Royals

[NewtonHawk11]

This is my untrained eye but it seemed like Rocker was pretty overrated. Really good but he seemed to fall off a bit to end the year.

Also had an $8M signing bonus with Mets. The spot was something like $4.5M. So he probably demanded a high bonus and Royals signed a kid for maybe $3M.

[NewtonHawk11]

Alonso being a defending champ makes him a 5 seed..? He’s gonna double up Salvy.

[NewtonHawk11]

Salvy gonna hit a solid 20 yet Alonso is a nerd and focuses on this more than anything.

[Sparko]

Salvy did great. Alonso’s pitcher hit the power zone on every single pitch. Salvy objectively hit better than anyone else based on his last eight in a row. ESPN’s coverage is terrible. Lots of distraction. Ignored Salvy. Almost never showed a complete HR. Weird. Need to be called out. They need to do better than this.

[NewtonHawk11]

Set the record for catchers in the HR Derby. Not bad.

[jfish26]

Salvy did great. Alonso’s pitcher hit the power zone on every single pitch. Salvy objectively hit better than anyone else based on his last eight in a row. ESPN’s coverage is terrible. Lots of distraction. Ignored Salvy. Almost never showed a complete HR. Weird. Need to be called out. They need to do better than this.

I tend not to be the pile-on-ESPN type, or the KC-is-disrespected type, but that was horrible. Absolutely horrible.

I hope the Royals are, from the highest levels, pressing MLB to chastise its broadcast partner (which of course it's doing over other things right now, anyway).

The Derby is one of the only things that can get the Royals any national TV time. It's also the only thing in all of baseball that gets individual players national TV time.

The Royals deserved their time. More importantly (and perhaps crucially to a building HoF case), Salvy deserved his time.

While 95% of the complaints about ESPN, or the complaints about KC being overlooked, are stupid, this one isn't.

[NewtonHawk11]

They tried to make it up and interview him later on. They knew they messed up.

Yet still wasn't much said of him outside of his interview. It was all about that nerd Alonso and how much he practiced, his bat and all of that while Salvy is just nailing balls over the walls in any direction. That's more impressive than pulling every homer. Salvy probably had 8 homers to right or center.

[Sparko]

It is this kind of thing that ruins baseball for me. Would like a salary cap and better revenue sharing. Less pimping the haves. Instead, we get to pretend the Yankees have magically finished over .500 every year of our adult lives.

[pdub]

Baseball is more boring to me than many sports and the spending discrepancies between teams just pushes it further down in watchability.

[Sparko]

One of the most complete games the Royals have played this year last night. If you get a chance, watch the spectacular Dyson assist and tag that ended the game. Benni in left field is pretty awesome--as good as late career Gordo I think.

[NewtonHawk11]

Witt and Pratto to Omaha.

[Sparko]

Witt and Pratto to Omaha.

I guess my question all along was why it took so long. Witt could have joined the MLB after his excellent Spring. But watching former Royals pitchers shut them down Saturday and Sunday, I have to question what kind of coaching they get in KC. It is simply awful. Definitely need a new batting and pitching coach.

[NewtonHawk11]

At this point, I think you let it ride for this year. Get a good draft spot and then go all out with lineup next year.

3B Dozier
SS Witt
2B Mondi
1B Pratto
C Salvy
LF Beni
CF FA
RF Whit
DH Santana

Lopez a utlity guy along with Alberto.

[Sparko]

I put Witt at Third and put Lopez on a regular playing schedule. He is batting 100 points higher and is faster than Dozier. I might even trade Dozier for prospects at this point.

[NewtonHawk11]

Nobody taking on that contract.

[Sparko]

Got off the Sni on the road today. Soler looking like himself for a whole out there. Would like to see next year on the field getting experience. Singer and Duffy both of the DL, so maybe some young arms come back.

[NewtonHawk11]

Roys with a clean 4-0 season series sweep of Brewers. The games weren't that close either. That's what is frustrating about this team. They can compete, they just aren't consistent, or their consistency is going on a 11 game losing streak.

[Sparko]

The key has been starting pitching. The disasters have been big early innings. Need some maturity and six decent innings. Junis not being a part of the starting staff was a terrible decision that Matheny tried to hide in desperate minor league moves. Matheny is not a Yost replacement quality guy.

[NewtonHawk11]

The key has been starting pitching. The disasters have been big early innings. Need some maturity and six decent innings. Junis not being a part of the starting staff was a terrible decision that Matheny tried to hide in desperate minor league moves. Matheny is not a Yost replacement quality guy.

That's the moment of the season where I completely lost all understanding for what the plan was. He was rolling.

[jhawks99]

I'm in KC and have been able to watch the last three games. You're welcome.