GO ROYALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[aknowledgeableperson]

After Sunday's game 6-3 record.  Team could be better but then it could be a lot worse.

Give the team 3 or 4 more weeks to sort personnel out, might see some changes then.  That way the repalcements have a few weeks in the minors to get settled.

[KCRoyal]

The rotation still scares me.  Hoch had a fine game, but gave up 3 bombs in spacious Comerica.

How about Wilson Betemit?!? 

[KCMax]

Good piece by Mellinger on Sunday on David Glass

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/04/09/27 ... glass.html

Clarifies, although not definitively, but his source says the clause that Glass cannot profit off the sale of the team has expired. Which makes sense considering how he has suddenly begin investing his own money into the club in the draft and amateur signings. The worst thing for this franchise was that clause since it gave Glass absolutely no incentive to improve the team.

[KC-wildcat]

Clarifies, although not definitively, but his source says the clause that Glass cannot profit off the sale of the team has expired. Which makes sense considering how he has suddenly begin investing his own money into the club in the draft and amateur signings. The worst thing for this franchise was that clause since it gave Glass absolutely no incentive to improve the team.

I haven't read the article, but is the investment into this club really a "sudden" phenomenon?? 

I feel like Glass gave Dayton the reins 5 years ago to start bolstering this franchise's farm system.  True, we're just now seeing this farm begin to yield produce, but the seeds were planted several years ago.  i.e. amateur signings, draft, latin america scouting, unprecedented acquisition of pitchers (the currency of baseball). 

[WSPanic]

I haven't read the article, but is the investment into this club really a "sudden" phenomenon?? 

I feel like Glass gave Dayton the reins 5 years ago to start bolstering this franchise's farm system.  True, we're just now seeing this farm begin to yield produce, but the seeds were planted several years ago.  i.e. amateur signings, draft, latin america scouting, unprecedented acquisition of pitchers (the currency of baseball). 

You're right! You haven't read the article.

[KCMax]

I meant sudden as in, all of a sudden in 2006 he started to invest in the club.

[aknowledgeableperson]

One columnist'stake on the Royals:

The Royals were 6-2 in 2008 and 18-11 in ’09, so they’re not about to get carried away with their 6-3 start.

The Royals’ best days lie ahead, when third baseman Mike Moustakas and first baseman Eric Hosmer take over the infield corners and the arrival of pitching prospects such as left-hander Mike Montgomery ensure that the rotation no longer is a collection of fourth and fifth starters.

Still, there are some good things happening — notably, the development of left fielder Alex Gordon, whom the Royals always envisioned teaming with first baseman Billy Butler to form their offensive nucleus. Gordon, more erect in his stance, showing more hand speed, again looks like he can be a high-OBP, high-strikeout, 20- to 25-homer man.

Several of the Royals’ better prospects are still two years away, and some are certain to sputter. For now, the most noticeable difference in the club is its up-the-middle defense with second baseman Chris Getz and shortstop Alcides Escobar.

Outfielder Melky Cabrera is playing with a high level of professionalism, and the bullpen looks good. One scout says of right-hander Aaron Crow, “He’s a keeper. His fastball hits 94 with great life, and he’s got a power slider.”

Pretender or contender? Contender . . . in 2013.

[phuqueue]

I want to believe Gordon is finally for real this year, but it's way way way too early to say we're witnessing any "development" out of him.  It's only been a week and a half.  I'm sure if you look hard, you can find week and a half long stretches over the past few years where he went on comparable hot streaks -- they just happened in the middle of the season when he was already mired at .220/.310/.360 and nobody really noticed.  He's always had solid ISOBP and it's increased every season, from .067 to .091, .092, and finally last year, an even .100.  His biggest problem is that his underlying batting average is always dismal -- .260 is the best he's ever posted.  While his ISOBP has risen every season, his batting average has been dropping (.248 as a rookie, up to .260 as a sophomore, but then .232 and last year an embarrassing .215).  If he can manage a passable batting average, he should be a productive bat, but he's never shown that he can do that at the major league level.  He's historically been pretty unlucky, with BABIP far below the league average most seasons (right around average for his rookie campaign, though).  So far this season his BABIP has been an unsustainable .438; lower that to a roughly league average .300 and he's hitting about .238 right now instead of .357, with a .311 OBP instead of .400.  If he regresses all the way to his (far below league average) BABIP of .254 from last season, he's hitting .194 right now, more than twenty points below last year's already gruesome .215.  But BABIP is mostly luck (in last year's case, bad luck), so there isn't any particular reason he should fall that far; he will fall, though, it's only a matter of time.

If Gordon's going to take a legitimate step forward this year, one uninfluenced by good luck, he needs to either start putting more balls in play (ie, lower his strikeouts), start getting on base more frequently on balls out of play (ie, hit more home runs), or preferably both.  His current hot streak is basically smoke and mirrors, but any guy with the plate patience to put up an ISOBP of .100 stands at least some chance of figuring it out.  Of course I've been singing that song about him for four years now, so hopefully he'll parlay this strong start into something more sustainable and finally become a productive hitter.

[KCMax]

The Royals may be paying only about $4 million more for their entire roster than the Yankees will pay just their third baseman this year. But Royals officials have told people within the sport that if all their high-end phenoms have the impact on winning and attendance they expect, the payroll could eventually "mimic what the Twins have done." The Twins had a $24.1 million payroll a decade ago, before the winning started. They're at $118.2 million this year, according to the Associated Press.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/s ... ings110412

[AllThingsKC]

While I am still waiting for the other shoe to drop for the Royals (as always), I will admit it has been pretty enjoyable watching the young team over the past 2 weeks. 

I don't remember the last time I was watching a Royals where I expected them to win or felt comfortable that they wouldn't blow it.  But, that is how I have felt watching the Royals these past 2 weeks.

Again, I still expect them to be in last place by the end of June.  But for now, I'm rather enjoying the 8-4 record.  This has been a fun 2 weeks of baseball for me.  Very enjoyable to watch this young team.

And now, you can all throw the vegetables at me since I've probably just jinxed them.

[mean]

I don't see how any Royals fan who has watched this team at all since 1990 can't be just waiting for them to flame out. Then again, Fescoe was talking World Series this morning. That gave me a good laugh.

[WSPanic]

I don't know how a team with so few expectations and such limited starting pitching can really "flame out." Anything good they do this year is completely unexpected in my mind, so the situation can't really end in too much disappointment.

[KCRoyal]

A little off topic but did anyone hear Soren's show yesterday.  It was Frank Boal's segment.  Geez, talk about smacking Denny Matthews around.  Give the guy a break!  I do agree that the radio side is not as advanced as the TV side for the Royals, but bad mouthing Denny like that just made me upset.

[aknowledgeableperson]

Our closer is having some problems.  Hopefully they are only short term problems and don't involve some type of injury.

[phuqueue]

A little off topic but did anyone hear Soren's show yesterday.  It was Frank Boal's segment.  Geez, talk about smacking Denny Matthews around.  Give the guy a break!  I do agree that the radio side is not as advanced as the TV side for the Royals, but bad mouthing Denny like that just made me upset.

Didn't hear this but the only thing wrong with the Royals radio is how much air time they give to Bob Davis.  I have no idea what was said and I don't know what the hell it means for the radio to not be as "advanced" as TV, but one of my great joys in life is listening to Denny call a baseball game.  Davis doesn't seem quite as intolerable as he used to be but I don't know why you even let him open his mouth when you've got Denny in the booth.  If they would properly sync up, I wouldn't even hesitate to mute the TV and watch the game with the radio on.  Unfortunately they run on different delays (I know this because I've already tried it).

[KCRoyal]

I have no idea what was said and I don't know what the hell it means for the radio to not be as "advanced" as TV, but one of my great joys in life is listening to Denny call a baseball game. 

They were just knocking on Denny cause he didn't make the first roadtrip of the year.  And maybe 'advanced' wasn't the word I was looking for.  What I was trying to say is that the radio side needs to get rid of Bob Davis and/or Steve Stewart and add player analyst.  Denny isn't the problem. 

[KCRoyal]

Royals win again!  Their second 4-game winning streak of the year!  A great start by Sean O'Sullivan, but really, who doesn't pitch well against the Mariners offense.

10-4!  At the moment we are 0.5 game up on Cleveland, but the Tribe is leading their game agains Baltimore 6-3 in the 7th inning.  Keep winning BLUE!

[macnw]

Royals looked pretty good against Hernandez. Cheap hits,errors blah blah blah. A win is a win. Royals look pretty damn good. Escobar might be the best pick up so far. He can play some D. GO ROYALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[KCRoyal]

No sweep against the M's.  Royals lose 3-2, but still won 3 out of 4.

Big 4-game series against the Tribe coming up.

[AllThingsKC]

Big 4-game series against the Tribe coming up.

WHAT????????   A series that could determine who gets sole possession of FIRST PLACE?????      WOW.   That kind of puts that series into perspective, doesn't it?