OTC: June Swoon Has Royals Fans’ Attention
“It must be nice for David Glass to be sitting out there in the stands down in Houston enjoying the game just the way he likes it – with nobody messing with him because nobody knows who he is.”
Kevin Kietzman, 810 AM
GH: David Glass and his son Dan were front row center in our homes during the Royals series in Houston. Seated just behind home plate, they were impossible to avoid via the center field camera.
“I have tried to get David Glass on. He just doesn’t do many interviews.”
Roger Twibell, 610 AM
GH: David Glass will be 74 in September. He could run the Royals another five years or turn the club over to Dan as soon as next year. It is Dan who will determine this franchise’s future. Dan is who should be answering the tough questions about whether or not the team’s next 10 years will resemble the futility of their last two decades.
“I think so many fans have settled for mediocrity. If you were born after 1980, you’ve never seen good baseball (in Kansas City). Why settle for mediocrity? …For me, a lifelong Royals fan, it’s disappointing.”
Greg Schaum, Royals’ postgame host, 610 AM
“Is this (Royals) team going to come together in the next two years? I say no.”
Soren Petro, 810 AM
“Will Dayton Moore get this team to the postseason in five years? I would say, yes. But I don’t know if he’s got five years.”
Brian McRae, 810 AM
“I’m afraid (Moore) be fired before the talent in (the minors) gets here.”
Soren Petro, 810 AM
GH: How far away does that 18-11 start look? The media and fans first focused their ire on Trey Hillman. It has now spread to Moore and the Glass family. Sounds like it’s time to fire the hitting or pitching coach.
“Steve Busby after a game once said, ‘We out-dumbed them.’ And that would very aptly describe what we are watching. …Houston’s defense, the first five innings of this game, has been laughable.”
Denny Mathews, after the Astros botched a rundown play allowing the Royals to take a 4-3 lead, Royals Radio
GH: One positive from Matthews’ current I-don’t-give-a-shit radio play-by-play is refreshing honesty. Matthews loves good defense and smart baseball almost as much as he enjoys skipping those trips to Tampa. The consistently inept play he is witnessing this season might rival anything this franchise has produced in its 40 years.
“No matter how high they try to grow the grass out there at The K — and they probably have the highest grass in the league — you could turn an ankle running around that grass — the ball’s going to find those (poor defensive) guys.”
Brian McRae, 810 AM
GH: The former Royals center fielder apparently has knowledge that the Royals are intentionally allowing the grass at The K to reach new heights, in hopes it slows the ball down enough for a fielder to throw his body in front of it. Even the lawn mowers know we don’t have a chance.
“The times I saw (Aaron Crow) there was nothing that jumped out and grabbed me that told me that guy was going to be the Royals number-one draft pick. Maybe I just saw him on a bad day.”
Brian McRae, 810 AM
GH: Great. So you’re telling us that even our number-one draft pick will require The K to grow infield grass the height of Bethpage Black’s rough? There is more bad news, read on.
“There are definitive limitations in Mike Moustakas’ game. He’s 20-years old and he ain’t walking. He is what he is. I now believe he will not be an on-base machine. Right now I evaluate Mike Moustakas somewhere between Mike Jacobs… Mike Moustakas might be Mike Jacobs. I might be giving him too much credit. He might bomb out and never be Mike Jacobs.”
Soren Petro, 810 AM
GH: MooseTacos is one of the two (Eric Hosmer is the other) reasons down on the farm that all Royals fans can point to and dream about. If he’s the second coming of Mike Jacobs, we need to seriously consider lobbying the NFL to start their season in June.
“(Brayan Pena) may or may not have done it, but Frank (White) was pretty convinced that he was trying to see where (Pudge) Rodriguez set up.”
Ryan Lefebvre, on the heated exchange in the batter’s box between Pudge and Pena in the 8th inning Wednesday night, 810 AM
GH: Pena was definitely peeking back at the Astros’ catcher prior to the pitches – on multiple occasions. Frank White immediately recognized this and let the television audience know what all the commotion was about. The Royals Radio audience wasn’t as lucky. It wasn’t until the 11th inning that Bob Davis even mentioned the 8th inning incident and confessed to not knowing the cause of Pudge’s anger toward Pena. Just another reason White has been a valuable addition to the Royals telecast this season.
“I think half of it was that (Rodriguez) was mad at Pena and half of it he was mad at himself.”
Ryan Lefebvre, as Rodriguez continued to discuss the incident in the bottom of the inning with the Royals players while on first, second and third base, 810 AM
GH: The Beav knows his baseball but sometimes I wonder if he has forgotten most of it. Rodriguez, in my humble opinion, was not one bit upset with himself over having called for a pitch that Pena parked into the right field seats. He was pissed that Pena, who is a catcher and should know better, broke one of baseball’s most sacred unwritten rules; the batter doesn’t peek. Pudge was just doing his job in trying to protect his pitcher – and educate the young Royals’ catcher.
“You hear things (from Frank White) that you actually learn. That’s very rare from color people.”
Danny Clinkscale, 810 AM
GH: Clink may want to stick with the term “analyst” just to be safe.
“There were so many third-called strikes and the Royals didn’t adjust.”
Denny Matthews, after the Royals were caught looking seven times Thursday against Houston, Royals Radio
“I hated to strike out. I hated it! With two strikes you used to say, ‘This guy’s not going to strike me out anyway.’ For me, I’d rather hit a ground ball to the third basemen on a jam job than strike out. Take some pride. When I was down in spring training it’s one of the things I talked about – we’ve got to cut down on strike outs.”
George Brett, 610 AM
GH: If the Royals are looking for a slogan to motivate this 2009 version of the home team, I submit Brett’s above statement; Take some pride. Danny Clinkscale made the comment the other day, “Nobody has any shame anymore.” How sad. How true.
Greghall24@yahoo.com and Twitter @ greghall24
June 25th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
What free agents did Dayton Moore pass on this past off-season that are tearing it up right now? Glass wouldn’t pay Ibanez or Furcal, sure as hell wouldn’t pony up for big money players like Texeria or Sabathia, so what has Moore done that is so contemptible?
The biggest mistake you can criticize Moore for is the manager he hired. Imagine if he’d signed Andruw Jones or Milton Bradley. These kids in the minors Moore has drafted won’t sniff the big leagues for another 2-3 years. Crow will be in the starting rotation next year but if he starts out 0-2 everybody will pile on Moore.
This team has been so bad for so long and was so rotten so deep down into its core that it is taking much longer to turn around than people expected. Could another GM have put together a better team than the one Moore put together this season? Go back and look at the free agents who signed in ‘08-’09, who did Moore whiff on that he could have afforded under Glass’ budget restrictions?
It is what it is. When you only have $3.50 in your pocket, you don’t blame a Burger King Whopper for not tasting like a Ruth’s Chris Filet Mignon.
June 25th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
“If he’s the second coming of Mike Jacobs, we need to seriously consider lobbying the NFL to start their season in June. ”
Funny as hell man. I’m a baseball guy but the crap at the K doesn’t really qualify as baseball anymore. Maybe KC can snag a piece of that govt stimulus money to sign some talent.
June 25th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
Orlando Hudson
Rafael Furcal
THERE’S the free agents DM whiffed on.
June 25th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
hasn’t baseball advanced beyond the “unwritten rule” stage? Pudge, man up and quit your bitchin’!
June 25th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
Paul, I mentioned Furcal as one of the players Moore wanted to sign but Glass wouldn’t pay the money. Furcal signed a 3-year deal for $30 million with the Dodgers. We never had a chance of getting him, therefore Moore did not whiff on Furcal.
Moore went after Orlando Hudson but Hudson signed with the Dodgers. If you look at Hudson so far this season, his numbers aren’t much better than Callaspo’s and Callaspo only costs $415,000 whereas Hudson costs $3.3 million.
Orlando Hudson – current numbers for 2009
.312 BA
5 HRs
41 RBI
.381 OBP
.452 SLG
Alberto Callaspo – current numbers for 2009
.301 BA
4 HRs
26 RBI
.355 OBP
.444 SLG
June 26th, 2009 at 2:30 am
Reason # 456,789,234 to not watch MLB anymore, the unsaid rule that hurt the other teams feelings! I played every summer through high-school and lived and died with the Cardinals.
I would have rather watched a Chiefs pre-season game than the Cards World Series win. That’s what MLB has bcome. Much rather watch the college series.
June 26th, 2009 at 5:28 am
Dexter, while the offensive numbers between Hudson and Callaspo are respectively close — although Hudson is still clearly superior — Hudson is a three-time gold glover who this year has a fielding percentage of .988 and range factor of 4.71 while Callaspo’s numbers are .972 and 4.53 at 2B and ain’t going to win a GG.
I do agree with you in substance, though, that Callaspo has enough upside potential that paying the $$$ Hudson commanded wouldn’t have been an effective investment.
When Dayton Moore was hired, it was clear that while the Royals’ purse strings might loosen up a little, the franchise was going to be built with young players — with the occasional free agent to fill major gaps and keep the club remotely competitive.
The problem with counting on young players is that they are often inconsistent while in the development mode, and even some of the most highly-touted don’t pan out. And don’t forget injuries; with the Royals this season, players that were being counted on for big contributions — like Gordon, Crisp and Aviles — have gone down for extended periods. A franchise that has been down as long as Kansas City’s isn’t going to have the depth to overcome those blows or the money to fill the holes.
It’s going to take a while, and there are going to be missteps — one possibly being the hiring of Hillman — before the Royals are a franchise which can legitimately contend. Although there’s been a dip so far this season, the long-term trend for the franchise is positive. But KC isn’t New York, Boston, Chicago or LA, where the teams can pony up the dollars for the muscles.
June 26th, 2009 at 6:32 am
AS much as we like to bitch the Royals are still
going to do better this year.
If these players had a real manager who made sense it would be easier to field a winner.
If they listened to brett and white when they
talked about the royals not playing fundamentally
sound baseball it would be easier to field
a winner.
Problem is that we all expect a winner now.
I get disgusted at the play sometimes of the
royals and the managerial moves but theres
something in the team that tells me they
are close to really doing well in July
and August.
The anncrs at whb have proven they are wrong
70% of the time in their assessments (I will
have a rant about that soon) of every sport.
So I look ( and hope) for good things with
the royals. This pitching is going to get
unbeatable…the hitters are eventually going
to get hotter and if they could get rid of
hillman things would get better quick.
HILLMAN MUST GO!
June 26th, 2009 at 7:24 am
I know who’s not wrong on stuff and that’s 610 Sports. How about that Nick Wright, maybe next to Orsen Wells, one of the greatest broadcasters of all time. Please listen to 610. I’ll have a column soon documenting everything the do on a daily basis. I bet they could use a blogger on their station…hmmm…wonder who that could be.
KK, Jack Harry, Pork Chop = Douchebag
Go Twibell…..!
June 26th, 2009 at 7:36 am
“I know who’s not wrong on stuff and that’s 610 Sports. How about that Nick Wright, maybe next to Orsen Wells, one of the greatest broadcasters of all time. Please listen to 610. I’ll have a column soon documenting everything the do on a daily basis. I bet they could use a blogger on their station…hmmm…wonder who that could be.
KK, Jack Harry, Pork Chop = Douchebag
Go Twibell…..!”
RACK HIM…………………………….EPIC…………………………….CLASSIC…………………………………….I’M OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RING BOXING BELL.
June 26th, 2009 at 8:59 am
Hey 810 intern,
It was mildly humorous the first time you did it. Now it’s just plain annoying. I agree that GH has been giving Nick Wright a rusty trombone. Your point has been made. But if you’re that bored, why don’t you go fetch St. John some ganj or something.
June 26th, 2009 at 11:18 am
Once again, you guys are right…the hope of Gordon,Butler and Mark T….has failed, pitching has improved but with baseballs worst hitting team, and no defense….90 loses seems likely…does it matter, we stink again….and again almost nobody on THIS team will be a Royal in 2012, maybe two guys…and we likely will continue to stink in a sport that is dying nationally…behind pro basketball now…wow…however in KC it still matters mostly because of the Brett era….aw the old memories….George,Otis,Hal,White,Cowens….Freddie….those were the days….way gone…way gone..and it is sad we deserve better
June 26th, 2009 at 11:43 am
Craig Glazer, are you kidding? What makes you think baseball is dying nationally? When in fact it’s the other way around.
Is it because blacks don’t play it?
Who cares, last time I read hispanics are the top minority in this country and let me tell you, you don’t see very many Garcia’s or Hernandez’s in the NBA.
June 26th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Dayton Moore cannot resurect this team in 2 years. He probably needs 4-5 years just to get us back to being competitive and also the Glass family has to keep spending $$. What we have is a neglected franchise with a lot of players who would not start for another major league ballclub. Most of them might be in AAA or at the best utility players.
Hillman is a terrible manager but we could bring back Casey Stengel from the grave and it would not matter. The pitching is much better but this has got to be the worst defensive team ever assembled.
June 26th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Why are we talking baseball?