Decided to change the name and address of my blog....we're now called "The Hot Corner".
Been a while since I've blogged anything, and thought I'd go with a fresh start with my renewed dedication to the blog.
Hopefully you guys will continue reading and will enjoy my observations on the Royals.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Monday, August 27, 2007
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.
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.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
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.
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.
Monday, July 9, 2007
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.
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.
Monday, June 25, 2007
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!
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!
Saturday, June 16, 2007
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.
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.
Monday, June 11, 2007
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!
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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)