are some that don't want to fire Buddy. Okay, everyone is entitled to an opinion, but where are those people when we are losing 10-0, 10-3, 9-1? There are those who think that these players just aren't good enough. Okay, so why aren't we sending some of them packing? I finally broke down and posted a new diary (my first in a long time) for you to vent, scream, and share your feelings on where to go from here. Something has to change. As a franchise, we are worse than laughable at this point.

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pitching

this franchise has not developed a starting pitcher since... since...

what? appier maybe

until then, nothing will happen

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the 12 of us still following the team can see it clearly, for Moore to have any credibility as a "winner" or an "attitude changer" or whatever, Bell has to go

even if its merely symbolism
even if the next manager will be no better
even if the current players love him

its time for accountability

What hath Bell wrought?

by FireBell on May 30, 2007 1:02 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Culture of failure

As I have said before, until we get rid of perennial losers like Buddy and Sweeney we will lose. Someone needs to step up and be a leader. I am so sick of Bell giving credit to suck-ass pitchers (Steve Trachsel) who we make look like Cy friggin' Young. We lose a game to Cleveland 10-3 and then the wheels come off? I looks like the Royals lack what is extremely important in a 162 game schedule....Mental Toughness. We have no tough guys that gut it out when things get rough we are a bunch of pussys! I don't think changing the manager in mid-season is a great idea.. We should have done it at the beginning of the season. At this point Dayton Moore is probably kicking himself but he needs stay the course get rid of some guys at the deadline for whatever he can get. For the Royals turnover is good. In my Opinion anyone over the age of 25 should be the subject of trade rumors. Anyway I think what we need to do is find a way to get tougher mentally.

by royal libre on May 30, 2007 1:03 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Orioles loss was typical

In Tuesday night's game, KC managed only 3 hits and 1 walk from Jeremy Guthrie and assorted bullpen. Night before it was Steve Traschel. These are not good pitchers and they are dominating the Royals. There is no hint of a spark in the offense. I have been more disappointed in the last week than I have been for a long time. Was hoping Royals were turning the corner with the road wins but to come home and be beyond awful, it is truly amazing. 1974 was when I attended my first game and have followed Royals ever since but this group is slowly killing my passion.

How can we do such a good job of screwing up talented young guys? Alex Gordon and Zach Greinke would be doing wonder with another team. I almost feel badly for whoever the Royals #2 pick is in the draft. The lack of development is stunning. It makes Mark Teahen's season even more remarkable.

by daveyork on May 30, 2007 12:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

ugh...

I hate for this post to be my first RR comment in some time, but... i've been watching it all unfold, in and out of the K, and here's my two cents: I am now fully on board the fire Bell bandwagon, it appears that it will be difficult to create even something close to a 'winning' culture with old Buddo at the helm. No direction, no fire. Do it at the All-Star break, do it after the season, just do it. Break ties with the old regime. Bring on Frank White, IMO. He managed Gordo and Butler at AA, he's got passion, he WANTS IN. Would he win? Who knows? For that matter why isn't Butler up here, helping to form the nucleus of our future offense and getting some valuable practice games; after all, the way the Royals are playing at this point, training for the young guys should become more important than any attempt at playing catch-up in the Central. Get these poor guys to have some fun, somehow (but save the uniformed shower hopping). Beyond that, I just don't know, but I'll keep watching every last painful minute, dreaming of the day we field a team this city can be proud of...

welcome to kcmo, all the fellas and the ladies know...

by kcmonarch on May 30, 2007 1:12 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Frank White

Has been part of this losing organization for the last decade. Let's bring in someone from an organization that knows how to WIN.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on May 30, 2007 11:15 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

valid point

But Frank was also a big part of this team when it was winning too. There's not many people who care about Royals baseball more than Frank. I don't think anyone would try harder.

by royaldaddy on May 30, 2007 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't think its a matter of effort

Its a matter of skill, talent and ability.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on May 30, 2007 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Manager vs. Players

Invariably, those who don't want Bell to get fired will argue that it's the players fault. Buddy can't hit or pitch for them.

This has some logic to an extent. The problem is that when you continually hire "journeymen" managers (ie guys that nobody else will hire), you will never know what impact the manager has on losing. For instance, if we hired Jim Leyland and lost, we can be pretty sure that it is the lack of talent given that he has won in Pittsburgh, Florida and Detroit.

We hire guys with either no track record (McRae, Muser, Boone, Pena) or a bad track record (Bell). So, how does the organization know that it's all on the players? How many of our ex-managers since Dick Howser have had success managing somewhere else?

With that said, they might as well leave Bell in place for 2007. It seems anytime we make a move mid-season, we get another bad manager.

by Tarnished Crown on May 30, 2007 9:43 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

These comments are right on

Bell is a huge part of the problem. He has no idea how to stop a culture of losing and end losing streaks. Read the Star today. His comment was . . . "We need a big outing from Gil." So we don't need a big outing from the rest of the team? He randomly and haphazardly throws crazy pressure on a various player nightly. Now I'm not saying Gil shouldn't be able to take it. (he should if he wants to be the ace). I'm just saying if he has a bad outing . . .Bell already has given the rest of the team permission to give up. This is the problem with this team. This idiot has bunker mentality, where after a loss our team just hunkers down, hopes the bombs stop falling, and causes the team to get tighter instead of trying to fight back. HE IS A LOSER. FIRE HIM PLEASE.

Buddy ain't no pal of mine.

by RoyalTex on May 30, 2007 9:45 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Even if

Meche is great tonight, they have Bedard, which means that, given the Royals can't hit mediocre pitching, Meche is going to have to be flawless (after two consecutive poor outings) for the Royals to stand a chance.

Yeah, Buddy, that's really what we need.

by CentralChamps2009 on May 30, 2007 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Each morning

I wake up and hope that a trade has been made to shake things up...well, maybe tomorrow morning then.

by lordbyronk on May 30, 2007 10:29 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

You can improve the stadium all you want...

If the team still lanquishes in suckitude then nobody will come out to play.

This place knows how I feel. So, I will just say that Buddo would go first and then five to six of the fumblebums would jetisoned from the roster. I would take at least five from AAA and then make wholesale moves within the org. Moving the cream up and starting the turn around that GMDM was hired for....

Do you realize that the Washington Nationals are now doing better than we are? ARGHHHHH!!!!

FIRE THE CLOWN AND HIRE A VET.

at this point I would take Henry Kissinger and Barbara Walters lovechild as manager.

by grudz69 on May 30, 2007 1:33 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Just curious

What 5 or 6 are jettisoned and what 5 or 6 from AAA do you bring up?

by CentralChamps2009 on May 30, 2007 5:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Okay...

Brown, Costa, Berroa, Braun, Elarton...gone...

Brazell, Butts, Gator, Aviles or Cortez, Plummer or DeLaHoyas. up and in...

Butts, I don't care if he plays LF. We need his bat. Brazell...He is hitting one HR every 8.5 innings. One night he plays first and the next he DH'd. We need the homeruns. DeJ is looking tired. Gator could play at least one series and let DeJ... just set and snooze with Buddy. We need a middle infielder. Bruan needs to go down an close. Plummer could handle an inning or two.
Greinke would go back to starting until we trade him.

My thoughts and only my thoughts...with them and 41 cents you could mail a letter to Slugger.

by grudz69 on May 31, 2007 12:44 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well, that's a list

Your five to go, I couldn't agree more. Braun should be in Omaha, Costa should be bait for a challenge trade, and the other three should just be somewhere else. But at this point I would imaging there is NO value for any of them. Not that their playing guarantees that they will actually attain any value (especially Elarton and Berroa; Brown should get his play up to something approximating his last two years which should bring a AA type in return), but still, giving them some PT to try to generate some interest at the deadline is not a futile strategy for a team that appears done for 2007.

As for your arrivals, I agree that Gathright just makes SOOO much more sense on this roster than Costa its frightening--CF, above average speed, and potentially the Holy Grail for KC hitters: the ability to take a walk. I wonder about the rest, though:

Aviles is nothing more than a bona fide Crash Davis career AAA guy

Brazell has been raking as of late, but apparently the last guy in the organization to have this kind of streak was...wait for it...Calvin Pickering. The recent Brazell streak makes me think "anomaly" or "fluke," and now that it seems over, we'll really see where he settles

Plummer and de la Hoyos strike me as the same as Braun: at this point, we'd simply be rushing guys who may have a chance of being for real with more seasoning

Cortez?--I've actually been pulling for him to be the middle infield backup guy for a while. He seems competent below, could fill that Graffy-type play-me-where-and-when-you-need-me , but shouldn't be tempting to Buddy to feel like he has to start every third day because "I've gotta give him at bats"

That leaves Butler: sorry, but at this point, 2007 is another lost season, and there is no need to run his clock to be a part of this fiasco. Let him work at 1B, pick up 35-40 HR in Omaha and maybe come up in September when there is absolutely no pressure. A great DH is one thing, a great DH who can sub at 1B and LF is better (plus, we'll need him in the lineup in National League parks for that 2011 World Series trip).

by CentralChamps2009 on May 31, 2007 1:21 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

A3B

Stands for "Anyone But Buddy Bell". Hell, make Sweeney the player-manager and let him start at catcher. Trade Teahen to the Yanks for Abreu and a pack of gum. Just do something!

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

by philofthenorth on May 30, 2007 2:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Terry Pendleton is my choice...

or let Bobby Mac. have the team or slugger...

ANY BUT BELL...

by grudz69 on May 30, 2007 3:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm no Bell fan...

Fire him at the end of the season, at the latest. But has this become the insane, Joe Morgan-esque thread? "Bring in somebody who knows how to win?" That's a recipe for Lima-time, if you aren't careful. Although, to be fair, one improvement over Bell would be to bring in a manager who "knows how not to make it more likely that the Royals will lose."

by devil_fingers on May 30, 2007 8:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

BELL NEEDS TO GO!

there is no doubt about that.

still, the reason why we got buddy bell in the first place was we tried to hire a new manager MID SEASON. we will keep on getting retreads because those are the ONLY managers available when you try to hire one halfway through the season. if you are set on frank white as the manager go ahead and make the change now and put franky in, but if you want to hire someone from a WINNING organization (my personal preference) ride out buddy till the end and then hire someone else.

or, my new idea, fire buddy ASAP then put franky in. see how good franky does, if we can see actual improvement then he can stay as manager later and we can have this as a kind of "test run" for the future.

by rockchalk on May 31, 2007 12:12 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Slugger for manager....

by grudz69 on May 31, 2007 12:37 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Slugger

He's done well with the kiddie teams at the K. If he can have that kind of success with 5 year olds. He's a proven winner give him a shot. Actually grudz, I'm with you on Pendleton or Girardi, but I do feel in order to get the best canidate, we will have to wait till the end of the year. An interim manager on the coaching staff?

by lordbyronk on May 31, 2007 8:49 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs