Losing Manny - Does it hurt the Sox?

A day after the trade deadline has passed, there are many fans of the game (and members of the media) that think the Red Sox really had their hand forced and got screwed. Well...I agree with half of that statement.

Yes, I believe Manny did all he could to force Theo Epstein and the Sox into finding a new home for their Hall of Fame bound slugger. Clearly, Manny didn't want to be there anymore, for whatever reason, and he got his wish.

Now...the second part...did the Sox get screwed? Can they possibly fill the hole left by Manny with Jason Bay? I say there's a damn good chance they don't miss a beat.

Does Jason Bay strike fear into the hearts of opposing managers and pitchers? I don't know...maybe...a little bit. Not to the level that Manny does, but Bay is no slouch. Bay is in his prime, Manny is past his - or at least he's moving past it. Does Bay in his prime compare to Manny in his??? No way. However....does Bay in his prime compare to the Manny of the last couple of years? YES!! He does. Very favorably. The problem with people making statements like "the Sox got screwed"? Those people generally look at the names involved in the deal - and not the numbers.

Let's take a look at those numbers, comparing Manny vs. Bay from 2006 to this point of the 2008 season - which is basically a little over two and a half seasons:

Manny Ramirez, 2006-7/31/2008:

396 hits, 82 doubles, 75 HR, 229 runs, 258 RBI

Jason Bay, 2006-7/31/2008:

407 hits, 77 doubles, 78 HR, 251 runs, 257 RBI


Didn't think it'd be that close, did you? Bay has more hits, more homers, more runs, and only one less RBI. The number of doubles is virtually the same as well, with Manny winning out by a whopping five.....

So...I'll ask you again - did the Sox get screwed?

Well, they moved a guy who's seen his better days (and who carries a bad attitude), for a guy who's six years younger and is a hell of a hitter. Oh, and I didn't even mention that Bay has a good attitude AND he can even play defense! He can also run a bit, in five seasons (including this one, which we all know is not over), he's got 50 steals.

I'd argue that the Sox dumped an aging slugger and a lot of salary for a guy who will produce for them over the next several years (if they choose to hang on to him).

Nice job, Theo.




Click HERE to see more discussion on this topic.

No Trades for KC

Well the trade deadline has come and gone, and the Royals made no moves this season. I don't really have a problem with that. For the first time in what seems like a long time, KC didn't just deal someone away for whatever they could get in return, choosing instead to hang on to all the parts that help them win ball games.

That being said, I wouldn't have objected to trading a guy like Grud or Mahay for a very promising prospect...but apparently that kind of deal wasn't out there. Of course, there was the rumor of the Mahay to Philly deal - but Philly either backed out, or KC didn't project that kid to be a possible everyday player. Instead of dealing him anyway, I'm glad we hung on to him.

Yes we are rebuilding. Yes rebuilding teams flip older players for prospects all the time. But...this team is getting better (believe it or not), and part of that involves creating a winning atmosphere. I say let's continue to build this atmosphere. The young players need it. The manager needs it. The fans need it. Maybe, just maybe....winning a few games this year will help us get where we want to be in 2009, 2010, and beyond.

Royals drop tenth straight - Guillen's had enough

Jose Guillen has had enough. After the Royals blew an 8-3 lead in the ninth inning and went on to lose their tenth straight – Guillen erupted in the clubhouse. I heard clips of his comments this morning on my drive to work, and I loved every second of it. Laced with “f-bombs”, the frustrated Guillen laid it all out for the media. To sum it up – don’t blame Trey Hillman, and we have a team full of “babies” who need to grow up and learn how to play the game.

Here are a couple of quotes from an article at mlb.com (I think they’ve cleaned the profanity out):

"This is all on us," Guillen said. "This is not about what kind of moves the manager made. He cares about us, and he wants to win more than anyone. He's preparing every single day to win and works hard every day. And we've been letting him down."

"We've got 25 people," he said. "We've got to play as a team, win as a team and lose as a team. We've got too many babies here. They don't know how to play the game and play the game right, the way it's supposed to be played."

"That's the problem here. Now I know why this organization has been losing for a while."

I couldn’t agree more, Jose. While this team does seem to be moving in the right direction – the hiring of a legit GM in Dayton Moore and a very good managerial prospect in Trey Hillman; the young pitching staff that could be among the best in the AL in another year; making a couple of free agent signings in Guillen and Gil Meche; and of course, the arrival of youngsters like Alex Gordon and Billy Butler – there still seems to be this acceptance of losing among some of the players.

I’m not sure what needs to happen. Do we need to cut ties with some of the guys who have been here during the losing period? Are they too comfortable with losing? Some of the guys like DeJesus, Teahen, and Buck – are they going to help push us over the hump, or are they just going to keep saying “Oh well” when we drop 10 straight? Where were these guys after the game? Where were their fiery comments? I know these guys are quiet, and that’s part of the reason Jose Guillen was brought in – to bring some fire to the team – but still, shouldn’t these guys who have been around KC for a while speak up at some point?

Until they do – here’s hoping that Guillen keeps letting all the “babies” on the team have it. Someone needs to call them out, and having a competitive veteran like Guillen around to kick these guys in the ass is just what the doctor ordered.

Now, as Guillen might say, “let’s go out there and win a fu*#ing game you damn babies!”

Pain in the neck

I keep waiting for Jose Guillen to get hot. We need his bat to come alive...our offense is anemic, and a hot streak from our big free agent acquisition is the cure. Unfortunately, Guillen's got a neck pain that held him out of last night's game.

Just when he was (maybe) about to go on a hot streak. I went to the game Wedensday night to see our boys take on the the Angels (and too see the Greinke vs. Weaver matchup). The Royals bats woke up - especially Guillen's; he had three hits - three SOLID hits - before coming out of the game with a pain in the neck.

According to the KC Star, he may be able to play tonight. If not, it looks like Callaspo will be back in left field again - which is fine, as he hits when he plays. Hopefully, though, we'll see Guillen get back in the game and stay hot for an extended stretch of time.

On a positive note - nobody is running away from the pack in the AL West, here are the current standings:

Minnesota 17-16
Chicago 16-17
Cleveland 16-18
Kansas City 15-19
Detroit 15-21

It's still anyone's for the taking....

So far, so good...

Well the Royals had a successful road trip, going 4-2 against Detroit and Minnesota. I was preparing myself for the team’s return to The K to come packaged with a 1-5 record, 4-2 is definitely nice.

It’s not that I think the Royals suck, I look at the team through the eyes of an optimistic fan, but I’ve been let down for so many years now…it’s hard to imagine them getting off to such a start. The best part about it all is that they’ve played tough in every game, even the two losses. That’s what is more encouraging to me than their record, as it tells me they’ve improved and they are steadily moving in the right direction. They’re becoming a tough group of players, which translates into a team that doesn’t lay down and die, but a team that can compete and a team that will fight until the last out of the last inning. I’d rather see them playing tough and losing than winning a couple of lucky games and getting blown out in their losses. I’ll take games like these all year.

Other Notes:

Well, the talks have begun. “Time to trade DeJesus,” the fans say. I’m not so sure about that. I don’t think I’m ready to give Gathright the job outright based on 6 games. DDJ has been a steady bat for us over the last few seasons, and he’s earned the chance to come back and show us what he’s got. That being said, Gathright is an electric player with the kind of speed we haven’t seen in KC since guys like Amos Otis and Willie Wilson were roaming the outfield and the base paths. If he can get on base at a good clip, he may be the leadoff man of the future, while DeJesus may become a fourth outfielder – or even trade bait.

Miguel Olivo is back from suspension, and with that comes the optioning of Tupman to Omaha…and the arrival of Hideo Nomo in the KC bullpen. I’ll be interested to see what Nomo’s got left in the tank. Even if his stuff’s not what it once was (and it’s surely not), I’d like to see if he’s crafty enough to be effective. Should make for an interesting opening series at home against the Yankees – the Japanese media will be out in full force to cover Nomo, Yabuta, Hillman, and of course Matsui.



AL Central standings as of April 6, 2008:

Royals 4-2
White Sox 4-2
Indians 3-3
Twins 3-4
Tigers 0-6

The Junk Drawer Podcast - check it out...

For anyone reading this, go check out the junk drawer (the link is to the right). Great pop culture and sports talk, I recommend following the link and giving it a listen.

Opening Day Success!

I’m finally coming down off my buzz from the opening day win over Detroit and their juggernaut lineup. Time to look ahead rather than back at that one day, but here is a quick breakdown of that game:

The Good:

Alex Gordon took a step forward as a game changing hitter with his two run homer. He also flashed some leather, making a great defensive play to end the game.

Joakim Soria picked up where he left off, getting a save by getting three straight outs (after allowing a leadoff double). He started off shaky, but then looked cool as ice the rest of the inning. Other bullpen help came in the form of Leo Nunez, who gave the Royals a very solid outing. I think this could be a breakout season for Nunez, who could help the bullpen as well as the rotation as a spot starter.

Mark Grudzielanek looked good, grinding away as usual. He was the most productive hitter of the day, coming up with three hits, and getting hit by a pitch. He showed why many fans love him, he’s a solid veteran who is a leader on this team and a spark for the offense.

The Bad:

Gil Meche gave up four walks and eight hits in only six innings. The good news is, he was crafty enough to bail himself out of trouble for the most part – he allowed only three runs to cross the plate, while getting the Tigers to strand several base runners. Meche showed the he was a solid enough pitcher to work through the two base runners per inning he allowed, and I won’t be too hard on him since it was against an all-star lineup; but he won’t be able to get away with that kidn of performance too many times.

Jose Guillen went hitless as the cleanup hitter. Our big off-season acquisition didn’t produce at the plate at all, and we lucked out and got some production from more unlikely sources (Tony Pena with the game winning RBI). I know, it’s only one game out of 162, but it would’ve been nice to see at least a hit. On the plus side, he did probably save the game when he took a run away from the Tigers by throwing a runner out at home plate. With Teahen in the other corner, it could be a fun year for outfield assists.

The Ugly:

David DeJesus left the game in the third inning with an aggravated ankle injury. This could mean a slow start to the season for our leadoff hitter, as he will likely miss time, even if he doesn’t land on the DL. Luckily we have Joey Gathright to fill in for the time being.

Looking ahead to Game 2:

Bannister and Kenny Rogers match up favorably on the mound. They are similar pitchers; both smart, neither have stuff to blow hitters away. It will come down to whichever lineup figures out the opposing pitcher first. I’m not holding my breath for another KC win, but I wouldn’t be totally shocked if they pull one out today.