By now we should be used to this right? By now when we read things like "Royals fall apart late in 6-5 loss to Rangers" we should be able to shrug it off and continue with our lives.
But we can't. No matter how hard we try as fans, these kinds of losses are still painful. Good teams don't lose games like these. Teams that play in mid-October don't blow four-run leads when their opponents only have four outs left. Good teams win the games they should. Teams like the Royals, well, don't. That's why this team is in last place. Again. That's why this team's season is over before the all-star break. Again. That's why this team is a constant reminder that sports can really suck sometimes. Again.
Before I get out of hand, let me say, there are lots of things worse than being a Royals fan. Lots. It is just a game, but sometimes, after nights like this, emotions get the best of you. When I saw Trey Hillman leap over the rail, I was secretly hoping that he would go vintage George Brett on us, maybe even punch somebody. Anything that would serve as a temporary release from the constant hell that we have been in these past decades.
Tonight was a classic Royals loss. Starter pitches a good game. Offense has a good night. Bullpen and head-scratching moves cost them the game. Wash, rinse, repeat 10-15 times per year.
Hillman deserves a lot of blame tonight. The fact that Joakim Soria was left in the pen, while Yabuta trotted out a Texas victory to the mound is beyond inexcusable. The fact that Tony Pena Jr is left sitting on the bench when the situation clearly demanded his entry takes absurd to new levels. Hell, Pena is at this point a defensive replacement, if he makes that throw instead of Aviles, maybe Teahen catches the ball, then again, maybe he doesn't*.
*You know what really kills me about this team? Every year in spring training they have a focus. Sometimes it is pitching or hitting, or base running. Funny thing is, whatever the focus was in spring training, the Royals always seem to be completely inept at it during the season. This year the focus was fundamentals, and guess what? This team is so fundamentally bad that not even Tom Emanksi and his decades-old commercial could save this team. It's funny in a pathetic way.
Hillman has a lot to own up to.* It's becoming more and more obvious that he is prone to LaRussa-in-the-playoffs types of bonehead moves.** People are getting restless, and once again this team is a joke. It's the same thing every year. People talk about renewed optimism, Royals go into the tank, minor changes are made, and the cycle starts over again.
*And he probably will. One thing you can't knock Hillman for is that he is a stand-up guy. He doesn't throw players under the bus, and he doesn't hide from the media. I wouldn't be surprised to read about him admitting that tonight was his fault. Unfortunately for the Royals, having a stand-up guy as your manager does not equal wins.
**In case you don't know, that's bad. Like getting herpes from a fat hooker bad.
What's even worse is the fact that there is now a generation of Royals fans like myself whose best memories of this team is the 2003 mirage. Hell, I can pinpoint the happiest I ever felt as a Royals fan.
It was late April / early May and it was buck night. There was something like 38,000 people at the stadium. The Royals were playing the Tigers, who were comically bad that year. Ken Harvey hit a walk off home run in or around the 11th inning that landed 2/3rds of the way up the bleachers. Hell it might have been more like 3/4ths. All I know is that he killed that ball, and on his way around the bases you would have thought he won the World Series. The crowd went nuts, and the Royals improved to like 17-5 or something like that. As they ran off the field camera mics picked up Pena shouting "We believe man, we believe!"
I watched that game at home, and I went crazy, I danced around and I thought "finally, a winning team in KC, I hope that playoff tickets don't cost too much."* I was in Nirvana, and frankly, if I could, I would erase those memories. Really, I remember how happy I was, how it felt to have the Royals lauded on a national stage, and how it felt to be a fan of a winning team. Watching them now makes those memories a taunting reminder of what fans of the Cardinals, Yankees, Red Sox, Angels and Braves feel every freaking day. In retrospect I would of rather had them lose 100 games in 2003 then fill me with false hope.
*I was 13 going on 14, cut me some slack.
Really, I don't know what to do anymore. I'm past getting angry, but I'm not apathetic. I follow this team way closer than any sane person should. I would be a liar if I told you that I never considered switching to being a Cardinals fan when I go down to Mizzou. It would be a lie if I said that I never considered being a Red Sox fan like my mother's side of the family. But something pulls me back to this team. Something inside of me says to stick with these guys, that when this team finally gets back to the playoffs, and one day wins the World Series that all these years of suffering will only have made the end game more sweet.
I just hope that five years from now I don't look back at those feelings and laugh at their ignorance.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
So Much for Lakers in 5
That prediction still slays me. "Lakers in 5" so-called experts predicted, practically tripping over one another to say it. The arguments were simple. The Western Conference was better than the East, the Lakers had Kobe* and the Celtics struggled putting away the Atlanta freakin' Hawks.
*I get that Kobe is a great talent, but I can't count the amount of close-ups I saw of him during Game 2. It was insane. It seemed after every play there was a closeup of Kobe pouting, or glaring at whichever teammate made the last stupid play. Seriously ABC, the action is on the court, not in Kobe's array of faces, however comical it may be.
What nobody seemed to consider was the fact that the Boston Celtics had the best record in the NBA, which last I checked, included the Western Conference. Listing to the build-up of this series you would think that the Lakers were a 65 win team, and the Celtics were a middle-of-the-road team that lucked into the finals.*
*See Cavaliers, Cleveland : 2007 NBA Playoffs
You would be wrong, dead wrong. For all of the smug predictions made of a Laker romp* nobody seemed to consider that the Celtics might want to win a title too. That they may use their physical style of play** to abuse the Lakers (specifically Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom) on the glass, and wear down Kobe's supporting cast, forcing him into I-Gotta-Score-100 mode.
*I'm looking at you Bill Plaschke and Jay Mariotti
**Boy did they. The Lakers looked like they had gotten collectively punched in the face right after tip off. Asides from Kobe the rest of the Lakers played like they were thinking "I thought we agreed to 2-hand touch!" It was kinda embarrassing to watch. Even Kobe stopped driving after a while, although that may have been a result of some whistle-happy refs. I'm not a Laker fan, but when Leon Powe shoots more free-throws than your entire team, you may have a gripe. Even so, the Lakers were gift-wrapped Game 4 against the Spurs, so as far as I am concerned, it evens out.
Well, surprise surprise. The Celtics, with the help of some shady calls, clotheslined the Lakers in both games in Boston, and now the series goes to LA tonight. I expect Kobe to shoot anywhere between 30 and 300 free-throws and the entire Celtics team to foul out by 3:23 of the 3rd quarter.* Not to say that the Lakers don't deserve a few hometown calls after Game 2, but you just know that these 3 games in LA are going to be brutal. Hell the NBA may stick Popovich on the Boston bench, then have Joey Crawford ref all three games.
*Not periods Mike Breen, for god's sake. Hockey has periods, basketball and football have quarters.
Needless to say, I have the Lakers winning tonight, and in Game 4. I also have the over/under line of "Lakers are winning the title!!!" stories at 35,000*.
*Not to sound like a grouch, but could ESPN for just freakin' once in their existence focus on the story that is happening, not the one they want to happen. I mean, the Celtics win the first two games, and the focus is how the Lakers can improve, and why Boston will lose the next three games in LA. It's disgusting. It's like they don't even try anymore, if what happens doesn't fit their pre-selected tone for the series, it's ignored. If Boston wins one of the games in LA (and they have a great chance to) I think ESPN may implode on itself.
Thing is, I don't hate the Lakers. Nor do I love the Celtics. What I do hate is the fact that nobody seemed to give Boston any kind of chance at all. That's stupid. Kobe is an amazing player, and when he goes into that extra gear (or ten) that he has, it is truly amazing to see him play. The fourth quarter of Game 2 proved that. If Kobe and the Lakers pull that game out, it's the greatest comeback ever. Even though they lost, it was amazing how he never stopped, it's like everyone on the court got together and said "Ok, this game is over, but don't tell Kobe, it'll kill him." Funny thing is, he almost willed his team to victory.
That is the part where Boston has to worry, if a scenario like what happened in the last 8 minutes of Game 2 happens in LA, the Lakers will pull it off. They feed off that crowd, and after the Game 2 disgrace, they will have the refs firmly in their corner. What Boston needs to do is keep the rotation short. Rivers should be sending out Pierce, Garnett, Allen, Rondo, Perkins as the starters with Brown and Powe getting between 10-15 minutes, and maybe Cassell for a few minutes (so long as he promises not to shoot the ball at all.) Tony Allen should not be allowed within 50 feet of the sidelines, get a restraining order if that's what it takes.
Game 3 is tonight, I expect the Lakers to romp, and the media to breathe a big sigh of relief, because god-forbid the Celtics go and ruin their pre-made story lines again.
*I get that Kobe is a great talent, but I can't count the amount of close-ups I saw of him during Game 2. It was insane. It seemed after every play there was a closeup of Kobe pouting, or glaring at whichever teammate made the last stupid play. Seriously ABC, the action is on the court, not in Kobe's array of faces, however comical it may be.
What nobody seemed to consider was the fact that the Boston Celtics had the best record in the NBA, which last I checked, included the Western Conference. Listing to the build-up of this series you would think that the Lakers were a 65 win team, and the Celtics were a middle-of-the-road team that lucked into the finals.*
*See Cavaliers, Cleveland : 2007 NBA Playoffs
You would be wrong, dead wrong. For all of the smug predictions made of a Laker romp* nobody seemed to consider that the Celtics might want to win a title too. That they may use their physical style of play** to abuse the Lakers (specifically Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom) on the glass, and wear down Kobe's supporting cast, forcing him into I-Gotta-Score-100 mode.
*I'm looking at you Bill Plaschke and Jay Mariotti
**Boy did they. The Lakers looked like they had gotten collectively punched in the face right after tip off. Asides from Kobe the rest of the Lakers played like they were thinking "I thought we agreed to 2-hand touch!" It was kinda embarrassing to watch. Even Kobe stopped driving after a while, although that may have been a result of some whistle-happy refs. I'm not a Laker fan, but when Leon Powe shoots more free-throws than your entire team, you may have a gripe. Even so, the Lakers were gift-wrapped Game 4 against the Spurs, so as far as I am concerned, it evens out.
Well, surprise surprise. The Celtics, with the help of some shady calls, clotheslined the Lakers in both games in Boston, and now the series goes to LA tonight. I expect Kobe to shoot anywhere between 30 and 300 free-throws and the entire Celtics team to foul out by 3:23 of the 3rd quarter.* Not to say that the Lakers don't deserve a few hometown calls after Game 2, but you just know that these 3 games in LA are going to be brutal. Hell the NBA may stick Popovich on the Boston bench, then have Joey Crawford ref all three games.
*Not periods Mike Breen, for god's sake. Hockey has periods, basketball and football have quarters.
Needless to say, I have the Lakers winning tonight, and in Game 4. I also have the over/under line of "Lakers are winning the title!!!" stories at 35,000*.
*Not to sound like a grouch, but could ESPN for just freakin' once in their existence focus on the story that is happening, not the one they want to happen. I mean, the Celtics win the first two games, and the focus is how the Lakers can improve, and why Boston will lose the next three games in LA. It's disgusting. It's like they don't even try anymore, if what happens doesn't fit their pre-selected tone for the series, it's ignored. If Boston wins one of the games in LA (and they have a great chance to) I think ESPN may implode on itself.
Thing is, I don't hate the Lakers. Nor do I love the Celtics. What I do hate is the fact that nobody seemed to give Boston any kind of chance at all. That's stupid. Kobe is an amazing player, and when he goes into that extra gear (or ten) that he has, it is truly amazing to see him play. The fourth quarter of Game 2 proved that. If Kobe and the Lakers pull that game out, it's the greatest comeback ever. Even though they lost, it was amazing how he never stopped, it's like everyone on the court got together and said "Ok, this game is over, but don't tell Kobe, it'll kill him." Funny thing is, he almost willed his team to victory.
That is the part where Boston has to worry, if a scenario like what happened in the last 8 minutes of Game 2 happens in LA, the Lakers will pull it off. They feed off that crowd, and after the Game 2 disgrace, they will have the refs firmly in their corner. What Boston needs to do is keep the rotation short. Rivers should be sending out Pierce, Garnett, Allen, Rondo, Perkins as the starters with Brown and Powe getting between 10-15 minutes, and maybe Cassell for a few minutes (so long as he promises not to shoot the ball at all.) Tony Allen should not be allowed within 50 feet of the sidelines, get a restraining order if that's what it takes.
Game 3 is tonight, I expect the Lakers to romp, and the media to breathe a big sigh of relief, because god-forbid the Celtics go and ruin their pre-made story lines again.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Where Silly Predictions Happen
It's been almost 24 hours since Paul Pierce limped back onto the New Garden* floor, and sank two threes that sent the Boston faithful into a frenzy.** I'm still amazed at what I saw, it was the kind of basketball that people read about in the past tense, the kind of basketball that supposedly died years ago, and yet here I was, in the age of big-money, big-ego players, watching two old-school rivals play old-school ball (minus the physical contact***).
*I hate when people say "New Garden". The Boston Garden was a one-of-a-kind place, you don't just build a new building and slap the name on, it's not the same. It's like driving around in a Jaguar, wrecking it, then buying an Altima, but stenciling "Jaguar" on the car. Just because you call it "New Garden" doesn't mean it is. The Garden is long gone, in it's place is a nice building, but it is not the Garden, you can't replicate the history of that place, so don't try.
**I can only assume it was a frenzy, as I had to watch most of the 3rd and 4th quarters in a dual-screen setup, due to the local news station breaking in with a tornado warning in Kansas. I'm not trivializing tornadoes, but they were in Kansas, as in not Missouri. In today's world can we not make it so that those people not in the path of a killer storm can watch the Finals go from a forgone Lakers victory to a competitive series with sound? C'mon.
***Thanks NBA rules committee. Even during the most exciting and retro-feeling playoff game I have ever seen, there was still that "I'll break you" demeanor missing. But hey, at least you finally acknowledged the flopping issue. The NBA: Where overdue corrections happen.
My favorite part about Boston coming to life in the second half? Bill Plaschke* having to shelf his "The Series is Over!" column, perhaps permanently. Even more so, this was the kind of game that we as fans wanted. A back and forth slug fest, clashing of stars, and a bit of drama. When Pierce went down, you could see 18,000 future Prozac users in the arena. When Pierce came back and hit those shots, you could see the relief in those faces, sound not needed. If Pierce didn't come back, the Lakers win, and probably take the series in four or five. Yeah, that return and those shots mattered that much. They single-handedly turned this from a Lakers romp into a probable seven-game classic.
*I wish I had the time and space to express my dislike for Plaschke, but I'll keep it simple. As a sports editor and writer, if I ever ran into someone my age who wrote like that man, I would hurl them into traffic. He isn't a professional writer, he is an elitist who thinks that making one-sentence paragraphs is cool. Ugh, let's move on.
What I didn't understand is that before Game 1 even tipped off, people were calling this series for the Lakers in five games. Five. As in between four and six. That's not insane, that's stupid.
The Western Conference is better top-to-bottom, but I am a firm believer that once you get down to the Finals, you are dealing with two good teams. Very few teams luck into the finals (last year's Cavaliers are an exception).
Is the East weaker then the West in overall strength? Duh. But for people to foolishly claim that the Lakers were going to run over the Celtics need to wear tinfoil, so I know who they are. This series is going to go six, probably seven. I could see Boston winning Game 2, followed by the Lakers winning Games 3 and 4, the Celtics stealing Game 5, and the Lakers responding by winning Game 6. As for Game 7, I have no idea what would happen, Game 7s are magical for a reason, the outcome usually isn't known until the very end.
Don't get me wrong, this loss could fire-up Kobe and the Lakers, and they certainly could run off four straight wins, or four wins in five games, but I can't see that happening.
The Celtics have a closing window. Garnett and Allen are on the downsides of their careers, and Pierce isn't getting any younger. Meanwhile the Lakers have a scary good young core, and Kobe is approaching top-10 all time levels of greatness.*
*But not MJ-level. Please, please, please Jim Rome, let this one go. Kobe is certainly capable of impersonating MJ for a series or even and entire playoffs, but he is not MJ. Not by a long shot. He will definitely be top 10, but until he wins 6 out of 8 championships, while taking a few years off to try out for the Dodgers, I'm going to give MJ the edge (be it slight) here. Call me crazy.
However, in this scenario, I think that Garnett's and Allen's "I gotta get a ring to validate my career" urgency trumps Kobe's "I gotta get a ring to prove I didn't need Shaq" motivation. Kobe will get his ring, maybe even next year, but I can't say the same for Garnett and Allen, I think they know that this is their best chance, and I wouldn't be suprised to see them play out of their minds to get it.
I made a prediction with some friends at the beginning of this series. I told them that if LA took game one, the series would go 6 games max. If Boston won, then we were heading towards a seven game showdown.
Lakers-Celtics, the first punches have been landed, and it was exactly as good as we were told it would be. Game 2 can't come fast enough.
*I hate when people say "New Garden". The Boston Garden was a one-of-a-kind place, you don't just build a new building and slap the name on, it's not the same. It's like driving around in a Jaguar, wrecking it, then buying an Altima, but stenciling "Jaguar" on the car. Just because you call it "New Garden" doesn't mean it is. The Garden is long gone, in it's place is a nice building, but it is not the Garden, you can't replicate the history of that place, so don't try.
**I can only assume it was a frenzy, as I had to watch most of the 3rd and 4th quarters in a dual-screen setup, due to the local news station breaking in with a tornado warning in Kansas. I'm not trivializing tornadoes, but they were in Kansas, as in not Missouri. In today's world can we not make it so that those people not in the path of a killer storm can watch the Finals go from a forgone Lakers victory to a competitive series with sound? C'mon.
***Thanks NBA rules committee. Even during the most exciting and retro-feeling playoff game I have ever seen, there was still that "I'll break you" demeanor missing. But hey, at least you finally acknowledged the flopping issue. The NBA: Where overdue corrections happen.
My favorite part about Boston coming to life in the second half? Bill Plaschke* having to shelf his "The Series is Over!" column, perhaps permanently. Even more so, this was the kind of game that we as fans wanted. A back and forth slug fest, clashing of stars, and a bit of drama. When Pierce went down, you could see 18,000 future Prozac users in the arena. When Pierce came back and hit those shots, you could see the relief in those faces, sound not needed. If Pierce didn't come back, the Lakers win, and probably take the series in four or five. Yeah, that return and those shots mattered that much. They single-handedly turned this from a Lakers romp into a probable seven-game classic.
*I wish I had the time and space to express my dislike for Plaschke, but I'll keep it simple. As a sports editor and writer, if I ever ran into someone my age who wrote like that man, I would hurl them into traffic. He isn't a professional writer, he is an elitist who thinks that making one-sentence paragraphs is cool. Ugh, let's move on.
What I didn't understand is that before Game 1 even tipped off, people were calling this series for the Lakers in five games. Five. As in between four and six. That's not insane, that's stupid.
The Western Conference is better top-to-bottom, but I am a firm believer that once you get down to the Finals, you are dealing with two good teams. Very few teams luck into the finals (last year's Cavaliers are an exception).
Is the East weaker then the West in overall strength? Duh. But for people to foolishly claim that the Lakers were going to run over the Celtics need to wear tinfoil, so I know who they are. This series is going to go six, probably seven. I could see Boston winning Game 2, followed by the Lakers winning Games 3 and 4, the Celtics stealing Game 5, and the Lakers responding by winning Game 6. As for Game 7, I have no idea what would happen, Game 7s are magical for a reason, the outcome usually isn't known until the very end.
Don't get me wrong, this loss could fire-up Kobe and the Lakers, and they certainly could run off four straight wins, or four wins in five games, but I can't see that happening.
The Celtics have a closing window. Garnett and Allen are on the downsides of their careers, and Pierce isn't getting any younger. Meanwhile the Lakers have a scary good young core, and Kobe is approaching top-10 all time levels of greatness.*
*But not MJ-level. Please, please, please Jim Rome, let this one go. Kobe is certainly capable of impersonating MJ for a series or even and entire playoffs, but he is not MJ. Not by a long shot. He will definitely be top 10, but until he wins 6 out of 8 championships, while taking a few years off to try out for the Dodgers, I'm going to give MJ the edge (be it slight) here. Call me crazy.
However, in this scenario, I think that Garnett's and Allen's "I gotta get a ring to validate my career" urgency trumps Kobe's "I gotta get a ring to prove I didn't need Shaq" motivation. Kobe will get his ring, maybe even next year, but I can't say the same for Garnett and Allen, I think they know that this is their best chance, and I wouldn't be suprised to see them play out of their minds to get it.
I made a prediction with some friends at the beginning of this series. I told them that if LA took game one, the series would go 6 games max. If Boston won, then we were heading towards a seven game showdown.
Lakers-Celtics, the first punches have been landed, and it was exactly as good as we were told it would be. Game 2 can't come fast enough.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Finally
Did you catch the box score? Check it again. That's right, the Royals have won. No hives, no warning-track home runs, no bullpen meltdown. I almost forgot what it feels like to have won. I sort of expected after the last out for the umpire to call both teams back on the field and say that the Indians get an extra out. Nope, nothing, just a Royals win.
This was one of those losing streaks where even though the Royals lost 12 in a row, they didn't seem to earn it. There was the game where Delmon Young fell down and let the game-tying runs score. There was the game were Cliff Lee was knocked around, there was the game where the Royals scored eight runs, and the pitching collapsed, and then there was the 8-3 meltdown. That's four games right there. If the Royals win those four, then instead of them sitting at 22-34, they're at a much-easier-to-digest 26-30.
So what's next? Can this team use this win as a chance to catch fire, and reach my pre-season prediction of 81 wins? Or is this an aberration? An example of a broken clock is right twice daily?
Sunday becomes very important, if the Royals can get to Byrd (which they can), Bannister has a solid outing (he's due) and they win, then maybe they can right the ship. Maybe not so much that they win the division, but enough so that Hillman, Moore and Co. can spend their time fixing this team, instead of defending its ineptness.
If they lose...well there is always tomorrow, right?
This was one of those losing streaks where even though the Royals lost 12 in a row, they didn't seem to earn it. There was the game where Delmon Young fell down and let the game-tying runs score. There was the game were Cliff Lee was knocked around, there was the game where the Royals scored eight runs, and the pitching collapsed, and then there was the 8-3 meltdown. That's four games right there. If the Royals win those four, then instead of them sitting at 22-34, they're at a much-easier-to-digest 26-30.
So what's next? Can this team use this win as a chance to catch fire, and reach my pre-season prediction of 81 wins? Or is this an aberration? An example of a broken clock is right twice daily?
Sunday becomes very important, if the Royals can get to Byrd (which they can), Bannister has a solid outing (he's due) and they win, then maybe they can right the ship. Maybe not so much that they win the division, but enough so that Hillman, Moore and Co. can spend their time fixing this team, instead of defending its ineptness.
If they lose...well there is always tomorrow, right?
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Same Old Feeling
You know, shame on us for thinking that fifteen years of crap was going to be magically reversed in less than a year. Shame on us for looking at the 2007 Rockies and assuming that we were this year's version of them. Shame on us for forgetting that these are the Royals, and nothing ever seems to come easily. Eight losses in a row, and we're now nine games under .500 and 7.5 games back. Shame on us for expecting the seas to part after nearly two decades of drowning.
Yes, at 21-30 the Royals have once again buried themselves in a hole that they look doubtful to climb out of. It started rather innocently, at 21-22 and heading into Boston, the Royals were looking to stay competitive with the Red Sox. A no-hitter, a drubbing and two close losses later, the Royals limped in Toronto losers of four straight, and promptly lost all four games. In eight losses, the Royals have scored 16 runs, and if you remove the 11-8 loss to Boston, the Royals have scored eight runs in seven losses.
That's not bad offense, that's Rookie Ball level offense performing in the majors. Top to bottom, the Royals have problems, and when the offense does put up some runs, the pitching craps out, as a suddenly shaky Meche and Bannister each sport 4.6+ ERA's, with Meche's hovering in the mid 5s. When Luke Hochaver is the second-best starter, there might be a slight problem. Thing is, the pitching is amazing compared to the epic failure that is the offense. Breaking it down requires lots of head trauma and Advil.
Starting with the obvious, Tony Pena Jr has been a one man rally-killer. He has a lower batting average (.162) than his weight (180lbs). His OPS is a shameful .388. Even on an offensive albatross team like the Royals, the second lowest OPS on the team with at least 100 official at bats is Ross Gload's at .572. If you want someone who has at least as many at bats as Pena does (142) look at David DeJesus (137) who has an OPS of .694 or .300+ better than Pena. That's obscene. The person ahead of Pena (Gload) is almost .200 ahead of Pena, and someone who has roughly the same amount of at-bats as Pena betters him by .300.
The Royals as a team are only hitting .255 with an OBP of .314 and an OPS of .671. They rank 9th, T12th, and 14th respectively in the AL in all those categories. Their highest ranking in any offensive category is doubles, where they are 6th in the AL with 89. Take all that in. The Royals are last in Runs, OPS, Home Runs, RBI, and Slugging. The only other team with that many last place categories is Cleveland in Total Bases, Triples, Batting Avg and Hits.
This team has one player with an OPS of .800+. That man is Miguel Olivo at .911. Second place? Alex Gordon at .799. It's no coincidence that Gordon is the only regular that I am not worried about. Unfortunatly, Olivo won't keep this production up, as his career OPS is .692, so we can expect that to drop. Another trouble spot is the fact that this team has hit 25 home runs. 25 as in one less home run than championships that the Yankees have. Minnesota is the second-worst team at 29 home runs.
Even worse is the fact that Olivo, Gordon and Jose Guillen have hit 17 home runs collectively, or 68% of the teams home runs. The most disturbing stat? Billy Butler and Mark Teahen have hit 3 home runs combined. As Rany Jazayerli states in his May 26th post; Matt Cain of the Giants has two home runs. The problem? Cain is a pitcher, while Butler and Teahen were both once praised for their power, and while I think Teahen's may be gone for good, I am hopeful that Butler can reach at least 15 for this season.
So what does all this mean? Without even touching the disappointments named Yabuta, Meche and Bannister, the Royals have enough problems on the offensive side of things to make just about anyone crazy. This team lacks any kind of power, doesn't get on base, loses too many runners on the basepaths when they do get on base, and doesn't score runs.
So what can they do?
--For starters, trade Grudz. I like the guy, I do, but I want Callaspo in there every day and 2nd base, with German getting a little more time between second and short.
--Speaking of short, mail Tony Pena Jr to Guam, and call up Aviles. While he is no savior, he is much closer than Moustakas at this point, and he certainly can't be worse than Pena.
--Nextoff, they need to either send Teahen down (if he has options left) or trade him. They wouldn't get much in return, but I would take an A-ball prospect or two for him at this point.
--With the gap in the outfield, Mitch Maier's phone better be ringing. This season is all but lost, why not see if he can perform? He is hitting .341/.376/.512 in Omaha, what do the Royals have to lose? He is already on the 40-man roster, so they don't have to waive anyone for him to get his feet wet.
--Avoid Barry Lamar Bonds like the plague. I'm going to go into this in depth at a later date, but let me say that signing him would be taking counterproductive to a whole new level.
--Make a run at a big time bat either at the deadline, or this winter. May I suggest Mr. Adam Dunn?
At this rate this team will go down as one of the worst offensive teams in Royals' history. Changes need to be made, but they need to be the right ones. GMDM has had his share of challenges before, but this is one that he can't mess up.
Yes, at 21-30 the Royals have once again buried themselves in a hole that they look doubtful to climb out of. It started rather innocently, at 21-22 and heading into Boston, the Royals were looking to stay competitive with the Red Sox. A no-hitter, a drubbing and two close losses later, the Royals limped in Toronto losers of four straight, and promptly lost all four games. In eight losses, the Royals have scored 16 runs, and if you remove the 11-8 loss to Boston, the Royals have scored eight runs in seven losses.
That's not bad offense, that's Rookie Ball level offense performing in the majors. Top to bottom, the Royals have problems, and when the offense does put up some runs, the pitching craps out, as a suddenly shaky Meche and Bannister each sport 4.6+ ERA's, with Meche's hovering in the mid 5s. When Luke Hochaver is the second-best starter, there might be a slight problem. Thing is, the pitching is amazing compared to the epic failure that is the offense. Breaking it down requires lots of head trauma and Advil.
Starting with the obvious, Tony Pena Jr has been a one man rally-killer. He has a lower batting average (.162) than his weight (180lbs). His OPS is a shameful .388. Even on an offensive albatross team like the Royals, the second lowest OPS on the team with at least 100 official at bats is Ross Gload's at .572. If you want someone who has at least as many at bats as Pena does (142) look at David DeJesus (137) who has an OPS of .694 or .300+ better than Pena. That's obscene. The person ahead of Pena (Gload) is almost .200 ahead of Pena, and someone who has roughly the same amount of at-bats as Pena betters him by .300.
The Royals as a team are only hitting .255 with an OBP of .314 and an OPS of .671. They rank 9th, T12th, and 14th respectively in the AL in all those categories. Their highest ranking in any offensive category is doubles, where they are 6th in the AL with 89. Take all that in. The Royals are last in Runs, OPS, Home Runs, RBI, and Slugging. The only other team with that many last place categories is Cleveland in Total Bases, Triples, Batting Avg and Hits.
This team has one player with an OPS of .800+. That man is Miguel Olivo at .911. Second place? Alex Gordon at .799. It's no coincidence that Gordon is the only regular that I am not worried about. Unfortunatly, Olivo won't keep this production up, as his career OPS is .692, so we can expect that to drop. Another trouble spot is the fact that this team has hit 25 home runs. 25 as in one less home run than championships that the Yankees have. Minnesota is the second-worst team at 29 home runs.
Even worse is the fact that Olivo, Gordon and Jose Guillen have hit 17 home runs collectively, or 68% of the teams home runs. The most disturbing stat? Billy Butler and Mark Teahen have hit 3 home runs combined. As Rany Jazayerli states in his May 26th post; Matt Cain of the Giants has two home runs. The problem? Cain is a pitcher, while Butler and Teahen were both once praised for their power, and while I think Teahen's may be gone for good, I am hopeful that Butler can reach at least 15 for this season.
So what does all this mean? Without even touching the disappointments named Yabuta, Meche and Bannister, the Royals have enough problems on the offensive side of things to make just about anyone crazy. This team lacks any kind of power, doesn't get on base, loses too many runners on the basepaths when they do get on base, and doesn't score runs.
So what can they do?
--For starters, trade Grudz. I like the guy, I do, but I want Callaspo in there every day and 2nd base, with German getting a little more time between second and short.
--Speaking of short, mail Tony Pena Jr to Guam, and call up Aviles. While he is no savior, he is much closer than Moustakas at this point, and he certainly can't be worse than Pena.
--Nextoff, they need to either send Teahen down (if he has options left) or trade him. They wouldn't get much in return, but I would take an A-ball prospect or two for him at this point.
--With the gap in the outfield, Mitch Maier's phone better be ringing. This season is all but lost, why not see if he can perform? He is hitting .341/.376/.512 in Omaha, what do the Royals have to lose? He is already on the 40-man roster, so they don't have to waive anyone for him to get his feet wet.
--Avoid Barry Lamar Bonds like the plague. I'm going to go into this in depth at a later date, but let me say that signing him would be taking counterproductive to a whole new level.
--Make a run at a big time bat either at the deadline, or this winter. May I suggest Mr. Adam Dunn?
At this rate this team will go down as one of the worst offensive teams in Royals' history. Changes need to be made, but they need to be the right ones. GMDM has had his share of challenges before, but this is one that he can't mess up.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Welcome
Hello, I'm Andrew Hoien. I have what one would call a sports fetish. I love to watch them, read about them, and even (poorly) play them.My first and truest love in sports is the Kansas City Royals, and I have been following them for the last 11 years. In those 11 years I have seen a team that has been an utter joke, and only recently shown any signs of life at all. Needless to say, there have been many a times I wondered what life would be like if I were a Cardinals fan, but at this point I'm stuck with them, for better or worse.
This blog will be mostly focused on the Royals, and their ups and downs.Even though I am a big Royals fan, this blog will branch out into other topics. Mostly the NBA, NHL and NFL. I'll also talk about college football and basketball when the time is appropriate. I will not however, ever, ever talk about NASCAR or any kind of racing, if you're here, looking for deep racing insight, you might want to leave.
The title comes from the fact that I play no professional, or even rec-league sports. The closest I get to actually playing is heading out to the batting cages or driving range every once in a while. Therefore all of my opinions are based on my observations as a fan, and the stats I can find, no inside-the-player's-mind commentary to be found here, sorry.
I have a habit of getting long winded, and I tend to cover a multitude of points when I talk about anything. If you're looking for short, succinct, and mono-topic commentary, go elsewhere.
Since this a blog, there is going to be a lot of knee-jerk reactions, and a lot of random thoughts that turn into ten page rants about how David Stern is killing basketball in Seattle on purpose. However, since I am one of those people that makes Rick Riley cry into his cashmere pillow slip, you really shouldn't worry about that anyways.
I hope to be a calm but witty voice in this vast world on online sports blogging, and I look forward to an interesting ride.
This blog will be mostly focused on the Royals, and their ups and downs.Even though I am a big Royals fan, this blog will branch out into other topics. Mostly the NBA, NHL and NFL. I'll also talk about college football and basketball when the time is appropriate. I will not however, ever, ever talk about NASCAR or any kind of racing, if you're here, looking for deep racing insight, you might want to leave.
The title comes from the fact that I play no professional, or even rec-league sports. The closest I get to actually playing is heading out to the batting cages or driving range every once in a while. Therefore all of my opinions are based on my observations as a fan, and the stats I can find, no inside-the-player's-mind commentary to be found here, sorry.
I have a habit of getting long winded, and I tend to cover a multitude of points when I talk about anything. If you're looking for short, succinct, and mono-topic commentary, go elsewhere.
Since this a blog, there is going to be a lot of knee-jerk reactions, and a lot of random thoughts that turn into ten page rants about how David Stern is killing basketball in Seattle on purpose. However, since I am one of those people that makes Rick Riley cry into his cashmere pillow slip, you really shouldn't worry about that anyways.
I hope to be a calm but witty voice in this vast world on online sports blogging, and I look forward to an interesting ride.
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