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It's Tuesday (and thanks to this blogging software, it's the second time I'm typing this) and that means that Alex Gordon is now tied to the Royals through the 2013 season. He needed to stay in Omaha for 20 days and the seventh was day number 20. So now, his free agency has been delayed for a year.
I'm not sure there are any winners in this situation. Gordon is unhappy as a Royal (can you blame him?) and would probably be better off with a fresh start with a new team. This whole service time debacle is simply the last straw. Now that he's under club control for four years instead of three, I wonder if that pumps his value ever so slightly. If the Royals were to deal him this winter, they would most certainly be selling low. But maybe that extra year makes him a little more enticing. Interesting...
I’m always pleasantly surprised how many stories a 100 loss team can turn out in a given year. This year is no exception. The Royals are sinking to new depths, but they always make it interesting.
-- Did you read the Star’s interview with General Manager Dayton Moore in Friday’s paper? Give him credit - his team stinks, but he’s more than willing to spread the blame.
What’s interesting (or troubling, depending on your perspective) is that Manager Trey Hillman will most definitely return for the 2010 season.
“I think Trey has done an exceptional job under the circumstances”
The circumstances are, of course, injuries and underperformance. The latter circumstance is laughable. We’ve been over it before, but it was underscored by my trip to the K on Monday afternoon. As I scanned the Angels lineup, I realized that if you took anyone from their starting nine (with the exception of Jeff Mathis, who was subbing for Mike Napoli) and placed them on the Royals, they would immediately be either the best or second best hitter on the team. Eight Angels are better than just about anyone the Royals can send to the plate. (The exception here is obviously Billy Butler who crushed two home runs on Monday.)
The Royals didn’t underperform in 2009. They were simply a bad team.
When Dayton talks “underperformance” he’s basically wiping his hands of the disaster of this year. That would be great, except he’s the archetecht of said disaster. He’s trying to absolve himself from any responsibility. That’s troubling. But it certainly doesn’t bother Papa Glass, who extended his contract.
Anyway, I’m not too torn up about Hillman coming back for ’10. If we’ve learned anything this season it’s that the Royals are at least another three years from even thinking about challenging. Three years. I’ll view Hillman as a caretaker manager for 2010. He’s simply keeping the seat warm for someone with a little more moxie who can step in and guide this team. I just don’t see Hillman in charge of this team if they are ever competitive.
-- The rest of the Star’s article on Moore wasn’t really all that interesting. Although this quote caught my eye.
“Is it Trey’s fault that in giving a young Billy Butler the opportunity to play first base, that we’ve had numerous 3-6-3 opportunities for a double play — and can’t execute that?"
I’m sorry, but this infuriates me. Why is Moore throwing Butler under the bus here? Does he not realize that Butler’s development as a ballplayer is one of only two positive things you can cite on this season. And the 3-6-3 double play? Is Moore being serious?
I’ve watched a ton of baseball, and if I had to guess, I’d say the 3-6-3 double play is the rarest of infield, ground ball double plays. Unfortunately, I don’t have the numbers of 3-6-3 double play opportunities. However, I do have the numbers of successful 3-6-3 double plays.
Billy Butler has been involved in two 3-6-3 double plays this year. OK, that doesn’t sound like a lot. But let’s get some perspective. Here’s how Butler compares to some of the top defensive first basemen in the game:
Kendry Morales has turned seven 3-6-3 double plays
Mark Teixeira has turned two 3-6-3 double plays
Miguel Cabrera has turned one 3-6-3 double play
Adrian Gonzalez has turned two 3-6-3 double plays
Anyway, I don’t think the Royals have lost a ton of outs because of Butler’s lack of ability on the ultra-rare 3-6-3 double play.
Why would Moore single out Butler and a rare defensive play? It’s strange, isn’t it? There are so many things wrong with this team and this is what Moore chooses to cite in an interview.
It was interesting in Monday’s game when Butler did have an opportunity to turn the 3-6-3 double play, but it didn’t happen. That’s because he wisely stepped on the bag for the first out and got the runner that was on first in a rundown. Poor Butler. That probably cost him a cool million in arbitration. If Dayton Moore is noticing things like this, it has to be important.
-- I’ll never tire of pointing out how horrible Mike Jacobs has been this year. It’s part of my crusade to persuade the front office he should be non-tendered at first opportunity this winter. Here’s the latest:
Worst percentage of scoring runners from third with less than two outs (minimum 20 opportunities)
Mike Jacobs - 24%
Joe Crede - 27%
Lyle Overbay - 28%
Ichiro - 29%
Nick Green - 32%
The major league average is 52%.
I will give Jacobs some credit… He bounced a ball between the hole at first and second base in the game on Monday to score a runner from third.
Yippee.
-- The Royals finally brought in some reinforcements for the bullpen when they recalled Dusty Hughes, Victor Marte and Carlos Rosa.
It simply boggles the mind that the Royals kept trotting the same crap from the bullpen night after night when everyone (except maybe Dayton Moore) knew that they were horribly overmatched.
These moves should have been made in July.
-- And of course the new guys get thrown into the fire straight away which left the bullpen bare behind Zack Greinke on Saturday. Yosh Yabuta is the latest to sabotage Greinke’s Cy Young chances.
That’s one thing that’s been a total team effort this year.
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Comments
Sorry, Ron.
Looks like next year won't be much better, either.
We don't have great players, but it's the guys making the decisons who are the problem. And the fact that Glass doesn't recognize it and won't make changes tells me all I need to know. I'll give Moore one more off season, but I don't see myself caring too much next year about the Royals. It's not worth the effort.
It's hard to care about a team that doesn't even care about it's fans.
I had the same reaction to Moore's excuses and throwing players under the bus. Basically it's all the players and fans fault for talking about things we know nothing about. Based on his points the Royals don't need any manager as the manager has no effect on anything related to winning and losing. We can argue what Hillman is doing bad- but just once tell me what he's doing well that makes it so easy to bring him back.
They keep using injuries as an excuse (while saying they can't do that-then do nothing but that) and it's so cowardly. The Angels lost their entire rotation and best hitter -then lost Torri Hunter- they found a way.
Saying losing Jose Guillen to injury was crippling is insane- we are better w/o him duh- and Aviles? How can he be so critical when you traded for the dream SS - shouldn't we be better with Betancourt with upgrade?
This refusal to accept responsibility is the greatest sin of the year. Hell we've lost before but this time it seems far more suffocating because they learned nothing from it. Yes Hillman is a caretaker so not a big deal but Bell was a caretaker, Pena was a caretaker, Muser was a caretaker, I can't care any more. Right now I am looking at going to games 2010. I have not attended since July. I am no longer a season ticket holder, I don't want to go watch them or support them. Dayton needs to be worried about guys like me.
Also, he mentioned that it was his call to up the pitch count of all the starters not Trey Hillman.
Did he just realize this was a problem last week? Why has he waited until this month have guys start skipping starts?
I think it is funny that all of these comments from Dayton came out right after he received his new contract. He sure wasn't saying this stuff when he was waiting for his new contract.