Royals – 2013 and beyond.

[RoyalsBlue]

31-March-2013

I’ve been working on the sabermetrics staff for the Royals for a few seasons now, practically becoming Jin Wong’s right hand man and learning everything I could about the team, their minor league prospects and who the scouting staff was keeping an eye on in the international market. With the new regulations handed down from MLB about the amateur draft and international signings, we were going to have to be even more prudent about who we signed and for how much and our margin for error, which was already small, just became miniscule.

When I got a summons to Dayton Moore’s office just before noon, it didn’t do wonders for my appetite, let me tell you, especially after seeing several friends be fired from the sabermetrics staff in this past offseason.

After taking a moment to gird myself for whatever was coming, I made the short stroll from my cubicle to the elevators and pushed the up button and waited for the car to arrive.

Random thoughts flew through my mind as I considered the very real possibility I could be on the verge of losing my employment with my lifelong team - the first time I stepped foot in Royals Stadium back in the mid seventies to see the Royals take on the Boston Red Sox with Jim Rice and Fred Lynn; the last home game of franchise icon George Brett, where he kissed home plate and made the home crowd roar as an active player at Kauffman Stadium for the last time; stepping foot on the field for a pre-game promotion on a damp early April night for a game against the Mariners that ultimately got postponed and winning a $500 diamond ring for my wife.

So many memories in this stadium involving this team and now with my time as an official member of the staff in the balance, I find my left hand shaking slightly, tapping against the dark blue fabric of my dress slacks as I gaze absently into the mirrored panel doors.

The ding of the elevators arrival breaks through my haze of memories and I nervously step foot onto the elevator car and press the appropriate button to start my rise to the offices of the general manager.

More flashes of past events in this stadium race through my mind as the car chugs closer to my destiny – listening to the mountains of boos showered down upon Robinson Cano after his perceived snub of hometown All-Star Billy Butler in last year’s home run derby; the then-team record 14 strikeout performance by Mark Gubicza, since eclipsed by Zack Greinke in his Cy Young winning season; the dedication of Frank White’s statue just outside of the stadium, long before the sad feud that has since divorced the franchise from the man who has his number 20 retired atop the team hall of fame.

The sudden stop of the elevator car again breaks my reverie and I’m surprised when Dayton Moore strolls into the elevator with me. A brief nod is about all that I can manage and he barely manages to keep a straight face.

“Rob, how are you doing?” he says while continuing to glance at his iphone.

“Feeling a bit nervous right now, Dayton,” I say with a sick half smile. “Getting called up to your office isn’t exactly a good thing lately, particularly for the guys on the stats analysis side of things.”

Dayton gives me a look mixed with amusement and aggravation, but I can’t make out which is more prominent and his silence makes the remainder of the short ride slightly uncomfortable, at least for me.

When we finally reach our destination floor, I let Dayton emerge first and take a deep breath before following behind him, almost like a man walking the green mile.

As I step inside his rather spartanly decorated office, I pull the door closed, not noticing that we are not alone.

“Rob, thanks for coming up here so quickly,” comes the gravelly voice of team owner David Glass, who’s sitting on a sofa just out of view.

My already anxious nerves turn to complete jello as I turn around to face the top two men in the organization.

“Of..of course, Mr. Glass. May I ask why I’ve been called up here today?” I say with a surprisingly calm voice, at least to my own ears.

“Rob, let’s cut right to the chase, shall we? Dayton and I have kept a very close eye on you the past few months, haven’t we Dayton?”

“We certainly have, David,” replies Moore while sitting behind his oak desk while motioning for me to sit also.

Hesitantly, I sit in an overstuffed leather chair as the Royals general manager continues.

“Rob, we would like to offer you the position of assistant general manager. We like your research style, your abilities to find the diamonds in the rough which we as a small market team absolutely must have with our situation here in Kansas City. We want to give you more responsibility and would love to have you take over the statistical analysis group as well from Jin. What do you say?”

My surprise is etched on my face and both men grin as they can tell this conversation wasn’t what I had anticipated.

“Just a little surprised are we, Rob,” chuckles the team owner.

“You could say that, Mr. Glass,” I say, shaking my head slightly in disbelief. “Before I accept, however, there is one thing I want to make clear. Like Dayton, I grew up with this team and I’ve noticed that most of the employees that had such a personal connection with the team have been let go ever since you’ve owned the team, sir. I don’t know if it was a conscious decision or just happenstance, but in either case, I think this team’s front office will work much better with people that care deeply about the team and the organization and aren’t just collecting a paycheck. If this team is to return to its winning ways, it will take more than just money, it will take commitment on behalf of the entire organization to get this franchise back to where it belongs and out of the punch lines of late night comedians.”

As I stop, I can see the two of them share a look, and I wonder if I might have just killed my chance with that outburst.

David Glass pushes himself up and off the couch before stepping over to me, a self-satisfied look on his face.

“Am I to infer that you have accepted, Rob?” he asks while extending a wrinkled hand out to me.

“Yes sir, I definitely accept,” I respond, grasping his hand firmly while smiling widely.

“Well, I won’t keep you, then. Dayton and you have a lot to get done this season. I expect our boys to make the playoffs, so do what needs to be done, within budget of course.”

As the team owner leaves the office, Dayton steps around his desk and slaps me on the back.

“Well, Rob, let’s get to work.”

[royalblue5]

Git-r-done, as this is clearly my team as well as yours

[RoyalsBlue]

(AP - Kansas City, MO) The Kansas City season opening roster was supposed to be revealed earlier today, but before that was made official the Kansas City Royals instead announced a trade between them and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Kansas City will be getting 25 year old left-handed reliever Jeff Locke while sending veteran southpaw Bruce Chen to the Pirates.

"We got both younger and more cost-effective in this move," said assistant general manager Rob Hill when asked about the impetus for the trade. "We feel Jeff has a chance to really solidify an already good bullpen and he gives us a little more flexibility in our roster makeup."

When asked about trading the crowd favorite Bruce Chen, Hill was understandably more than a little emotional about sending the jokester to the National League club.

"Bruce pitched well for us the past few years and I for one will miss him around the team. His energy and infectious enthusiasm has served him well throughout his career and I'm sure the Pirates will appreciate that and his veteran presence on the mound in Pittsburgh."

Neither player involved in the trade was immediately available for comment.

****

Royals Official Opening Day Roster
Starting Pitchers
1 - James Shields - James was acquired in the much ballyhooed deal involving former Royals uber prospect Wil Myers.
2 - Ervin Santana - Another off season acquisition, Ervin was picked up for a song as part of an October trade with Anaheim involving relief pitcher Brandon Sisk.
3 - Jeremy Guthrie - Veteran righty who depends on control and location to be effective. He was a substantial upgrade after being acquired for the severely disappointing Jonathan Sanchez last season.
4 - Luis Mendoza - a journeyman pitcher that seemed to blossom in a regular role last season with the Royals.
5 - Wade Davis - another part of the Myers trade, KC thinks Davis could wind up being a bigger part of the deal than even Shields if he progresses as they envision

Bullpen
Closer - Greg Holland - an underappreciated asset for the Royals, but only by the rest of baseball. The KC front office is well aware of what this hard throwing righty can do.
Setup - Kelvin Herrera - A youthful flamethrower that touches 100+ at times, the only concern is his control and ability to develop his confidence in his secondary pitches
Setup - Tim Collins - The diminutive reliever is another hard thrower, but his best pitch is a 12 to 6 curveball that just drops off the table
Middle Relief - Aaron Crow - former first round pick from Mizzou that has settled nicely into his role in the pen
Middle Relief - Louis Coleman - this Mississippi native is more of a control pitcher, but should be adequate in a middle relief role
Long Relief - Luke Hochevar - the former number one overall pick is on his last legs in the organization as he's been slated for a long relief role.
Long Relief - Jeff Locke -younger, harder throwing, cheaper version of the traded Bruce Chen

Catchers
Salvador Perez - one of the up and coming young catchers in the game, already considered an above average game caller and defender, combined with his offense he has already whetted the appetite of Royals fans everywhere. Salvy will be the starter.
George Kottaras - a career backup but nearly every team he's seen time with in the majors has gotten to the postseason, so here's hoping that trend continues in KC

Infield
Eric Hosmer - 1B - One of the most hyped young players in recent KC history and his first season looked like the real deal. Last season was a disappointment and the front office is looking for a rebound from the young first sacker
Mike Moustakas - 3B -Moose looked like the real deal in the first half of the season last year, but a disappointing second half has fans nervous. Again, the team is looking for more consistency from this young cornerstone of the Royals
Alcides Escobar - SS - He can dazzle with the glove at times and last year he looked like a legitimate offensive contributor. Can he continue to build on last season?
Chris Getz - 2B - Ask most talk show radio callers and Getz shouldn't even be on the team, but until someone else is ready or acquired, the light-hitting, nearly average defender is going to get the bulk of the starts at second.
Billy Butler - 1B/DH - Last year's lone All-Star for the Royals, Billy does one thing and one thing well - hit. Quite possibly the best pure hitter on the team and in the organization
Elliot Johnson - utility - picked up in the Shields/Myers trade and projects to be a good spare piece to rest Alcides and Chris occassionally
Miguel Tejada - utility - a surprise to make the team as Miggy, the former AL MVP, is back in the bigs after being out of the majors all last season.

Outfielders
Alex Gordon - LF - the two time Gold Glove winner is the unquestioned best overall athlete on the club and he will be the leadoff man for the Royals
Lorenzo Cain - CF - if he can stay healthy, his glove and steady, if unspectacular, bat will be very welcome in the lineup
Jeff Francouer - RF - Frenchy, while a fan favorite overall, needs to be more consistent and improve his defense if he intends to hang onto the starting right field spot
Jarrod Dyson - utility - Mr. Zoombiya is full of three things: speed, speed and speed. Last season he scored from third on a popup to the shortstop in shallow left field. Yes, he's fast!

Preseason predictions have the Royals finishing third in the American League Central, behind both the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox.

[RoyalsBlue]

The Royals are projected to finish 3rd this season, but with the addition of James Shields and Ervin Santana, and a rebound from sophomore slumps by Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas, the general feeling around Kansas City is that the Royals can be above .500 if not a contender in the division.

****

Projected starters vs Chicago White Sox
Gm 1 - 3:10 first pitch - James Shields vs Chris Sale
Gm 2 - 1:10 first pitch - Ervin Santana vs Jake Peavy
Gm 3 - 1:10 first pitch - Jeremy Guthrie vs Gavin Floyd

The Royals took the season series last year rather easily by a 12-6 margin, winning 6 games apiece on the road and at home against the ChiSox.

[RoyalsBlue]

2013 Series 1
Record: 2-1
Overall: 2-1 1 GB
Runs Scored: 14 - 7th in AL
Runs Allowed: 17 - 12th in AL
Opponent: @ Chicago White Sox

01-April
KCR : 1-0-0 0-0-2 0-2-0 5-11-0
CWS : 0-0-0 0-1-0 1-0-1 3-6-0
WP - James Shields (1-0)
LP - Nate Jones (0-1)
SV - Greg Holland (1)
HR - KC: Jeff Francouer (1) CWS: Adam Dunn 2(2)

The matchup of respective aces never really materialized as Chicago's Chris Sale left the game early due to back spasms. The White Sox confirmed later in the day that Sale will miss about 5 weeks with his injury and will be placed on the 15 day DL.

03-April
KCR : 1-0-0 0-1-0 1-0-3 6-10-0
CWS : 0-0-3 1-9-0 0-0-x 13-14-1
WP - Jake Peavy (1-0)
LP - Ervin Santana (0-1)
HR - KC: Salvador Perez (1), Mike Moustakas (1), Elliot Johnson (1) CWS: Tyler Flowers (1)

The game was a bit of back and forth until the fifth when the wheels came off for new KC hurler Ervin Santana as the Sox batted around, putting a nasty nine spot on the scoreboard. The worst part of the day for KC wasn't the loss of the game, but the loss of two time Gold Glove left fielder Alex Gordon for an extended period of time with a broken elbow.


04-April
KCR : 0-0-0 0-0-1 0-0-0 2 3-7-0
CWS : 0-0-0 1-0-0 0-0-0 0 1-8-2
WP - Greg Holland (1-0)
LP - Addison Reed (0-1)
HR - none
It took extra time for the Royals to win the series, but the boys in blue will gladly take the series win after getting a fantastic effort from starter Jeremy Guthrie. Chris Getz' sac fly in the tenth wound up being the game winner.


AROUND THE MAJORS
The Yankees have placed pitcher CC Sabathia on the DL with a strained abdominal muscle. Manager Joe Girardi expects the veteran southpaw to be out at least 7 weeks.

Pittsburgh's AJ Burnett will miss a minimum of six months when an MRI revealed a partially torn UCL after he left his start early while facing only nine Cubs hitters.

Cameron Maybin went a perfect five for five in the Padres 10-3 shellacking of the New York Mets. "Not much I can say," said New York manager Terry Collins when asked about Maybin's day. "He hit the ball hard every time up."

Royals Transactions
04-April - Selected the contract of LF David Lough from Omaha.
04-April - Placed LF Alex Gordon on the 15 day DL with a broken elbow, retroactive to 03-April. Estimated to be out 5-6 months.

Projected Starters at Philadelphia Phillies
Gm 1 - 3:05 first pitch - Luis Mendoza (0-0, 0.00) vs Kyle Kendrick (0-0, 0.00)
Gm 2 - 6:05 first pitch - Wade Davis (0-0, 0.00) vs John Lannan (0-0, 0.00)
Gm 3 - 12:35 first pitch - James Shields (1-0, 2.25) vs Cliff Lee (0-1, 5.14)

All time regular season record between the Royals and Phillies is even at three wins apiece. Philly holds the edge in the postseason as they beat KC 4-2 in the 1980 World Series.

[RoyalsBlue]

4-April

Still have two openings on the 40 man roster and with the injury to Alex Gordon putting him on the shelf for virtually the entire season, I've got plenty to keep me busy. Sure, calling David Lough up from Omaha fills an immediate need for the big league club, but now we need to shuffle the minors too.

Talked to our scouting director Lonnie Goldberg and asked his opinion about a guy by the name of Zuanich. Mike Zuanich, I think. He definitely looks the part of a power hitter at 6'3' and 225 lbs, but he's a little long in the tooth at 26 to be a rookie. Guess that doesn't matter since we're looking more for a warm body at the moment as opposed to a prospect, but I think he's worth a second look.

There's a 16 year old kid named Lewin Diaz down in the Dominican Republic that we'll be taking a look at too. Early reports say he's got plus power and has good defensive ability, catches everything he gets to. Biggest drawback at the moment is his tendency to swing at everything and inside pitches are like kryptonite to the youngster.

Talked with several teams to see what kind of interest we could drum up for Luke Hochevar and I wasn't that surprised to see a complete lack of interest from anyone in a one to one deal. Most are probably waiting to see if they can get him on the cheap if we release him. Truthfully, I wouldn't be averse to it, but if he can give us some innings as a long man, at least we'd be getting some value for him.

Danny Duffy and Felipe Paulino are both progressing nicely, knock on wood, from their Tommy John surgeries. With a little bit of luck both will be pitching on a rehab assignment by the end of May or early June. Not counting on them for any innings, but still will be nice to have them on the mound instead of in the trainer's room.

[RoyalsBlue]

2013 Series 2
Record: 2-1
Overall: 4-2 1 GB
Runs Scored: 24 - 8th in AL
Runs Allowed: 26 -7th in AL
Opponent: @ Philadelphia Phillies

05-April
KCR : 2-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-1 3-6-1
PHI : 0-0-0 2-0-0 0-0-0 2-8-2
WP - Greg Holland (2-0)
LP - Jeremy Horst (0-1)
HR - none
POTG - PHI Kyle Kendrick - 7.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 111/66

A tight pitching duel that was decided in the ninth, but questionable managing by Ned Yost has many in Kansas City wondering what he's doing, especially after running through pinch-hitters in wholesale fashion and forcing reliever Kelvin Herrera to hit for himself in the ninth. To make matters worse, Herrera got injured on the basepaths.

06-April
KCR : 0-0-0 0-1-1 0-3-0 5-12-0
PHI : 0-0-0 0-1-2 0-0-1 4-8-1
WP - James Shields (2-0)
LP - John Lannan (0-1)
SV - Louis Coleman (1)
HR - PHI: Ben Revere (1), Jimmy Rollins (1)
POTG - PHI - Jimmy Rollins - 2 for 4, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Late game offense was the difference in this game as the Royals strung together four hits and pushed across the eventual winning runs off of Phils starter John Lannan with the big blow being the two run single by Miguel Tejada that gave KC the lead for good.


07-April
KCR : 1-0-0 0-0-0 0-1-0 2-9-1
PHI : 0-0-0 2-0-0 0-1-0 3-7-0
WP - Cliff Lee (1-1)
LP - Tim Collins (0-1)
SV - Jonathan Papelbon (1)
HR - PHI: Ryan Howard (1)
POTG - PHI - Ryan Howard - 2 for 3, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI

The Royals rallied to tie it in the 8th, but the bullpen couldn't hold on in the bottom half as the Phillies managed to avoid the sweep and salvaged the final game of the series.


AROUND THE MAJORS
Texas Rangers closer Joe Nathan notched his 300th career save by shutting the door on the Los Angeles Angels in an 8-5 win in Arlington.

A fractured foot has landed Cleveland Indians outfielder Michael Bourn on the 15 day DL. Early estimates have him returning in about a month.

Ryan Braun, who had a rather eventful off-season, took out some frustrations on Diamondbacks pitching as he put together a 5 hit performance, including a pair of doubles and a triple, in a 4-3 victory by the Brewers.

Toronto will be without the services of shortstop Jose Reyes for a couple weeks after he strained his oblique during a 7-6 win over the Cleveland Indians.

Detroit's Drew Smyly has been placed on the 60-day DL after suffering a torn labrum. The young lefty will be out at least 3 to 4 months.


AROUND THE MINORS
New Hampshire's second baseman Jim Negrych was on fire going 5 for 5 for the Fisher Cats as they downed the Reading Fightin Phils 9-4.

Matt Lawson hit for the cycle against Indianapolis. Lawson's perfect 4 for 4 day also included 2 rbi and 3 runs scored as Columbus took a relatively easy 7-2 win.

San Jose's Luis Rojas went the distance in a complete game 4 hit shutout as the Giants downed the Visalia Rawhide in a California League tilt. Rojas walked 1 and struck out 11 while only throwing 100 pitches in a very efficient outing.

ROYALS NEWS
Xavier Nady becomes the second player in the organization to be felled by a broken elbow. The 34 year old first baseman is expected to miss the entire season for the Omaha Stormchasers, the KC AAA affiliate.

ROYALS TRANSACTIONS
08-April - Placed pitcher Kelvin Herrera on the 15 day DL, retroactive to 05-April. Herrera was diagnosed with a broken elbow and will be out 4 to 5 months.
08-April - Selected the contract of pitcher Franciscley Bueno from Omaha.

[RoyalsBlue]

The Rangers' David Murphy was named the AL Player of the Week after batting .524/.810/1.334 with 2 homers and 5 rbi in 5 games.



San Diego's Cameron Maybin earned the NL Player of the Week Award by hitting .522/.783/1.304 with 3 doubles, 1 homer, 6 rbi and 3 stolen bases.



The Royals start has garnered some attention as they are currently ranked 7th in the MLB.

Notable Signings
The Mariners have inked free agent hurler Roy Oswalt to a 1 year deal worth an estimated $2,000,000.

Houston has come to an agreement with free agent closer, Jose Valverde, that is worth $735,000.

Projected Starters vs Minnesota Twins
Gm 1 - 3:10 first pitch - Ervin Santana (0-1, 14.54) vs Kevin Correia (0-1, 4.26)
Gm 2 - 7:10 first pitch - Jeremy Guthrie (0-0, 1.13) vs Mike Pelfrey (0-1, 10.39)
Gm 3 - 7:10 first pitch - Luis Mendoza (0-0. 3.00) vs Liam Hendriks (0-0, 3.52)

The Royals lost the season series to Minnesota last season, only winning 7 times in their 18 matchups. All time, the Twins hold the series edge at 361-315.

[RoyalsBlue]

2013 Series 3
Record: 1-2
Overall: 5-4 2.5 GB
Runs Scored: 36 - 11th in AL
Runs Allowed: 41 -10th in AL
Opponent: vs Minnesota Twins

08-April
MIN : 1-0-0 1-1-2 0-3-0 7-7-0
KCR : 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-1-0 1-8-0

WP - Kevin Correia (1-1)
LP - Ervin Santana (0-2)
HR - MIN: Ryan Doumit (2), Josh Willingham (2)
POTG - MIN Ryan Doumit - 3 for 4, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI

Santana pitched marginally better than his first game in Chicago, but the home opener was very disappointing to the 37661 in attendance as the Twins easily dispatched KC to open the 3 game set.

09-April
MIN : 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-5-0
KCR : 0-0-2 1-1-0 0-0-x 4-11-0

WP - Jeremy Guthrie (1-0)
LP - Mike Pelfrey (0-2)
HR - KC: Billy Butler (1)
POTG - KC - Jeremy Guthrie - 7 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 3 K, 106/62

Guthrie held the Twins in check and Country Breakfast got his first dinger of the young season. Every KC batter had at least one hit except for Jarrod Dyson, stopping his mini hitting streak at 5 games.

10-April
MIN : 0-0-0 3-3-0 0-0-2 8-11-1
KCR : 2-0-0 0-0-4 1-0-0 7-10-0
WP - Brian Duensing (1-0)
LP - Greg Holland (2-1)
SV - Glen Perkins (1)
HR - KC: Salvador Perez (2), Jeff Francouer (2)
POTG - KC - Jeff Francouer - 1 for 4, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI

The Royals comeback fell short as the usually reliable Greg Holland blew his first save of the season, surrendering 2 runs in the ninth as the Twins took the decisive third game of the series.

AROUND THE MAJORS
San Francisco placed former Royal Gregor Blanco on the 60 day DL with a torn labrum. He's expected to miss at least 4 months.

Yasiel Puig was recalled from Chattanooga by Los Angeles as the Dodgers also placed Carl Crawford on the 15 day DL retroactive to 09-April with an oblique strain. Crawford is only expected to miss the minimum 15 days.

David Murphy, who was named the AL player of the week, has been signed to a 1 year extension by the Texas Rangers worth a cool $6,500,000.

ROYALS NEWS
Tim Dillard, a 29 year old reliever, was signed to a minor league contract and assigned to Omaha.

Projected starters vs Toronto Blue Jays
Gm 1 - 7:10 first pitch - James Shields (2-0, 3.00) vs J.A. Happ (1-0, 1.42)
Gm 2 - 6:10 first pitch - Ervin Santana (0-2, 8.49) vs R.A. Dickey (0-2, 5.27)
Gm 3 - 1:10 first pitch - Jeremy Guthrie (1-0, 0.60) vs Josh Johnson (1-1, 2.87)

The Royals lost 6 of 8 to the Blue Jays last season and are just on the wrong side of a 176-183 all time record in the regular season with their Canadian neighbors.

[mpejkrm]

This is looking really good man, I'll be following along.

[RoyalsBlue]

2013 Series 4
Record: 1-2
Overall: 6-6 3 GB
Runs Scored: 43 - 13th in AL
Runs Allowed: 54 -9th in AL
Opponent: vs Toronto Blue Jays

12-April
TOR : 2-0-1 1-0-0 0-2-0 6-10-0
KCR : 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-3-0

WP - J.A. Happ (2-0)
LP - James Shields (2-1)
HR - TOR: Edwin Encarnacion (2)
POTG - TOR: J.A. Happ - 8 IP, 3 H, 0 BB, 9 K, 105/69

Happ easily controlled the KC bats while James Shields struggled as the Jays took the opener of this series.

13-April
TOR : 0-0-0 0-1-1 1-2-0 5-4-0
KCR : 0-2-0 0-1-0 1-0-0 4-7-0

WP - R.A. Dickey (1-2)
LP - Aaron Crow (0-1)
SV - Casey Janssen (2)
HR - TOR: Edwin Encarnacion 2(4) KC: Mike Moustakas (2), Lorenzo Cain (1)
POTG - TOR: Edwin Encarnacion - 2 for 4, 2 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI

Encarnacion's 8th inning blast, his second homer of the day, put the Jays in front for good as the Royals home woes continue.


14-April (12 innings)
TOR : 0-0-0 1-0-1 0-0-0 0-0-0 2-6-0
KCR : 0-0-0 0-1-1 0-0-0 0-0-1 3-9-0
WP - Tim Collins (1-1)
LP - Sergio Santos (0-2)
HR - TOR: Edwin Encarnacion (5)
POTG - KC: Ervin Santana - 9 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 119/73

Toronto's Edwin Encarnacion blasted his fourth homer in the series, but the Royals managed to salvage the final game of the series and the homestand when Jarrod Dyson singled home Miguel Tejada in the 12th.


AROUND THE MAJORS
Minnesota's Joe Mauer was placed on the 15 day DL and will miss six weeks with a thumb injury.

Torii Hunter collected his 2000th hit but the Tigers still lost a squeaker to the A's, 8-7.

Yankees hurler Kiroki Kuroda is expected to miss up to 4 months with ulnar nerve irritation in his right arm.

ROYALS NEWS
Michael Wuertz, a 34 year old reliever, was signed to a minor league contract and assigned to Omaha.

Projected Starters @ Atlanta Braves
Gm 1 - 6:10 first pitch - Jeremy Guthrie (1-0, 0.60) vs Mike Minor (2-0, 0.55)
Gm 2 - 11:10 first pitch - Luis Mendoza (0-0, 6.97) vs Tim Hudson (0-2, 4.29)

The Royals are 2-4 all-time against the Braves and this will be the third trip to Georgia for Kansas City against zero trips to Kauffman for Atlanta, although the Braves are scheduled to finally visit in June this season

[RoyalsBlue]

The Mariners' Kendrys Morales was named the AL Player of the Week after batting .429/1.000/1.414 with 2 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR and 14 RBI in 7 games.



San Diego's Carlos Quentin earned the NL Player of the Week Award by hitting ..474/1.421/2.021 with 3 2B, 5 HR and 8 RBI.



The Royals 2-4 homestand sent the good guys rocketing southward in this weeks power rankings to the middle of the pack

Notable Signings
The Washington Nationals have inked free agent pitcher and well known hothead Carlos Zambrano to a 1 year deal worth $759.500.

The Texas Rangers have come to an agreement with free agent first baseman, Carlos Lee, that is worth $980,000.

The Toronto Blue Jays signed international free agent Lewin Diaz to a minor league contract. The signing bonus was reported to be near $500,000. We'll have to keep an eye on his development as we were very interested in signing him in KC.

Notable Releases
Gerald Laird - designated for assignment by the Atlanta Braves
Jason Giambi - designated for assignment by the Cleveland Indians

[RoyalsBlue]

2013 Series 5
Record: 0-2
Overall: 6-8 4 GB
Runs Scored: 47 - 15th in AL
Runs Allowed: 61 -7th in AL
Opponent: @ Atlanta Braves

16-April (12 innings)
KCR : 1-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 1-9-0
ATL : 0-0-0 0-0-1 0-0-0 0-0-1 2-8-1

WP - Jonny Venters (1-0)
LP - Aaron Crow (0-2)
HR - ATL: Jason Heyward (2)
POTG - KC: Jeremy Guthrie - 8 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 104/65

A lot of wasted chances on both sides, but it was the home team that managed to push across the winner in the 12th on a Justin Upton sacrifice fly.

17-April
KCR : 0-0-0 0-2-1 0-0-0 3-6-0
ATL : 0-2-1 1-0-0 1-0-x 5-9-0

WP - Paul Maholm (3-0)
LP - Luis Mendoza (0-1)
SV - Jonny Venters (1)
HR - KC: Salvador Perez (3) ATL: B.J. Upton (1)
POTG - KC: Salvador Perez - 3 for 4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Salvy hit his 3rd homer of the season, but it wasn't enough as the Braves completed the two game sweep and caused the Royals 5th loss in their last 6 games.


AROUND THE MAJORS
The Dodgers relief corps took a hit with Ronald Belasario being placed on the DL with a torn labrum. The 30 year old hurler is expected to miss the rest of the season.

Minnesota has been red hot lately, reeling off 7 consecutive victories to come within a half game of AL Central leading Detroit.

Projected Starters @ Boston Red Sox
Gm 1 - 6:10 first pitch - James Shields (2-1, 4.43) vs Ryan Dempster (1-2, 1.16)
Gm 2 - 12:10 first pitch - Ervin Santana (0-2, 5.66) vs Clay Buchholz (3-0, 2.86)
Gm 3 - 12:35 first pitch - Jeremy Guthrie (1-0, 0.78) vs Felix Doubront (0-1, 5.90)

The Royals are nearly even all-time against the Red Sox, separated by only 1 game at 218-219.

[PhilledUp]

I'm liking the format here. I'll be following. Good luck.

[RoyalsBlue]

2013 Series 6
Record: 1-2
Overall: 7-10 3.5 GB
Runs Scored: 60 - 15th in AL
Runs Allowed: 79 - 7th in AL
Opponent: @ Boston Red Sox

19-April
KCR : 3-0-0 2-0-1 0-1-2 9-10-0
BOS : 0-2-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 2-6-0

WP - James Shields (3-1)
LP - Ryan Dempster (1-3)
HR - KC: Mike Moustakas (3)
POTG - KC: James Shields - 8 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 128/80

The Royals offense finally erupted, sparked by Moose's 1st inning 3 run bomb that wound up being enough for James Shields.

20-April
KCR : 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-1-0 1-9-1
BOS : 1-0-0 0-0-0 0-2-x 3-7-1

WP - Koji uehara (1-0)
LP - Ervin Santana (0-3)
SV - Joel Hanrahan (6)
HR - BOS: Jacoby Ellsbury (2)
POTG - BOS: Jacoby Ellsbury - 3 for 4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI

Santana pitched well enough to win, but the Boston pitching staff was just a touch better. Plus, the Sox didn't have to face Ellsbury as he was hot all night.

21-April
KCR : 0-0-0 2-0-1 0-0-0 3-8-0
BOS : 0-1-2 1-8-1 0-0-x 13-17-0

WP - Felix Doubront (1-1)
LP - Jeremy Guthrie (1-1)
HR - BOS: Jacoby Ellsbury (3), Jarrod Saltalamacchia (1)

The fifth inning was the finishing blow for the visitors as the home Sox batted around to the tune of 8 runs on 7 hits and 4 walks, 1 intentional in the inning before finally showing mercy and leaving the bases loaded to end the fifth.

AROUND THE MAJORS
The Nationals will be without Ryan Zimmerman for 2-3 months after he fractured a finger while running the bases in a game against the Mets.

Roy Halladay notched his 200th career victory in a 3-0 shutout of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Phillies righthander scattered 8 hits over 8 innings while striking out 7, throwing 71 strikes in his 100 total pitches.

Milwaukee will be without Kyle Lohse for up to 4 months as the veteran hurler heals from a ruptured tendon in his pitching hand. Lohse had started slowly with an 0-2 record in 4 starts and allowed 21 hits and 4 walks in his 18.1 innings.

San Francisco announced a 1 year extension with 2 time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum. Reports have the value of the extension around $24,000,000.

Catcher Ryan Hanigan and the Cincinnati Reds have come to an agreement on a 1 year extension worth $4,720,000.

ROYALS MINOR LEAGUE NEWS
Omaha Storm Chasers first baseman Anthony Seratelli was named PCL player of the week after hitting .583/.875/1.530 with 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR and 5 RBI in 7 games.

Northwest Arkansas Naturals shortstop Rey Navarro was named the Texas League player of the week after hitting .500/.731/1.311 with 4 2B, 1 3B and 4 RBI in 6 games.

Yowill Espinal, for the Lexington Legends of the South Atlantic League, slammed 2 homers and knocked in 4 helping the team to a 9-8 win over the Augusta Green Jackets.

Wilmington hurler Brooks Pounders turned in a piece of history as he no-hit the Frederick Keys in a Carolina League tilt. Pounders was dominant only allowing 2 walks while striking out 12 for the Blue Rocks.

Blue Rocks right fielder Kenny Diekroeger was named the Carolina League player of the week after batting .591/.727/1.367 with 3 2B and 7 RBI in 6 games.

Projected Starters @ Detroit Tigers
Gm 1 - 6:05 first pitch - Luis Mendoza (0-1, 6.88) vs Anibel Sanchez (1-0, 2.57)
Gm 2 - 6:05 first pitch - Wade Davis (0-0, 3.86) vs Max Scherzer (3-0, 2.86)
Gm 3 - 6:05 first pitch - James Shields (3-1, 3.86) vs Rick Porcello (1-1, 3.80)

[RoyalsBlue]

Chicago first baseman Paul Konerko took home AL player of the week honors after hitting .448/.655/1.170 with 3 2B, 1 HR and 8 RBI in 7 games.



Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp was awarded the NL player of the week after hitting .417/.792/1.273 with 3 2B, 2 HR and 6 RBI in 6 games.



Kansas City's free fall continues in the power rankings while the offense tries desperately to get going.

[RoyalsBlue]

2013 Series 7
Record: 1-2
Overall: 8-12 4.5 GB
Runs Scored: 75 - 15th in AL
Runs Allowed: 96 - 7th in AL
Opponent: @ Detroit Tigers

23-April
KCR : 0-0-0 2-4-0 0-0-0 6-10-0
DET : 2-0-0 0-0-0 2-0-3 7-16-0

WP - Dustin Moseley (1-1)
LP - Greg Holland (2-2)
HR - KC: Salvador Perez (4), Billy Butler (3) DET: Miguel Cabrera (5)
POTG - DET: Miguel Cabrera - 3 for 5, 2 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI

Miguel Cabrera's ninth inning homer tied the game off Greg Holland and Jhonny Peralta finished the Royals off with a single up the middle to score pinch-runner Quintin Berry for the walk-off victory.

24-April
KCR : 3-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 3-5-0
DET : 3-0-0 0-0-0 2-0-x 5-10-0

WP - Rick Porcello (2-1)
LP - Wade Davis (0-1)
SV - Octavio Dotal (5)
HR - none
POTG - DET: Rick Porcello - 8 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, 114/72

Rick Porcello had command issues early, but settled down afterwards and showed the promise that the Tigers have been waiting on for the past few seasons.

25-April
KCR : 0-0-0 3-0-0 3-0-0 6-9-0
DET : 0-0-0 0-1-2 0-0-2 5-12-1

WP - James Shields (4-1)
LP - Justin Verlander (1-2)
SV - Greg Holland (2)
HR - KC: Eric Hosmer (1) DET: Prince Fielder (3), Miguel Cabrera (6), Victor Martinez (1)

James Shields got his fourth win of the season, but Greg Holland made it interesting again in the ninth, giving up back to back solo homers to Prince Fielder and Victor Martinez before finally securing the finale of the series.

AROUND THE MAJORS
Ben Zobrist will miss around 5 weeks for the Tampa Bay Rays after suffering a biceps strain.

Cincinnati let out a sigh of relief after finding out stud first baseman Joey Votto will only be out for 3 weeks after suffering a strained oblique on a defensive effort against the Cubs. When asked how he felt, Votto replied "Sore."

Washington's Stephen Strasburg (2-2, 2.08) went the distance in a complete game shutout at Nationals Park against the St. Louis Cardinals. The young fireballer only allowed 1 base hit and 1 walk while striking out 16 in the 5-0 whitewash. In his 5 starts, Strasburg has gone at least 7 innings each time and has not struck out less than 8 in any
start thus far.

Projected Starters vs Cleveland (10-12, 3.5 GB - 3rd place)
Gm 1 - 7:10 first pitch - Ervin Santana (0-3, 5.02) vs Justin Masterson (1-2, 9.16)
Gm 2 - 6:10 first pitch - Jeremy Guthrie (1-3, 3.67) vs Brett Myers (1-1, 3.25)
Gm 3 - 1:10 first pitch - Luis Mendoza (0-1, 6.26) vs Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-0, 5.89)
Gm 4 - 7:10 first pitch - Wade Davis (0-1, 4.71) vs Zach McAllister (3-1, 3.82)

The Royals won the season series against the AL Central division rival Indians last year, 10-8. All-time, however, the Tribe holds a 303-288 edge in victories.

[RoyalsBlue]

2013 Series 8
Record: 3-1
Overall: 11-13 3.5 GB 4th place in AL Central
Runs Scored: 100 - 12th in AL
Runs Allowed: 115 - 8th in AL
Opponent: vs Cleveland Indians

26-April
CLE : 1-2-0 0-0-0 1-2-0 6-13-1
KCR : 0-4-3 0-0-0 1-1-x 9-11-0

WP - Ervin Santana (1-3)
LP - Justin Masterson (1-3)
HR - none
POTG - CLE: Michael Brantley - 4 for 5, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI

Turning an early 3-0 deficit into a 7-3 lead, the Royals held on for a 9-6 win in the series opener.

27-April
CLE : 1-0-0 0-0-0 1-3-0 5-10-1
KCR : 1-2-1 1-2-0 1-1-x 9-16-0

WP - Jeremy Guthrie (2-1)
LP - Brett Myers (1-2)
SV - Tim Collins (1)
HR - CLE: Jason Kipnis (1)
POTG - KC: David Lough - 4 for 5, 2 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI

Every starter except Chris Getz had at least 1 hit as the Royals put a second consecutive 9 spot on the board against Cleveland.

28-April
CLE : 3-0-3 0-0-0 0-0-0 6-9-0
KCR : 1-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0 1-6-0

WP - Zach McAllister (4-1)
LP - Wade Davis (0-2)
HR - CLE: Nick Swisher (5)

Wade Davis got rocked for 6 runs in less than 3 innings as the Royals winning streak got stopped at three.

29-April
CLE : 1-0-0 0-1-0 0-0-0 2-5-1
KCR : 0-5-0 0-0-1 0-0-x 6-9-1
WP - Luis Mendoza (1-1)
LP - Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-1)
HR - none

A 5 run second inning propelled the Royals to a series clinching win and their 4th win in 5 games.


AROUND THE MAJORS
Washington will be without the services of Bryce Harper after he suffered a torn abdominal muscle. The outfielder will be out of action up to 6 weeks.

In what was rumored to be Yankees closer Mariano Rivera's final season, the all-time saves leader has now been lost for the season and perhaps his career after suffering a torn ulnar collateral ligament. If he would choose to return, the Sandman would not likely be ready until June next season.

A couple weeks ago Torii Hunter collected his 2000th hit and now he has hammered his 300th career home run off Atlanta Braves hurler Paul Maholm in a 10-4 Detroit victory.

AROUND THE MINORS
Durham Bulls pitcher Jake Odirizzi shut down the Toledo Mud Hens with the bare minimum of 94 pitches, 81 of them for strikes, scattering 6 hits while striking out 7 in a 4-0 shutout win.

Arkansas catcher John Hester was on fire with 5 hits in 5 at bats, punctuated by a 3 run homer as Arkansas downed the Springfield Cardinals 18-6.

New Britain's Curt Smith extended his hitting streak to an Eastern League high 20 games in a 13-7 loss to Harrisburg

Projected Starters vs Tampa Bay Rays (11-15 5.5 GB 5th place in AL East)
Gm 1 - 7:10 first pitch - James Shields (4-1, 3.89) vs David Price (3-1, 2.60)
Gm 2 - 7:10 first pitch - Ervin Santana (1-3, 5.05) vs Jeremy Hellickson (2-2, 5.10)
Gm 3 - 1:10 first pitch - Jeremy Guthrie (2-1, 4.15) vs Matt Moore (1-3, 4.66)

The Royals won the season series against the Rays last year, 4-2. All-time, however, Tampa holds a 67-52 edge in victories.

[RoyalsBlue]

Baltimore's Nolan Reimold earned AL Player of the Week honors after hitting .462/1.077/1.639 with 1 2B, 5 HR, and 16 RBI.



Washington's Denard Span was named the NL Player of the Week after batting .464/.750/1.250 with 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI and 2 SB.



The Royals finally stabilized in the standings and made a small move back up, but they still have their work cut out for them in the AL Central.

NOTABLE INJURY
The Colorado Rockies will be without the services of Troy Tulowitzki after an examination revealed bone chips in his elbow. The 28 year old shortstop is expected to be out at least six weeks.

ROYALS ON AL LEADERBOARDS
WAR - 10th: Lorenzo Cain -1.3 - Leader: Robinson Cano - NYY - 2.3
2B - tied 9th: Mike Moustakas - 7 - Leader: Alejandro De Aza - CWS - 10
3B - tied 2nd: Lorenzo Cain - 2 - Leader: Austin Jackson - DET - 3
SB - tied 11th: Jarrod Dyson - 5 - Leader: Jose Altuve - HOU - 11
WINS - Tied for AL lead - James Shields - 4

[RoyalsBlue]