It's about that time again. Get ready Royals fans, this is our year

Projected lineup (by me):

1. LF Scott Podsednik
2. RF David DeJesus
3. DH Jose Guillen
4. CF Rick Ankiel
5. 1B Billy Butler
6. 3B Alex Gordon
7. 2B Alberto Callaspo
8. SS Yuniesky Betancourt
9. C Jason Kendall

BN: Mike Aviles, Chris Getz, Willy Bloomquist, Brayan Pena, probably some other people.

Potentially the best starting rotation in baseball:

1. Zack Greinke
2. Gil Meche
3. Luke Hochevar
4. Brian Bannister
5. Kyle Davies/Robinson Tejeda/Anthony Lerew

Pen consisting of Joakim Soria, Kyle Farnsworth, Roman Colon, Juan Cruz..


Look for the Royals to break out and win the AL Central.

Here's a picture for you.



[Edited on January 28, 2010 at 10:11 PM. Reason : yuni to SS]

1/28/2010 10:06:26 PM

thats one intimidating lineup

i bet the rest of the AL Central are shaking in their spikes

1/28/2010 10:08:47 PM

Hey now.. that would have been a real good lineup in 2006 when Guillen, Kendall, and Ankiel were still good

1/28/2010 10:10:53 PM

got to love that pitching rotation

1. Greinke
2-5.

1/28/2010 10:36:41 PM

Kansas City: where Braves go to die

1/28/2010 10:40:26 PM

BP released PECOTA projections today. Royals predicted to be the worst in the Majors:

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/fantasy/dc/

1/28/2010 11:13:53 PM

obviously they don't know what they're talking about. the royals will be better than.. the indians..

1/28/2010 11:20:16 PM

I was thinking about the HR potential of this lineup. It is sad:

1. LF Scott Podsednik - 0-5 HRs if he plays 140+ games
2. RF David DeJesus - 5-10 HRs
3. DH Jose Guillen - 15-20 HRs
4. CF Rick Ankiel - 15-25 HRs if he stays healthy. He is like a crappy Griffey Jr
5. 1B Billy Butler - 10-15 HRs
6. 3B Alex Gordon - 10-15 HRs
7. 2B Alberto Callaspo - 5-10 HRs
8. SS Yuniesky Betancourt - 1 HR
9. C Jason Kendall - 0 HRs
Bench = 5-10 HRs

Total projected = 80-100 HRs. That is sad. Utley/Howard/Werth will likely hit more than the entire Royals team. Plus it's not like any of these guys are Ichiro types that get a ton of hits and there is not great speed on this team. Wow what a shit hole lineup and this is coming from a Braves fan. I do like Callaspo though and think he could surprise some folks this year. Kaufman stadium is still awesome too.




[Edited on January 29, 2010 at 9:19 AM. Reason : lk;]

1/29/2010 9:18:09 AM

that is a fine rotation.

definitely not a great batting lineup.

1/29/2010 9:23:19 AM

Quote :

"obviously they don't know what they're talking about. the royals will be better than.. the indians.."

We dealt away everyone except for Sizemore after that horrendous start last year, but I fully expect Acta will have the boys ready to ball come April. Wedge got canned so we might actually have a chance now.

I need to get an Indians season thread up I see...

1/29/2010 9:28:51 AM

imagine the reaction if you had told people ten years ago that in 2010 the Royals would have a shitty National League pitcher as their cleanup hitter.

1/29/2010 10:22:57 AM

Quote :

"Total projected = 80-100 HRs. That is sad. Utley/Howard/Werth will likely hit more than the entire Royals team. Plus it's not like any of these guys are Ichiro types that get a ton of hits and there is not great speed on this team. Wow what a shit hole lineup and this is coming from a Braves fan. I do like Callaspo though and think he could surprise some folks this year. Kaufman stadium is still awesome too."

based on last year, that starting lineup hit 86, with ankiel being out about 60% of the season, gordon missing about 2/3, and guillen missing about half. they would have been on pace for about 120-125 plus mashers like Mike Aviles missed the whole season. I think people are underestimating how good Callaspo, Butler, and TheJesus are. Sure projecting them at like 140 HR's isn't a whole lot better, but they'll win more games than people think.

1/29/2010 12:46:28 PM

I'm so fucking tired of this team. We'll be extremely lucky if we win 70 games this year, granted that would be an improvement over last year.

It's going to suck when we trade Grienke to the Yankees or Red Sox around July for 4 prospects that don't pan out.

1/29/2010 1:00:03 PM

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/durham-or-kansas-city

^and for what it's worth, yanks don't have the spects to get greinke this season

[Edited on January 29, 2010 at 1:28 PM. Reason : 1]

1/29/2010 1:26:51 PM

Quote :

"shitty National League pitcher as their cleanup hitter."

FWIW he was NL Rookie of the year and a pretty nasty pitcher before the whole wild pitch incidents.

I think the Cards gave up to early on him.

1/29/2010 2:08:04 PM

guy is turning 31 this season & is coming off his worst season hitting the ball

1/29/2010 2:37:27 PM

I meant they gave up on him as pitcher too early five or so years ago....now he was a good 3/4th OFer with a cannon arm who can pop about 25 homers if healthy.

1/29/2010 2:39:32 PM

got ya, yeh was curious how a team can give up on a 30+ year old OFer too early

1/29/2010 2:41:51 PM

^^
He gave up on pitching.

1/29/2010 2:58:52 PM

i think that even if the KC Royals took steroids, they still would be shit

1/29/2010 6:45:23 PM

according to accuscore, projected at a blistering 74.6 wins, ahead of 6 other MLB teams, and only .1 behind another. This will be the year.. hop on, haters.

2/24/2010 12:23:11 AM

KC is a great example of why MLB baseball is complete garbage. If you don't have money, you can't compete.

2/24/2010 4:58:25 PM

Just like everything else in life

The rich get richer and the poor get fucked over and out

Why should sports be any different?

2/24/2010 5:00:38 PM

^^ signed Tampa, Florida and Minnesota

[Edited on February 24, 2010 at 5:05 PM. Reason : learn the game maybe?]

2/24/2010 5:04:49 PM

^^they should check out the NFL

[Edited on February 24, 2010 at 5:05 PM. Reason : .]

2/24/2010 5:05:24 PM

MLB has had the highest % of different champions the last decade of any major pro sport. The Yankees are the only team to have multiple.

Small market teams are forced to be more creative, but they certainly can win. Don't be pissed because the Royals and Pirates are fucking stupid. Oakland, Minnesota, Tampa and Florida have all figured out how to win big with smaller payrolls too...

2/24/2010 5:06:22 PM

2010 AL Central Final Standings prediction:

1. Minnesota --
2. Chicago 3 GB
3. Detroit 7 GB
4. Cleveland 11 GB
5. Kansas City 31 GB

2/24/2010 5:10:09 PM

^^ Has been reading my posts

Quote :

"according to accuscore, projected at a blistering 74.6 wins, ahead of 6 other MLB teams, and only .1 behind another. This will be the year.. hop on, haters."

Last year they were predicted to win 75

2/24/2010 5:11:30 PM

Actually, I haven't but I know you and I have a similar take on baseball... except that I don't root for that group of inbreds southwest of Raleigh.

2/24/2010 5:12:43 PM

I wonder if everyone on the Royals roster is from the midwest...

2/24/2010 5:16:53 PM

Quote :

"The Yankees are the only team to have multiple"

Surely this was an one-time oversight and not an indication that your skills are slipping in your old age

2/24/2010 5:18:34 PM

No. I actually forgot about the '07 Sox... I was watching the hockey game though.

[Edited on February 24, 2010 at 5:19 PM. Reason : x]

2/24/2010 5:19:33 PM

The Sox are like his fourth team anyway

2/24/2010 5:20:49 PM

Quote :

"http://www.baseballprospectus.com/fantasy/dc/"

these predictions are rediculous, i disagree with almost every number on the page

2/24/2010 11:34:16 PM

Quote :

"KC is a great example of why MLB Kansas City baseball is complete garbage. If you don't have money intelligent management, you can't compete."

Even with their incompetence, they'll still make the playoffs. Hell, might even win a series or three once they get there.

2/25/2010 8:13:02 AM

Are those PECOTA projections?

[Edited on February 25, 2010 at 8:37 AM. Reason : nevermind... it was linked higher in the page]

2/25/2010 8:37:41 AM

Quote :

"MLB has had the highest % of different champions the last decade of any major pro sport. The Yankees are the only team to have multiple. Small market teams are forced to be more creative, but they certainly can win. Don't be pissed because the Royals and Pirates are fucking stupid. Oakland, Minnesota, Tampa and Florida have all figured out how to win big with smaller payrolls too... "

That is because some teams decide to go big and splurge for one year to put fans in the seats. I can't even keep up with who plays for who because players get traded about every other year. It is complete garbage. The Yankees SHOULD win every year but they choke which is the only good thing going in major league baseball.

2/25/2010 10:07:37 PM

^ Lame argument. Only one team has truly splurged and won and that was the Marlins. The Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, etc always splurge, but do not always win. Teams like the Twins, A's, Tampa have never had huge payrolls, but have found ways to be competitive.

Plus your argument that players get traded too much or switch teams is weak. The other major sports have a lot of player movement too except maybe the NFL, but that is due in part to the NFL having such complex systems that you cannot simply trade for a player and suddenly the team is better. In baseball, players do not have to learn an offense or defense to make an impact so trades are more frequent.

2/26/2010 10:06:31 AM

2009: Yankees (1st in payroll)
2008: Phillies (12th)
2007: Red Sox (2nd)
2006: Cardinals (11th)
2005: White Sox (13th)
2004: Red Sox (2nd)
2003: Marlins (25th)
2002: Angels (15th)
2001: Diamondbacks (8th)
2001: Yankees (1st)

So other than the Yankees and Red Sox, no champion has been higher than 8th in payroll. And of those teams only the Diamondbacks were in the top 10. The one year splurge theory is pretty stupid.

[Edited on February 26, 2010 at 10:28 AM. Reason : Checkbooks don't win championships]

2/26/2010 10:26:51 AM

^^ And I was talking about the Marlins in 1997.

^ spot on.

2/26/2010 10:37:23 AM

Plus, the way baseball is set up with the 6 year window of team control means that young premium players are able to be on smaller market teams up through their late-20's. Actually, it's becoming more and more common for players to have their first few years of free agency "bought out" at a discount. Longoria is a good example; as is David Wright among others.

Basically citing the Royals or Pirates as an example of large market domination is silly...

[Edited on February 26, 2010 at 10:38 AM. Reason : x]

2/26/2010 10:38:09 AM

I'm trying to think of players that KC has drafted that went on to other teams, Johnny Damon, Carlos Beltran.. pretty much the Royals draft has sucked for the last 15 years. The reason the Rays are able to be good is all their draft picks worked out, and were good at about the same time. By the time KC has a good player, the rest of the team sucks, so they have to try to trade them before their contract is up and get whatever they can in return (Beltran for Teahen and John Buck) (Damon for Angel Berroa, AJ Hinch, and Roberto Hernandez).

Money would certainly help them keep Beltran and Damon, which would have been a pretty solid OF with DeJesus, and a pretty strong 1-2-3 in the batting order too. But even with the players, the Royals have just not drafted very well and money is a small part of the problem.

2/26/2010 12:44:51 PM

Greinke with a good start, too bad the bullpen is complete shit unless a starter goes 8. Sign me up KC

4/5/2010 6:48:24 PM

Hell of a game, won it in the 11th off of Valverde. Puts the Royals at a very respectable 1-1. Just wait til Gil Meche comes back

4/8/2010 12:14:49 AM

1-1 IS respectable with 160+ games to go

thats why the schedule needs to limited to about 25% of that

and i'm just trying to help out the cause of your thread seeing how you were the last 3 people to respond to it



[Edited on April 8, 2010 at 2:18 AM. Reason : give everyone steroids so we have a home run race every year....]

4/8/2010 2:17:15 AM

I need Billy Butler to have a big season for my fantasy team. Otherwise I really do not care what the Royals are doing. I did enjoy going to a game at Kauffman a few years back. Great atmosphere especially for an older stadium.

4/8/2010 8:00:56 AM

Oh don't worry, I'll keep bumping this thread every couple days until the Royals suck, then maybe like twice the rest of the year... If Billy Butler and Zack Greinke do well then maybe it'll be worth it

4/8/2010 9:49:39 AM

Bullpen blows a 5 run lead in the 7th.. starters are now 1-2 with a 3.09 ERA, somebody needs to help somebody in that bullpen. Guillen hit his 4th HR of the season, and Butler is still hitting well at .323, but Podsednik has been rediculous at .452 with 6 SB already.

In other news, I'm thinking of buying one of their alternate light blue jerseys and that light blue hat with the blue bill. I usually hate anything light blue, including the Chargers jerseys, but if I can find a Bannister, Callaspo, DeJesus, etc (not Gordon, Greinke, Soria, Butler) I might just have to rep it out..

3-5

4/13/2010 4:57:28 PM

the twins have the 10th highest payroll this year, not so sure they fit in with the likes of tampa or florida

4/13/2010 5:42:51 PM

Dude was talking about the Twins historically low payroll

So they fit in just fine

4/13/2010 5:46:09 PM