Royals - April News and Notes

[SubGod22]

The Royals finished their Spring Training with a .500 record. Some good things happened and some not so good things. The starting rotation is interesting. Chen gets the ball tomorrow. Followed by Hochevar, Sanchez, Mendoza and Duffy. If Chen can continue to give the Royals a solid effort and be as productive as he has the past couple of years, he's nice to have. Not a top of the rotation guy, but nice. Hochevar could blossom into that top of the rotation guy if he can pitch the entire season like he did the 2nd half of last season. He has the stuff. Just needs the consistency. Sanchez has struggled a bit and I'm still not sold on him. Hopefully he gets the walks under control. He still strikes me as an end of the rotation guy. I'm not a fan of Mendoza as I don't feel he can keep it up, but he's earned the right to get a shot. Hopefully he's for real. Duffy will also get another shot. Hopefully he learned quite a bit last year and can take that next step.

The potential in the starting rotation is alright. But each of them have to take steps. The good news is that if someone struggles, Paulino should be available in the not too distant future and would be a workhorse for the rotation. The good news is the pen should be rather strong again and take some pressure off of the starters. If the starters can get to 6 innings, I like our chances in most games. I think most of them are capable of that on most nights.

I am a little concerned with some of the decisions regarding the everyday players. Sending Gio to Omaha and filling his spot with two guys who don't exactly hit all that well and are basically average defenders at best, makes little sense. Getz is a major offensive liability. Yuni swings at everything. 2nd appears to be the weak link. That and C...

I know there weren't a ton of option at C after Perez got hurt, but trading away what they did and getting a guy who's very good behind the plate but being held together with duct tape is questionable at best. And when we find out who the PTBNL is I'm sure this trade will get a lot worse. At least they get some D with this guy. No bat though.

On a positive note, Cain has hit very well and is an upgrade on D. A1 has a new contract and I believe is finally becoming the player everyone expected. I don't know if Frenchy can hit like he did last season, but if it's close, his arm in RF may make up for it.

Escobar is one of the best defenders in baseball. If he can hit just a little better than he did last season, he's a star in the making. An extra 10 to 15 points on the BA would work for me.

Moose ended the Spring hitting well. I think he may come out a little slow the first month, but nothing like what happened last year. He'll be effective. Hosmer is a star and will hit close to .300 and 25-30 HRs this year. I also think CountryBreakfast will continue to hit with more power. I think he'll be around .320 with 20-25 HRs.

Even with the weaknesses at 2b, C and SS, I think we have a pretty solid offense. Would feel better if Gio was on the roster but that's not happening right now. I think we're looking at a team that could very well play .500 ball over the season. I'm guessing they'll have between 78 and 85 wins this year.

I'm excited to see what happens and look forward to following the team this year.

[SubGod22]

Yuni will start at 2nd tonight. I'm torn on if I want this to work out or if I just want them both to fail... Getz has an option so I'm kinda hoping he just sucks, which isn't a stretch, and Gio comes back up after tearing it up in Omaha and moves Yuni to the utility role that he was said to be signed for.

Broxton hs been named the closer over Holland. Time will tell if Broxton is repaired. I can't complain too much, although I'd feel better with Holland. But it sounds like they'll both have their opportunities.

[SubGod22]

Opening Day & Time To Call Your Shot

Finally.

After an endless winter, it’s time for some meaningful baseball. I love the game and I love this team. When baseball is in season, things just feel right. The beer is a little colder, the BBQ is a little tastier and life is just a little better.
Opening Day. Nothing better.

Some housekeeping before we dissect the Opening Day lineup…

– The Royals tabbed Jonathan Broxton as The Closer. If you’re surprised by that, you aren’t really following the Royals. Experience trumps performance. I’m not complaining – because I’m fine with Broxton in the ninth inning role – but you would think after the two years Greg Holland has had – and the fact he hasn’t missed time because of injury – he would be first choice.

Remember… I’m not complaining about this.

[SB Shock]

KC loses 5-0 on Opening day. Chen had a nice 6 shutout innings. Crow looked unhittable in the 7th with 3 K in the heart of the Angels order, but Crow and Holland had a terrible 8th to give up 5 runs.

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

eh Id say it was more on Crow than Holland. But never the less....

[shockmonster]

eh Id say it was more on Crow than Holland. But never the less....

Crow, Holland, and you can add Moose for getting in Escobar's way so he can't make a play. Then you can add the offense who only got 4 hits and had lots of strike outs. Truly a team loss.

[SB Shock]

Hosmer and Moustakas each hit HR and Francoeur goes 2 for 4 and drives in 2 as KC wins 6-3. Hochevar gets the win.

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

small sample (obviously) but starting pitching has looked pretty damn good against a formidable lineup. Chen's always had great success against the Halos though. Hooch looked good and the offense (to the extent of some) looked pretty good.

[newshock1234]

I love some country breakfast for Easter

[ShockerGorilla]

The Royals looked good again today in the win against the Angels. The only time they didn't look good in the whole 3-game series was the 8th inning on Friday night. Hosmer has started the season hot with 2 homers.

[SubGod22]

I've been ill and fallen behind.

Butler, Hosmer power KC to series win at Big A
Moose big on D with secret little glove

OAKLAND -- Royals manager Ned Yost noted that, despite his slow start at the plate, Mike Moustakas has been providing stellar defense at third base.

Moustakas has a little secret: a little glove.

He uses a training glove or mini-glove in practice, a Rawlings mitt that looks made for a Little Leaguer. But many players use it as a tool to improve their fielding and Moustakas is a true believer.

Mendoza solid as Royals get blanked by A's

OAKLAND -- The Royals had never seen Oakland left-hander Tommy Milone before, but they sure won't forget him.

Milone, obtained from Washington in the Gio Gonzalez trade, shut out the Royals for eight innings on three hits and the Athletics notched a 1-0 victory on Monday night at the Coliseum.

Right-hander Grant Balfour worked the ninth to close out the Royals, who were held without a hit for the last six innings.

Every game is important, right?

There was very little (anything?) to like about the game last night. The Royals should have entered into Oakland coming off of a series win against the heavily favored Anaheim Angels with some swagger and confidence. Instead they limped in with easily the worst lineup they could put on the field. For posterity, lets put it down here and then the amount of times each guy got on base last night:

Bourgeois LF – 1
Cain CF – 0
Hosmer 1B – 2
Butler DH – 0
Francoeur RF – 1
Betancourt 3B – 1
Pena C – 0
Escobar SS – 1
NeuGetz 2B – 0

The entire starting lineup got on base 6 times. Let me get out the slide-rule…..carry the one….adjust pocket protector….yep that’s not very good. So the team was terrible at getting on base, it happens from night to night and with these particular players (Yuni, Getz, Bourgeois, Escobar, I’m looking at you) it will happen more often than not. That’s why when the guys actually get on base they need to make the best of those opportunities.

Unfortunately the Royals didn’t do that either. Hosmer was caught stealing 3rd base (not a typo), Francoeur was caught trying to steal second AND he was picked off at first. I’ll ignore Bourgeois getting caught at third, it was an amazing throw and worth the effort. So the starting lineup gets on base 6 times and they give up half of those baserunners by making boneheaded decisions on the basepaths.

[newshock1234]

I want Gio back

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

again pleasantly surprised at the starting pitching. Offense ehhhhhh. Lets just hope its opening jitters.

[SubGod22]

again pleasantly surprised at the starting pitching. Offense ehhhhhh. Lets just hope its opening jitters.

The Royals are undefeated when they score at least one run...

[SubGod22]

Duffy handcuffs A's on wet night in Oakland

OAKLAND -- Left-hander Danny Duffy loves coming to home territory and to the Oakland Coliseum.

Duffy has won five games as a Major Leaguer and three of the victories have come here, the latest by a 3-0 score over Oakland in a game called in the eighth inning on Tuesday night because of rain. Duffy held the Athletics scoreless on one hit over the first six innings.

With a sizable delegation of family and friends coming in from Lompoc, Calif., to swell a skimpy crowd, Duffy racked up eight strikeouts and issued four walks. The only hit off him was Cliff Pennington's double to right field in the third inning -- and Duffy promptly picked him off second base.

Dominant Duffman

A few bullet points as we all experience rain-shortened West Coast Madness to open the season…

– First, helluva start by Danny Duffy on Tuesday in Oakland. Late in the game, Greg Schaum tweeted a question, asking if this was his best major league start. Easy answer…

Without a doubt that was Duffy’s major league start of his brief career.

Never before had he allowed fewer than two runs in a start. And his eight strikeouts were just one off his career best.
Also, if you’ve been reading here for any length of time, you know how I like to use Bill James’ Game Score as a measure of a strong start. On Tuesday, Duffy posted a final Game Score of 74. That total was miles better than his previous best of 63, posted last July against the White Sox.

It was an absolute gem from the Duffman.

For posterity’s sake:

6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 8 SO

Yeah, the walk total wasn’t ideal, but the elements were harsh. Obviously, they were harsh for the hitters as well, but each time Duffy walked a batter, he was able to get the outs that were needed. Especially in the fifth when he walked a pair of batters, but closed out the inning with a strikeout of Chad Pennington.

Overall, he threw 103 pitches, 62 of them for strikes. And of those 62, 16 of them were on swings and misses. Including five in a row to open the second inning.