Next Year's Royals: Punt 2011...and Then We'll Do It Live!

My 2011 Royals Organization:

Below, I've provided a combination of my predictions as well as what I believe each Minor League affiliate would look like as of Opening Day next year. I understand that some players, like Yuniesky Betancourt, have probably guaranteed at least another majority of a season with the ballclub. Therefore, this is merely a *combination* of what *will* happen and what I believe *should* happen. If I were Assistant General Manager to Dayton Moore and had autonomy on farm direction, here is how I believe our organization should be comprised on Opening Day 2011. Keep in mind the trade offers are hypothetical scenarios. I do believe they fall somewhere on the realm of reality, though. So no Teahen for A-Rod scenarios.

- Trade Zack Greinke to NYA for Jesus Montero, Manny Banuelos, Slade Heathcott, and DJ Mitchell (as mostly mentioned in my 2013 Royals thread)

- Trade David DeJesus and Joakim Soria to BOS for Ryan Kalish, Yamaico Navarro, and Reymond Fuentes (as mentioned in my 2013 Royals thread)

Trade Josh Fields for a player to be named

With this roster, I'm operating under the assumption that we should punt 2011 and go for broke with 2012 and beyond. This involves trading our household commodities at the Major League level for prospects and establishing one of the best farm systems in the history of baseball. I would advocate limiting our Free Agent spending money in the 2010-11 offseason to less than ~$10 million. With many of our current prospects, even prospects prior to 2010 who are currently on our Major League roster, I would hold them back to preserve their arbitration clock and service time, overall.

Also, keep in mind that the list - particularly in the Minors - might not be complete. I might be forgetting an injured player or two. Hopefully no more, though. Yes, this is probably a 100-loss team. To Hell with it. Punt 2011 and go for broke with a world class farm system. Also, some of these Minor League rosters are over the 24 (or 25-man) limit. That will work itself out...some players will get injured.

MLB Kansas City:

C Jason Kendall

C Brayan Pena

1B Billy Butler

1B Kila Ka'aihue

2B Mike Aviles

2B Chris Getz

SS Yuniesky Betancourt

3B Wilson Betemit

3B Ed Lucas

LF Alex Gordon

CF Gregor Blanco

RF Jai Miller

RF Gabe Gross (Free Agent)

SP Luke Hochevar

SP Bryan Bullington

SP Kyle Davies

SP Bruce Chen

SP Philip Humber

RP Federico Castaneda

RP Gil Meche

RP Robinson Tejeda

RP Kanekoa Texeira

RP Dusty Hughes

RP Jesse Chavez

CP J.J. Putz (Free Agent)

DL Erik Bedard (Free Agent)

AAA Omaha:

C Jesus Montero

C Lucas May (I would wait until Kendall is traded to promote him to MLB. He needs to play everyday. If this means either of him or Montero are given spot-duty at DH in Omaha, then so be it).

1B Clint Robinson

1B Ernesto Mejia

2B Johnny Giavotella

2B Marc Maddox

3B Mike Moustakas

SS Yamaico Navarro

LF Ryan Kalish

LF Paulo Orlando

CF David Lough

CF Derrick Robinson

RF Jordan Parraz

SP Edgar Osuna

SP Everett Teaford

SP Mario Santiago

SP Blaine Hardy

SP D.J. Mitchell

RP Greg Holland

RP Blake Wood

RP Louis Coleman

RP Tim Collins

RP Brian Anderson

RP Patrick Keating

RP Aaron Hartsock

AA Northwest Arkansas:

C Manny Pina

C Salvador Perez

1B Eric Hosmer

2B Kurt Mertins

3B Jamie Romak

SS Jeff Bianchi

SS Chris McConnell

LF Tim Smith

CF Jarrod Dyson

CF Adrian Ortiz

RF Nick Van Stratten

RF Nick Francis

SP Mike Montgomery

SP John Lamb

SP Chris Dwyer

SP Will Smith

SP Manny Banuelos

PB Buddy Baumann

PB Alex Caldera

RP Eduardo Paulino

RP Blake Johnson

RP Barry Bowden

RP Brandon Sisk

RP Henry Barrera

RP Brendan Lafferty

A+ Wilmington:

C Ben Theriot

C Jose Bonilla

1B Joey Lewis

2B Rey Navarro

SS Christian Colon

3B Ryan Stovall

3B Adam Frost

LF Carlo Testa

CF Patrick Norris

CF Slade Heathcott

CF Reymond Fuentes

RF Wil Myers

SP Aaron Crow

SP Tim Melville

SP Bryan Paukovits

SP Elisaul Pimentel

SP Tyler Sample

RP Kevin Chapman

RP Ryan Dennick

RP Josh Worrell

RP Manauris Baez

RP Ivor Hodgson

RP Eric Basurto

RP Scott Kelley

A Burlington:

C Travis Jones

C Juan Graterol

C Kevin David

1B Jacob Kuebler

1B Murray Watts

2B Deivy Batista

2B Yowill Espinal

SS Alex McClure

SS Gerard Hall

LF Tim Ferguson

CF Whit Merrifield

CF Hilton Richardson

CF Cameron Monger

SP Tyler Sample

SP Keaton Hayenga

SP Kelvin Herrera

SP Crawford Simmons

SP Mike Mariot

SP Greg Billo

RP Dusty Odenbach

RP Matt Mitchell

RP Brandon Barrow

RP Matt Morizio

RP Chas Byrne

RP Brennon Martin

RP Nick Graffeo

RP Robert Penny

Source: Royals, Grandal Have Pre-Draft Agreement, Will Select Him Fourth Overall on Monday

According to Frankie Piliere at MLB Fanhouse and “multiple industry sources”, the Royals have made a pre-draft agreement with University of Miami catcher Yasmani Grandal and will select him as the fourth overall draft pick in the first round of Monday’s amateur draft. The Royals had been high on the catcher from the get-go. Industry sources are “confident” that the deal has agreed to, though details of this contract are not yet available and likely will not be available until after the draft.

Read more at Royals Prospects (writing courtesy of yours truly).

My Favorite Statistics

I posted this over on Royals Talk but I thought I'd share here, as well.

By the way, if you can't tell, Royals Prospects and the 610 official site consume almost all of my available time "baseballing" it on the webospheres. (Oh, yeah, Royals Nation Fantasy Baseball also plays a prolific role in my America's pastime dorkdom). Although I don't post nearly as often on sites like Royals Review, I read and frequent those sites like it's my job. I will continue to be extremely busy this summer, but know that I post rather rigidly detailed, daily Minor League reports over on Royals Prospects, the unofficial site of the Royals Minor League developments. On an unrelated note, though, there is one website in particular that has gone decidedly downhill due to shortsighted, in my opinion, business decisions by the powers in charge have made, resulting in discussion on the site plumbing the depths, shall we say. It has also gone downhill for other reasons but of course...for every man or woman his or her own.

Anyway, here is the post entailing some of my favorite modern-day baseball statistics:

Some of my favorite stats include....but are not necessarily limited to these. I am a stat-junkie so I find these fascinating and perhaps the best statistical evaluators of talent, though I'm not prone to using these in everyday speech or even writing.

For pitchers:

xFIP
FIP
tRA
K:BB
WAR
LOB%
HR/FB
$-Value (per Fangraphs)
BABIP
LD%
Pitch Type (and % used)
pLI (for relievers)

For offense:

wOBA
LD%
BABIP
LD% vs. GB% vs. FB%
HR/FB
WAR
$-Value
(I also like the basic AVG/OBP/SLG)

For fielding:

+ / -
Total Zone
UZR/150
OOZ

For baserunning:

Net SB
CS% or SB%
+ / - (you know, runs cost or added on basepaths)

Tools also play a prolific role in my player evaluations. But this post doesn't encompass pure scouting data, it encompasses something that would make Dr. Thunder proud. Am I right or am I right?

Top 50 Royals Prospects

Top 50 Royals Prospects

I intended to post this list prior to the season starting so my apologies on being late to the party. Here is my top 50 Royals prospects list for 2010. Keep in mind that I tend to be lenient with my perceptions of pure upside. In other words, I tend to rank 17- or 18-year olds with tremendous potential but little results higher than most sports writers. I also tend to be a bit harsh on players in the upper minors who I feel have more limited potential. I'll also include brief predictions at a later date. (I refuse to call Minor League conjectures "projections" as tools and development generate so much Minor League production, thus making sound "projections" difficult to make). Keep in mind that I'll try to prevent biases in terms of how these players have produced in roughly the first week and a half of Minor League contests. Keep in mind the player comparisons provided are the versions of that player in 2010, not in general.

***** = Perennial MVP candidate/Ace starter (Comparison: Albert Pujols, Hanley Ramirez, Zack Greinke)
****1/2 = Perennial all-star and occasional MVP candidate/#2 starter (Comp.: Dustin Pedroia, Matt Holliday, Josh Beckett)
**** = Occasional all-star and occasional MVP candidate/#2 or #3 starter (Comp.: Carl Crawford, Ian Kinsler, Javier Vazquez)
***1/2 = Above average player/#3 starter (Comp.: David DeJesus, Michael Young, Andy Pettitte)
*** = Average player/#3 starter (Comp.: Carlos Lee, Adam LaRoche, Bronson Arroyo)
**1/2 = Platoon player/part-time player/#4 starter (Comp.: Luke Scott, Jhonny Peralta, Jon Garland)
** = Bench player/reserve/#4 starter (Comp.: Mitch Maier, Nick Punto, Brian Bannister)
*1/2 = 24th & 25th roster men/#5 starter (Comp.: Scott Thorman, Emilio Bonifacio, Brandon Duckworth, )

Keep in mind that relief pitchers will naturally receive higher stars. Here are their rankings.

***** = Relief ace (Comp.: Joakim Soria circa 2009)
****1/2 = Excellent reliever (Comp.: Scot Shields circa 2006)
**** = Very good reliever (Comp.: Octavio Dotel circa 2004)
***1/2 = Above average reliever (Comp.: David Riske circa 2007)
*** = Average reliever (Comp.: Ron Mahay circa 2005)

Anything below three star relievers will very likely will not appear on my top 50 list.

1. Mike Montgomery (****1/2)
2. Aaron Crow (****1/2)
3. Wil Myers (****)
4. Eric Hosmer (****)
5. Noel Arguelles (****)
6. Dan Duffy (****)
7. John Lamb (****)
8. David Lough (***1/2)
9. Chris Dwyer (***1/2)
10. Mike Moustakas (***1/2)
11. Tim Melville (***1/2)
12. Cheslor Cuthbert (***)
13. Kila Ka'aihue (***)
14. Jordan Parraz (***)
15. Kelvin Herrera (***)
16. Johnny Giavotella (***)
17. Jeff Bianchi (***)
18. Carlos Rosa [****]
19. Tyler Sample (***)
20. Matt Mitchell (***)
21. Crawford Simmons (***)
22. Tim Smith (**1/2)
23. Keaton Hayenga (**1/2)
24. Louis Coleman [****]
25. Hilton Richardson (**1/2)
26. Carlos Fortuna (**1/2)
27. Carlo Testa (**1/2)
28. Clint Robinson (**)
29. Patrick Keating [****]
30. Justin Trapp (**)
31. Salvador Perez (**)
32. Jason Taylor (**)
33. Manny Pina (**)
34. Chris Hayes [***1/2]
35. Joey Lewis (**)
36. Brandon Sisk [***1/2]
37. Mario Santiago (**)
38. Greg Billo (**)
39. Irving Falu (**)
40. Victor Marte [***]
41. Jose Bonilla (**)
42. Alex Caldera (**)
43. Dusty Odenbach [***]
44. Yowill Espinal (**)
45. Greg Holland [***]
46. Edgar Osuna [***]
47. Blaine Hardy [***]
48. Eric Basurto [***]
49. Ben Theriot (**)
50. Scott Kelley [***]

Soria waits until the stars align...Royals lose

I discussed the latest Royals game briefly today with someone I work with. Someone who possesses barely a passing interest and limited knowledge for the sport of baseball. Oh, sure, he has watched and attended sports games in his life but he really knows very little about the game....or rather, The Game.

After the Royals bullpen promptly and predictably gave away the game on a most joyous of Tuesday afternoon, he turned his head to my general direction and muttered (and I'm paraphrasing), "you know, I want to like baseball, but I don't understand some of the tactics. Why are closers almost never used? You'd think that since teams pay them so much money, they would be used more often."

Later, he exclaimed (and again I'm paraphrasing), "certain elements of baseball strategy I just don't understand. Much of the conventional wisdom in baseball today...is just inherently flawed."

We could have delved into more specific issues, particularly regarding our Royals ballclub, but in my opinion, he's merely a rational mortal who possesses very little knowledge about the game. In this instance, though.....he did possess knowledge. He hasn't been bred to believe RBI are the end-all, be-all offensive statistic and that saves are reserved only for the ninth inning but then again he hasn't been bred to believe anything at all regarding the sport. Sometimes, a fresh perspective coupled with an ability to think critically and independently......helps.

Peruse this boxscore and perhaps you'll find what I'm talking about.

Royalman! Taking the city (and soon the world) by storm!

Become a part of the phenomenon of Royalman, who is taking Kauffman Stadium by storm. He has appeared on the scoreboard numerous times, has been interviewed by Joel Goldberg, and has been featured on local television stations. Help Royalman become a national phenomenon, resulting in the recognition of a once-proud franchise.

Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Royalman/110335335665320?ref=ts

2010 Royals Prospect Preview

Just for your information, I have written fairly extensive prospect previews on local baseball analyst Greg Schaum's website, Royals Prospects, which has a fairly self-explanatory title. I provided short video clips and pictures for this site last month and I look forward to contributing with daily Minor League game (and prospect) reports, as well. Here is the link.

http://royalsprospects.com/?p=767

Here is a sample:

"RP Victor Marte: 3-5, 2.24 ERA in 64.1 IP for AA Northwest Arkansas. He’s a hard-throwing right-handed Dominican pitcher who is hardly young (at age 29) but a bit raw. He struggled with control and command in his brief stint in Kansas City last year. With his frame and stuff, he reminds me a bit of Robinson Tejeda, though I’m not sure their stamina is comparable."

Furthermore, follow Game previews on http://leftofthefoulpole.com/

Now, onward to tonight's game, our offense looked anemic at times but it was nice to see the power of Rick Ankiel and Alberto Callaspo manifest in dramatic fashion, enabling the Royals to even the series with Detroit and perhaps reach .500 for the last time this season (though I'm hoping against reason that they finish significantly higher than my projected total of 67 wins this year). An encouraging, efficient outing by Luke Hochevar, as well, though I wonder if he should have finished the eighth inning, as his pitch count was still below 90. I'm normally an advocate of the 4+ out save, but I'd have to think Soria's stamina at least remains tolerable enough when facing Miguel Cabrera, who tied the game with that foul-pole drilling home run in right field.

Now, as for an analysis for Opening Day, what else can be criticized that hasn't already been? As Robert Ford mentioned on the air following the game and multiple times last year, third base coaches typically should not be noticed. Dave Owen almost got our runner thrown out again in the 11th inning on Game 2. Well, he certainly got Jason Kendall tossed out on game one. Has anyone seen Royals Review poster AxMxDx's windmill post on Royals Review? I'm hoping our third base coach struggles, misplays on routine popups on the infield, and bunting in the first inning aren't recurring trends this year, as well. I'm also hoping our bullpen at least shows some semblance of competence. Unfortunately, we have three guys who are probably fringe relievers and sixth or seventh relievers on good teams on our current roster in Dusty Hughes, Kyle Farnsworth, John Parrish (even as a "LOOGY"), Dusty Hughes, and Luis Mendoza. I hope I don't long for the days of Tony Cogan and Matt Whisenant come April 20, but I'm afraid it's very probable.

Stay tuned for more updates to come and...seriously....I recommend reading that Minor League post. I devoted quite a spell of effort in it and, frankly, I liked my Victor Marte-Robinson Tejeda "comp."

The 2010 Westport Stingers

I created my Fantasy League, Royals Nation Fantasy Baseball, in 2007, to shed light on some active posters on my now essentially defunct (though still oddly viewable) message board/blog Royals Nation. Although my team has tanked for three consecutive years (that's embellishing a bit, admittedly, but I've yet to finish .500), it's been a sight to see how the league has morphed over the few years. It began - and remains - as a head-to-head fantasy league where 15-17 statistics or categories are judged. I hand out several trophies for deserving winners on months and weeks end.

Either way, here is my Fantasy Team, the Westport Stingers, for 2010. (Keep in mind that the starting lineup is set for Monday, so it might not mirror a "typical" starting nine). It might give you some perspective to note that this is a 20-team deep mixed league with 25-man rosters (and up to 4 DL spots).

C - Jeff Clement
1B - Nick Johnson
2B - Kelly Johnson
3B - Kevin Youkilis
SS - Troy Tulowitzki
OF - Justin Upton
OF - Matt Kemp
OF - Jay Bruce
UT - Melky Cabrera
Ben - Jason Bartlett
Ben - Brendan Ryan
Ben - Justin Smoak (Inactive)
Ben - Nate Schierholtz
Ben - Nick Punto
Ben - Andruw Jones
Ben - Willie Ballgame Bloomquist
DL - Freddy Sanchez

P - Mike Gonzalez
SP - Adam Wainwright
SP - Tim Lincecum
SP - Shaun Marcum
SP - Nick Blackburn
SP - Anibal Sanchez
RP - Mariano Rivera
RP - Billy Wagner
Ben - Oliver Perez
DL - Erik Bedard
DL - Brad Bergesen
DL - Jeff Francis


I think I finally have some nice balance of speed and power in my starting lineup and I have some nice versatility on the bench. With Bedard on the Disabled List until likely June, I need a third starter to really step up and deliver Fantasy-wise. I have a couple rehabilitation projects that I'm borderline relying on in Anibal Sanchez and Shaun Marcum. I like that I have three closers, one occupying the general pitchers' role.

Anyway, 5-7 fellow RN Fantasyites will probably view this entry sometime within the next few days, so biases or trash talk might follow!

2010 Royals Dempsey Projections

Continuing the my fine recent tradition of predicting things (I'm considering starting a 'Predict the 2012 Miss America Pageant' thread), I've decided to present my basic statistical "projection/predictions" for the 2010 Royals. This has become recent tradition for myself, as well (since 2007, to be specific). I'm going to keep my stats raw, since I don't have a calculator. I might refine these *slightly* at a later time but here goes. (I'll include everyone with at least 100 at-bats).

I'll begin with the position players!

C - Jason Kendall: 496 AB, .244/.315/.319, 2 HR, 31 RBI, 6 SB, 3 CS, -3 (Runs
saved/cost on defense - you don't have to include this)
C - Brayan Pena: 212 AB, .273/.339/.405, 4 HR, 22 RBI, 0 SB, 1 CS, -1
1B - Billy Butler: 567 AB, .285/.342/.466, 21 HR, 79 RBI, 0 SB, 0 CS, -5
2B - Alberto Callaspo: 478 AB, .286/.354/.412, 5 HR, 53 RBI, 2 SB, 1 CS, -3
2B - Chris Getz: 423 AB, .270/.325/.346, 1 HR, 31 RBI, 27 SB, 7 CS, +2
2B - Willie Bloomquist: 396 AB, .263/.325/.329, 0 HR, 22 RBI, 18 SB, 7 CS, -6
SS - Yuniesky Betancourt: 415 AB, .270/.292/.366, 4 HR, 41 RBI, 10 SB, 7 CS,
-12
SS - Mike Aviles: 294 AB, .262/.315/.407, 4 HR, 33 RBI, 6 SB, 3 CS, -1
3B - Alex Gordon: 438 AB, .256/.344/.435, 12 HR, 54 RBI, 5 SB, 2 CS, +4
3B - Josh Fields: 122 AB, .240/.282/.397, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 0 SB, 0 CS, 0
LF - Scott Podsednik: 482 AB, .256/.315/.358, 4 HR, 35 RBI, 36 SB, 14 CS, -2
CF - Rick Ankiel: 426 AB, .256/.298/.405, 13 HR, 44 RBI, 1 SB, 0 CS, -4
CF - Mitch Maier: 284 AB, .277/.325/.387, 3 HR, 24 RBI, 9 SB, 3 CS, +2
RF - David DeJesus: 562 AB, .278/.359/.410, 9 HR, 52 RBI, 7 SB, 6 CS, +5
DH - Jose Guillen: 379 AB, .266/.302/.394, 11 HR, 43 RBI, 0 SB, 1 CS, -1
DH - Kila Ka'aihue: 156 AB, .254/.342/.425, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 0 SB, 0 CS, 0

As far as players with fewer than 100 ABs, I think players like Betemit,
Thorman, Pina, Clark, and Lough (and others I'm probably omitting) can possibly
fall on that list.

I think a consistent inability to stay healthy will rear its ugly head again
this year as Guillen, Gordon, Callaspo, and Ankiel, four "integral" parts of our
offense, will miss time. DeJesus will endure his usual day-to-day injuries and
ample playing time will be given to grizzled veterans. Although the team will
be improved defensively, they will still fall below average in that regard and
well below average in terms of offense. If you "pool" all players with fewer
than 100 AB's together, I think this offense would probably score 680-700 runs.
I like that there appears to be more "versatility" than last year. But we're
likely going to see plenty of games where we score 0-2 runs.

The bad news is that I'm predicting many veterans this organization is stuck
with contractually - to basically fall well below an "optimal" performance level
this season. The organization would benefit, in my opinion, from playing guys
like Ka'aihue, Maier, Aviles, and Pena as often as possible.

I hope I'm wrong on these performances because I believe my outlook is pretty
grim. If this organization shows a full-fledged commitment to youth, then I'll
gladly eat crow but until then I see more of the same.

For pitchers, I'll predict 8 appearances or more (to include Crow)

SP Zack Greinke - 33 GS/G, 15-8, 2.77 ERA, 223 IP, 52 BB, 197 K (All Star)
SP Gil Meche - 23 GS/G, 6-9, 4.88 ERA, 143 IP, 59 BB, 110 K
SP Brian Bannister - 28 GS/G, 7-12, 5.03 ERA, 179 IP, 58 BB, 112 K
SP Luke Hochevar - 26 GS, 31 G, 6-11, 5.17 ERA, 165 IP, 72 BB, 113 K
SP Kyle Davies - 19 GS, 33 G, 6-9, 4.80 ERA, 136 IP, 66 BB, 95 K
SP Aaron Crow - 8 GS/G, 2-4, 5.63 ERA, 35 IP, 14 BB, 23 K (late August callup)
RP Robinson Tejeda - 11 GS, 54 G, 3-5, 4.53 ERA, 97 IP, 65 BB, 92 K
RP Brad Thompson - 5 GS, 21 G, 2-4, 5.60 ERA, 33 IP, 13 BB, 18 K
RP Josh Rupe - 16 G, 0-2, 6.20 ERA, 25 IP, 11 BB, 14 K
RP Blake Wood - 9 G, 1-2, 6.86 ERA, 26 IP, 14 BB, 12 K
RP Phil Humber - 28 G, 1-1, 5.77 ERA, 33 IP, 14 BB, 25 K
RP Anthony Lerew - 4 GS, 24 G, 2-4, 5.76 ERA, 49 IP, 20 BB, 29 K
RP Carlos Rosa - 32 G, 2-2, 4.39 ERA, 39 IP, 18 BB, 29 K
RP Dusty Hughes - 32 G, 1-3, 4.92 ERA, 35 IP, 14 BB, 24 K
RP Kyle Farnsworth - 36 G, 1-3, 5.10 ERA, 44 IP, 25 BB, 38 K
RP Juan Cruz - 53 G, 3-6, 3.85 ERA, 59 IP, 24 BB, 49 K
CP Joakim Soria - 51 G, 5-4, 3.19 ERA, 62 IP, 18 BB, 75 K

This doesn't include a pool of pitchers with minimal plate appearances. (I
also think it's possible a player on waivers or a Free Agent could be
selected). I'll predict 15-Day DL stints for Meche, Bannister, Farnsworth,
Wood, Soria, and possibly Juan Cruz. I think the starting rotation is one of
the strong suits but I think the team ERA this year will be around 4.8 or 4.9.

Feel free to chime in and, if you have time, predict your own!

My 2010 MLB Predictions

On Opening Day eve, below are some rather detailed predictions for the 2010 season in Major League Baseball. In essence, five teams who made the postseason last year remain. As a Royals fan, I will predictably be rooting for the small markets but I do think Philadelphia and New York are probably the best teams in their respective leagues. If anyone has any questions or is appalled by the idea of selecting Arizona to win the NL Wild Card, then leave a comment.

NL West:
1. Colorado: 89-73
2. Arizona (WC): 88-74
3. Los Angeles: 83-79
4. San Francisco: 79-83
5. San Diego: 70-92

NL Central:
1. St. Louis: 92-70
2. Chicago: 84-78
3. Cincinnati: 82-80
4. Milwaukee: 77-85
5. Pittsburgh: 69-93
6. Houston: 64-98

NL East:
1. Philadelphia: 91-71
2. Atlanta: 87-75
3. New York: 83-79
4. Florida: 76-86
5. Washington: 68-94

AL West:
1. Texas: 91-71
2. Seattle: 83-79
3. Los Angeles: 82-80
4. Oakland: 75-87

AL Central:
1. Detroit: 84-78
2. Minnesota: 82-80
3. Chicago: 79-83
4. Cleveland: 70-92
5. Kansas City: 67-95

AL East:
1. New York: 100-62
2. Boston (WC): 91-71
3. Tampa Bay: 86-76
4. Baltimore: 74-88
5. Toronto: 65-97

(I have no idea if these totals add up or not…hopefully, it comes pretty close)

AL Cy Young: Felix Hernandez (21-8, 2.63)
NL Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw (20-7, 2.94)
AL ROY: Justin Smoak (502 AB, .285/.377/.536, 25 HR, 87 RBI, 1 SB, 0 CS)
NL ROY: Alcides Escobar (577 AB, .292/.334/.435, 10 HR, 57 RBI, 46 SB, 15 CS)
AL MVP: Mark Teixeira (615 AB, .297/.392/.588, 43 HR, 115 RBI, 2 SB, 2 CS)
NL MVP: Albert Pujols (602 AB, .338/.442/.613, 40 HR, 119 RBI, 5 SB, 3 CS)
AL Manager: Ron Washington (91-71)
NL Manager: A.J. Hinch (88-74)
AL Fireman: Mariano Rivera (5-4, 2.18 ERA, 42 SV)
NL Fireman: Francisco Rodriguez (6-3, 2.42 ERA, 45 SV)

Postseason:

ALDS: New York over Detroit in 4
ALDS: Texas over Boston in 5
ALCS: New York over Texas in 6

NLDS: Arizona over St. Louis in 5
NLDS: Colorado over Philadelphia in 4
NLDS: Colorado over Arizona in 5

Other Awards:

AL Comeback Player: Shaun Marcum, TOR (11-10, 3.94 ERA, 176 IP)
NL Comeback Player: Tim Hudson, ATL (15-9, 3.82 ERA, 185 IP)

Spam Posts

OK, the numerous spam messages that have appeared on my site over the last month are prompting me to approve all comments before they are posted. Normally, I wouldn't do this but I'm tired of spammers messing up my site.

Thanks,

Jack

My Surprise, AZ Visit

My pictures are now available at http://www.royalsprospects.shutterfly.com/ I'm Jack, in case you don't know, so

http://royalsprospects.shutterfly.com/pictures/1799
http://royalsprospects.shutterfly.com/pictures/1678
http://royalsprospects.shutterfly.com/pictures/2701

So it's a little haphazard, but those are all my pictures. Some 2009 photos were accidentally included in a new set...sorry about that.

While I stayed in Youngtown (immediately outside Surprise) last week, I mostly visited the Minor League camps but attended four Major League games during the day. Here are some random, on-the-whim thoughts from the morning practices and afternoon intersquad games.

- Aaron Crow looks good. He dips his top side of his body when he pitches which is something I have read about. It could be an issue down the road.
- I encountered a Minor League pitching coach (not sure who) working with Mike Montgomery on a regular curveball. Evidently, they want him to veer away from a palm curve he tossed in high school and want him to adapt to their style.
- I spoke briefly with pitching prospect Ryan Morgan, with whom I pitched in college. (He obviously ascended to astronomically higher rankings than yours truly), although I did not see him pitch.
- Eric Hosmer was hitting mostly grounders in the two B.P. sessions I saw. On the contrary, Hilton Richardson was really ranking. Not sure if B.P. is much of an indicator but I hope to see more line-drives and XBH from Hosmer's bat in '10.
- Saw Rowdy Hardy pitch for the first time ever. He struggled quite a bit with command, which is odd for him. He has a 3/4 and submarine delivery.
- Blake Johnson's curveball looked outstanding (take that for what it's worth).
- Salvador Perez and Jose Bonilla really did a good job taking charge of the infield diamond communication-wise. Wil Myers looked a bit lost and out of place behind the dish. He took quite a few instructions from the dugout coaches....a sign of his inexperience.
- A ton of bunting and stealing took place. Not sure if this is uncommon; but I would see several bunt and steal attempts every half inning.
- I'm really excited about Clint Robinson's prospects in NWA this year. He was raking the ball in intersquads; saw him hit a couple XBH and a HR.
- Chris McConnell = quite slick defensively. Johnny Giavotella didn't look too bad, either, and showed range (to my naked non-scouting eye, so again take it for what it's worth).
- It was interesting to see particular "cliques." Many of the Latin players watching the games stood in one group...the American-born players would chatter in another.
- Got autographs from Mike Moustakas and Everett Teaford.
- Select pitchers who did not pitch in intersquads that day kept score, tracking first-pitch strikes and pitch counts (to my knowledge)....and possibly more.
- Speed at the top! The tops of lineups were loaded with speedy-types....Patrick "Roundhouse Kick" Norris, Adrian "The Jet" Ortiz, Derrick "D-Rob" Robinson, and more (lame nicknames...)
- Did not see Dan Duffy or Jeff Bianchi for perhaps obvious reasons. I also did not see Sean McCauley (injured). I did not see several others.
- A center fielder (I believe it was Norris) dropped a routine fly-ball. Granted, it was sunny, but the ball popped in and out of his glove.
- Saw Chris "Disco" Hayes pitch in the bullpen for the first time.

Anyway, I might think of more....

2010 In A Nutshell

Howdy, folks. It's great to be back. Truth be told, while interning for the 610 Sports Postgame Show last year, much of my Royals blogging time was spent updating the 610 Royals website Left of the Foul Pole with Gameday Previews, Diamond in the Rough (Minor League) reports, and more. I greatly enjoyed my time interning last year. I have subsequently accepted the offer to intern for the program/station again this year. Do call in during the season at (913) 576-7610. For away games, that person screening your calls could be me. I'm really eager to begin this year as I consider this an exciting opportunity. I hope to provide updates at TRT rather consistently, but inevitably most of my work will take place for the program. I'll keep you informed as to the specifics of these endeavors.

If I were in charge of this club, I would devise this Opening Day roster, complete with a batting order and other necessary roster moves not including outside acquisitions. This assumes that Spring Training performances mean zilch to nil (I essentially advocate this position) and no injuries occur between today and Opening Day. Realistically, Mike Aviles probably won't return to the parent club until May at the earliest.

Here it is.

vs. RHP:

1. David DeJesus, L (LF) (Our likely second wOBA guy this year. Probably a not-too-distant second from Butler in this regard.)
2. Alberto Callaspo, S (2B) (I always adhere to the policy of simply batting your best hitters at the top of the lineup. Callaspo fits in the top three.)
3. Billy Butler, R (1B) (Rather self-explanatory).
4. Rick Ankiel, L (RF) (Perhaps the most raw power on the club. I expect a Mike Jacobs-like season from him this year....I'm thinking .250/.310/.440).
5. Brayan Pena, S (DH) (Find a way to get his bat in the lineup.)
6. Alex Gordon, L (3B)
7. Mitch Maier, L (CF) (Bite the bullet with two consecutive lefties.)
8. Jason Kendall, R (C) (Defense a plus, bat a major minus, he's a necessity, though, with B. Pena in the DH slot.)
9. Chris Getz, L (SS) (The Insanity Wolf is likely an upgrade over Yu-Bet. So is Getz, of course).

Bench:

Wilson Betemit (IF)
Willie Ballgame (IF)
Josh Fields (CIF, COF)
Scott Podsednik (COF)

vs. LHP:

1. David DeJesus, L (LF)
2. Alberto Callaspo, S (2B)
3. Brayan Pena, S (DH)
4. Billy Butler, R (1B)
5. Alex Gordon, L (3B)
6. Josh Fields, R (RF) (
7. Mitch Maier, L (CF)
8. Jason Kendall, R (C)
9. Chris Getz, L (SS) (I know...bite the bullet until Mike Aviles is ready. Or you could place the Insanity Wolf in this spot)

Bench:

Wilson Betemit (IF)
Willie Ballgame (IF)
Rick Ankiel (OF)
Scott Podsednik (COF)

Starting Rotation:

1. Zack Greinke, R
2. Gil Meche, R
3. Brian Bannister, R
4. Luke Hochevar, R
5. Kyle Davies, R

Bullpen:

LR. Phil Humber, R
LR. Robinson Tejeda, R (he assumes the spot of the first starter who fails in his role. As far as I'm concerned, Davies is on a short leash. Hochevar is on a slightly longer leash.)
MR. Brad Thompson, R
MR. Kyle Farnsworth, R (sigh)
LHS(?). Edgar Osuna, L (For someone who has more time and motivation than myself...is he a truly a lefty-specialist candidate [assuming Hillman or a manager would use him in that role?])
SU. Juan Cruz, R ('09 was a fluke)
RA. Joakim Soria, R (RA standing for relief ace...abandon the "closers" spot altogether)

Ignore who has options remaining and release Jose Guillen. Send Yuniesky Betancourt to AAA and/or grant him his outright release. DFA Roman Colon.

Am I missing anyone?

On a side note, I would again like to invite all old Royals Nation posters back to this website. I handed the RN baton over to Ray Wachter from Royals on Radio, Etc. last year and to be frank I think that site has gone defunct. I really appreciated the active contributors on there as I made a lot of friends on that site. If you're interested in participating - somehow, someway - for this blog, let me know.

JD's Prospect Quips

Below are quips for prospects 20-27 on Greg Schaum's Top 30 Prospects of 2010 list, which can be found at Left of the Foul Pole. 28-30 and 1-19 coming soon.

20. Keaton Hayenga

Hayenga has an injury history, unfortunately, as he suffered a shoulder injury while in high school. He did not begin pitching for a club affiliate until 2009. The Royals, at the time, thought they had landed a steal in the 31st round. His strikeout rate was rather low, though. He only fanned 34 batters in 66 1/3 innings this year, but he only allowed 16 walks, so at least the strikeout-to-walk ratio is respectable. At 6'4" and 190 pounds, he is lanky and might need to fill out a bit more as he advances up the organizational ladder. As for miscellaneous fun notes, he and #25 prospect for 2010 Hilton Richardson host a free baseball clinic in Seattle for local area youth.

21. Crawford Simmons

Simmons represented Team Georgia in 2008 as a junior at Statesboro High School. He earned several awards and accomplishments while in high school, and he helped lead his squad to the second round of the state tournament in '08, as well. Simmons posted a 0.70 ERA with 108 strikeouts in 69 1/3 innings in his junior season in high school. He did not pitch for a Minor League affiliate this year. His father works as an assistant coach for Georgia Southern University so that could provide him with a little extra motivation as he works his way up the Minor League ladder.

22. Jose Bonilla

Bonilla was named the Surprise Royals Player of the Year in 2008 after hitting .357 with five homers and three triples in 34 games for the Arizona League affiliate. Bonilla has a fairly good throwing arm and shows the ability to hit the baseball to all parts of the diamond. He turned 21 in August and he is probably a few years away from being able to contribute substantially at the big-legaue level. He needs to work at cutting down his strikeouts, as he fanned in nearly 1/4 of his at-bats in 2009.

23. Yowill Espinal

Espinal was the #29 Royals prospect of 2009, according to Baseball America. The middle infielder signed in 2007 for $250,000 and he is part of the Royals' renewed efforts to find talent, albeit perhaps expensively, in the Caribbean and in Latin America. Espinal is athletic and is physically superior to fellow middle-man Geulin Beltre, who was another major Latin nondrafted free agent acquisition at roughly the same time. Espinal possesses average range but has a plus arm at shortstop. He batted .246/.327/.407 with seven home runs, 23 RBI, and 20 stolen bases (but 14 caught steals) in 236 at-bats this year for the Rookie ball Burlington Royals.

24. Blake Wood

Wood's career injuries include, but are not limited to, a herniated disc which required him to have back surgery. Wood also suffered from shin splints a couple years ago and had injuries this year which caused him to miss roughly 1 1/2 months over the summer. His strikeout totals declined pretty substantially this year. He lost 25 pounds in the offseason but still has a fastball that routinely sits between 92 and 94. He also throws a power curveball and a plus changeup. Wood had been known as a bit of a "Jekyll-and-Hyde" starter throughout 2007 and 2008, posting many great starts and many bad starts. However, he had begun to pitch much better in June before he was shelved with the injury. Wood endured a disappointing season, overall, though, in 2009, as he went 2-8 with a 5.83 ERA in 78 2/3 innings pitched and 17 games with AA Northwest Arkansas.

25. Hilton Richardson

Richardson is another former multisport player, which the Royals organization loves. He played basketball in high school and had signed to play baseball at the University of Utah before getting drafted by the Royals in the seventh round of the 2007 amateur draft. He recently teamed with his good friend Kayenga to offer a free baseball clinic for Seattle area youth. Richardson raked in 166 at-bats in Rookie-league Idaho Falls, hitting .313/.392/.428, but he struggled in his extremely brief tenure with Low-A Burlington. He profiles as a doubles and triples hitter right now, but as he fills out with age (he will turn 21 in January) the home run power should hopefully arrive. That said, he is a center fielder, so it's not exactly as if hitting for home run power is an absolute must.

26. Patrick Keating

Keating is a number of recent pitching draft picks who have already worked their way into full season leagues as relief pitchers. Cole White and Louis Coleman are two others who come to mind instantly. Given that many of these pitchers have dominated in these levels and many have played in advanced college programs, they might not be years away. Perhaps if these pitchers pan out Royals fans won't have to witness the Kyle Farnsworths and Juan Cruzes manning critical roles in the 'pen too much longer.

27. Cheslor Cuthbert

Cuthbert's $1.2 million bonus broke a record for the signing of a Nicaraguan player. The Pittsburgh Pirates were rumored to be in on him for several weeks as he practiced in an academy before several scouts. Cuthbert displays above-average bat speed and power. According to La Prensa, a Nicaraguan publication, he hits the ball "with the strength of a man." It will be interesting tracking how Cuthbert matures as he moves up in the low minors.

Our Defense

OK, I understand it's been awhile, but I'm going to try to Bob Dole out more blog posts on a regular basis. For those who don't know, I've been doing quite a spell of work over at the 610 Sports' Royals website Left of the Foul Pole. Available at that website are blog posts devoted to the 2009 amateur draft selections, (almost) daily gameday previews, Diamond in the Rough reports, and more. Also, if you are a devoted fan and Royals blogger - and if you are reading this sentence, you are likely one of the two - then I would suggest you call into the Postgame Show with Robert Ford and Greg Schaum following the contest. The number is (913) 576-7610. As B-Dub and others might tell you, just make sure you keep your radio turned down and make sure you keep it clean. Two simple rules in a pathway to venting yourself over a loss, discussing Zack Greinke's dominance, Trey Hillman's chinbeard, or any other Royals-related event that is on your mind. And random journeyman ex-Royal references are certainly welcome and encouraged.

Here are some general thoughts as we approach the 1/2 mark of the 2009 season.

- The defense needs to improve drastically, and in my opinion, it needs to be a #1 priority this offseason. If that means jettisoning Billy Butler, Mike Jacobs, Alberto Callaspo, and others, so be it. Especially considering this team still is not near contention (we're 5 1/2 games back, sure, but we're seven games below .500 well before the break), our veteran spare parts need to be shopped. As begrudging as it sounds, we need to shop Gil Meche, as well. He is a #2-quality starter who, in my opinion, could net us everyday players or prospects at a couple positions. Players like Crisp and Jacobs would net less, and we would likely have to pick up a significant portion of Jose Guillen's remaining salary.

- Trey Hillman needs to go. Enough with the bullpen mismanagement, the almost routine games with comedies of errors, and lack of fundamentals. He has improved with regard to playing time distribution and stolen base success rate, but in my opinion, he is still far from where we want to be as the captain.

- Dayton Moore needs to be on the hot seat. Our offensive run output has actually diminished under his tenure while he has had far greater fiscal resources and lack of ownership intervention during his tenure.

Since defense is a number one priority, though, here is a rant that I originally posted on Royals Corner. The final question applies for The Royal Treatment as well.

Unfortunately, even if Kila moves in (hopefully, that will happen), the right side of our infield will still be subpar. Now, of course, I think Kila and Callaspo will negate their defense enough to be at least everyday players next season. However, when pitchers like Hochevar are starting (assuming he starts next year), then it could hinder us that much more.

I realize this is subjective, but here is I believe how we would rank defensively from the players signed in our organization next year, including the arb.-eligibles (qualitatively):

Catcher - Buck (average), Olivo (slightly above average), B. Pena (atrocious), House (atrocious)
First Base - Butler (below average), Ka'ahiue (below average), Shealy (above average), Jacobs (atrocious)
Second Base - Callaspo (below average), Hulett (average), Bloomquist (above average)
Shortstop - Pena (well above average), Aviles (above average), Bloomquist (below average), Hulett (below average), Hernandez (above average)
Third Base - Gordon (above average), Teahen (slightly below average), Bloomquist (well below average)
Left Field - DeJesus (above average), Teahen (well below average), Bloomquist (below average)
Center Field - Crisp (above average), Maier (above average)
Right Field - Guillen (atrocious), Teahen (below average), Bloomquist (well below average)

We need upgrades at catcher, first base, second base, shortstop if Aviles cannot hit at least .270/.310/.400, and right field(!!!!!) That's four positions. If Aviles can even come close to replicating '08, we're fine at shortstop, and we might have to bite the bullet again with Callaspo and first base. However, we clearly need a much, much, much, much better right fielder and we also need to drastically reduce the playing time of players like Willie Bloomquist and Mark Teahen in the field.

Does someone want to work on finding which Free Agent-eligible (2009-10) players could provide us plus defense at a resonable cost?

Poll Results, Week Six: Ryan Shealy NOW!

Judging by the poll results from last week, it would appear that the Royals fanbase would like to see Ryan Shealy recalled from AAA Omaha. Here is how the results break down:

Which position player would you most like to see recalled from Omaha? (List compiled on 5/2)

Ryan Shealy: 10 votes (47%)
Tug Hulett: 3 (14%)
Kila Ka'aihue: 3 (14%)
Travis Metcalf: 1 (4%)
Chris Lubanski: 1 (4%)
Other: 3 (14%)

Yes, it's true. Through 25 games and 87 at-bats in AAA Omaha, he has now connected for a .345/.454/.425 clip. He is homerless, though, and we all know that if he is to provide some value as a pinch-hitter and part-time player (a compliment to the left-handed hitting DH/1B Mike Jacobs), he is going to need to hit for power. In his Minor League career, Shealy has a .302/.406/.615 line against lefties, with 23 home runs in 291 at-bats. He is, on the contrary, .296/.369/.510 against right-handers. In parts of his last four seasons, he has contributed for a net gain of three runs at first base.

Although his BABIP is insanely high this year (.484), his FB% does not correlate at all with his mere seven extra base hits (and zero home runs). It is 48.1%, so the HR output is flukishly low.

I'm not going to sugercoat it. Shealy needs to be on the 25-man roster above Luis Hernandez, who provides as nothing more than an excellent late-inning defensive replacement. Hernandez contributes negatively as an offensive player, and will likely do nothing to earn anything more than Sunday starts, even with a slumping Mike Aviles. Get Shealy on this roster, start him at first base against lefties (against whom Jacobs struggles immensely), and let him pinch hit late in games, in crucial situations or no.

Shealy has not played since Friday, May 8th, though. He has not yet been placed on the 7-Day Disabled List, though, so what's the deal? The Royals organization is notorious for keeping Minor League information secretive and withheld. Regardless, I think Shealy would be a formidable option at my stated positions on the big-league roster.

Question: Which players would fit in the 'other' category who one could argue would be worthy of a promotion? Tommy Murphy? Brayan Pena (again, and even more so assuming a DFA/release/trade of one of our existing two catchers)? Brian (Pitcher Fill-In) Buchanan? I'd love to know.

The Nightmare in Springfield

Draft prospects review from the LSU-Arkansas games I attended last weekend coming in a few days. In the meantime, enjoy my writeup on the two games I witnessed in Springfield on Wednesday afternoon.

OK, so I attended both Northwest Arkansas Naturals-Springfield Cardinals games this afternoon at Hammond Field in Springfield. As usual in posts like these, I'll try to avoid making this long-winded. Here are some general thoughts from both games. As for the title ("nightmare"), the second game epitomized the Game From Hell. Other than an early offensive explosion, virtually everything went wrong for the Nats today.

I sat in proximity - actually, four seats away from - an obvious die-hard Cardinal fan who was cheering on his team to a ridiculous, obnoxious degree each time they scored or something positive happened on his side. He was obviously baiting me, as I was the only Naturals (Royals) fan in the packed house. I, for one, hate these fan exchanges during the game, because a) what happens on the field is entirely out of control, b) it encourages blind homerism, c) it's flat-out obnoxious, and d) it epitomizes what it means to be a poor baseball fan. Needless to say, this clown was a poor baseball fan. Cheering on the ejections of Suomi & Poldberg (which I will highlight later), screaming each time his team scored, and more. He pulled so much bushleague crap....crap that I've actually never witnessed before at a baseball game, even an away game. I overheard him making notes like "This guy is throwing 89...he sucks" and openly questioning whether you can steal a base on a foul ball.

It was strange, because this man looked like a kid. However, he talked and carried himself like he was middle-aged. He was with a much older woman, who could have been his girlfriend. I overheard him asking her if she was married, at the time. In conclusion, I really wonder if this fan was mentally stable.

Anyway, this man is a clown...and he gives Turdburds fans (you read that correctly) an even further bad name....as if their reputation as pompous could have ever even been overcome. I ignored him intentionally the entire time, but when I did speak, I was polite. I'm paraphrasing in the quotes, here, but he told me "fans at Kauffman Stadium would be treating me this way, so don't take it personnally." He epitomizes pitiful blind homerism in fans. Enough said.

My seats were wonderful. Front row seats, directly behind the net, and approximately 20 feet from the dugout. I snapped about 20 photos with my camera, and another 50 or so with my cell phone. I'll share them later.

As for the game itself (which was largely overshadowed by this clown), catcher John Suomi was ejected in the first game. Of course, I couldn't hear the words exchanged between him and the umpire (and I arrived at the beginning of the second inning), but I'm guessing the exchanges were mostly silent, lacking outward emotional expression. Suomi was nonchalantly tossed, much to his shock and dismay. The manager, Brian Poldberg, then rushed out the dugout and threw a tirade before the umpire, and he was tossed. From my perspective, Suomi getting ejected looked completely like bushleague crap. There might have been more to the story, but if anyone has questions, ask.

It took the attendants at the ice-cream shop about 5 minutes per person to make their ice-cream. Their service was appalling. I snapped a couple photos, so I can post them here and possibly on Cardinals message boards to remind them never to conduct business with these slugs. This sounds like a jerk's move on my part, but I cut through the line to pay for my ice cream (I had to pay separately) before it melted, sitting there in the sunlight. At least I think I cut...I'm not sure. Regardless, their business was piss-poor. Talk about horrifically disorganized and a cluster-what. I recommended everyone in line leave before conducting business with them.

Anyway, back to the game....John Bale entered his rehab assignment and was pulled after recording two outs and surrendering one line drive single in roughly 7 or so pitches. He was hitting 85-87 with his fastball on the radar gun, so I knew something was either wrong, initially, or he was extremely rusty. Looks like it was the former. The trainers and a couple other members of the dugout emerged and instantly yanked him in the 6th. He wasn't signaling toward anything, so I'm not sure what the aggravation might have been.

First game starter Blake Wood was dominant, using four pitches and locating them effectively. His fastball topped out around 93, and was 91-92 most of the game. He surrendered two solo home runs - both no-doubters - in the final inning, but it was good work on his part, overall. He was visibly frustrated after that final inning, though.

Second game starter Matt Kniginyzky, as the box score displays, endured a Hellish outing, and could not make it to four outs in the contest. He was not locating at all effectively, and they were tattooing the pitches that he did throw in the strike zone. I thought the game was safe after the first 1 1/2 inning, but he proved otherwise.

Gilbert De La Vara, who usually has to rely on spotting his pitches, endured a microscopic strike zone this afternoon. He didn't walk anyone, but they were connecting quite well with his pitches, as they were with Dan Cevette and Kyle Crist, when they weren't walking batters.

I thought bringing in reliever Chris Hayes was a possibility, given that he hadn't pitched in several days. Then again, ok...he pitched 6 (dominant) innings not too long ago. (No Chris Nicoll either, though).Springfield/Cardinals fans cheering on the ejections and the meaningless sacrifice bunts early in the ballgame, as expected. Best fans in baseball!!!!!!!!11111!!11one

Despite hitting a home run, Lisson looks lost at the plate. Athletic build and good defense today, but too many swings and misses. His home run was a no-doubter, though, so hopefully it's a sign of things to come.The Cardinals' first game starter, Brandon Dickson, was absolutely untouchable today. He reminded me of Scot Shields of the Angels, except Dickson dominated in multiple innings. He was only hitting 87-89 on the radar gun, but the deception appeared to be there, and his explosive delivery made it appear yet faster.

The AA Cardinals are a loaded ballclub, offensively. Brett Wallace, last year's #1 amateur draft selection, agreed to a humungous signing bonus, as noted several times by several fans I was sitting with. Their #7 prospect, Daryl Jones, was also in the lineups, as well as the first round draft selection of '07, Pete Kozma. The middle of their lineup was huge, physically. Just huge.Several of the Cards' relief pitches showed odd deliveries. Williams' stretch resembled that of a windup. During the stretch, he only had one foot on the rubber, and his body was facing home plate instead of first base. Very deceptive for runners on first. Another reliever, Degerman, came directly overhand on his pitches after dipping. It looked like Tim Lincecum, except it was a directly (180-degrees) overhand pitch. Very bizarre and deceptive.

If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask, as I observed quite a bit from the games, despite my distractions to my right.

2009 Royals Attendance

2009 Royals attendance, total: 257,325 (24/30)

2009 Royals attendance, average per game: 19,794 (28/30)

These figures have actually decreased from where we were at this time last year through 13 home games.

We need a large crowd tonight against Greinke. I think tonight should be the ultimate test. A weeknight, in which the Royals have had continuous struggles in selling tickets. A divisional rival, and perhaps slightly more importantly, a hated divisional rival in the Chicago White Sox. Beautiful weather (forecast calls for 70 degrees and sunny by gametime). Beautiful new ballpark, for which Jackson County residents paid $250 million. Excellent new amenities and scenery. Vastly improved ballclub, that has improved by at least six games each of the past three seasons, and is now 14-11 and in sole possession of first place in a highly winnable division. One of the best pitchers in recent memory, and perhaps one of the best Royals pitchers *ever*, starting this evening.

If we still draw 10-13K or so, then it will a damning indictment as to just how much farther the Royals need to go in order to draw respectable crowds.

Thus far, I have read these excuses:

- Drawing large crowds is difficult because kids in Kansas City attend school. Therefore, families aren't motivated to attend. (Evidently, they don't in other outdoor/northern cities).

- The weather has been terrible in Kansas City. (Evidently, the weather in Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Cincinnati has been continuous with 70+ degree weather and sunshine).

- Economic hard times. (But hasn't this affected all of MLB? Perhaps it's affected K.C. more than other markets....)

- The ballpark does not have restrooms and cannot sustain large crowds. (OK, fair enough).

Which excuse is it? Or is it a combination of all of these?

It seems every time I raise this topic, either directly in person or on the medium of a computer, the topic is always downplayed completely or I'm shouted down by a myriad of excuses. Folks....it's time the Royals start to substantially increase their attendance. I believe that attendance will go up if the Royals are in a divisional race until late in the season (or, obviously, after). However, it's fair to be disappointed this early. To get so defensive over this issue is even more of a damning indictment than the issue itself. This is evidently an overtly sensitive topic in the hearts, minds, and eyes of many Royals fans.

By the way, Todd's conclusion that a major reason for lack of attendance is that K.C. is a "small market" (essentially) is by far the best explanation, in my opinion. And when I discussed the greater area (I won't take the time and filter through for direct quotes), I was talking about the entire region....South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, north Arkansas, etc. etc. For the record, I wouldn't necessarily agree with the insinuation that K.C. isn't a baseball town, because it's largely unquantifiable. I think that conclusion is what many fans fear or dislike when people like myself vent my frustrations on the form of the Internet.

At the places where I work, many people know that I am a devoted Royals fan, and very few are interested in the Royals. Very few are interested in sports, at all. It's unfortunate....I have lived in the heart of K.C. for almost 23 years....but I can tell you that they still have a reputation as a sad-sack ballclub. Take it from Greg Schaum of 610 Sports....that is why attracting businesses to promote is so difficult. And yet they have improved substantially each of the past three years and appear to have improved yet again this year, at least in the standings. So perhaps the Royals' marketing and sales department deserves criticism, as well.

Perhaps it's the city's fault. The organization's fault. Perhaps we're just small. I just can't agree with these conclusions based on weather or "it's early" or something along those lines. But who knows the real reason? Perhaps it's a combination.

If you were to ask me to generate every possible reason for stagnant (or even moderately decreasing) attendance, here are the arguments I would formulate:

- We're a small market...therefore, we won't compete consistently with the Chicagos and New Yorks and Bostons. (70%)

- The organization has not promoted its product adequately or well. (30%)

People *should* have taken notice. The fact that the Royals aren't yet a .500 ballclub shouldn't be an excuse. Attendance moves like a ship...but it's never this slow. It wasn't in Milwaukee. And now they're drawing 3+ million, easily.

Trip to Northwest Arkansas, Part One

I traveled to AA Northwest Arkansas this weekend, and caught Saturday's contest against the Arkansas Travelers (Angels' affiliate) on Saturday. I will travel out to the ballpark for Sunday's game (4:00 p.m.).

Several notes from Saturday's game:

- Daniel Cortes demonstrated some composure problems (which he had had in the past), shouting and hurling his glove against the bench following a frustrating performance. Cortes allowed three earned runs in 5 2/3 innings....not a bad performance but a particularly frustrating one given walks and defense. It was probably a 'B' or 'B-' performance, overall. His velocity appeared to taper off as the game progressed, and he did not consistently throw strikes, especially early.... It was a cold evening at the ballyard, for the record. Nonetheless, he'll need to improve to advance to AAA and eventually K.C. (hopefully, he'll get a cup of coffee in September).

- '09 Spring Training invitee and third baseman Corey Smith committed two errors, both of which were obvious routine plays. He missed a towering popup and then later let a ball go between his legs.

- The offense looked stale. They drew six walks but struck out ten times, stranded ten runners, and only scored two runs.

- Relievers Victor Marte - a hard-thrower who I thought resembled Octavio Dotel - and Kyle Crist looked good, pitching 1-2-3 eighth and ninth innings.

- The crowd was rather prolific and into the game despite the fact that there were northerly winds blowing, and it was in the mid 50's, overall.

- Tonight was Kila Ka'aihue bobblehead night. Unfortunately, though, I had to blow quite a bit of money on a Naturals hoodie sweatshirt. It was coooold, and I only brought short-sleeve shirts, thinking that Mays in Arkansas were a little more "Sling Blade"-like and a little less "Fargo"-like. (Two good 90's movies).

- Arvest Ballpark is beautiful, although it's seemingly in the middle of nowhere. I encourage everyone with spare time and money to visit the yard.

Pictures and extensive analysis of '09 draft prospects from the LSU-Arkansas game to come. For the record, I attended the final four innings of the LSU-Ark. contest, and plan on witnessing Sunday's game, in addition to the Nats-Travelers game. So stay tuned!!!

TRT Live From Springdale

The Royal Treatment has traveled to Northwest Arkansas this weekend where "we" will take in two games between the AA Naturals and the state rivals Arkansas Travelers will engage in ballgames. We were originally going to assist in interviewing players, but because of rainshowers and other plans which were later cancelled, those plans were postponed. Regardless, I'm going to try to give a direct "scouting report" on each player that I encounter while watching baseball games on this trip.

B.A.-ranked #3 prospect Daniel Cortes will start this evening, and Anthony Lerew will start on Sunday.

More information coming tonight....so stay tuned.