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**RoyalShock** · September 5, 2012, 12:42 PM

Guthrie isn't an "ace" or what I would call a #1. But I do think he could be a 2-3 guy. If he makes 3 out of 4 or 4 out of 5 quality starts, that's a 2 in my book. No way that a guy who has pitched like he has since those first two KC starts is a 4.

Imagine this rotation next August, assuming no further health issues:

1-Off-season acquisition
2-Guthrie
3-Paulino
4-Duffy
5-Mendoza/Odirizzi

Yeah, I'd take me some of that.

**SubGod22** · September 5, 2012, 01:01 PM

Originally posted by RoyalShock View Post

Guthrie isn't an "ace" or what I would call a #1. But I do think he could be a 2-3 guy. If he makes 3 out of 4 or 4 out of 5 quality starts, that's a 2 in my book. No way that a guy who has pitched like he has since those first two KC starts is a 4.

Imagine this rotation next August, assuming no further health issues:

1-Off-season acquisition
2-Guthrie
3-Paulino
4-Duffy
5-Mendoza/Odirizzi

Yeah, I'd take me some of that.

I'm still hopeful that they pick up 2 front end pitchers which would make Guthrie a 3 or 4. Starting next season I'd like to see New Guy 1, New Guy 2, Guthrie, Odorizzi, Smith. If only one New Guy is added then we can add Mendoza or Teaford at the back. Either one I'm ok with. August presents some nice options as you could see Duffy, Paulino or maybe even a Ventura or Marks late.

The more I think about it, I'm ok with only one new addition as long as he's our number 1. The back end could be a little shakey next season at times, but there's the possibility of Ventura, Marks, Adam, Zimmer and Selman in '14 to be added to strengthen the rotation. Not sure if Ridings or Ferguson would be on that time frame. Also not sure how quickly they'll move Rodgers since he was a HS signing.

But the '13 rotation will be interesting and should be better if they let Hochevar go. Put Chen in the pen as a middle/long relief guy if you can't package him with someone to get a bucket of balls and a ham sandwich. I also think they should let Soria go considering his price tag. That and all the TV money should allow them to be aggressive in FA this winter.

I will say that David Lough has played alright since finally getting his shot. I'd like to see him do well enough to be part of a package to bring someone in if need be. I do think he'd make a great 4th OF guy and could be a decent starter if needed.

I do wonder if they'll let Wil start the season in KC or make him wait until June to come up. But there's really little reason for him to not be the starting RF next season. Gordon, Cain, Myers looks good to me. Then we can allow Dyson to be the 4th and give us that speed for late in games.

Gio may not be the answer, but I don't see a need to keep Getz around. He's hit for a better average this year and a few more extra base hits, but he's still not all that good at the plate and is what he is in the field. If they don't believe in Gio, then I'd be ok with them going with some combo of Falu/Abreu there. I know one plays 3rd and the other SS as well so they'd be a useful combo. Neither Getz or Gio play anything other than 2nd.

I'm wondering if they'll keep Pena or not. If they do, Pina will sit in Omaha until something happens. I could see them doing that just so they have a 3rd catcher ready in a pinch. David and Gallagher are still a few years away from being ready for that kind of role. Although Max Ramirez played well in Omaha. Not sure what his status is. He could be a decent emergency fill in behind the plate.

**SubGod22** · September 6, 2012, 02:17 PM

Royals battle back but can't overcome Rangers

Down 7-5 going into the ninth, Johnny Giavotella got a one-out single off Nathan, but was forced at second on David Lough's grounder. Lough had to leave the game with a strained hamstring, and pinch-runner Jarrod Dyson took off from first base and just kept going to the plate when Alcides Escobar singled.

The Royals were one run away.

"These guys are always tough," Nathan said. "This year, even when you think you've got them where you want them, they put a guy like Dyson on first and he scores on a single. He can absolutely fly. I was watching him run the bases, and I was like, 'You've got to be kidding me. That's just illegal.' It's always tough, always fun playing these guys but always a battle."

Nathan got Alex Gordon to fly out to end the game, getting his 29th save.

What Might Have Been

Wil Myers is everywhere these days. Minor League Player of the Year over at Baseball America. Nice interview at Fangraphs. He was the star of the PCL All Star game and appeared in the Futures Game, where he performed well. The awards keep piling up, as Myers made the All PCL Team and was named Omaha’s top hitter and top prospect by the media. Seems like Myers is everywhere you look these days, except in the Kansas City outfield.

I get it. Kind of. I understand where Dayton Moore is coming from with the 40 man roster issues, and how
we’d have to pull someone off to place Myers on. But seriously…come on…we get to watch guys like Mike Trout and Bryce Harper playing for their respective teams to varying degrees of success…but at least they are getting their shot (I don’t think there’s any arguing that Trout is more than ready).

Looking at those two as a jumping off point, I don’t think anyone would expect Myers to have hit the ground running like Trout. The Angels superstar is a freak like we haven’t seen since 1989, when Seattle fans were getting fat on Ken Griffey, Jr. candy bars. Although, looking back, Griffey’s first year was more in line with Harper’s 2012 campaign.

What could we possibly expect from Myers? Is he ready to hit at this level? Does he have things to work on that warrant keeping him in Omaha, or is this whole thing just a team afraid to make a roster move and take a chance…keeping Myers in AAA to stop his big league service clock from ticking?

**SubGod22** · September 8, 2012, 09:09 AM

Inconsistent play part of building process

CHICAGO -- Kansas City manager Ned Yost isn't looking at the Orioles' playoff push this season as something from which the Royals can learn.

"I can go through 15 different examples, it's not just the Orioles," Yost said of Baltimore, which hasn't had a winning season or reached the playoffs since 1997 but began the day tied with the Yankees atop the American League East. "But you still have to stay focused on what you're doing as a group and where you are. We're getting very close."

Kansas City's strong August, coupled with the Indians' and Twins' struggles, has the Royals in third place, well behind the White Sox and Tigers. But the Royals have played well against contenders like the White Sox (8-4) and Rays (4-2) while struggling against the Twins (5-10).

Yost wouldn't label his team's inconsistent play frustrating. Instead, he said it was exciting to see how close the team is to reaching it's potential.

Yost high on Perez's defensice skills

CHICAGO -- Kansas City's Ned Yost has been around numerous catchers in his nine-year managerial career, but there's no question in his mind which one is the best defensively.

It's his current backstop, Salvador Perez, who Thursday set a Royals' single-season record for catchers with his Major League-high fourth pickoff.

"He's the best," Yost said Friday before the Royals began a three-game series against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. "His throwing, his intellect, his athleticism. Very, very solid behind the plate in every aspect defensively."

He doesn't suck on offense either!
Cain's two HRs continue KC's run over Chicago

CHICAGO -- Lorenzo Cain's first two at-bats Friday night weren't pretty.

The Royals' center fielder flailed at White Sox starter Francisco Liriano's slider in the first inning and did the same at the lefty's changeup in the third.

"He was definitely ... man, eating me alive with that changeup," Cain said. "I couldn't touch it, couldn't see it, could do anything with it."

Liriano left a slider over the middle of the plate in the fifth inning, however, and Cain certainly did something with that one, blasting a solo home run.

"The night definitely started off rough for me," Cain said with a laugh. "But I guess it's not where you start; it's where you finish."
Cain and the Royals finished impressively, as the young center fielder hit a game-winning two-run homer in the top of the ninth to give Kansas City a 7-5 victory over the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.

Jeremy And Luke.

It’s a cliché at this point, but whether the Royals have a shot at contending in 2013 ultimately comes down to whether they can put together a starting rotation that even approaches mediocrity. Even with an adequate rotation, they could be in for another losing season if their young lineup does a collective Hosmer, or if the bullpen decides to remind us that even the best collections of relievers are ephemeral. But if the rotation once again has an ERA above 5 and ranks 12th in the AL, discussion of the offense and the bullpen will be academic.

From the ashes of one of the most embarrassing trades the Royals have ever made, Dayton Moore may have found a solution for the rotation. A month ago Moore had traded the All-Star Game MVP and NL batting leader for Jonathan Sanchez. Today, he’s traded a disgraced PED user for Jeremy Guthrie. I’m not saying that Moore looks a lot smarter today, but Jeremy Irons is all set to play him in the movie.

Since joining the Royals, Guthrie has a 3.70 ERA in nine starts; after allowing 14 runs in his first three starts, he’s allowed just 12 in his last six. He had a stretch of 22 consecutive scoreless innings, punctuated by a start in which – upon review – he did not give up a hit until there were two out in the eighth inning. I believe that’s the deepest the Royals have taken a no-hitter since Bret Saberhagen threw their last one in 1991.

And six weeks after the Rockies were so desperate to get rid of him that they traded him for Jonathan Sanchez, Jeremy Guthrie is the ace of the Royals’ staff. He’s also a free agent at the end of the season, and the Royals have a difficult decision to make. Guthrie has said publicly that not only would he like to re-sign with the Royals, but that he’s willing to talk about a contract before the season is over. Dayton Moore said yesterday that the Royals will “probably” wait until the season ends before talking contract.

Lots of info as usual from Rany. But interesting.

Friday Notes

It’s been a short week, but I’m glad it’s Friday. I don’t know about you, but the shorter weeks almost always seem really long because I end up cramming five days worth of work into four days. Anyway, enough of that, let’s talk about what you’re all here to read and that is badminton baseball. The Royals continue to play somewhat okay baseball, though they also continued last weekend to struggle with the Twins (which I’ll get to in a minute). Man do I hate losing to the Twins. Their fans just rub me the wrong way for numerous reasons. Even with a bit of a hiccup the last week, it’s been nice to see the Royals play better. I know a lot of people bemoan September wins, but at some point they have to mean something…I hope.

A lot has been made about how the Royals are roughly a .500 team this year against all non-last place teams. It’s pretty puzzling, but I think it has a chance to mean some very good things. The Royals, as you all know, are an incredibly young team. If this makes sense, they’re less inexperienced than they are young, but they also have a lot of learning to do. I think the fact that the Royals have struggled so much with the Twins, Mariners and Blue Jays is due to a couple factors. The first is that they very well may have overlooked this teams. That’s a mistake a lot of young teams make when playing teams that aren’t very good. The second is that they are so darn streaky that it’s frustrating. And of course, the Twins excluded, the Royals have played the Blue Jays and Mariners only during rough patches of the season for them. That’s not an excuse, but it’s definitely some sort of explanation. Better timing and maybe things are different.

**SubGod22** · September 10, 2012, 01:40 PM

Clutch hitting, defense lift KC to extra-inning win

CHICAGO -- The Royals could have fallen behind the White Sox in Sunday's first inning.

Right-hander Jeremy Guthrie could have faced potential jams in the second and seventh.

And Chicago had the potential winning run 90 feet away in the bottom of the ninth.

Each time, someone stepped up -- Alex Gordon, Jeff Francoeur (twice) and Kelvin Herrera and the middle infield -- as Kansas City's pitching and defense kept waiting for its offense to get the White Sox bullpen.

The breakthrough finally came in the top of the 10th, when Mike Moustakas and Francoeur hit two-out RBI singles to give the Royals a 2-1 victory over the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.

Tim Collins: Strikeout Machine

Entering 2012, the Royals talked about building a super bullpen as a means to take pressure off of a starting rotation that finished with the third worst ERA in the American League in 2011. A key part of that plan was Tim Collins, the generously-listed 5’7″ reliever who’d spent all of 2011 in the big leagues.

Coming up threw the minor leagues, Collins had always had a high strikeout rate. In 223 innings, he struck out 329 batters. After coming over from the Braves in the Rick Ankiel and Kyle Farnsworth trade, he put up 20.1 strong innings and made the club last year out of spring training and had a solid year for a rookie. This year, he’s been even better and is barreling down on a record that has stood within the Royals organization since 1971.

Back then, Jim York struck out 103 batters in 93.1 innings in relief. Collins is at 89 through 64.2. He’s already one of only five Royals pitchers to strike out 85 batters in a season pitching exclusively out of the bullpen.

Royals September Callups: Waiting On Omaha

On Sunday afternoon, the Omaha Storm Chasers won their playoff matchup with Albuquerque and advanced to the Pacific Coast League Championship series. Last year, the Royals left multiple players in Triple A to finish the playoffs, but called them up at the conclusion of the postseason. Lorenzo Cain and Kelvin Herrera made their Kansas City debuts during that time.

This year, with the Royals again going through the motions to finish out another losing season, eyes turn to the future (as they often do this time of year).

Hopefully, the Storm Chasers go all the way and defeat their opponent, the Reno Aces. At this stage in the season, after their work all year, they ought to finish the job. As soon as that’s done, though, here are some players who might see time in Kansas City. (Some we’ve already seen, some we haven’t)

First, it’s obvious that someone get the call who’s already on the 40 man roster. Those players would be:

**SubGod22** · September 11, 2012, 12:55 PM

The Luke Hochevar Hard Sell

By this point, the narrative is well-known. Number one overall draft pick makes it to big leagues, underwhelms. Team stays with him. He struggles more. Things take a turn for the better. It looks like he’ll turn it around.

Then Luke Hochevar gives up seven runs before most fans had opportunity to sit down at the 2012 home opener and it’s been series of peaks and valleys since.

Bob Dutton talked with many within the Royals organization and the feeling is that Hochevar is sticking around. Some, like Rany Jazayerli, should beready to cut the cord.

Three facts: 1) Luke Hochevar has a 5.30 ERA in 747 innings as a big leaguer. 2) After two sub-5.00 ERAs in 2010 and 2011, he’s sitting on a 5.36 ERA this season. 3) Luke Hochevar is probably going to get about $5 million dollars this winter if the Royals offer him a contract.

Jazayerli points out that Hochevar has never performed as the advanced metrics suggest he should. His career xFIP is 4.29. His 2012 xFIP would be a reasonable 4.36. Yet year after year, his ERA comes in higher than his xFIP. The Royals can’t seem to pinpoint the issue. They’ve suggested it’s tipping his pitches, made adjustments and seen improvements, then Hochevar regressed. They’ve asked him to simplify his pitch selection, he did so, and saw some results. Then he again regressed. For ever brilliant outing he puts up two stinkers.

They bring up a good point for letting him go. A couple really. Chen is already signed for next year, Smith looks like a decent back of the rotation guy, Odorizzi should be up no later than May and Guthrie looks like another option. That's four starters right there with Duff and Paulino coming back midseason. There's really no reason to throw 5mil+ at Hochevar when you could use that money to go after an actual frontline pitcher. However, I have this feeling that they'll sign Luke and screw up what could be another step forward next year. But if our rotation has Guthrie, Chen and Hochevar......more of the same.

I could see Chen being moved to the pen at some point when younger arms are available in the rotation and he could be used for some spot starts.

**SubGod22** · September 12, 2012, 08:14 AM

Smith delivers to help Royals pin down Twins

"Seven shutout innings against a club that's given us problems all year -- that's a great start," Royals manager Ned Yost said.

Lorenzo Cain had a triple, double and single. But his chance for a home run and the rare cycle was thwarted in the eighth inning when he was hit on the helmet by a pitch and in the ninth when he grounded out.

Eric Hosmer and Johnny Giavotella each had three hits as well. Hosmer banged a home run in the ninth to go with a double and a single. Giavotella had a double and two singles.

Smith, who lost his two previous starts against the Twins, gave up seven hits -- all singles. He struck out seven and walked three as he ended a personal string of three losses, boosting his record to 5-7.

Wish I'd gotten to watch this one. I still think Smith can be a valuable asset at the end of the rotation for awhile. Just need to get the 4 spots ahead of him worked out.

**SubGod22** · September 13, 2012, 07:17 AM

I was just thinking about how much the injuries to Duff and Paulino suck for next season. I'd feel pretty good with New Ace, Paulino, Duffy, Guthrie, Odorizzi as the starting 5. Spot starts would be available for Chen, Smith, Mendoza and Teaford if needed. Then in a year or two we may have the options of plugging in Ventura, Zimmer, Adam and Selman where needed.

I do expect next year to go better if we sign a new ace and part ways with Hochevar. But we may be looking more towards '14 to take a shot at the Central

**SubGod22** · September 13, 2012, 09:58 AM

Royals' bats rescue Hochevar in win over Twins

MINNEAPOLIS -- Luke Hochevar was struggling but Royals manager Ned Yost was determined to get him a long-sought victory.

And he did. Hochevar was off his game, but the Royals' bats were in tune and he still gained his first win since July 31 in Kansas City's 10-5 romp over the Twins on Wednesday night as 28,139 fans chilled out at 55-degree Target Field.

Hochevar gave up five runs and was grimly hanging onto a 6-5 lead in the fifth inning. To qualify for a victory, he needed to make it through that inning.

Two Big Innings, Lots Of Singles Lead Royals To Victory Over Twins

A five run fifth inning and four run eighth gave the Royals enough runs to put the Twins away 10-5 on Wednesday night.

And even though the Royals are hosting Singles Night at Kauffman Stadium on September 20, they ended up previewing it tonight in Minnesota as 13 of their 14 hits were mere singles. But singles add up and the Twins outfielder Ryan Doumit helped with three errors in the fourth inning as well.

Luke Hochevar barely finished five innings to get the win. After the Royals put up five runs after a walk and six straight singles (followed by two pop outs and another single), Hochevar got two quick outs, then walked Justin Morneau and Doumit doubled to left through a shift and a Jamey Carroll single scored both runners. Hochevar got a visit from Dave Eiland and induced a ground out from Alexi Casilla to get out of it. The bullpen held the Twins scoreless from there.

The Ghost Of Dick Howser

Many baseball teams are haunted by a curse. Probably the most famous is the Curse of the Bambino which was finally lifted in 2004 when the Red Sox won the World Series. Some fans will tell you the Chicago Cubs curse of the Billy Goat has prevented them from winning a series since the team was hexed in 1945. The curse of the Black Sox scandal haunted the White Sox for 86 years until they won the World Series in 2005.

I don’t necessarily believe in curses, but I do believe in the power of suggestion and the influence of self-fulfilling prophecies. I’m convinced that if something is repeated enough times, by enough people, it will eventually be accepted as fact. No doubt you’ve heard about troubled kids, always told they were worthless by their loser parents, who grow up with a myriad of problems and challenges because they never received any positive reinforcement. Curses can impact how an individual or team sees themselves and can become a powerful influence on the outcome of their efforts.

Today, I’d like to suggest a “reverse curse” that will complete an unfulfilled dream and cleanse the demons from Kauffman stadium. A reverse curse that will have a positive influence on the behavior of the players and our outlook on the team. The Royals must free the Ghost of Dick Howser, and there’s only one way to do it.

Royals Need A Power Up

So often, when conversations are had about the 2013 Royals, they typically start with a phrase similar to, “If they could only get some starting pitching…” And yes, if the Royals made just one (or three) moves this winter, pitching should be the very top priority because we’ve all seen the train wreck that this team’s rotation is capable of. Still, though, a glaring deficiency in the Royals lineup is the ability to knock the home run. I know, I know. Tell you something you don’t know. My point here is that the common thought that the Royals are set on offense isn’t necessarily accurate.

I talked in Friday Notes a few weeks ago about acquiring a leadoff hitter. And that’s still something they should probably do if they insist on keeping Alex Gordon out of the leadoff spot, but the same positions where they could upgrade at the top of the order are the same positions they could stand to upgrade their power at. At this point those two positions are second base and center field. I love Johnny Giavotella. If you don’t know that already, then welcome to reading me for the very first time. I will say that in Gio’s last 15 games, he’s hitting .327/.375/.442 and the defense that we’ve all been told is so horrible has been perfectly acceptable. Still, while that line is acceptable, and even pretty good, it’s also one you wouldn’t hesitate to upgrade. From a leadoff perspective, I still think the Royals might make a play for Kelly Johnson here, but there’s not much in the way of power available on the free agent market, and there just aren’t too many second basemen with serious pop anyway.

I don't fully agree on this one. Power is a big deal, and he talks about needing a legit threat to hit 25-30 HRs. We have that in Country Breakfast. I also believe that Moose is right there as well. I admit that we're hoping that Hos and A1 can get there as has been projected. Salvy has some pop and Myers could absolutely turn into that guy. He mentions a target number of 160.

Country Breakfast - 25
Moose - 25
A1 - 20
Hos - 20
Sal - 15
Cain - 15
Myers - 20
SS Jesus - 7
Gio - 10
Total = That's 157. I think everyone is capable of those numbers. I tried to be conservative with most of them. I think Moose will continue to increase his total. There's no reason Hos and A1 can't hit 20 despite what they've done this yea. I honestly believe that Sal could go for 20+. Myers is a wild card as he could end up being a 30+ guy, but that would be a few years down the road. I see no reason we can't get to 150. Now, I'm not saying you don't get power if you find it and it fits in with what we need. If you get a Rickie Weeks, so be it. But it's not something I'd call dire. But even he admits, a front of the rotation pitcher is priority one.

A Royal Opinion: Playing GM For A Night

With another disappointing season winding down for the Royals and a new season beginning for the Chiefs, it’s the time of year when fans begin looking hard at next year and what needs to be done in the off-season. Looking at the team this year its pretty easy to see the holes on this team going forward; however, it is much harder to determine the solutions. As fans we like to put ourselves in the GM’s shoes and with every perfect move we make the team’s problems are solved. When in actuality the majority of us couldn’t do any better than the maligned GM. Still part of the fun of being a blogger is to put on that pretend GM hat and make those moves.

Sadly, I think he'll be right on what will actually happen, but I like what he would do. If they were to trade one of Moose/Hos/Myers for a starting pitcher, I hope they trade Hos. Obviously, I would love to have all three, but I think he's the one they could replace if need be. And I love Frenchy (the person), but he's got to go.

**SubGod22** · September 18, 2012, 08:50 AM

I've been busy lately. But here's some reading material...

Butler, Perez HRs in ninth rain on Angels parade

KANSAS CITY -- Thunder and lightning. That was Billy Butler and Salvador Perez.

When they got finished in the ninth inning, a perfect storm of their home runs submerged the Angels with a 3-2 walk-off victory on Saturday night, as a crowd of 23,027 howled and the Royals danced on home plate in joy.

"What an ending," Royals manager Ned Yost said.

Indeed, just when Zack Greinke seemed to have a shutout within his grasp, Angels closer Ernesto Frieri dropped the ball. Or at least put it in the middle of the plate where the Royals could smash it.

Greinke got to within two outs of a 2-0 victory.

When Alex Gordon singled to left, Angels manager Mike Scioscia pulled Greinke and went with Frieri, also a right-hander. On the first pitch, Butler blasted a home run far over the center-field wall for a 2-2 tie.

Then, Perez belted a 1-1 liner high off the yellow foul pole in left for the Royals' sixth walk-off victory this season. "It was really close. I started running and I saw the umpire put his hand up and I said, 'We got it!'" Perez said.

Here Comes Johnny!!

The Royals second base job has been a topic of conversation for a while now. Entering spring training, Chris Getz and Johnny Giavotella were vying for the coveted starting second base job. Getz was given very little chance to make the club but did so much to impress the coaching staff that their hand was forced. With a solid showing in Arizona, Getz reclaimed the role and would start the season in Kansas City while Gio would wind up in Omaha.

Getz was able to carry over a solid spring into the season and maintain his position as the team’s starting second baseman for the first few months. With Gio playing well in Omaha, he was promoted in May, and let’s just say he didn’t do all that much to stay with the big club. A .239 average in May and a .174 clip in June doesn’t warrant a 25-man roster spot for long. His call up was disappointing to say the least for those who had been campaigning for the youngster to claim the job. It certainly didn’t help him that he received sporadic playing time and could never find a groove. His main fault has always been his defense at second base, but throughout the ranks of the minor leagues he has always found a way to rake. It doesn’t bode well for a guy who is known for his bat, that he’s not able to provide that at the big league level. Luckily, Gio is going to have a few more chances.

Jake Odorizzi, Others Called Up From Omaha

After a disappointing loss in the Pacific Coast League Championship last night, the Royals wasted no time, calling up pitchers Jake Odorizzi, Nathan Adcock, Tommy Hottovy, catcher Adam Moore and infielder Irving Falu from Omaha.

All but Odorizzi had previously been added to the 40 man roster. The Royals purchased Odorizzi’s contract in order to promote him. He was required to be added at some point this winter anyway in order to avoid the Rule 5 draft.

Absent on this list is Wil Myers, the Minor League Player of the Year. This was expected. Myers doesn’t need to be protected to avoid selection by other teams in the Rule 5 draft and the Royals have multiple players they want to add in the offseason to protect. Robert Ford reported that the Royals have told him they want to protect 10-12 players but have only 3-5 spots with which to do it. Sam Mellinger predicts he’ll be called up in April next year after he’s waited long enough to gain the Royals an extra year of service time. That’s usually about a two week wait.

The plan with Odorizzi is to use him out of the bullpen for now, but there’s an idea to start him against Cleveland next weekend.

Royals Need To Lose Luke

I read this KC Star story and just shook my head. I don’t understand why the Royals insist that Hochevar is thisclose to becoming a top-of-the-rotation piece.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Hochevar is going to turn 29 this weekend. This is who he is: a mediocre at best starter who will have tantalizing stretches of solid pitching, followed by even longer stretches where he gets pummeled.

Here are Luke’s ERA+ numbers for his five full MLB seasons: 78, 68, 87, 87, 77. He’s not getting better; he’s regressed from last year, even. A team planning to contend can’t keep throwing a guy like that out there every fifth day. Don’t believe me? Take a look at the two AL Central contenders: the White Sox have three starters with ERA+ numbers of 124 or better and one at 96. Then there’s Phillip Humber, who was removed from the rotation in early August with a 67. His replacement, Francisco Liriano, has put up an 86 for Chicago. Meanwhile, the Tigers’ top five starters have no ERA+ below 91, and then they went out and picked up Anibal Sanchez, who has put up a 96 so far in Detroit.

I fear the Royals will do something stupid like bring him back and put him in the rotation...again.

**shockmonster** · September 18, 2012, 12:02 PM

Originally posted by SubGod22 View Post

I fear the Royals will do something stupid like bring him back and put him in the rotation...again.

I'll predict it.

**SubGod22** · September 19, 2012, 08:58 AM

Yost won't play newcomers against contenders, but... KC changes up rotation with Mendoza illness.

Mendoza, left-hander Will Smith and just-arrived Jake Odorizzi are in the mix. It's possible that Odorizzi, promoted from Triple-A Omaha, will make his Major League debut on Saturday night or Sunday against the Indians.

If he doesn't start this weekend, I may have to drive up to KC and kick Yost square in the grapes.

Hochevar, Royals stung by three home runs

**RoyalShock** · September 19, 2012, 01:26 PM

That headline should read, "Hochevar stung by three home runs. Royals stung by Hochevar."

**SubGod22** · September 20, 2012, 09:23 AM

Moore, Gordon together again, for the first time

KANSAS CITY -- Adam Moore, the fourth catcher on the Royals' roster, was a University of Nebraska teammate of left fielder Alex Gordon. Except they never played together. Wait, there's an explanation.

"He was a big-time junior college recruit and he was supposed to be our starting catcher and just before the season started, he hurt his knee and had surgery," Gordon said. "Then he left the next year and never got to play."

Moore's right knee kept him out of the Cornhuskers' lineup in that 2005 season.

"I went to school with him but ended up having a meniscus tear right before the season opener," Moore said. "So I sat out and got medical red-shirted that year and didn't play. ... Just another fan on the sideline."

Sounds like this guy could end up being a decent backup catcher if he could ever stay healthy. I think I'd go with Pina if I had to choose between the three.

Top pitching prospect Odorizzi may debut Sunday

KANSAS CITY -- Jake Odorizzi, the Royals' top pitching prospect, is likely to make his Major League debut on Sunday afternoon against Cleveland at Kauffman Stadium.

Luis Mendoza's improved health has restored some order to the Royals' rotation and made that a strong probability.

Mendoza, feeling much better after his bout with a throat ailment, will probably start Friday night's series opener against the Indians, according to manager Ned Yost. If so, that means that left-hander Will Smith likely will start on Saturday night and the right-handed Odorizzi will make his much-anticipated debut on Sunday.

I will be watching or recording Sunday's game for sure. He'll probably struggle being it's his first start, but I really think this kid will be a big asset in the future.

Chen outduels Sale as KC snaps White Sox streak

KANSAS CITY -- When left-handers Bruce Chen and Chris Sale were matched up 11 days ago in Chicago, Sale came out on top. This time, Chen and the Royals were victorious.

Sale, Chicago's 17-game winner, was dealt his seventh loss as the Royals notched a 3-0 victory on Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium. That snapped the White Sox five-game streak and cut their lead in the American League Central to two games over Detroit. It also gave the Royals an 11-6 advantage in the season series with one game left.

Sale, who has obvious AL Cy Young Award credentials, was going for his fourth win in six starts this season against the Royals. Instead, the Royals joined Detroit as the only teams to defeat Sale three times this year (his other loss was to Baltimore).
Chen improved his record to 3-1 this season against the White Sox.

If we didn't struggle so much with the Twins and Indians....

The Best Player In The Minors VS The Worst Player In The Majors

Several years ago I played on a “D” league softball team sponsored by my employer. It was supposed to be a non-competitive recreational league full of guys who play outfield with a glove on one hand and a beer in the other. I thought I was going to be a misfit with this group, because I take my softball seriously. Fortunately for me, I wasn’t the only player who wanted to win and we finished the season undefeated.

The rules stipulated that if you won your league during the regular season you had to move up and play in the post season tournament for the next higher division, in this case, the “C” league. Conversely, if your team finished last, you dropped to the next lower league’s tournament. And wouldn’t you know it, my “D” league team ended up playing in the championship game for the “C” league against the team that had come in last place in the “B” league. Makes your head spin a little bit, doesn’t it?

I know you’re dying to learn the result of the Championship game, aren’t you? We won. The best team in the “D” league handily defeated the worst team in the “B” league, while all the “C” teams sat on the sidelines during their own league Championship game.

During the regular season I knew our softball team was good, but I had no idea just how good we were. How could I? We were never really challenged and we weren’t allowed to live up to our potential until the post season tournament. We were just a “D” team after all, and we thought that surely every “C” and “B” team was much better than us. Well, we were wrong.

He has a point. A very obvious and glaring point. How it was denied for so long by Moore is beyond me.

Signs Point To Sunday For Jake Odorizzi's Debut

Jake Odorizzi has made his way from Springdale, Arkansas to Omaha, Nebraska to Kansas City, Missouri this year and is primed to make his big league debut on Sunday.

The Royals were originally thinking of having him in the bullpen and possibly using him that way but at this point, he’s unlikely to do that unless the plan changes. Luis Mendoza was scheduled to pitch tonight but due to strep throat he missed his turn and Bruce Chen went in his place. Ned Yosttold the media before Wednesday’s game that it would then be Jeremy Guthrie Thursday and Mendoza Friday if he’s feeling well. Will Smith would pitch Saturday and then Sunday would turn into Odorizzi’s day.

Of course plans can change.

There was a bit of curiosity in the timing, though, as Yost suggested that he didn’t want to throw Odorizzi against the Tigers or White Sox. Instead, his start would come against Cleveland. It’s not clear if he just doesn’t want to put too much pressure on Odorizzi. Jeff Parker made the point that at this time of year, there’s at least some value in seeing Odorizzi against a playoff contender rather than a last place team. It’s just an odd decision.

I wouldn't have minded seeing Jake pitch against Chicago or Detroit, but I'm just happy to see him get a couple of starts in.

Leading Off For Your Kansas City Royals

Lineups are a tricky topic, especially on a team like the Royals, with so many developing hitters. One thing
we know for certain – Alex Gordon is a heck of a hitter, whether leading off or batting third. But where SHOULD he hit?

Many fans are happy to see such a productive bat now hitting third, feeling Gordon is a run producer who was being wasted in the leadoff spot. Others will say he was great batting first, so why move him?

A case could be made either way. I’ll argue, with our current batch of position players, if Gordon’s not the leadoff hitter, who is?

It looks like the current lineup is likely to be intact in 2013, with the exception of Wil Myers being swapped in for Jeff Francoeur (Myers BETTER be our opening day right fielder). We have a pretty good idea of where most of these guys should fit into the lineup. That being the case…who is the leadoff man in 2013?

I pretty much agree. If Dyson can show improvement, or maintain what he has already done, I could see him potentially being there when he starts. Escobar could maybe pull it off. Outside of that, I'm not really buying into anyone else other than Gordon.

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