Looking to the future

The Royals are obviously not any threat to compete for a playoff spot this year, but they've still been a lot of fun to watch - much more so than in recent years. This is mostly due to the younger players coming up to the big leagues and watching Dayton Moore start to put his stamp on this organization from top to bottom.

So the question is, what have we learned over the past few weeks? Who are the guys we can build around? Who are the guys that have no future here? Well...here are my thoughts on a few of the players on the 2007 roster:

THE FUTURE

Alex Gordon: The new face of KC baseball. He's the real deal...the total package. He can play great defense - I saw him break a 40 plus game streak with no errors yesterday (a throw in the dirt), he can hit for average and power, he can run, he's got a great eye at the plate.....this guy has the opportunity to start a new tradition of great players here in KC, and I hope we lock him up for a long time.

Billy Butler: This kid can hit. I mean REALLY hit. Probably one of the best young hitters I've seen for a while (he's a couple years younger than Gordon). A big boy who will start hitting for a lot of power once he fully adjusts to the big league game. Should be a perennial .300 hitter who adds 30 plus homers every year. Now if he could just play some defense......

Gil Meche: Meche went out this year and proved he was a top notch starting pitcher. Put up great numbers all year and has been continually let down by the offense....for what he's done on the mound, he should easily be up to 10 wins, and probably closer to 11 or 12. Great signing by Moore.

Brian Bannister: A great trade by Moore...all we had to give up was Ambriorix Burgos - a relief pitcher with great stuff who has yet to put it all together. In return, we got a starting pitcher who really knows what he's doing out there. He's given an incredible performance this year and could wind up beating out Meche for Royals Pitcher of the Year.

Zack Greinke: He's still only 23, and was probably rushed to the big leagues a couple of seasons ago. Add to that his personal problems, and it's amazing the guy has bounced back so quickly. Has been LIGHT OUT in the bullpen, and is now getting another shot at starting. Whatever happens - he has amazing stuff and will fit in somewhere. If he's a starter - great. If not, well, every team needs a great pen to rely on, so he could turn into a great setup man or even a closer.

David DeJesus: The knock on DeJesus is that he's not "great"....he doesn't do anything "great"....but he does everything really well. He's been a leadoff man for most of his career, although I think he's more suited to be a number two hitter (or maybe hit even lower, around sixth). He's got great patience, he's a clutch hitter, plays great defense, can run a little and even hit for a little power. Very solid everyday player and one of my favorite guys to watch.

Joakim Soria: Wow. This kid is a Rule 5 pick, which means he should be a mop-up pitcher, buried in the bullpen somewhere. Instead, he's blowing hitters away, and he's been doing it all year. He's got ice water running through his veins, which is apparent as he's been the best closer on this team all year (14 saves). Looks like the real deal - could get a shot at the rotation, but I like him a lot as a lights out closer.

GUYS ON THE BUBBLE

Mark Teahen: Another favorite of mine, but if he's going to play right field, he's going to have to find that power stroke he showed in the last half of the 2006 season. He's probably not a three hitter, where the Royals have had him most of this year (that's probably Alex Gordon's role going into next season). He could hit fifth or sixth, or even second. He's got great speed (which most people don't realize) and is a very smart baserunner. Hits for decent average with a little bit of pop, but has not been a home run threat this year at all. A great athlete who made the transition from third to right field very easily - has a cannon arm as well. Pretty interchangeable with DeJesus....but DeJesus has been more consistent.

Tony Pena Jr: I like this guy a lot...maybe it's just because he's not Angel Berroa, I don't know. He's got incredible range at short, and a great arm. He's fast and he looks like he'll be a decent enough hitter to put at the bottom of the order. Pretty good guy as well, everyone seems to like him. I just have concerns with his complete lack of ability to take a pitch. That's not good. If he can learn to walk every now and again, and become a better bunter, he's a keeper. Otherwise, I think he could just be a short term solution and the Royals will be looking for another shortstop a couple of years from now.

Joey Gathright: I love what he's done this year, but this is the only year he's ever hit in the big leagues. One word describes Joey - FAST. He is the fastest guy I've seen in KC since Willie Wilson. He beats out throws at first, he steals bases, he stretches singles to doubles and scores from first base. The speed translates to defense as well - he's been the left fielder in most of his games and can run down pretty much anything. Could easily be a center fielder with his speed. One problem - is he for real? He's hitting over .350 this season and has looked good, but he's never done this before. KC will likely keep him as at least a 4th outfielder, but could work his way into the starting lineup if he continues to produce.

Jorge De La Rosa: Not much to say about him, really. Has great stuff....that stuff has never translated into him being a solid pitcher, though. May get a chance to stick around in the pen, but don't see him as a starter next season.

John Buck: Came out hitting the ball really well this season, and has shown some pop (finally), as he has 16 homers this year. However....his average has dropped all year since his April hot streak, and he now sits somewhere around .220-.225....not good. At best, it looks like he'll be a part-time catcher, splitting duty with someone better than Jason LaRue (I hope) in the future.

VETERAN LEADER

Mark Grudzielanek: KC just extended his contract through the 2008 season, and I couldn't be happier. A great leader in the clubhouse...and a young team needs some good veteran leadership on the team to help them learn and give them someone to look to when things get rough. Grudz is a hard-nosed player who plays great defense (gold glove in 2006) and can hit the ball. Great situational hitter who you can plug in to bat second, third (if you need it), or anywhere from sixth to ninth. Very happy to have him for at least one more year.

Other than that.....we'll have a lot of money freed up this off-season, so it should be interesting to watch Dayton Moore go to work again.

Congrats to A-Rod

Been a while since I've posted here - been tied up with other things.

Just listening to the game at work and wanted to give a tip of the cap to Alex Rodriguez, as he joins the 500 home run club. Sorry he had to do it against the Royals, but he was due to knock one out.

Congrats to the man who will overtake Barry Bonds atop the list about six years from now. Let's just hope there are no revelations that will make us all sick to our stomach when A-Rod's approaching the record....


Other comments.....

The trade deadline came and went without much fanfare, really. I like the Dotel for Davies deal well enough, I guess, but it didn't blow me away. Davies has GREAT stuff, but has never been able to pull it together at the big league level for any extended period of time. Maybe a change of scenery will help him out. Another plus - Dotel really likes it in KC and made some comments about maybe coming back here next season...so that'd be alright with me. He's a solid guy to have in the pen and I like his fiery attitude when he's on the mound.

Billy Butler continues to impress, winning the July American League Rookie of the Month Award. This guy was born to hit and I look forward to watching him develop over the rest of this season alongside Alex Gordon, who also continues to get better and more consistent as the season goes along. Gordon also hit one of the hardest shots I've seen this year the other night in Minnesota - a two-run bomb to win the game. These guys are going to look good in blue for years to come.

Joey Gathright is back thanks to Reggie Sanders landing back on the DL (again). I'm glad to see him back...he produced really well for us in his previous stint this season and the Royals need to figure out where he fits into the future plans. Hopefully he's here for the remainder of this season.

Greinke and Soria continue to dominate at the back end of the pen....these guys have great stuff. Should be interesting to see if one of them ends up starting at some point or if these two will remain the answer to the 8th/9th innings for the Royals over the next few seasons.

Butler proving he belongs

It didn't take Billy Butler too long to show he's ready to hit at this level. Yes, he's had limited time here - he's appeared in 25 games and has 84 at bats so far - but he's producing. Butler is batting .286 with five doubles, three homers and 14 RBI. Not too shabby for what playing time he's had. He's striking out too much and not walking enough - but he's only 21 years old...so let's give the kid a break.

With the injuries to Mike Sweeney (nothing shocking about that), Butler's been called on to fill in, and I couldn't be happier. Mike Sweeney hasn't had a solid injury-free season in quite a while now, and I'm tired of watching him be a part-time DH. Sure, I'd love to see him go out and play 140 games and bat .330 with 25 homers - but those days are long gone. It was obvious the Royals weren't going to give Butler the call unless Sweeney was out of the way - and with his recent knee injury - it appears he'll be out of the way for a while now. I don't wish bad things or injury upon players, but in this case, I have to say I'm glad Sweeney is out of the way - one way or another. He obviously has no future here in KC after this season, and I'd much rather watch part of the future than part of the past.

The Royals will tell you this situation isn't what they'd want for Butler. They want him to be at Omaha, working at first base. Butler has proven to be a defensive liability at third base and in the outfield - so first base seems the logical place to stick him. Well....I don't know about anyone else, but I see Butler for what he is - a big league DH. If we can get some games out of him at first, fine. But the kid was born to mash the ball - so right now, how about we just let him do that?

With Gordon coming around over the last month, we now have what looks to be the core of our lineup at the big league level. Let's stick Butler in the cleanup spot and let Gordon bat right behind him and see what happens. With DeJesus, Grudz and Teahen batting in front of them, they should be able to pick up plenty of RBI along the way and build their confidence going into the future. I'm excited to see what happens over the next couple of months, should be a lot of fun to watch a kid with the potential to bat .320 with 40 homers, rather than watching someone with the potential to hurt himself while tying his shoes.

Revisiting an old post....

Back towards the end of April, I wrote a blog about how our bullpen was a major weakness yet again. Well...not anymore. The bullpen is clearly the strongest unit on the team this season (so far). Here's a quick breakdown of four major reasons for the bullpen's success:

1. Joakim Soria - Our Rule 5 draft pick. When we picked up Soria, the move immediately made waves in the baseball community. Everyone was high on this guy and couldn't believe he was left unprotected. He promptly followed up his selection by pitching a no-hitter in the Mexican League. It looked like the Royals really found something in this guy. The question - could a Rule 5 guy step in as a starting pitcher, or have any kind of meaningful role on a big league team in his first season??? Yes. Soria came out of the bullpen when we had injuries to guys like Octavio Dotel and John Bale and eventually became our closer. He's looked great all year - and while he's given the closer's role back to Dotel - it may not be long before he takes it back.

2. David Riske - A free agent acquisition during the off-season. Riske is a very solid guy out of the pen and has experience as a closer. He initially took over the closer role when Dotel went on the DL, but got off to a horrible start, which led Buddy Bell to try Soria in the role. This allowed Riske to slide back into a setup role - where he has flourished pretty much all year. He's proven to be a great signing with his 35.1 innings pitched, 28 K's and 2.55 ERA (a team low). A guy who can go out pretty much every other day and get us out of almost any situation.

3. Jimmy Gobble - After being a starting pitching prospect for a few years, Gobble was moved into the pen in 2006 for what looks to be a permanent stay. He pitched well there last season and has continued to look good this year. A lefty with good stuff, he's appeared in more games than any other Royals pitcher this season - taking the mound in 38 games for a total of 26.1 innings. He seems to have finally come into his own in this role, which he's proven by posting a 2.73 ERA.

4. Zack Greinke - The "savior" of a franchise (at least he was before Alex Gordon took that title). Greinke was to be our next Bret Saberhagen....the next big thing as far as starting pitching goes. It was known all over the league - this kid had the stuff to dominate. Then...last year....it all blew up in his face. He had problems. Big ones. He left the team in Spring Training. Nobody knew what was going on...just Zack, his family, and the Royals - everyone else was in the dark. Zack came back, eventually, and was sent to AA Wichita to play in a winning atmosphere with the likes of Gordon, Billy Butler, Mitch Maier, Chris Lubanski, etc. He made his way back to KC in September...but nobody knew what to expect coming into 2007.

Well - he looked better than ever in spring, and came out of the gates in the regular season looking dominant, going pitch-for-pitch with Daisuke and having a couple more great starts after that. Then....the wheels started falling off again. Zack didn't like the pressure, couldn't stand the four day wait between starts.....so he went to the pen, and he never looked back. Now, with the prospect of playing almost every day, his head is in the game, and his stuff looks just plain nasty. He comes in one day, throws four innings. Two days later, maybe two innings. The next day, maybe one. He loves it - and it shows. Since going to the pen, he has dominated opponents and his ERA continues to drop (it was inflated from a couple of shaky starts). He's appeared in 24 games now (only 7 were starts) - and has thrown 61.2 innings. He's struck out 51 and walked only 18. He pushes himself more every time out (the other day his fastball hit 100 mph) and his stuff.....still just plain NASTY. I'm more proud of him than anyone on this team, after all he's gone through...I'm just glad he's here and he's able to keep doing what he loves.

Those are four big reasons our pen has dominated...and I've left out a handful of other good pitchers, but they're not forgotten - these guys are the pitchers who really jump out at me though. Every time they take the mound, I feel like I can relax. Let's just hope they can keep it up......actually, let's just hope we can find a couple more starting pitchers to get them some leads to protect!

Gordon (and team) in a groove

As the Royals continue rolling through interleague play, Alex Gordon keeps making strides as well. Gordon and the Royals as a whole have mirrored each other all year....and it's fitting, considering Gordon is the "next big thing" or "savior of the Royals".

Many people had high hopes coming into the season some of the young talent in the organization on the verge of breaking through with the big league club. Alex Gordon was the key figure in all of this - the natural hitter, the next George Brett. Alex was the College Player of the Year two years ago at Nebraska, then jumped straight into AA where he promptly won the Minor League Player of the Year....the first time anyone has won those honors in back-to-back seasons. All the while, he looked about like Roy Hobbs.....the game was easy for this kid - he was the real life "Natural".

Gordon wrapped up spring training by earning his spot as the opening day third baseman for KC. He had arrived. The town was buzzing with hope....we didn't expect the Royals to completely turn this ship around, but the first of our promising youngsters was here, and he's "The One"....the cornerstone of the franchise. His first at bat came against Curt Schilling and the Red Sox. If that wasn't enough...the bases were loaded...talk about pressure! The place was rocking. The chant "Let's Go Gordon!" filled the stadium. And then.....he....struck out.

As Gordon has struggled, so have the Royals (as usual). However, there was still something about this kid. He showed no emotion - no frustration or anger as he struck out time and time again. He was batting .160, .170 - but his on-base percentage was over .300 due to some walks and hit-by-pitches. At least he was getting on base and contributing a bit. And all the while, he kept his cool. You just had a feeling it was coming, any day now, it's coming. But it never came. And the Royals followed right along, never really getting on track either.

All that seems to have changed recently, though. Gordon's found his groove. He just kept plugging along and doing what he always does, not letting the pressure of failure change his approach to the game. It finally looks to be paying off. He's raised his average from around the .175 mark to up around .209. A jump of over 30 points. He's not pressing anymore, worrying about things like batting average or his other personal stats. In an interview I heard the other day on the radio, Gordon says he gave up on worrying about his average for this season "a long time ago". And as Gordon has started to produce, so has the Royals lineup as a whole. They keep plugging along, just like Gordon, and it's starting to click.

It looks like Gordon has also gotten over the initial pressure of being the sole savior of an entire franchise. That's got to be a heavy burden for a 23-year old kid to carry around on his shoulders. An entire city, beaten down for years now by a failure of a franchise, all looking to one rookie. An entire fan base, collectively thinking "Alex is here, a new day is dawning". Imagine what you were doing when you were 23. Probably getting your first job out of college. Now, just think....what if you felt like the company's entire fate rested on your shoulders? Now, take that pressure and multiply it...because you didn't have an entire city watching; you didn't have the national media anointing you as the "next great thing"; you didn't have fans in other cities yelling at you, telling you how bad you "suck" or how "overrated" you are.

It's been fun recently. Not just watching Gordon start to taste success at this level, but watching the whole team. Like I said, their ups and downs seem to go hand-in-hand this year. Gordon's killing the ball right now - he hit mammoth homers in two straight games against the Cardinals. The Royals are winning - they've won two straight interleague series against the Phillies and Cardinals.

Baseball is back in KC - even if only briefly - we've got something to root for. I'm sure this season will have plenty more ups and downs (probably more downs than ups), but we're getting a glimpse of what could be. And I think a couple of years from now, that glimpse will turn into an entire season of good baseball. We've been waiting a long time.....and finally, I can see a light at the end of the tunnel.

The Royals score......17?!?!?!?

Wow. What a day to be at the ballpark. One of the last games I attended (I think two games ago for me) was the afternoon contest against Oakland, in which we were routed by about the same score - so I guess it all balances out in the end.....

It was definitely a fun game to watch. Plenty of excitement, as we didn't pull away from the Phillies until around the 6th inning or so. It was a one run game to that point. The, all hell broke loose - but, in a good way (for once).

Items of note:

**Greinke really seems to be flourishing in his new role. He came in and pitched two innings, striking out five in the process. Sometimes that guy looks absolutely untouchable. I hope he figures it all out and goes back into the rotation, but given the problems he's dealt with over last couple of seasons, I'll be happy watching come out of the pen. If that's what makes Zack happy, then it works for me.

**Alex Gordon came in late in the game and had two at bats - his second was a double that he absolutely smashed into left-center. I'm still waiting for him to have a really looooooong hot streak. One thing I did find out courtesy of the post-game radio show, as lousy as his batting average is, Gordon is third among all rookies in extra base hits this year. So he's got that going for him, which is nice.

**The bullpen as a whole looked pretty solid once again. That's really become a strength with the team this year (along with the starting pitching). Soria went an inning and looked sharp, as did Dotel. Now if we could just start hitting on a consistent basis.....

**Tony Pena Jr. hit his first homer of the season, and his first as a Royal. He ripped it. Maybe the hardest I've seen him hit the ball this season. He's really coming around at the plate, and he's a hell of a lot more fun to watch than AwwwHell Berroa.

**Since we beat the tar out of the Phillies - I don't mind saying that I really enjoyed seeing Ryan Howard absolutely MASH a ball off the back wall of the KC bullpen. Wow. That's all I can say. Wow. Wow. Did I mention....wow?

And I got to do it all with my four year old daughter....sure, she made me drop about $40 on some hot dogs, ice cream and a pink Royals cap....but I had a great time doing it.

Hopefully, we can keep rolling through the St. Louis series, which starts tomorrow night. Be nice if we can take at least two from them and keep posting more in the wins column. Bring on the Cards!

Finally, some speed arrives!

I've been waiting...and waiting....and waiting.....finally - Joey Gathright has made his way back to the big league club. It's time to see what we've got in this guy. Can he lead off? Can he play centerfield? Is he part of the future here in KC???

Don't get me wrong - I love David DeJesus. But I don't love him as a leadoff hitter. I like him better as a #2. DDJ is patient, takes pitches, gets on base. He doesn't have the speed you'd like to see in a leadoff hitter, and he doesn't have the pop you'd like to see in a #3 guy. If Gathright can hit at this level....and that's a big IF (although he's 2-for-2 tonight so far).....he's the perfect leadoff guy. Probably one of the fastest - if not THE fastest - guy in baseball.

I won't be as picky on where he plays in the outfield. DDJ plays a fine centerfield...but....Gathright could play a great center with his speed and range. If he pans out and becomes our man out there, our range in the outfield is instantly improved. Imagine Gathright with his speed in center, DDJ with his pretty good speed in left, and Teahen with his speed (and his laser rocket arm, you know, like Peyton Manning?) in right. Not a bad outfield going into the next few years.

Of course, all of this is coming from the optimist in me. Gathright's never been able to get it done at the plate at this level. He was hitting over .300 at Omaha, but it's a whole different ballgame up here (just ask Alex Gordon).

Regardless of what happens, it's about time they brought him back up. We need to see what we've got, for better or for worse. I'm hoping for the better.


DON'T FORGET! BASEBALL AMATEUR DRAFT STARTS TOMORROW!!!!

The Huber Effect

We've seen this before.....bring a top prospect up from the minors, let him play a little, then sit his butt on the bench. It's hard to say if this slowed the development of Justin Huber, but it couldn't have helped. Now we're seeing the same thing with Billy Butler.

Dayton Moore and his new regime promised the fans we'd see better handling of prospects. Moore seems to understand the value of scouting, minor league development, etc. However....now we're watching Billy Butler, probably the best pure hitting prospect in baseball, being handled in pretty much the same way we've seen Huber handled in the past.

What's the deal????

I'm well aware of Butler's defensive shortcomings....the guy was born to hit, but that's about all he was born to do. He looks awful in the outfield, and has probably embarrassed him self a bit in the process. Now the Royals say they're going to move him to first base. Ok. Great. I'm good with that. So....shouldn't he be in Omaha, logging time at the new position?? Oh. You'd rather have him sit the bench with the big leaguers...improving on nothing. Um.....Ok.

Now, who am I to criticize? Well...just a fan. No, I don't have a master's degree in business or any real baseball background. But I'm a fan who goes to a ton of games every year, and when I'm not there, I'm watching on TV or listening on the radio. Just a guy who studies the game with my free time and recognizes when mistakes are made. A guy who sees when a similar mistake is being made. A guy who's getting really tired of bungled moves with this team.........

I'm not jumping all over Moore. I love Moore. I have all the confidence in the world in this guy. That being said, if Butler's not going to play here, send him back to Omaha. Let him hit every day and continue to improve his game. Let him play first base every day. Let this kid prepare himself to succeed at the next level! PLEASE!

Now that I've got that off my chest....I feel like I'd better mention something positive. How about Meche???? Man....he's come out and proven all the doubters wrong. Where are all these national media guys now? I remember when KC and Dayton Moore were bashed for shelling out the big bucks for him.....time to eat your words boys.

Also - you've got to love the emergence of De La Rosa as a top notch starter. When one of these two guys start, the Royals are 10-7. Maybe we should shave it down to a two-man rotation....

Back after hiatus

I had to take the end of April to get away from this blog. I couldn't handle trying to come up with something to write about, everything was going so terribly for the Royals (and still is, really).

Anyway - I'm back. And Billy Butler is here. Glad to see they finally made room for this kid...he is a hitter. And we can always use one of those.....especially in this weak lineup. Going into the season, I thought our lineup would be great and our pitching would still be the shaky part of the team, but I was wrong.

Let me clarify - I didn't think the pitching would be as horrible as last year, but I thought it would only be slightly improved. Meche and company have proven me wrong, though. The starting pitching has been vastly improved, while the bullpen has still been a sore spot (although Soria is the real deal). However, the bullpen hasn't been as much of a sore spot as our underperforming lineup. Alex Gordon is off to a slow start, which makes the start Shealy is off to completely impossible to describe (thank god he's on the DL now).

On a positive note, we did just split a four game series with the Angels, so that's nice. And even though we sit with a record of 10-20, there is a different feel to this team....I never feel like they're just completely overmatched, and that's a nice improvement from 2006. Another positive - Butler looks like the real deal, and I do see signs of improvement from Gordon - he's patient, and although he's only batting about .170, his OBP is over .300, so he's getting on base, just not getting hits.

Heading out to The K tonight to watch game two of the Detroit series, so hopefully will see a good game. Looking forward to seeing Butler in person.

I'll be posting more regularly (hopefully) throughout the rest of the season, and will try to have some fun new features for you guys, so stay tuned......

Bullpen is major weakness

It appears that once again, our bullpen is a major weakness on this team. We have definitely seen improved starting pitching this year (which was another weakness last season), and the bats are starting to wake up a bit....but we can't hold a lead.

Last year, we had 28 save opportunities blown (according to the official team page). This year, we've already had five blown opportunities - in only 21 games. Basically an eighth of the way through this season, we're on pace to blow 40 saves. Ouch.

A lot of this problem has been attributed to the injury of our new closer Octavio Dotel. After showing pretty good stuff in Surprise, Dotel was injured and placed on the DL at the beginning of the regular season, and has yet to see any game time in 2007. Another major blow to the pen came with the injury of John Bale, a lefty setup man.

Some good news/bad news - First the good: We finally have a timetable on the return of both pitchers. Now the bad.........it's not until mid-May. Hopefully the starting pitching can keep doing their job for another month, getting the team into the sixth and seventh innings of most games and not making this team rely on it's shaky pen as much. Once these two return, it could help the rest of the guys a lot, as they will all fall back into places they are probably more comfortable with....which will hopefully translate into a better late inning look for our pitching staff the rest of the way in '07.

Other than that....looking forward to seeing Greinke go today, hoping he shows the ability to bounce back after one horrible start and one so-so start....he needs to show that kind of resiliency at the big league level before he can take the next step to becoming a top of the rotation guy.

Same old Royals?

Well, here we are...14 games into the new season, and we sit at 3-11. The Royals have now dropped 6 straight and are 1-7 on the current road trip. Not pretty. At all. I'm looking for the silver lining, and it's really hard to find right now.

I know what you're thinking: "It's only 14 games. You can't give up yet". Well....I'm not really "giving up", but I've been through this before. If you're reading this, you're most likely a Royals fan and have gone through this as well. It happens every season (or at least every season in recent history). The Royals take the field, get slapped around like a high school team trying to play in the big leagues, and we're out of the race by May. I'm tired of it. This team seems to be looking for ways to blow games, and they always find a new and interesting way to do it. So....here's my look at our biggest problem right now, and some comments on whether or not it can be solved.

Problem: Our offense stinks right now. Most fans thought our offense would be just fine. With bats in our lineup like DeJesus, Grudz, Teahen, Sweeney, Gordon, Brown/Sanders, Shealy.....we looked to be okay. Actually, scratch that, we looked like we'd be really damn good!

Out of the group I just mentioned, only two are hitting worth a damn right now - DeJesus and Sanders (who plays part-time) and Grudz has been banged up (average is around .230 right now). Teahen, Sweeney, Gordon, Brown and Shealy are lousy at the plate right now.....none are hitting over .200 (Teahen is right at .200, the rest are below).

Along with Sanders, we've had a nice surprise in John Buck, who is currently hitting .429 with an OBP of .520 and a .905 slugging percent. This is way more than we thought we'd get from Buck, who is currently in a platoon at catcher with Jason LaRue (who is only batting .154).

Solution: There's not much we can do, really. Maybe Buddy Bell should juggle the lineup a bit, moving some guys into different slots. Teahen's our number three hitter, and he's batting .200. Maybe he should slide down to fourth or fifth, move Sanders up to three on the days he plays. I don't know what the answer is, but the bulk of our heavy hitters are in a terrible slump right now.

I'm sure they'll break out of it soon...but in the meantime, can we try something (anything) different? Of course, this opens up another can of worms....with most of these guys hitting poorly, you move a guy down and replace him with who? Another thing to consider: maybe we don't need to platoon Buck right now....he's currently hitting the cover off the ball and he's got the least amount of at bats on the entire team. Ummmm......what's the logic here, again?

I understand that for hitters, baseball is essentially a game of failure - If you hit .300, you're only succeeding at a rate of 30 percent, which, according to our education system, is a big fat "F". Players are going to have slumps, I get that.....but what do you want to bet when the bats come around, the pitching will stink? Just seems to be the way the ball bounces here in KC.

Hopefully my next post will have at least a hint of positivity to it.

Zack Greinke - Looking Like the Real Deal

Zack Greinke got his first big league win in a long time last night against the Blue Jays, and looked damn good (for the second straight game) doing it.

This is Greinke's second outing of the year, both of which have been great starts. His first outing was against the Red Sox in the third game of this season. He went up against Dice-K, so most of the attention wasn't on Zack that day, but he forced himself into the spotlight as well - going pitch for pitch with the Red Sox import. That day, Greinke showed tremendous stuff, going seven innings while ringing up seven strike outs and allowing only one earned run. Pretty good numbers against one of the best lineups in baseball.

After his first start for the Royals since 2005, the media sat up and took notice of Greinke. Of course, the local media was already paying attention, but now the national media was buzzing as well. Everyone already knew about Greinke and his amazing potential, but most were sitting back and waiting to see if he'd worked things out as far as his bouts with depression. It appears he has.

Greinke followed up the Red Sox game with a start on the road in Toronto last night - registering a win and looking every bit as good as he did against Boston. He struck out Frank Thomas not once, but twice - and had Big Hurt frustrated and grumbling to himself (and at the umpire). In his second start, Greinke went six innings and struck out five. Through two starts (and 13 innings) he has allowed 14 hits, two earned runs, one walk and has struck out 13.

I love Greinke and have been following him since we drafted him. I was at his first major league game (which he won) and have had high hopes that he'll become our next ace. You can imagine my disappointment when I heard he left spring training last year.....however, I stuck with Zack, hoping that he'd get his problems worked out and at some point come back to pitching. I had no idea what to expect from him as a pitcher when he returned, but this spring, he was dominant. Batters were buzzing, saying he had the best stuff out of all the pitchers in camp down in Arizona. They may have been right, and it looks to have carried over to the regular season.

The one thing I've noticed more than anything this year with Zack (even more than his pitching) has been his demeanor on the field and in the dugout. It seems to me that he's beaten his depression. He looks happy out there, and looks like he's one of the guys....like he fits in. On the mound, he seems to be enjoying himself - he even seems a bit cocky out there, which is exactly the attitude an ace needs to go out there and make hitters like Frank Thomas and David Ortiz look bad.

I remember the excitement around Greinke on his rise through the minors and during his first big league season....and I think that pitcher has finally returned. I, along with many other fans, cannot wait to see where Greinke goes from here. The sky is the limit.

Two Days at The K

Just wrapped a pretty good two day run at Kauffman around 8:00 pm Monday night. Started off Sunday heading out to the open practice at 2:30 with the wife and kids, we met up with a friend and his family and got great seats right behind the third base dugout, about even with the bag. Nice and close to Alex Gordon, who looked pretty smooth in fielding practice. The Royals started rotating through the batting cage and Sweeney looked good (which I'd expect). Gordon looked GREAT - he hit a couple of absolute BOMBS. One thing my buddy and I both noticed and commented on was that Tony Pena, Jr. had a really smooth swing going, and he was hitting some hard line drives around the field. Maybe Dayton Moore saw something click last year in Atlanta......we left excited for opening day.

Monday morning - I had to work until 11:00, then met up with my buddy and got the stadium right around noon. By the time we got there, the lots were already filling up with tailgaters. Nice to see such excitement around the Royals this year. Opening day is always a big deal....but this year, there seems to be just a little more buzz than usual. With Gordon on the big league roster, Greinke coming back strong from his issues, a new ace pitching for us, and the Red Sox in town.....we knew it was going to be a heck of a day.

I expected Meche to look shaky for an inning or two, and in the first....he didn't look all that good. But after that - WOW. Six strikeouts. Went deep in the game. Only walked one. I thought that's what we'd see out of Schilling....but....the Royals were all over him, and he only lasted four innings. If Meche has that kind of game in about 70% of his starts, then he truly is peaking and is ready to be a top-notch pitcher in this league.

Alex Gordon couldn't manage a hit...but you've got to think he was a bit nervous - being the savior of a franchise and all. Just the fact that he's on the field makes you feel better about the direction of this team, though - and his hits will come. I still say he's the AL Rookie of the Year this season.

Oh....and remember what I said about Pena at the open practice??? Well...that swing carried over to Monday as he ripped two very hard-hit triples. He's got great speed, looked really smooth in the field...and best of all - HE'S NOT BERROA.

It's only one game, but I think we saw a bit of foreshadowing today.....the Royals are moving in the right direction, and we're ready to relinquish our yearly position as the league laughing stock. KC is on the way back to being a respected franchise, and it's going to be one hell of a ride.

Tony Pena, Jr. - New Shortstop

Wow. That was fast.

Last Wed., March 21, I posted about Angel Berroa and how uncomfortable I was going into another season with him as our starting shortstop. I begged and pleaded for anything to be done…any kind of change at that position. Well….ask and ye shall receive.

Two days after my frustration with Berroa culminated in my posting a blog entitled “Angel Berroa sucks”, Dayton Moore pulled the trigger on a deal that landed us a new starting shortstop – Tony Pena, Jr. The Royals sent Eric Cordier to Atlanta in exchange for the son of our last manager (who gave us one decent season of baseball in 2003).

Now….I could probably moan about the fact that we gave up a pitcher with MAJOR upside (although injuries have kept him from realizing his potential to this point). I could also probably complain a little about the Royals replacing one non-hitting shortstop with what could turn out to be another. However, Pena is a clear upgrade defensively – and he’s got a lot more speed, which is never a bad thing (you know the old saying: “speed doesn’t go into slumps”). But…..I’m not going to complain at all. I’ll take my chances with a guy who’s probably a better teammate, got a better work ethic, and is a few years younger – so he’s not done developing as a ballplayer (as Berroa, at age 29, was).

I do hate to see Cordier go – I had him ranked as the number five prospect in the KC farm system (in the blog archives somewhere). He’s got tremendous upside and is still only 21 years old. If he ever puts it all together, he’s probably got the tools to rival Luke Hochevar in the pitching department. So, yeah, I’m sad to see us give him up. The end of the Angel Berroa era does soften the blow quite a bit, though.

Angel Berroa sucks.

It looks like Berroa's rigorous off-season training program didn't work out for him.....he's still horrible. I was doubtful we'd see him turn the corner. I suppose somewhere in the back of my mind, I hoped. That's what fans do in February and March, they hope their team's problems will work themselves out. Not going to happen in this case. It looks like we're stuck with a sub-par (to put it nicely) shortstop making way too much money.

So, what to do? Berroa does have options left, so we could ship him to Omaha. I've got to believe Dayton Moore is trying like hell to shop him to other teams...I don't know who'd be dumb enough to take him....Allard Baird, perhaps? Too bad he's not a GM somewhere else. Even if Moore finds a taker, there's no way we'd get out of eating a good portion of his salary - although I'd pay him double his salary to do nothing more than empty his locker and go home. He'd do more good sitting on his couch and watching the team from a good distance. I say his couch, as I think he should be completely banned from the ballpark....even being at The K as nothing more than a spectator, he'd find a way to screw something up

At this point, I say we cut our losses. Berroa's 29, I don't think he's going to magically improve one of these days. Players that old don't hit their stride (at least not without some HGH). If he were only 22, 23, 24.....I'd have more patience, but as it stands, my patience with Berroa is no better than his own patience at the plate. Let's see what Blanco can do...let him hit ninth in the order and play a decent shortstop. We've got enough decent bats - DeJesus, Grudz/German, Teahen, Sweeney (at least he looks good on paper), Gordon, Brown, Sanders, Shealy - to absorb a guy who may struggle with his first shot at playing full-time in the bigs.

So, let's help our offense by taking his league-worst OBP out of the order and let's help our pitchers by taking his awful glove and inaccurate throwing arm off the field. It's been a fun ride (wait, no....it hasn't), but it's time to say bye-bye to Angel. I mean, how sad can we possibly be to see him go, when the most he's inspired out of this fan base is to honor him with the nickname "Aw Hell", which is uttered every time he boots a ball, throws off-target to first, or strikes out on three straight pitches with men in scoring position.

**for those who don't know (I'm sure nobody pays enough attention to realize this) - Angel is pronounced "on-hell"...which is where the nickname comes from...it's too perfect**

It's time for change. I don't care if the next guy is all that great, or even good....I just hope he doesn't suck nearly as much as Aw Hell.

Spring Update part 2 - Hot Pitchers

Here are the pitchers who have impressed:

Joakim Soria - A Rule 5 guy, Soria has shown why the Royals were so interested in acquiring his services. So far, Soria has thrown eight innings and has a 1.13 ERA. In the three games he's pitched, he's allowed only three hits and has yet to walk a batter. He's struck out five and allowed only one run. I don't always put a lot of stock into Spring Training stats, but if this is any indication of what's to come, I think we found a real diamond in the rough.

Luke Hudson - Hudson's seen action in two games now, going a total of 6.2 innings. After pitching pretty well as a starter last season, he's continued to impress. So far, Luke's only allowed two earned runs, giving him a 2.70 ERA. He's also struck out five, although he's given up three walks and seven hits for a total of 10 base runners in his limited time (for a WHIP of 1.61). Overall, Hudson's looked good, but I'd like to see him cut down on the number of batters he puts on the basepaths.

Brian Bannister - Another young starter fighting for a rotation spot. Bannister came over from the Mets in the Ambriorix Burgos deal (which I think we got the better end of). In five innings of work, Bannister has yet to allow a run and has a perfect ERA of zero. He's only walked one batter (he also hit a batter) and allowed three hits, meaning he allows about one base runner per inning. If he keeps showing this type of control, he should be a lock for the rotation as a fourth or fifth starter.

Gil Meche - Couldn't leave out Meche, our big free agent acquisition this past off-season. Meche has pretty much impressed me, and I think he'll be a solid guy to lead this revamped starting rotation through the 2007 season. He's gone seven innings and given up six hits while only walking one and striking out four. Meche has given up one homer and has allowed only two runs during his time on the mound. Hopefully he keeps up the good work and this will carry over into the regular season.

Other pitchers of note:

Octavio Dotel - He's looked sharp in limited time (only two innings so far), and I have no regrets (not yet, anyway) about brining him in as our closer. He's given up one hit, struck out two, and walked none.

Zack Greinke - Zack got shelled in his first outing and rebounded a little in his second. He's gone five innings and has already allowed nine hits and six earned runs (for a 7.20 ERA). On the plus side, he has yet to walk a batter, which means he's throwing strikes and challenging guys. He's also struck out five, for a pace of one K per inning. I'm pulling for Zack to make the rotation and hope he improves yet again in his next outing (which is today).

Jimmy Gobble - Jimmy seems to have found a role last season as a reliever. He's looked pretty good this spring, going six innings with two earned runs (3.00 ERA). Gobble's another guy who needs to watch his walk totals (three so far), but he has struck out four, which is pretty good for only six innings of work. I figure Gobble will be a long/middle reliever and may get some late inning work against lefties.

Spring Update - Hot Hitters

Well....we're a little deeper into Spring Training now, and we've had enough games to see who's hot and who's not. Here's a quick breakdown of a few of the hotter hitters this spring...I'll report on the pitchers tomorrow......


Billy Butler - Butler's played 11 games and had 22 plate appearances. He's batting .526 with a 1.000 slugging percentage and an on-base percent over .600. Out of his 10 hits, 3 are doubles and 2 are homers - and he's got 8 RBI. I'd say Butler's trying to make the decision to send him to Omaha a tough one....unfortunately, our roster's a little full when it comes to outfielders - and at DH we've got Mike Sweeney (at least until he hurts his back again). Unless there's some kind of trade - look for Butler to start off in Omaha and be called up due to injury or someone like Reggie Sanders being shipped out in some kind of deal.

Andres Blanco - Making a push to start the season as our utility infielder....in my opinion - they should hand him the starting shortstop job and let Berroa sit the bench, but I'm guessing they give Berroa one more chance to show us what he's got. Blanco's hitting well, with a .346 average (although he's drawn no walks in 26 AB's). He's also got a slight edge on Berroa in the field so far - Berroa's got one error, Blanco's been flawless.

Joey Gathright - Fighting for his spot on the 25 man roster, Gathright has responded by hitting .400 this spring with a .464 OBP. He has yet to show he can really hit at the big league level, but could be a dangerous leadoff hitter if he improves his ability to get on base - he's generally regarded as probably the fastest player in baseball. He's stolen three bases this spring (although he's been caught twice), and has only struck out three times. Maybe this is the year he starts putting it all together?

Ross Gload - One of Dayton Moore's recent acquisitions, Gload has been pounding the ball. A first baseman/outfielder, he should have no problem making the team as some kind of utility player....I think he'll see plenty of at bats splitting time at first and between corner outfield spots and DH. He's batting .444 with an OBP of .524 and a .778 SLG.

Other hitters of note (followed by AVG/OBP/SLG):

Alex Gordon - .316/.480/.526 - Gordon started off a bit slow, but has come on strong. Recently hampered by shoulder stiffness, shouldn't keep him out of the lineup.

Justin Huber - .368/.435/.579 - May not have a future in KC, if not, I hope we can flip him for a decent prospect at shortstop or pitcher.

Ryan Shealy - .346/.370/.577 (2 HR in 26 AB) - May lose some at-bats to Gload this year, but should see the majority of time at first base. I expect Shealy to have a breakout season, hitting for decent average and power. Probably a guy who will bat somewhere between fifth and seventh in the lineup most days.

Jason LaRue - .333/.385/1.083 - with 3 HR in only 12 AB - may have taken Buck's job.

Injuries take down two Royals

First our gold glove winning second baseman, and now one of our better relief pitchers from the 2006 season.

The first injury was to second baseman Mark Grudzielanek, who went down with torn cartilage in his knee. Grudz had surgery earlier this week and all went well. The surgery was a minor one, and should only keep him out of action for about the first 10 to 20 days of the season. During that time, it's likely that last year's utility man, Esteban German, will fill in at second.

The second blow came when Joe Nelson found out he'd need shoulder surgery - leading to him missing up to three months of the 2007 season. Nelson has an injured labrum that needs to be repaired - which is nothing new to him, having torn his labrum before.

The good news is that we've got enough depth to cover these two missing time. With German filling in for Grudz, we'll see a drop in defense at that position, but German will definitely hit. With the acquisition of several pitchers - including closer Octavio Dotel - we should be okay in the bullpen as well. Let's just keep our fingers crossed that we don't have a major injury at a position where we don't have any depth.....

The Good, the bad, and the ugly

The Good.

We've seen some good pitching out of a handful of our new guys. Bannister and Soria combined for 4 innings of shutout baseball in the spring opener. Bannister had a real shot at the back end of the rotation, while Soria will likely end up in the pen....but, as a rule 5 guy, it's nice to see him pitch well. Hopefully he won't just be a burden that we have to carry all year.

The Bad.

Zack Greinke got rocked over the weekend. I'm really pulling for this guy, as he's got amazing stuff. Hopefully, he's got his past problems worked out and will be able to continue moving forward with his career. It's only one game, but after last season....it's hard not to worry......

The Ugly.

Former Royals Ambriorix Burgos had some not so nice comments on the Royals.

Read the article HERE.

Nice attitude. No wonder Dayton Moore got rid of the guy.

Opening game recap

Bannister and Soria both pitched extremely well....each went two innings of scoreless baseball, Bannister gave up one hit, Soria none.

In a symbolic moment....Alex Gordon - the player all fans are pinning their hopes of future success on - scored the first run of the game. A perfect way to usher in the new era of Royals baseball.

Gordon's Wichita teammate (and other savior of the franchise) Billy Butler saw some action later in the game and had a two-run single in the ninth inning.

The main thing I took away from this game were the performances of Bannister and Soria. I think they'd like to see Bannister in the rotation, and if he keeps pitching like he did yesterday, it'll be hard to keep him out. I think Soria's got an outside shot at it as well, although he's most likely destined for bullpen duty this year. Should be interesting to see how the rotation starts shaking out after a handful of games are played.

In today's game against the Rangers - we'll get to see Esteban German take his first shot at playing shortstop, furthering his role as a super-utility player. Pitchers going for KC today will be Billy Buckner, Tyler Lumsden, Luke Hochevar, Carlos Rosa, Danny Christensen and Matt Wright.

Spring Opener today

The Royals finally see some action today in their Cactus League opener against the Los Angeles Angels. According to what I've heard on the radio, it looks like Brian Bannister and Joakim Soria (both possibilities for the starting rotation) will each go 2 innings today. After that, the Royals will likely use a different pitcher for each inning...so we should get a look at 7 pitchers today.

Not sure what the lineup will look like - no telling who'll play or for how long. Hoping Gordon and Butler both get a couple of AB's....

I'll post some results either later today or tomorrow.

Off Topic.....Barry Bonds

Check out this collection of photos of Barry through the years. Pretty interesting to follow the progress....


Click here for the photos

Week in review

Spring Training has begun and though no "real" action has really started yet....I thought I'd do a quick wrap up of some of the stories coming out of Surprise.

Zack Greinke speaks about his issues from last season

Greinke finally felt comfortable enough to open up about his past problems - which boils down to depression and social anxiety. It sounds like everything was handled really well by both Zack and the Royals last season - and I'm pulling for him to make the rotation this spring. He's got all the talent in the world, and after finally seeking the help he needed, I think he's poised to bounce back and show us what all the hype was about. For the full story on Greinke - go the the Kansas City Star's web site and read the article.

Reggie Sanders reports on Friday - probably not going to be here for long

While everyone else reported early, Sanders waited until Friday - the mandatory arrival date for players - to make his way to Surprise. No big deal, as he's a veteran and probably doesn't need some of the extra work that a lot these guys need. I heard him interviewed on the radio (810 WHB) and it sounds to me like he's not exactly sure what his role will be this season. With Emil Brown on the team and Teahen being moved to the outfield, it seems that Sanders is the odd man out (unless the Royals swing a deal for Brown instead). The guys on 810 seem to think that Sanders will not be on the roster come opening day, or that if he is, he'll be gone by the all-star break.

Gordon seems to be a lock for opening day

According to all reports - Teahen has been doing the bulk of his work in the outfield, really not spending any time at third base at all. It seems that Alex Gordon will have to play his way off the roster, and it's unlikely that will happen. Gordon is the new face of the franchise - with the potential to be the next George Brett here in KC. He won Minor League Player of the Year (just after winning College Player of the Year) and appears to be ready to start an amazing big league career. Gives us a nice young 1-2 punch right now with Gordon/Teahen....and let's not forget about Ryan Shealy and David DeJesus - looks like we're beginning to put a really nice lineup together that should only get better with time.

And last but not least.......

DENNY MATTHEWS WINS FORD C. FRICK AWARD - WILL BE INDUCTED INTO BASEBALL HALL OF FAME!

This one's been a long time coming, as the voice of the Royals (he's been here as long as the team's been in existence - since 1969!) finally gets the recognition he deserves. Matthews joins George Brett as the only other long term Royal in the Hall of Fame. Denny's been here through it all...the good times and the bad...and has introduced a few generations of fans to the game of baseball over the years.

This is a huge deal for fans here in KC, as Denny's a part of all our lives....as soon as we here his voice on the radio, we know it's spring or summer, and we know we can count on yet another great broadcast. There's not much better than sitting in your backyard with a burger and a beer while listening to Denny and the Royals on a summer night.

Denny is a dying breed....broadcasters today seem to have a burning desire to entertain you - trying to have an "act" and make a name for themselves. Denny's never seemed to want any part of that - he is what he is....an absolutely brilliant play-by-play man. Some will complain that Denny doesn't get excited enough, that he's a bit dull. Those people just don't get it. Denny just has that...."something"....he doesn't need to get excited about every play - about a meaningless home run or a meaningless strikeout. He's got something that seems to be lost on a lot of people - subtlety. Denny never gives too much in a broadcast, but he always gives more than enough. I challenge any of you who may not like Denny's style to go back and listen....REALLY listen....he's funny (hilarious, actually....great deadpan humor), he's extremely knowledgeable and he is entertaining.

I've been listening for, oh...about 25 years or so (that I can really remember), and I can't imagine having grown up without Denny on the radio. I have so many memories I can't even keep track - listening with my dad; out on my grandpa's boat fishing with the Royals on the radio; in college, hanging with buddies outside on lawn chairs with a cooler of beer; just going for a drive....all by myself...no destination in mind...just an excuse to get out and listen. Here's hoping that Denny sticks around for another generation of kids to grow up and listen with their dads, or while they're out playing catch or whiffle ball with their friends in back yards across the midwest.

CONGRATS DENNY! You are a class act and no one deserves this honor more than you.

Blanco having shoulder problems

According to KC's official website, the switch-hitting shortstop hasn't been able to bat right-handed yet, and probably won't for a long time.

"I'm scared a little bit," Blanco said. "It is still in my mind a little bit."

Not good news for Blanco - but if that's our biggest problem so far, then we're not doing too bad.....

For the full story (by Alan Eskew), click HERE.

Injuries

After I heard about the injury to Kris Benson - Orioles just lost him for the year - it made me start wondering about the Royals....I know someone will get hurt this spring. Let's just hope it's not someone irreplaceable.

Of course Sweeney comes to mind....but I think we can absorb that loss, since we haven't been able to count on his health for quite a while now. He'll probably hurt himself watching TV.......not saying that I want him to get hurt, but there is a silver lining in that scenario - it'd likely speed up Billy Butler's arrival in KC.

Here's hoping that we have a relatively injury-free Spring Training (please - no pitching injuries)......they report this Friday, so get ready for some baseball (finally).

Hope to start having more to write about once ST begins down in Surprise....so look for more regular entries here - I'd like to do at least 3 every week, maybe more.

Thanks to those of you reading.....and go Royals!

Prospect Report - Day 10

NUMBER 1: Alex Gordon - 3B

No big surprise here. Gordon is pretty much perceived as the savior of the franchise....the next George Brett. And he might just be that good. As I said with my blurb on Butler, you all probably know pretty much everything about this Gordon....but here we go.....

Gordon - 23 years old on Feb. 10 - was drafted with the number 2 overall selection in the 2005 draft. He was named Baseball America's College Player of the Year that season, and followed up in '06 by being named their Minor League Player of the Year. He won the second award by hitting .325 with an OBP of .427 and SLG of .588. Not too shabby. He also had 39 doubles and 29 homers, with over 100 RBI.

At the plate, Gordon is much like Butler, with reports stating he has no real weakness. Everything I've read and seen say Gordon has excellent bat speed and quick wrists. He's also physically strong - so he should hit for good power along with a good average. He has good patience at the plate and is actually pretty speedy (22 steals in AA) for his size (6-1, 200 lbs).

As for negatives...there really aren't any. He can play defense, he can hit, he can run. What else can you ask for?

PROJECTION:

Gordon will likely head to KC out of Spring Training as the starting third baseman, pushing Mark Teahen to the outfield. He should be a Rookie of the Year candidate (and will probably win it). I look for Gordon to be a an All-Star player and a guy who could easily contend for (and possibly win) an MVP award or two in his career.

Prospect Report - Day 9

NUMBER 2: Billy Butler - OF/DH

Billy Butler is a 6-2, 225 lb outfielder drafted out of high school in the first round of the '04 draft. He was originally drafted as a third baseman and has since been moved to the outfield due to a lack of defensive skill at the hot corner. Most of you reading this already know all there is to know about this guy...but I'll go ahead and sum it all up anyway.

Butler - only 20 years old - is one of the best hitting prospects in all of baseball. Last season with AA Wichita, he hit .331 with an OBP of .388, SLG of .499 - he also had 15 homers and 96 RBI. His average was good enough to with the Texas League batting title and he was also named MVP of the Futures Game - a pretty good season. His home run total did dip last season, but there really are no questions about this guy's bat - he can flat out hit the ball...and he can do so with power. I think the lower home run output was a fluke, and see him eventually as a 30+ home run hitter in the big leagues. Regardless of his home run totals....Butler should produce at an above average level for a long time. To best sum it up - Baseball America has a report on Butler that states the following:

"With excellent bat speed, balance and a cerebral approach, Butler has no real weakness as a hitter."

Pretty impressive.

His only real weakness as a ballplayer is his defense. His defense at 3B was horrible, and he's apparently not a whole lot better in the OF. He has supposedly improved, but will he improve enough to be an everyday corner outfielder? It doesn't seem likely, if you listen to critics, but only time will tell. I recently listened to a radio interview with Butler, and I like his approach to the game and his confidence. I wouldn't put it past him to make it as an outfielder, but won't be disappointed if he turns out to be a DH.

PROJECTION:

What's not to like? Butler will be a middle-of-the-order hitter for the Royals, maybe as soon as this season. He'll likely start off in AAA Omaha...but with an impressive Spring Training, he could break camp with KC. I see him coming up later in the season, after getting a little more seasoning in the outfield. He should be an EXTREMELY solid hitter for KC, probably batting somewhere between 3rd and 5th in the order.

Prospect Report - Day 8

NUMBER 3: Luke Hochevar - RHP

Luke Hochevar was drafted by the Royals in the first round of the 2006 draft....after he was drafted by the Dodgers in the 2005 draft. Hochevar never signed with LA and was thrown back into the draft pool the following year....lucky for us. Between drafts, Hochevar pitched in the American Association (an independent league) and performed well, prompting the Royals to use the first overall pick on him.

Hochevar has a fastball that's generally in the low 90's, though it does get up around 96 mph on occasion. In addition to a good fastball, Hochevar has three other pitches to go to as well. He has an excellent curve that he throws with great control. He also has a plus change-up and a slider that he turns to from time to time. He has great command of all his pitches and throws them all for strikes.

At this point, he only has a combined 38 innings of pro ball, split between the indy league and Burlington (Low A). In that 38 innings, he's looked phenomenal - striking out 50, walking 13 and giving up only 3 home runs. He was sent to the Arizona Fall League for more work, but was shut down due to shoulder issues (not considered serious).

PROJECTION:

At only 23, he should make his KC debut at some point in 2006. He'll probably start out at AA and work on a few things, then get a call maybe around mid-season. Then again, why rush? The Royals have had a recent history of mishandling pitchers, so let's not blow it with this one, too. However, Hochevar has the talent to become a top of the rotation pitcher...possibly a #1 guy in the rotation. I'm willing to wait another year if that's what Dayton Moore sees fit...but I'd bet we'll see him sooner rather than later.

Prospect Report - Day 7

NUMBER 4: Chris Lubanski - OF

Lubanski was drafted out of high school by the Royals - taken in the first round of the 2003 draft (the 5th overall pick). At 6-3/205 lbs, he's a pretty big, athletic guy - and he's only 21 (turns 22 this March). He's been one of the more highly touted prospects in this organization in recent history. He put up good numbers with last season's stellar Wichita (AA) team - batting .282 with 34 doubles, 11 triples, and 15 homers.

One negative in Lubanski's career has been his tendency to get off to a slow start. On the flip-side, a positive has been his ability to make adjustments throughout the season, as he always hits better as the season progresses. Over the span of his career, he's posted a .978 OPS (on-base percent + slugging percent) after the all-star break....over 200 points higher than before the all-star break.

According to a report from Baseball Prospectus, Lubanski became a better hitter last season, as his walk and strikeout rates both significantly improved. That report claims that Lubanski changed his batting stance, helping him get his bat into the strike zone more quickly. His plate discipline has improved quite a bit, and last season he led the Texas League in walks. Lubanski has great speed and his power should continue to improve.

Something that could use a great deal of improvement is his defense. I haven't read one report on Lubanski that has anything very good to say about his play in the outfield. Everything I've seen and heard indicate that he's bad outfielder - he makes bad reads, runs bad routes and has (at best) an average arm. That being said...the Royals still hope that Lubanski can be their left fielder of the future.

PROJECTION:

Once thought of as a speedster, that strength is now gone from Lubanski's game. He's filled out and lost a little speed, and he's not the best base stealer. He seems to be a solid hitter who keeps getting better (and has room to improve even more).

There seem to be a lot of mixed feelings on Lubanski's future.....worst case scenario - the guy becomes a very solid 4th outfielder who can play either corner and give you solid at bats in a reserve or platoon role. Best case? Well....at best, I'd project him as an average big league left fielder in another year or two. A guy who can hit for a decent average, draw some walks, and hit with some pop (I could see him averaging 35 doubles, 10 triples, and 15 homers).

Prospect Report - Day 6

NUMBER 5: Erik Cordier - RHP

Cordier, who doesn't turn 21 until the end of February, was a second round pick out of Wisconsin in 2004. He's had some injury problems (hopefully not a sign of things to come) - after a knee surgery in 2005, he came back in 2006 and went down again, this time with an elbow injury (eventually leading to Tommy John surgery). Hopefully these injuries were just bad luck, as he has the makings of a solid big league pitcher.

In his limited '06 season, he pitched well, splitting time between the Rookie League and the Burlington Low A club. While pitching for Idaho Falls in Rookie ball, he went 16 innings - giving up only 3 walks and holding opponents to a .186 batting average. He also struck out 19 before moving up to Burlington. After his promotion, he went 37 innings (and lowered his ERA) - giving up 14 walks and striking out 23.

According to Baseball America, Cordier has the best fastball in the system. It consistently hovers around 93-94 mph, and reaches 98 mph at times. Cordier also has a very good changeup, as well as a decent breaking ball (which will hopefully get better with time).

After reading a couple of scouting reports, it seems the problem with his breaking ball is a variation in his release point. While it would be best to throw either a curve or slider - this variation causes his breaking ball to come out as more of a slurve. These reports say that he'll likely lean towards the curve, and if he can't make that work, go to a slider.

PROJECTION:

I think if Cordier can stay healthy, he could come close to matching Luke Hochevar's talent - although he's nowhere near as ready to perform at the Major League level. He's got two plus pitches right now, plus the potential for a third. His fastball can dominate, and probably will at any level, as long as he throws it for strikes. Cordier will miss all of 2007 and should return to action in '08. I'd assume he'll start off '08 in High A, but could quickly move up the ladder if he shows he can stay healthy.

Most likely, the Royals will take their time with Cordier....I could see him coming up to the big leagues at some point in 2009 or 2010.

Prospect Report - Day 5

NUMBER 6: Tyler Lumsden - LHP

One of (if not the first) deals Dayton Moore made was the Mike MacDougal trade, which saw us acquire Lumsden from the White Sox. Moore's made a real effort to stockpile some young arms, and Lumsden is a big part of this movement. A 6-4, 215 lb. lefty, Lumsden is a big guy with (hopefully) a bright future as a starting pitcher.

Lumsden was drafted in the first round by the Sox in 2004 (out of Clemson) and is 23 years old. He looked good in 2006 after missing the '05 season due to an elbow surgery to remove bone chips. He seems to have bounced back with no problems, posting good numbers in AA last season. He went a combined 11-5 between AA Birmingham and Wichita, with a 2.77 ERA and 96 K's in 159 innings.

He's got three good pitches - a low 90's fastball (that can top out around 95-96), a curve and a changeup....he throws all three well and has a good delivery. Lumsden is also pretty athletic, and a good fielder at his position. The downside, according to a couple of reports I've read, is that he has trouble with his mechanics. This leads to him floating the ball up into the strike zone at times, which makes him more hittable. If he can get this kink worked out, he should hold opposing batters to a lower average (they hit .257 against him in '06).

PROJECTION:

Lumsden will likely start this season in Omaha, he may have had a shot at the big leagues with a tremendous Spring Training, but the Royals look to have a crowded rotation now, so he'll likely go to AAA and work on his mechanics. He should be one of the first to be called on in case of injury or a need for pitching help this season. I'd look for Lumsden to get some time in KC this season, and to have a definite shot at the rotation in 2008 and beyond.

Countdown resumes on Monday....

Prospect Report - Day 4

Sorry...this is coming a day late, will also post Day 5 shortly.

Probably a controversial choice, but here it is.......

NUMBER 7: Justin Huber - OF/1B/DH

Huber's been a name associated with this list for a little while now, and he's certainly been surpassed by more recent draft picks/acquisitions, but I've got to believe he's still got the ability to be a solid big league hitter. Huber - who's 25 years old now - is a right-handed batter who's recently been shifted to the outfield (a crowded position within the KC farm system). The acquisition of Ryan Shealy has likely made this transition a permanent one.

Huber has been a very solid hitter during his career, slipping a little in '06....probably somewhat due to the position shift, adjusting defensively, etc. He still hit .278 with an OBP of .358 for AAA Omaha, including 22 doubles and 15 HR in 352 at bats. Not exactly lighting the world on fire, but solid numbers.

He's pretty much been a line drive hitter, able to spray the ball around the field, and should be able to hit 15-20 homers at the ML level. He's not overly athletic, being a former catcher, but not bad...and he's got a strong arm, which is essential to play a good outfield. However, his athleticism is below par for an outfielder, making him raw and below average at that spot. He was a pretty solid defender at 1B, but he won't be playing there any time soon (for this franchise, anyway).

Most people probably wouldn't rank Huber this high on the list (if they ranked him at all), but I'm not ready to forget about him just yet. The main reason I'm ranking him at all is due to his possible trade value, and if the Royals can flip him to another team for a solid prospect at another position, then he's sort of served his purpose at this point of his career. I like the guy, but I think he's just been squeezed out of a job in KC.

PROJECTION:

Due to the presence of Shealy at 1B, plus a surplus of corner outfielders, I don't think Huber will make it through 2007 with this organization. If a deal can be made for him, I think Dayton Moore will pull the trigger and send Huber packing. I could see Huber joining another club as a corner outfielder or first baseman and batting a solid .270 to .290, with 15 homers, 30 doubles, and a decent OBP. He should be a solid player for someone at some point......and hopefully can help the Royals fill a need at another position (via trade).

Prospect Report - Day 3

NUMBER 8: Brent Fisher - LHP

Fisher is a young pitcher (he won't turn 20 until August 2007) with a lot of upside. The 6-2, 190 pound youngster was drafted out of high school in 2005 (round 7) and put up great numbers in Rookie ball last season - pitching 72.1 innings with an ERA of 2.12. Fisher also posted 107 K's vs. only 19 walks, showing very good control.

Fisher has a good fastball, hitting the upper 80's/lower 90's and a curve, both of which he seems to have decent command of. According to scouting reports I've read, he's got good mechanics and a solid frame, so he can hopefully avoid the "fragile pitcher" syndrome. Fisher also has a changeup, but according to what I've read, it isn't much of a weapon at this point....maybe it's something that will develop by the time he hit's the big leagues, as he's likely still at least a three years away.

The room for improvement is very high, as Fisher has yet to play a full season, which he'll do in 2007 (probably with the Low A club). After dominating two years of rookie ball (a combined 176 K's in 122 innings) it'll be interesting to see how he puts it all together in one, longer season. If he dominates at Low A, I don't see any reason the Royals wouldn't go ahead and bump him up to High A this year, with a trip to Wichita possible in 2008. I'm assuming we won't see Fisher in KC until sometime in 2010 (maybe Sept. '09).

PROJECTION:

It's hard to say at this early stage. Fisher definitely appears to have the right stuff....SO FAR. He's got a long way to go and you never can tell with prospects (especially pitchers). Since a true ace is hard to find, I'll guess we're looking at a #3-5 starting pitcher....possibly a reliever. Should be fun to follow this season and beyond - he's definitely one to watch over the next couple of years.

Prospect Report - Day 2

NUMBER 9: Jeff Bianchi - SS/2B

Bianchi is a Right-handed middle infielder, drafted out of high school in the second round of the 2005 draft. He hit over .400 in 2006, but in limited time (12 games!), as he was plagued by injury. This was Bianchi's second injury in as many years (back injury in 2005, shoulder in '06), and he's only had 176 plate appearances in both seasons combined. Not much of a sample size, but the Royals have to like what they've seen in such limited time.

Bianchi looks to be fundamentally solid on the defensive side of the ball...a must at either middle infield position. His approach at the plate also looks good, with a combined batting average of .414 over his two shortened seasons. According to scouting reports, Bianchi has good speed and a nice swing. What all this will translate into on the field is hard to project, and he'll have to play a full season (or at least close to one) to get more of a feel for his skills.

Judging from his stats thus far, it seems that Bianchi can hit...but how well can he sustain that over a full season? Will he be able to make adjustments throughout an entire season? Hopefully 2007 will provide the answers, as he'll likely start off in Low A ball...if he produces (and stays healthy), I don't think it'd be a stretch to see him get promoted to High A, with Wichita on the radar for 2008. KC could be within reach by 2009 if all goes according to plan, with a more probable arrival date of September '09/Spring 2010.

PROJECTION:

I think Bianchi could be a guy who starts in KC at either 2B or SS (probably 2B - see below)....of course, I'd have to see him stay healthy (I'm hoping he's not injury prone) before I give him anything, but I think it's safe to pencil him in. It's hard to project his power and speed in such limited playing time, but I think it's safe to say he'd be an offensively gifted middle infielder with plus speed. We'll also have to wait and see if he's got the patience at the plate to be a top of the order guy - but he seems to have the makings of a leadoff or #2 hitter.

With his recent shoulder issues, his arm strength may be in question, which could see a permanent shift to 2B. If KC can hang on to Mark Grudzielanek for a couple more years, Bianchi could be groomed to take over at 2B at some point in 2009/2010.

Prospect Report

Over the next week or two, I'm going to try to give my thoughts on the top prospects in KC's farm system. We'll take a look at the top 10, starting at the bottom and working up to #1 (not that there's any real surprise who that'll be).

NUMBER 10: Mitch Maier - OF

Maier is a left-handed hitting 24 year old former first round pick (taken in 2003) out of The University of Toledo. He's coming off a good overall season in 2006, though he got off to a rocky start. Maier played for AA Wichita, where he made up for a rocky start by finishing the season on a hot streak. He ended up batting .306 in 138 games for Wichita - including 35 doubles, 7 triples and 14 homers. Maier ended up with an OBP of .357 and SLG of .473, which combined for an OPS of .830.

Past reports on Maier show that he's athletic and has decent speed....he stole 13 bases for Wichita in '06 (although he was also caught stealing 12 times). Defensively, he's improved greatly in the outfield - Maier was initially drafted as a catcher and moved to 3B for settling in the outfield - at the major league level, he most likely projects to play a corner outfield spot (although he plays center as well, the Royals already have David DeJesus in that position).

Judging from stats and reading various scouting reports, Maier looks to be a guy who can hit for average and has power to the gaps, but not much home run pop. He could be a threat as a base runner as well, assuming he can cut down on the amount of times he's caught stealing (which will come with experience and coaching).

PROJECTION:

I personally see Maier as a possible starter, but most likely a really solid fourth outfielder for the Royals. The perfect situation would see the KC outfield in 2008 looking something like this: DeJesus, Mark Teahen, and Billy Butler....with Maier backing up all three and probably getting a lot of playing time, since Butler will could end up as a DH often. Maier should be a solid big leaguer, putting up good numbers in 300+ AB's as a part-time player.

Maier will most likely start 2007 in Omaha, but will probably make his way back up to KC at some point this year (maybe sooner rather than later, should Dayton Moore make a move with Reggie Sanders or Emil Brown).

Stay tuned for Prospect #9..........

Bo Jackson - HOF potential?

Haven’t posted lately, I guess January is a slow time for baseball news. Anyway, here’s a little something from the past….

This discussion came up at Royalscorner.com – a Royals message board located at Scout.com. What if Bo Jackson never played football? What if he’d never been injured? Would Bo have turned himself into a HOF caliber baseball player? The argument intrigued me and I decided to crunch some numbers, here’s what I came up with……

The initial discussion was “What if Bo never played in the NFL?”…well, there’s no real way to project how much better he’d have been at baseball from the very beginning if that’s all he had concentrated on. So, I decided to look at it this way: “What if Bo had retired from the NFL before he was injured?” I wondered how much better he would’ve become had he decided to hang up the one career and focus on baseball from that point on.

I went to baseball-reference.com and looked up Bo’s career stats, looking mostly at the stats from 1987-1990 (really his only full seasons, all with the Royals, all pre-injury). After analyzing the numbers, here’s what I concluded:

Jackson WAS getting much better at the plate. His OBP increased at a 15.5% rate over those four seasons - from .296 up to .342, and his average went up at about the same rate (15.7%). Both increased at an average rate of almost 4% per season....and he was going into his prime.

Bo was also figuring out how to translate his raw strength into power at the plate. This was reflected in the frequency with which he hit home runs. As you can see, his HR per AB got better each year:

1987 - 1 HR every 18 AB
1988 - 1 every 17.56 AB
1989 - 1 every 16.09 AB
1990 - 1 every 14.46 AB

Over that four year span, he hit homers more often each season, with the biggest jumps coming in his two best seasons – 1989 and 1990. His HR total in 1990 was lower than 1989, but he also had 110 less AB. Had he reached 515 AB (his total in 89), he would've likely hit 36 HR that season...not too shabby, and 4 more than he hit in 1989. Now, I don't know that it would've increased much more than that, but you have to take into consideration the construction of new ballparks, expansion (which weakens pitching), and a juiced ball...and take into consideration that he was heading into his prime seasons– he probably would’ve had at least a couple of 40 HR years.

I believe his average and on base % would've risen at a similar rate to the one I listed above for another three or four seasons (probably through 1994, age 31) and then would've leveled out for a few, then probably started declining again.

In summary - a Hall of Fame career….I don’t know. Maybe, if he could’ve really disciplined himself at the plate, the stats would've increased at an even higher rate....but I'm guessing he would've fallen a little short.

I won't lay out all the math here, but I'm projecting that he would've hit roughly 430-440 HR if he would've quit football and never been hurt, and if he'd have played full seasons (I figured his average would've been around 440 AB per year) thru the year 2000 (age 37).

Also figured he'd have stolen roughly 260 bases over his career.

So...440 HR/260 SB – I’m not so sure those are HOF numbers (especially since he falls short of the magic 500 HR mark). However, it’s harder to project how his stats would've differed if he’d focused solely on baseball and never played a down in the NFL. Had he gone that route, his first few full seasons would likely have been more productive, and his projected numbers would be higher as well…probably enough to boost his career numbers to over 500 HR/300 SB. Had he not had the wear and tear of football on his body, he may have stayed healthier as well, playing more games and logging more at bats. At that rate, he's in.

Regardless, the guy was a world-class, hall of fame athlete. Too bad his career (in both sports) was cut so short. I look forward to any comments you may have…could be fun conversation/debate.