Well, an era in Royals baseball is finished. Tony Pena Jr. has officially been designated for assignment* by the Royals.
*This means that Pena will be put through waivers. If none of the other 29 teams in the MLB want to claim the rights to Pena's contract, then he will decide whether to accept his assignment to either AA NW Arkansas or AAA Omaha or become a free agent.
TJ's career with the Royals started out incredibly promising, as he hit two triples in his Royals debut against the Red Sox on Opening Day in 2007. He finished the year batting .267 and was gaining comparisons to great shortstops like Ozzie Smith on the defensive side of his game. Dayton Moore looked like a genius with the move, acquiring him from the Atlanta Braves (go figure).
2008 began the notorious rise of Pena in a Royals uniform. He started as the Royals Opening Day shortstop, and provided the go ahead single against Detroit in extra innings on Opening Day. But after that, much didnt go right for TJ.
Finally, the Royals decided enough was enough with TPJ and called up Mike Aviles to replace him. Aviles hit .325 that year and the rest as they say, is history.
Later on in '08, the Royals staged probably their most infamous giveaway: a Tony Pena Jr. bobblehead doll. Sellout crowds usually attend these games and lineup hours before the gates open to ensure that they get the collectible. A crowd of less than 16,000 was announced and there were stories of people actually declining to take the doll.
Tony made a brief relief appearance for the Royals in July of 2008. In the late innings of a July 21st game against Detroit, in which the Royals were being blown out by the Tigers, Tony Pena came into the game and got 2 quick outs. He completed the perfect inning by baffling future Hall of Famer, Ivan Rodriguez.
After that, there really isn't much to talk about. Tony Pena Jr. has gone down as the worst offensive player in Royals history and will live on far past these horrendous years of Royals baseball (if they ever come to an end).
That being said, here is what I think the Royals should do. If Tony Jr. is not claimed off waivers (rumor has it that 21 teams have filed paperwork to claim him. SUCKERS!), the Royals should place him in AA and have him start working on pitching mechanics. It may have been a small sample size, but TJ looked very impressive in that small sample size. He has a 90+ mph fastball with cut on it, and a pretty wicked breaking ball in the mid 70s. Try it. If it fails, then what have we lost?
Friday, July 17, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
NHL in KC (Part 2/Anti-NBA)
Like I explained in my previous NHL post, KC has the right combination of corporate and community support to justify an NHL team being placed in our fine city.
Now, for those of you who counter with a Pro-NBA argument, I will shoot back in the least biased way that I can.
I'll be honest, I really cannot stand the NBA. I think it is more spectacle than it is sport. It is popular because Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are considered more celebrity than they are athlete. I don't like the league, I think it has become a circus, more like a hip hop concert than a sporting event, with music going on during the games and huge pyrotechnic displays before games.
I used to be a pretty big Chicago Bulls fan in the 90s (who wasnt?) and still follow the team on a casual basis, but other than that I hardly pay attention to the NBA.
Those of you out there may argue that I am just not a fan of basketball. Untrue. I am a HUGE college basketball fan. When the Big 8/12 tournament was held in KC, I went every year. I go to Mizzou and have attended at least 10 games a year since my freshman year, and that was during the Quin Snyder/Melvin Watkins era. I love college basketball that much.
I've been to NBA games too. I went to see LeBron James play the Memphis Grizzlies a few years ago. I went in expecting a packed house, full of excited fans ready to see the next Jordan. I paid $25 to sit in the very last row of FedEx Forum. That was the first thing that set me off. The atmosphere in the arena was awful. On a Saturday night, with the game's biggest star in town, and the Grizzlies in 5th place in the Western Conference, a crowd of 13,000 was announced. LeBron vs. Pau Gasol drew 13,000 people in a basketball hotbed.
That being said, I think the NBA just cannot draw in smaller markets where college basketball is king. I don't think anyone will argue that college basketball could make a case for biggest sport in KC, even over the Chiefs and Royals.
Lets say that the NBA relocates to KC*. The team is awful, but the arena is mostly full on most nights. But what happens when Kansas, Missouri, K-State, Wichita State, Creighton, Missouri State, UMKC, Nebraska, and Iowa State play on nights that the NBA team plays? Those fans are going to make the trek to that University to watch their team play. Good luck getting even a half full building if the Border War or Sunflower Showdown fall on the same date that the Milwaukee Bucks are in town.
*By the way, I think it would be awesome if the Kings relocated here. That is the only way I would support the team.
Basically, what I'm saying is that people in this town prefer college basketball to the pro game. Look across the country at the 3 biggest collegiate areas in the country that have NBA franchises. North Carolina/Charlotte, Indiana and Memphis all finished in the bottom 5 of attendance last year. Sure, you could argue that the teams are awful and no one wants to go see them, but did anyone see how awful the Hoosiers were this year? Each game looked sold out to me though. Whenever the Grizzlies play home games, FedEx Forum turns into a mauseleum, but when the Memphis Tigers play ANYONE, you would think that FedEx Forum is Cameron Indoor or Allen Fieldhouse. And Charlotte already had a team in the Hornets, but they moved on to greener pastures and guess what? The NHL's Carolina Hurricanes have vastly outdrawn the Bobcats since they were expanded.
My argument is that just because KC is college basketball Mecca, doesn't mean that the NBA is a viable option. In fact, I think it would fail miserably, unless the Sacramento Kings relocated here, but Kansas City is nowhere on the NBA's radar for relocation.
KC is at the front of the line for the NHL. The arena is ready, people have already bought tickets for a team that doesnt exist, and there is an organization dedicated to growing the game (NHL21). The fact of the matter is that basketball fans in this town don't care about the NBA in comparison to college basketball. The Jayhawks, Tigers, Wildcats, Shockers, Huskers and Cyclones are royalty here, and the NBA would have a tough time competing with that.
Now, for those of you who counter with a Pro-NBA argument, I will shoot back in the least biased way that I can.
I'll be honest, I really cannot stand the NBA. I think it is more spectacle than it is sport. It is popular because Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are considered more celebrity than they are athlete. I don't like the league, I think it has become a circus, more like a hip hop concert than a sporting event, with music going on during the games and huge pyrotechnic displays before games.
I used to be a pretty big Chicago Bulls fan in the 90s (who wasnt?) and still follow the team on a casual basis, but other than that I hardly pay attention to the NBA.
Those of you out there may argue that I am just not a fan of basketball. Untrue. I am a HUGE college basketball fan. When the Big 8/12 tournament was held in KC, I went every year. I go to Mizzou and have attended at least 10 games a year since my freshman year, and that was during the Quin Snyder/Melvin Watkins era. I love college basketball that much.
I've been to NBA games too. I went to see LeBron James play the Memphis Grizzlies a few years ago. I went in expecting a packed house, full of excited fans ready to see the next Jordan. I paid $25 to sit in the very last row of FedEx Forum. That was the first thing that set me off. The atmosphere in the arena was awful. On a Saturday night, with the game's biggest star in town, and the Grizzlies in 5th place in the Western Conference, a crowd of 13,000 was announced. LeBron vs. Pau Gasol drew 13,000 people in a basketball hotbed.
That being said, I think the NBA just cannot draw in smaller markets where college basketball is king. I don't think anyone will argue that college basketball could make a case for biggest sport in KC, even over the Chiefs and Royals.
Lets say that the NBA relocates to KC*. The team is awful, but the arena is mostly full on most nights. But what happens when Kansas, Missouri, K-State, Wichita State, Creighton, Missouri State, UMKC, Nebraska, and Iowa State play on nights that the NBA team plays? Those fans are going to make the trek to that University to watch their team play. Good luck getting even a half full building if the Border War or Sunflower Showdown fall on the same date that the Milwaukee Bucks are in town.
*By the way, I think it would be awesome if the Kings relocated here. That is the only way I would support the team.
Basically, what I'm saying is that people in this town prefer college basketball to the pro game. Look across the country at the 3 biggest collegiate areas in the country that have NBA franchises. North Carolina/Charlotte, Indiana and Memphis all finished in the bottom 5 of attendance last year. Sure, you could argue that the teams are awful and no one wants to go see them, but did anyone see how awful the Hoosiers were this year? Each game looked sold out to me though. Whenever the Grizzlies play home games, FedEx Forum turns into a mauseleum, but when the Memphis Tigers play ANYONE, you would think that FedEx Forum is Cameron Indoor or Allen Fieldhouse. And Charlotte already had a team in the Hornets, but they moved on to greener pastures and guess what? The NHL's Carolina Hurricanes have vastly outdrawn the Bobcats since they were expanded.
My argument is that just because KC is college basketball Mecca, doesn't mean that the NBA is a viable option. In fact, I think it would fail miserably, unless the Sacramento Kings relocated here, but Kansas City is nowhere on the NBA's radar for relocation.
KC is at the front of the line for the NHL. The arena is ready, people have already bought tickets for a team that doesnt exist, and there is an organization dedicated to growing the game (NHL21). The fact of the matter is that basketball fans in this town don't care about the NBA in comparison to college basketball. The Jayhawks, Tigers, Wildcats, Shockers, Huskers and Cyclones are royalty here, and the NBA would have a tough time competing with that.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Yuniesky Betancourt
Well, I don't really know what to think of this trade. Dayton Moore's OBP philosophy has fallen flat on its face this year. But on the surface, this trade raises a few question marks, good and bad.
The Bad:
-Dayton Moore has once again acquired someone who can't get on base.
-He gave up one of the organization's top pitchers.
-Betancourt has had issues off the field.
The Good:
-This means that Tony Pena Jr. is likely off the roster.
-Betancourt has a very good defensive skill set, his errors come in bunches though.
-His best seasons came when Jose Guillen was his mentor.
-Dayton Moore now has 3 players from a team that won 88 games in 2007. (Bloomquist, Guillen, Betancourt)
-Tony Pena Jr. will be moved off the roster.
If Tony Pena Jr. is not DFA'd after this move, I will have no choice but to fully lose all faith in Dayton Moore in that he really does not have any idea how to measure a player's value.
The Bad:
-Dayton Moore has once again acquired someone who can't get on base.
-He gave up one of the organization's top pitchers.
-Betancourt has had issues off the field.
The Good:
-This means that Tony Pena Jr. is likely off the roster.
-Betancourt has a very good defensive skill set, his errors come in bunches though.
-His best seasons came when Jose Guillen was his mentor.
-Dayton Moore now has 3 players from a team that won 88 games in 2007. (Bloomquist, Guillen, Betancourt)
-Tony Pena Jr. will be moved off the roster.
If Tony Pena Jr. is not DFA'd after this move, I will have no choice but to fully lose all faith in Dayton Moore in that he really does not have any idea how to measure a player's value.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Royals First Half Report Card
Well, 81 games down, 81 games to go. As we've seen in the 1st half of 2009, a season can start out as promising as the day of prom and end up being more disappointing than prom night.
We all know the Royals started the season 18-11, their best start since going 16-3 in 2003. They had a 3 game lead at one point. Zack Greinke captivated the nation with an ERA lower than AJ Pierzynski's sperm count. Mike Jacobs looked like a Mack Truck at the plate, hitting homers to ALL fields, something he hadn't done ever in his career. Alberto Callaspo batted well over .300 and was ok on defense. Coco Crisp was walking and stealing bases. Willie Bloomquist was doing his best Jose Oquendo impression.
Then, May happened. Mike Jacobs has hit 1 homerun since then. Willie Bloomquist has returned to being Willie Bloomquist. The defense looks like the remake of the Bad News Bears. Its gone bad quickly. Now before I get too depressed, here are my grades for the 1st half of '09:
Starting Pitching Staff:
Zack Greinke: A+. Zack is the leading candidate for the Cy Young. Any questions?
Gil Meche: B-. Yes, Gil has been misused by Trey Hillman, but that doesnt exclude a horrendous stretch in may in which his ERA ballooned over 4.75.
Brian Bannister: B. Banny has been a pleasant surprise. I think starting out in Omaha was the right choice for him. The 3.93 ERA and 0.9 HR/9 make him a good candidate for a July 31st farewell.
Kyle Davies: D. MGD failed. M and G were pretty good, but the D sums up his performance. I'm glad the front office sent him down to Omaha to work it out. ERA+ of 75 is unacceptable for your #3 starter.
Luke Hochevar: C+. Luke's ERA of 5.08 is deceiving. His WHIP is a very respectable 1.286. Plus, that 80 pitch masterpiece against Cincy puts Luuuuuke from a C- to a C+.
Sorry, but I'm not giving grades out for Bruce Chen and Sidney Ponson.
Lineup
CF Coco Crisp: B. Coco's OBP was at a career high and he was on pace to shatter his career high in walks until that mysterious shoulder problem showed up. I would be interested to see where this team would be with a healthy Coco in the lineup.
LF David DeJesus: C. DDJ has started hitting lately, but that average with RISP has slumped since last year. His defense in LF has been average, but that is expected. Looks like he's settled back into the leadoff position nicely boosting his average from around .220 to .250.
1B Billy Butler: B+. Billy has been better than anticipated on defense this year. But I was really hoping for a bigger jump in his homerun and RBI totals. But it looks as if Billy will surpass all of his career highs in a majority of offensive categories.
RF/DH Jose Guillen: D. Ugh. I'm not going to waste any time on him, as the Royals have already wasted too much money on him. OBP has dropped an incredible 80 points since June.
UTIL Mark Teahen: B-. Mark has had a good season so far. It would be nice to see him eclipse 20 homers this year. I don't like how Mark gets ragged on for not being THE guy. He never will be. Mark will always be a good ball player, but he isn't the savior people are hoping for.
2B Alberto Callaspo: C. Bert would get an A if his defense was better than it has been. He's one of the league leaders in doubles, but his defense is overshadowing his great year at the plate.
C Miguel Olivo: B+. He should get an A, but when he's drawn only 3 walks this year, he just isnt worthy. Not to mention he's been having an awful time with balls in the dirt.
SS Mike Aviles: D. Oh Mike, we all knew thee so little. This begs the question, was he healthy? Hope to see him back in action some time next year in a big league uniform.
DH Mike Jacobs: D-. Oh Jakey, Jakey boy. Where have you gone? He gave us hope that he would destroy Balboni's record this year, but he has yet to hit a homerun in nearly a month. Can't get on base. I feel for the guy. BRING BACK THE GOATEE.
Bench
C John Buck: D. Buck once again proving that he is going to be a career backup.
OF Mitch Maier: D. Sorry kid, you're just another failed Baird experiment.
UTIL Willie Bloomquist: B. Bloomers has been great as a bench player. He was doing everything right from April to late May. I like having guys like Willie on the bench. His 14 steals out of 16 tries is impressive too.
SS Tony Pena Jr.: F-. Tony Pena Jr. gets an F- on his 3rd straight report card. In most schools, no wait, in ALL schools that is generally grounds for dismissal.
UTIL Tug Hulett: Incomplete. Never really got to see much of him.
C/DH Brayan Pena: B. I love what he is doing with Luke Hochevar. Also making great strides at the plate with solid contact and occasional power. Isn't that all you want out of your catcher? I think the plan is for BP (Better Pena) to be the DH while Jacobs tries to get back to what he was in the early season.
SS/2B Luis Hernandez: D. Once again, an overvalued "defensive specialist" who can't hack it.
Bullpen
John Bale: D+. Misused as a setup man. He's got "grit". But the last time I checked, grit doesn't show up on the back of baseball cards.
Jamey Wright: C. For consistent.
Roman Colon: C+. Been doing nicely in long relief and mop-up duty. 3.21 ERA is better than expected. Likely to regress, but I would like to see him establish a little more control and take over a set up/late inning role.
Ron Mahay: Incomplete. Underused by Trey Hillman. I just don't understand why John Bale takes prescendence over him.
Kyle Farnsworth: C+. It isn't his fault we're paying him 4.5 million dollars. Was doing pretty well after an awful start. Didn't allow a run in 19+ innings.
Juan Cruz: D-. Not worth a 2nd round pick. Maybe he'll pick it up in the 2nd half.
Joakim Soria: A. Mexicutioner making us all believers that 2008 was not a fluke. Leads the team in ERA (1.74) and WHIP (1.02).
Total Team GPA: 1.95
Manager/Coaches
Manager Trey Hillman: D. Mismanagement of the bullpen and lineup makes you wonder how many games he has lost us. Too many starts for Jacobs vs. LHP. Use of Kyle Farnsworth. Use of Gil Meche. Use/lack of use of Joakim Soria in the 8th inning. Plus, that mustache is pretty weak.
1B/OF Coach Rusty Kuntz: B. You gotta love Rusty. But how many cutoff men will be missed this year?
3B/INF Coach Dave Owen: D. Has sent runners home when they should have been held. The infield defense has been atrocious this year.
Pitching Coach Bob McClure: B+. Mac has done a terrific job. Zack Greinke has given him praise. The Royals pitching staff has allowed only 70 homeruns this year, the lowest in baseball.
Hitting Coach Kevin Seitzer: C. The hometown boy seemed to have gotten through to the hitters in Spring Training and early on in the year. Especially with Coco Crisp and Jose Guillen. Mike Aviles struggles could be attributed to Seitzer, but they could also be from the WBC or the lingering elbow injury. His true test will come when Alex Gordon makes his return later this month. If Seitz can turn him into the 40+ HR threat, then his job is secure into the next decade.
Front Office
GM Dayton Moore: B-. Dayton did all he could to assess the needs on this team in the offseason. He added speed, power and defense with the Crisp and Jacobs additions. Now they haven't really panned out, but that doesn't go on DM, it goes on the player. Extending Zack Greinke was his crowning achievement so far in his Royals career, but giving Farnsworth 4.5 million is a question mark, as is the signing of Juan Cruz. The draft was good. Aaron Crow could possibly be on the Major League roster by this time next year, and Wil Myers was a steal in the 3rd round. If this team loses over 90 games this year and a change at manager is not made, then DM's grade could receive a serious drop.
Royals PR Department: The only reason I include this is due to the absolutely mind boggling job the PR department has done this year. From poorly timed articles to "RanyGate", this season has turned into a disaster, both on the field and off. Grade: F.
Owner David Glass: D. He got his stadium renovation and has been absent from many games. Showed up in Houston with his BFF to catch the series with the 'Stros, but still the owner's box sits empty on many nights. His grade can improve if he gives Dayton Moore the proper cash to sign all of our draft picks.
We all know the Royals started the season 18-11, their best start since going 16-3 in 2003. They had a 3 game lead at one point. Zack Greinke captivated the nation with an ERA lower than AJ Pierzynski's sperm count. Mike Jacobs looked like a Mack Truck at the plate, hitting homers to ALL fields, something he hadn't done ever in his career. Alberto Callaspo batted well over .300 and was ok on defense. Coco Crisp was walking and stealing bases. Willie Bloomquist was doing his best Jose Oquendo impression.
Then, May happened. Mike Jacobs has hit 1 homerun since then. Willie Bloomquist has returned to being Willie Bloomquist. The defense looks like the remake of the Bad News Bears. Its gone bad quickly. Now before I get too depressed, here are my grades for the 1st half of '09:
Starting Pitching Staff:
Zack Greinke: A+. Zack is the leading candidate for the Cy Young. Any questions?
Gil Meche: B-. Yes, Gil has been misused by Trey Hillman, but that doesnt exclude a horrendous stretch in may in which his ERA ballooned over 4.75.
Brian Bannister: B. Banny has been a pleasant surprise. I think starting out in Omaha was the right choice for him. The 3.93 ERA and 0.9 HR/9 make him a good candidate for a July 31st farewell.
Kyle Davies: D. MGD failed. M and G were pretty good, but the D sums up his performance. I'm glad the front office sent him down to Omaha to work it out. ERA+ of 75 is unacceptable for your #3 starter.
Luke Hochevar: C+. Luke's ERA of 5.08 is deceiving. His WHIP is a very respectable 1.286. Plus, that 80 pitch masterpiece against Cincy puts Luuuuuke from a C- to a C+.
Sorry, but I'm not giving grades out for Bruce Chen and Sidney Ponson.
Lineup
CF Coco Crisp: B. Coco's OBP was at a career high and he was on pace to shatter his career high in walks until that mysterious shoulder problem showed up. I would be interested to see where this team would be with a healthy Coco in the lineup.
LF David DeJesus: C. DDJ has started hitting lately, but that average with RISP has slumped since last year. His defense in LF has been average, but that is expected. Looks like he's settled back into the leadoff position nicely boosting his average from around .220 to .250.
1B Billy Butler: B+. Billy has been better than anticipated on defense this year. But I was really hoping for a bigger jump in his homerun and RBI totals. But it looks as if Billy will surpass all of his career highs in a majority of offensive categories.
RF/DH Jose Guillen: D. Ugh. I'm not going to waste any time on him, as the Royals have already wasted too much money on him. OBP has dropped an incredible 80 points since June.
UTIL Mark Teahen: B-. Mark has had a good season so far. It would be nice to see him eclipse 20 homers this year. I don't like how Mark gets ragged on for not being THE guy. He never will be. Mark will always be a good ball player, but he isn't the savior people are hoping for.
2B Alberto Callaspo: C. Bert would get an A if his defense was better than it has been. He's one of the league leaders in doubles, but his defense is overshadowing his great year at the plate.
C Miguel Olivo: B+. He should get an A, but when he's drawn only 3 walks this year, he just isnt worthy. Not to mention he's been having an awful time with balls in the dirt.
SS Mike Aviles: D. Oh Mike, we all knew thee so little. This begs the question, was he healthy? Hope to see him back in action some time next year in a big league uniform.
DH Mike Jacobs: D-. Oh Jakey, Jakey boy. Where have you gone? He gave us hope that he would destroy Balboni's record this year, but he has yet to hit a homerun in nearly a month. Can't get on base. I feel for the guy. BRING BACK THE GOATEE.
Bench
C John Buck: D. Buck once again proving that he is going to be a career backup.
OF Mitch Maier: D. Sorry kid, you're just another failed Baird experiment.
UTIL Willie Bloomquist: B. Bloomers has been great as a bench player. He was doing everything right from April to late May. I like having guys like Willie on the bench. His 14 steals out of 16 tries is impressive too.
SS Tony Pena Jr.: F-. Tony Pena Jr. gets an F- on his 3rd straight report card. In most schools, no wait, in ALL schools that is generally grounds for dismissal.
UTIL Tug Hulett: Incomplete. Never really got to see much of him.
C/DH Brayan Pena: B. I love what he is doing with Luke Hochevar. Also making great strides at the plate with solid contact and occasional power. Isn't that all you want out of your catcher? I think the plan is for BP (Better Pena) to be the DH while Jacobs tries to get back to what he was in the early season.
SS/2B Luis Hernandez: D. Once again, an overvalued "defensive specialist" who can't hack it.
Bullpen
John Bale: D+. Misused as a setup man. He's got "grit". But the last time I checked, grit doesn't show up on the back of baseball cards.
Jamey Wright: C. For consistent.
Roman Colon: C+. Been doing nicely in long relief and mop-up duty. 3.21 ERA is better than expected. Likely to regress, but I would like to see him establish a little more control and take over a set up/late inning role.
Ron Mahay: Incomplete. Underused by Trey Hillman. I just don't understand why John Bale takes prescendence over him.
Kyle Farnsworth: C+. It isn't his fault we're paying him 4.5 million dollars. Was doing pretty well after an awful start. Didn't allow a run in 19+ innings.
Juan Cruz: D-. Not worth a 2nd round pick. Maybe he'll pick it up in the 2nd half.
Joakim Soria: A. Mexicutioner making us all believers that 2008 was not a fluke. Leads the team in ERA (1.74) and WHIP (1.02).
Total Team GPA: 1.95
Manager/Coaches
Manager Trey Hillman: D. Mismanagement of the bullpen and lineup makes you wonder how many games he has lost us. Too many starts for Jacobs vs. LHP. Use of Kyle Farnsworth. Use of Gil Meche. Use/lack of use of Joakim Soria in the 8th inning. Plus, that mustache is pretty weak.
1B/OF Coach Rusty Kuntz: B. You gotta love Rusty. But how many cutoff men will be missed this year?
3B/INF Coach Dave Owen: D. Has sent runners home when they should have been held. The infield defense has been atrocious this year.
Pitching Coach Bob McClure: B+. Mac has done a terrific job. Zack Greinke has given him praise. The Royals pitching staff has allowed only 70 homeruns this year, the lowest in baseball.
Hitting Coach Kevin Seitzer: C. The hometown boy seemed to have gotten through to the hitters in Spring Training and early on in the year. Especially with Coco Crisp and Jose Guillen. Mike Aviles struggles could be attributed to Seitzer, but they could also be from the WBC or the lingering elbow injury. His true test will come when Alex Gordon makes his return later this month. If Seitz can turn him into the 40+ HR threat, then his job is secure into the next decade.
Front Office
GM Dayton Moore: B-. Dayton did all he could to assess the needs on this team in the offseason. He added speed, power and defense with the Crisp and Jacobs additions. Now they haven't really panned out, but that doesn't go on DM, it goes on the player. Extending Zack Greinke was his crowning achievement so far in his Royals career, but giving Farnsworth 4.5 million is a question mark, as is the signing of Juan Cruz. The draft was good. Aaron Crow could possibly be on the Major League roster by this time next year, and Wil Myers was a steal in the 3rd round. If this team loses over 90 games this year and a change at manager is not made, then DM's grade could receive a serious drop.
Royals PR Department: The only reason I include this is due to the absolutely mind boggling job the PR department has done this year. From poorly timed articles to "RanyGate", this season has turned into a disaster, both on the field and off. Grade: F.
Owner David Glass: D. He got his stadium renovation and has been absent from many games. Showed up in Houston with his BFF to catch the series with the 'Stros, but still the owner's box sits empty on many nights. His grade can improve if he gives Dayton Moore the proper cash to sign all of our draft picks.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
NHL in Kansas City (Part 1)
For years this town has been craving an NBA or NHL franchise. From what I can draw on the internet and just talking to people, it is split down the middle, but leaning towards the NHL.
Now most people will say that KC had its chance with the Scouts in the 70's, but I say the Scouts are the poorest of examples. The 70's were an awful time for expansion, as professional sports had yet made the crossover into corporate sponsorship and marketing. The Scouts had a poor ownership structure, zero marketing outside of local media, and oh yeah, THEY WERE HORRIBLE. The team was also announced just months before the NHL season began and gave ticket boosters very little time to sell season tickets. Also fueling the wildfire was the Scouts beginning a 9 game road trip to start their inaugural season due to the American Royal Rodeo. The Scouts went 0-8-1 during the stretch. Not exactly a team that is going to gather interest. The Scouts never sold out a game in the brand new Kemper Arena.
The Scouts also suffered due to a shallow talent pool, as the World Hockey Association was gathering more high quality players (Ala Wayne Gretzky). The WHA merger with the NHL all but sunk the lowly Scouts. The nail in the coffin came when the Scouts were just 1 point back from the St. Louis Blues late in 1975, but the team won only ONE game in a 44 game stretch and finished in last. The team then moved on to Colorado for six seasons, until they finally moved on to their permanent home in New Jersey, where they have won three Stanley Cups* and seen several Hall of Fame players in their uniform*.
*The Devils won the Cup in 1995, 2001, and 2003. Defenseman Scott Stevens was inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame in 2007, Martin Brodeur is a lock for the Hall as he is the career leader in shutouts in the NHL.
So the Scouts are not even a plausible example of why Kansas City is not deserving of an NHL franchise.
Hockey was dormant in Kansas City for decades until Canadian businessman Russ Parker purchased the rights of the idle Toledo Blades of the International Hockey League and decided to place the team in Kansas City. The team kept the name, Blades, and soon became the primary affiliate of the San Jose Sharks.
The Blades saw early success, as they won the IHL Championship in only their second year of existence. After that, they were consistently in the top of the IHL standings and attendance figures. The Blades made the IHL Finals once more in 1995, but lost to the Denver Grizzlies in 4 games. The last crowd of over 16,000 to see a hockey game in Kemper Arena was on hand to watch the Blades lose their last Championship game.
16,000 people. For a minor league hockey game. 16,000 people in a dumpy arena in the West Bottoms. For a hockey game. In Kansas City.
The team was sold in 1996. They never made the playoffs again and became somewhat of a joke in the town and were contracted when the IHL merged with the American Hockey League, and pro hockey has been absent in KC ever since.
That is until the St. Louis Blues and the Chicago Blackhawks got together for a preseason game in 2003. The game sold out in under a month and was recorded as the largest crowd to ever see a hockey game in Kansas City at a crowd just under 18,000 in an antiquated Kemper Arena.
That game drew the attention of the NHL. Kansas City had shouted: "WE WANT HOCKEY!" and the league had heard it. So did the city. Soon legislation was put on the table for a new downtown arena and entertainment district.
After that, the KC based group NHL21* put on a few exhibition games in Kemper Arena. The Blues and Nashville Predators drew a crowd of 13,000+, and a game between the Florida Panthers and the Predators was cancelled due to the 04-05 lockout. But that game had sold nearly 10,000 tickets before the game was cancelled in late August.
*NHL21, a "grassroots" organization, was developed by local businessmen Paul McGannon ond Tom Reiger. The organization has over 150 members and is dedicated to bringing the NHL to KC.
From 2003-2007, Kansas City had the highest TV ratings for a non-NHL market, getting a 4+ share from ESPN, ESPN2, Versus, ABC, Fox, and NBC. After that, Commissioner Gary Bettman and other NHL executives have made multiple trips to Kansas City. After The Anschutz Entertainment Group* joined with KC government to built the $250 million Sprint Center* in the heart of downtown KC, a skeleton front office was constructed for a potential NHL franchise, with NHL Hall of Famer Luc Robataille named as the Vice President of Hockey Operations and plans put in place for NHL exhibitions to be put on every year until a team is located in KC. A reported crowd of over 12,000 watched the Blues play the Los Angeles Kings in late September of 2008, although it was reported that over 14,000 tickets had been sold for the game. That was on a Tuesday with two of the worst teams from 2007-08 playing and a majority of the teams' star players being scratched from the lineup.
*Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) put up $50 million for the construction of the arena and surrounding entertainment district, KC Live! The CEO of AEG, Phil Anschutz, is a majority owner of the Los Angeles Kings and a member of the NHL Board of Executives. The Sprint Center drew over 1 million people in its first year of existence for concerts and sporting events
Kansas City has the fanbase. If an NHL team were placed here, I have no doubt that season tickets would fly out of the window. All of the Sprint Center suites sold out when Mario Lemieux contemplated relocating the Pittsburgh Penguins to KC. The suites still remain sold, yet the building remains empty.
Now multiple NHL teams have cited that they would consider relocation due to financial difficulty. The New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, and Phoenix Coyotes have all mentioned Kansas City in relocation talk.
The most likely is the New York Islanders. Owner Charles Wang has stated that if an arena zoning is not completed before the 2009-10 season, that he will move the team. The Islanders have already scheduled a preseason game in KC in late September. Many in the hockey community are viewing this as a "tryout" for Kansas City, to test the waters in the market to see if it is ready to support NHL Hockey. The game has been scheduled for Sept. 22, a Tuesday. If Kansas City can draw over 15,000 fans for an exhibition game on a Tuesday, with two regionally irrelevant teams, who finished in the bottom half of the league last year, then why wouldn't Kansas City be an option?
Now most people will say that KC had its chance with the Scouts in the 70's, but I say the Scouts are the poorest of examples. The 70's were an awful time for expansion, as professional sports had yet made the crossover into corporate sponsorship and marketing. The Scouts had a poor ownership structure, zero marketing outside of local media, and oh yeah, THEY WERE HORRIBLE. The team was also announced just months before the NHL season began and gave ticket boosters very little time to sell season tickets. Also fueling the wildfire was the Scouts beginning a 9 game road trip to start their inaugural season due to the American Royal Rodeo. The Scouts went 0-8-1 during the stretch. Not exactly a team that is going to gather interest. The Scouts never sold out a game in the brand new Kemper Arena.
The Scouts also suffered due to a shallow talent pool, as the World Hockey Association was gathering more high quality players (Ala Wayne Gretzky). The WHA merger with the NHL all but sunk the lowly Scouts. The nail in the coffin came when the Scouts were just 1 point back from the St. Louis Blues late in 1975, but the team won only ONE game in a 44 game stretch and finished in last. The team then moved on to Colorado for six seasons, until they finally moved on to their permanent home in New Jersey, where they have won three Stanley Cups* and seen several Hall of Fame players in their uniform*.
*The Devils won the Cup in 1995, 2001, and 2003. Defenseman Scott Stevens was inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame in 2007, Martin Brodeur is a lock for the Hall as he is the career leader in shutouts in the NHL.
So the Scouts are not even a plausible example of why Kansas City is not deserving of an NHL franchise.
Hockey was dormant in Kansas City for decades until Canadian businessman Russ Parker purchased the rights of the idle Toledo Blades of the International Hockey League and decided to place the team in Kansas City. The team kept the name, Blades, and soon became the primary affiliate of the San Jose Sharks.
The Blades saw early success, as they won the IHL Championship in only their second year of existence. After that, they were consistently in the top of the IHL standings and attendance figures. The Blades made the IHL Finals once more in 1995, but lost to the Denver Grizzlies in 4 games. The last crowd of over 16,000 to see a hockey game in Kemper Arena was on hand to watch the Blades lose their last Championship game.
16,000 people. For a minor league hockey game. 16,000 people in a dumpy arena in the West Bottoms. For a hockey game. In Kansas City.
The team was sold in 1996. They never made the playoffs again and became somewhat of a joke in the town and were contracted when the IHL merged with the American Hockey League, and pro hockey has been absent in KC ever since.
That is until the St. Louis Blues and the Chicago Blackhawks got together for a preseason game in 2003. The game sold out in under a month and was recorded as the largest crowd to ever see a hockey game in Kansas City at a crowd just under 18,000 in an antiquated Kemper Arena.
That game drew the attention of the NHL. Kansas City had shouted: "WE WANT HOCKEY!" and the league had heard it. So did the city. Soon legislation was put on the table for a new downtown arena and entertainment district.
After that, the KC based group NHL21* put on a few exhibition games in Kemper Arena. The Blues and Nashville Predators drew a crowd of 13,000+, and a game between the Florida Panthers and the Predators was cancelled due to the 04-05 lockout. But that game had sold nearly 10,000 tickets before the game was cancelled in late August.
*NHL21, a "grassroots" organization, was developed by local businessmen Paul McGannon ond Tom Reiger. The organization has over 150 members and is dedicated to bringing the NHL to KC.
From 2003-2007, Kansas City had the highest TV ratings for a non-NHL market, getting a 4+ share from ESPN, ESPN2, Versus, ABC, Fox, and NBC. After that, Commissioner Gary Bettman and other NHL executives have made multiple trips to Kansas City. After The Anschutz Entertainment Group* joined with KC government to built the $250 million Sprint Center* in the heart of downtown KC, a skeleton front office was constructed for a potential NHL franchise, with NHL Hall of Famer Luc Robataille named as the Vice President of Hockey Operations and plans put in place for NHL exhibitions to be put on every year until a team is located in KC. A reported crowd of over 12,000 watched the Blues play the Los Angeles Kings in late September of 2008, although it was reported that over 14,000 tickets had been sold for the game. That was on a Tuesday with two of the worst teams from 2007-08 playing and a majority of the teams' star players being scratched from the lineup.
*Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) put up $50 million for the construction of the arena and surrounding entertainment district, KC Live! The CEO of AEG, Phil Anschutz, is a majority owner of the Los Angeles Kings and a member of the NHL Board of Executives. The Sprint Center drew over 1 million people in its first year of existence for concerts and sporting events
Kansas City has the fanbase. If an NHL team were placed here, I have no doubt that season tickets would fly out of the window. All of the Sprint Center suites sold out when Mario Lemieux contemplated relocating the Pittsburgh Penguins to KC. The suites still remain sold, yet the building remains empty.
Now multiple NHL teams have cited that they would consider relocation due to financial difficulty. The New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, and Phoenix Coyotes have all mentioned Kansas City in relocation talk.
The most likely is the New York Islanders. Owner Charles Wang has stated that if an arena zoning is not completed before the 2009-10 season, that he will move the team. The Islanders have already scheduled a preseason game in KC in late September. Many in the hockey community are viewing this as a "tryout" for Kansas City, to test the waters in the market to see if it is ready to support NHL Hockey. The game has been scheduled for Sept. 22, a Tuesday. If Kansas City can draw over 15,000 fans for an exhibition game on a Tuesday, with two regionally irrelevant teams, who finished in the bottom half of the league last year, then why wouldn't Kansas City be an option?
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Optimism Coming Up Short After a Loss Like This
It seems like every time the Royals have a promising win, where they do most things right, they come back out and prove once again that this team has no chance at .500 again this season. I hope I'm wrong, but at this point it is ludicrous to think otherwise. I'll use bullet points, because....well because I just don't feel like typing full sentences and I'm having trouble stringing together thoughts.
-Every game started by Tony Pena Jr. should knock off a week of Trey Hillman and Dayton Moore's careers with this franchise. I think he is literally the worst player in Major League Baseball right now.
-Trey Hillman's lack of...what is the word?...ah yes, BALLS is absolutely incredible. I rarely see a manager who is 10 games under .500 get kicked out of LESS games than Trey Hillman. Where is the fire, man? Arguing that horrendous call in the 9th inning for about, oh 10 seconds really shows your players that you are right behind them and will gladly stand up to any umpire*.
*Sidenote: These umps have to be investigated. They will not confer with eachother to get calls right and are as stubborn as any officials in any sport that I've seen.
-I honestly think that there are better options in AAA than what we have up here. I think that Jacobs has fallen off the wagon and is pressing way too hard. Kila deserves a shot. The bench players on this team are laughable. At least we had Matt Stairs off the bench in 2005...
-David DeJesus' baserunning skill and discipline is some of the worst I've ever seen.
Long story short, this game was extremely winnable. We just did not execute. This team looks as dead as Michael Jackson did 2 years ago. Barely alive, but looking like they had been dead for ages.
-Every game started by Tony Pena Jr. should knock off a week of Trey Hillman and Dayton Moore's careers with this franchise. I think he is literally the worst player in Major League Baseball right now.
-Trey Hillman's lack of...what is the word?...ah yes, BALLS is absolutely incredible. I rarely see a manager who is 10 games under .500 get kicked out of LESS games than Trey Hillman. Where is the fire, man? Arguing that horrendous call in the 9th inning for about, oh 10 seconds really shows your players that you are right behind them and will gladly stand up to any umpire*.
*Sidenote: These umps have to be investigated. They will not confer with eachother to get calls right and are as stubborn as any officials in any sport that I've seen.
-I honestly think that there are better options in AAA than what we have up here. I think that Jacobs has fallen off the wagon and is pressing way too hard. Kila deserves a shot. The bench players on this team are laughable. At least we had Matt Stairs off the bench in 2005...
-David DeJesus' baserunning skill and discipline is some of the worst I've ever seen.
Long story short, this game was extremely winnable. We just did not execute. This team looks as dead as Michael Jackson did 2 years ago. Barely alive, but looking like they had been dead for ages.
Twins Fans Used to Not Bother Me....
Now they do. I've always wondered why Chicago Bears fans hated Minnesota Vikings fans. The Vikings haven't really been too relevant in the past 25 years, so I always wondered why. Now I know. They're like every other sports fans in the country, they're obnoxious and loud. I remember Twins fans used to come in to the K and they were nice! They talked baseball with their fellow AL Central brethren, about how much we hated White Sox and Tigers fans, and how the Indians are destined to never win anything.
But last night, something clicked. I was annoyed. There were at least 5,000 twins fans in attendance last night. I had been expecting this as many of them make the 8 hour trek down I-35 to watch their team play outside. I like people from Minnesota, they are generally nice, love hockey and say funny things like "eh". But when things aren't going their way (Like when they are .500) they can get a bit nasty. Last night, for the first time in my life I saw Twins fans acting like Cardinals and White Sox fans. Loud, obnoxious and ignorant. The "Lets go Mauer" chant was the coup de grace, and I lost it. Twins fans usually sit and cheer when something goes their way and are respectful of being in a visiting ballpark. I saw two guys taunting fans around them when Joe Mauer came up in the 8th inning with runners on 1st and 2nd with no one out (He then grounded into a DP, finishing the day 0-4. HA!). I saw a guy flip off a father of two when he asked him several times to sit down.
Another thing, those STUPID "Circle Me Bert" signs. They are everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Look folks, this isn't your ballpark. It was cute the first few years, now its just annoying. Literally, almost 50% of the Twins fans had some sort of neon yellow posterboard that said something like "Circle me Bert, I'm outside!" Ok we get it.
I'm really starting to despise these people. My despisition will probably grow next year when they open that RIDICULOUS ballpark in MINNESOTA that DOESN'T HAVE A ROOF. I'll enjoy seeing the Twinkies set a major league record for weather postponements, double headers and mosquito bites.
But last night, something clicked. I was annoyed. There were at least 5,000 twins fans in attendance last night. I had been expecting this as many of them make the 8 hour trek down I-35 to watch their team play outside. I like people from Minnesota, they are generally nice, love hockey and say funny things like "eh". But when things aren't going their way (Like when they are .500) they can get a bit nasty. Last night, for the first time in my life I saw Twins fans acting like Cardinals and White Sox fans. Loud, obnoxious and ignorant. The "Lets go Mauer" chant was the coup de grace, and I lost it. Twins fans usually sit and cheer when something goes their way and are respectful of being in a visiting ballpark. I saw two guys taunting fans around them when Joe Mauer came up in the 8th inning with runners on 1st and 2nd with no one out (He then grounded into a DP, finishing the day 0-4. HA!). I saw a guy flip off a father of two when he asked him several times to sit down.
Another thing, those STUPID "Circle Me Bert" signs. They are everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Look folks, this isn't your ballpark. It was cute the first few years, now its just annoying. Literally, almost 50% of the Twins fans had some sort of neon yellow posterboard that said something like "Circle me Bert, I'm outside!" Ok we get it.
I'm really starting to despise these people. My despisition will probably grow next year when they open that RIDICULOUS ballpark in MINNESOTA that DOESN'T HAVE A ROOF. I'll enjoy seeing the Twinkies set a major league record for weather postponements, double headers and mosquito bites.
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