Mike Moustakas is not good right now. He hasn’t been good this whole season, and frankly, he wasn’t very good last season, either. In fact, statistically speaking, he is one of the worst everyday hitters in the Major Leagues.
Oh sure, he drove in three runs in Wednesday’s win over the Colorado Rockies. So he’s “fixed,” probably. And yeah, he’s tied for the team lead in homeruns, and he’s tied for third in RBI. But when you’re dealing with an offense that is this disgusting, this anemic, that’s like being the thinnest kid at fat camp: it doesn’t mean shit.
There was a ton of talk swirling on Monday and Tuesday about whether or not he’d be sent down to Omaha. The Royals had some roster moves to make, and manager Ned Yost had previously hinted that Moustakas had “lost his confidence.” He intoned, basically, that he was all for giving Moustakas a little time elsewhere.
The Star’s Sam Mellinger wrote a very good—and responsible and sane and tempered—column about how shipping Moose to Nebraska made great sense. Previous jaunts to the small-screen had worked wonders for guys like Billy Butler and Alex Gordon, so why couldn’t it work for Moose?
Then the roster move happened (Omar Infante to the DL! Hellooooo Pedro Ciriaco!) and Moustakas was still there, manning third with his .161 average, his .226 on-base-percentage, and his .348 slugging percentage.
In the related press conference, general manager Dayton Moore said really cowardly, horse-shitty things like, “WHAT’S A BETTER ALTERNATIVE?” and “MOUSTAKAS IS OUR GUY. HE’S THE GUY WE’RE GONNA WIN WITH,” and “HOW ABOUT THE PITCHING, DOESN’T ANYONE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT?” and “WHO SEVERED MY TESTICLES? I COULD HAVE SWORN I HAD TESTICLES.”
So these aren’t verbatim, and I’ll probably be sued if Moore somehow ever actually reads this, but as a lifelong, mentally disjointed and permanently scarred Kansas City baseball fan, I really don’t care. I’m not Sam Mellinger. I don’t need to be politically correct, or “factually accurate” with my quotes. The bottom line is, he said MOST of those things, in some form or another.
He honestly wanted to know what alternative they had.
In a bizarre, defensive maneuver, he asked if anyone wanted to talk about what was going well with the team, instead.
1) Whose fucking fault is that, Dayton?
2) No, because a problem is a problem is a problem.
And I know it seems petty to harp on a singular piece of a puzzle that is actually on the winning side of the ledger now, but how much better would the Royals be right now if Mike Moustakas wasn’t shitting it up almost every day?
Could an everyday Danny Valencia possibly be any worse?
Couldn’t Johnny Giavotella—who has spent more time in Omaha this season playing third than his native second—be just as lousy, and maybe not even quite as much?
It is painfully obvious that Moore is determined to make Moose fit—he was his first draft-pick, after all—but when do you stop repeatedly ramming your dick into the side of a barn and calling it sex?
Mike Moustakas could be a brilliant third baseman in the major leagues… some day. But it won’t be tomorrow and it won’t be next week, and as long as he’s being handled with pussy-drenched kid gloves, it’ll never happen, ever.
He needs Omaha, and he needs it now. And if Dayton Moore wasn’t such a bull-headed, stubborn dipshit, it would have happened long ago. And then Moose could gather the confidence that he’s clearly so desperately lacking. And he could be, you know, actually be helping the team in a meaningful, consistent manner.
If only.
one thing is keeping this team from being a contender…that
is yost.
I’ve said it for 3 years now…this guy knows nothing about baseball
much less being a winner in baseball.
I imagine its his final call…but moore has to okay everything.
yost will cost this team 10-12 games this year with his stupidity from
leaving in starters too long from understanding that others teams
pitchers now know how to pitch mouse and get an out.
he’s too anxious…he’s too nervous…tries to hard..
let brett work with him again. Omaha might be a place to start.
But if they can make it thru may in pretty decent shape they can
make this season a good one. (rememeber last may).
But yost has to go…and the sooner the better before he makes
mincemeat out of this team.
Agree with ya lefty…let him spend some time getting some
more swing time up north…right now he hasn’t hurt the team
too much…but come the hot months of summer we need
him banging the ball or let him enjoy Omaha in the summertime.
have some patience lefty…may is the sand trap that always kills the
royals…2 more weeks and we’ll see how they look.
I’ve been to 10 games this year…mouse has the potential…but potential
time is over.
watch him….the .005 second he has to determine what to do with
a pitch has him all fouled up…. he has to calm down. Hopefully
he’ll get his act together because him hitting 290 plus and this
team could do something.
lefty… being sent down doesn’t always work, and can sometimes harm a guy. in this case tho’, I’d err on the side of it working. see OTC for more a more intelligent discussion on this.
meanwhile, let’s just see what he does against Baltimore.
You’re right about it sometimes NOT working, but we won’t know unless they actually try. Their inactivity regarding the matter could very well be causing more irreparable harm than can be undone.
All things considered, I would rather have Moose up with runners on first and second and one out than our designated hitter. While Moustakas might end up striking out or hitting a long fly ball, Butler is just as likely to ground out into an inning-ending double play.
At least Moose has a cannon for an arm and can play defense, and I gotta think the skills he showed in spring training, where he was one of the top hitters in the entire Cactus League, will emerge sooner than later. But that slow-ass Billy B with his complete lack of power and less-than-average defensive skills needs to either straighten up or mosey on out of town as soon as possible.
Yes, Butler is becoming a very big concern. And it’s totally bizarre. At his worst, he’s always been a very prolific singles hitter. Now, he’s an automatic out. It sucks.
Frankly, I’d rather neither one be up in a clutch situation. I’ll take my chances w/ Escobar, thanks. (Never, ever thought I’d type that and mean it.)