Kansas City Royals Franchise Thread

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MLB News & Notes
June 6 - 12, 2011

AWARDS:
AL Player of the Week: Cleveland’s Shin-Soo Choo took home AL PoW honors by going 12-25 (.480) on the week , smacking 2 HR, and 10 RBI’s. Choo is batting .242 on the year.

NL Player of the Week: Chicago’s Marlon Byrd earned the NL’s PoW honors by hitting .435 (10-23) with 4 HR’s and 9 RBI’s. Byrd is having a terrific year as he is hitting .333 with 11 HR’s, 40 RBI’s, 45 runs, and has a OBP of .401 on the season.

SIGNINGS:
* The Orioles have signed Brian Roberts to a 2 year deal worth a total of $26,500,000.

TRADES:
* Houston sent Mark Melancon to Arizona in exchange for Tyler Skaggs & Marc Krauss.
* Milwaukee sent LaTroy Hawkins to Philadelphia for Jiwan James & Carlos Rivero.
* Pittsburgh sent Jeff Clement to Toronto for Jon Rausch & Yoel Araujo.

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES:
* June 7 ~ Cardinals starter Kyle McClellan continued his amazing year by blanking the Astros , tossing a 4 hit, 6 k performance. McClellan is 8-0 with a 2.26 ERA on the year.
* June 7 ~ Giants slugger Vladimir Guerrero went 5-6 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI’s in a win over the Padres. Guerrero is batting .262 on the year.
* June 10 ~ Diamondbacks pitcher Zach Duke tossed a CG 2 hit shutout over the Marlins. Duke is 3-3 on the year with a 2.90 ERA.
* June 11 ~ Seattle’s Michael Saunders hit for the cycle, capping off his record day by smacking a 2 run triple in the 9th inning to win the game. Saunders his batting .274 on the year.
* June 12 ~ Tampa Bay hurler James Shields pitched a 3 hit shutout against the Orioles. Shields struck out 8 batters on the day and has a record of 6.2 with a 2.49 ERA on the year.

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Trade: Royals Acquire DeWitt from Cubs!

The Joaquin Arias experiment at third base has come to an end. After suffering through 22 errors, a ZR of -12.2 and a EFF % of .874, the Royals finally came to the conclusion that Arias was not going to make the transition to 3rd base. With that in mind, the Royals sent a package deal of Arias, Gregor Blanco, and Mitch Maier (all of whom were on the major league roster and had played considerable time during the year). In return, the Royals received 25 year old 3rd baseman Blake DeWitt from the Cubs.

At the time of the trade, Arias was batting .286 with 4 HR, 27 RBI’s, and had scored 20 runs, while DeWitt was hitting at a .272 clip with 5 HR, 23 RBI’s, and 18 runs. Salaries matched up closely, with DeWitt making $410,000 and Arias making $400,000, though early projections show DeWitt making nearly $2,655,000 in the first year of arbitration and Arias making only $675,000.

This trade, as with any and all trades that are made in this franchise thread, was not made until the trade message indicated that the KC owner was asking for "a bit more" or worse ("not fair"). This is done so as to keep the trades as favorable to the other side so as to not “take advantage” of the game.

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KC Ousts Oakland, Takes 2 of 3 from the A's

June 14 ~ KC 3 Oakland 1: K. Davies (5-3) picked up the win, going 6 2/3 innings allowing 1 run on 7 hits, striking out 6 and finishing with a game score of 54. Collins (5) and Tejeda (4) picked up “holds” while J. Soria recorded his 16th save of the season. Taking the loss for the A’s was Rich Harden (5-4). A. Escobar was the big hitter on the day, going 4-5 with 1 run and 1 rbi, while newcomer Blake DeWitt continued to shine, going 1-2 with 1 rbi and 2 walks. DeWitt is turning out to be an on-base machine. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to Davies


June 15 ~ KC 8 Oakland 7: Jeff Francis (4-8) continued the winning streak, as the Royals topped the A’s. Helping to preserve Francis’ outing was Tejeda (5TH hold of the season) and J. Soria (17th save of the year). Taking the loss for the A’s was Gio Gonzales (6-7). A. Escobar continued his hot streak by going 2-5 with 2 runs, with M. Avilies going 2-3 with 1 run and 1 rbi. K. Ka’aihue (2-4 with 2 runs and 2 rbi’s) was the star of the day as he pounded out a 2 run blast during the top of the 9th inning to seal the win. It must be noted that Oakland hitter C. Jackson absolutely pounded the ball today, going 3-4 with 3 runs, 3 rbi’s, 1 walk, 2 HR’s, and finished with 9 total bases. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to Ka'Aihue.


June 16 ~ Oakland 6 KC 3: Rough day for Jaime Moyer (4-3) who just could not keep KC in the game. Moyer lasted only 4 2/3 innings, allowing 5 runs on 9 hits, walking 3 and striking out 2. Picking up the win for the A’s was B. Anderson (6-5), with holds going to B. Ziegler (7) and G. Balfour (5), and the save to M. Wuertz (14). Taylor Teagarden went 2-5 with 1 run and 2 rbi’s to earn Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game, while M. Cabrera went 2-4.

DeWitt is fitting in nice so far, not having committed any errors and went 3-7 (2 doubles) with 1 run, 2 rbi's, and 4 walks during the series.

Season Record: 32-38 (3rd Place, 3 GB)

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Royals Get “Pujols’ed”, Cardinals Rough Up KC

June 17 ~ St. Louis 13 KC 11: K. Lohse (7-3) stymied the Royals for the first 7 1/3 innings and then the bullpen efforts of T. Miller (11th Hold) and J. Motte (27th Save) held on for the victory. While it is never fun to lose, the Royals kept it interesting right to the very end. Down 13-3 heading into the 8th inning, the Royals put up 4 runs in the 8th and 4 more runs in the 9th. Taking the loss for KC was A. Crow (3-3), (yes, I know I said he was done as a starting pitcher but I keep thinking he is going to turn in one of "those" games) with L. Hochevar also getting smacked around by the St. Louis hitters. Billy Butler went 3-4 (9th HR of the season) on the day with 2 runs, 3 RBI’s, and 1 walk; Blake DeWitt put up a 2-4 day (6th HR of the season) with 3 runs, 5 RBI’s, and 1 walk; and Taylor Teagarden went 2-3 (5th HR of the year) with 1 run, 2 RBI’s, and 2 walks. Albert Pujols just absolutely abused the KC staff, going 3-3 (16th HR of the year) with 3 runs, 4 RBI’s, and 2 walks. Likewise, Matt Holiday had a 1-2 day (15th HR of season) with 2 runs, 3 RBI’s, and 3 walks. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to Blake DeWitt for his outstanding day.

June 18 ~ KC 10 St. Louis 5: Nice bounce-back win by the Royals, but once again their starter could not get a win. K. Davies last only 4 innings, Bonderman was ineffective, so it took T. Collins (1-0) and newcomer L. Gregerson (5th hold, 1st with KC) to get the win. Taking the loss for the Cardinals was Ryan Franklin (2-1) with his second blown save of the year. KC hitters smacked 13 hits on the day, including 8 for extra bases, led by Billy Butler (3-4 [double and HR], with 2 runs, 1 RBI, and 1 walk), Jeff Francoeur (2-5, with 2 runs and 1 RBI’s), and Blake DeWitt (2-5, with 1 RBI). Despite the loss, Albert Pujols had another solid day, going 1-3 with 1 run, 1 RBI, and 2 walks. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to Billy Butler.

June 19 ~ St. Louis 3 KC 2: The Royals let this one slip away, as an outstanding outing by M. Montgomery (7 innings, 0 runs, 3 hits, 6 k’s, game score of 75) was wasted after J. Soria (1-4), BS 4, blew the 9th inning lead when he gave up a 2 run double to Albert Pujols. It is very frustrating to get such a strong outing from Montgomery and not get the "W". Billy Butler (2-4 with 1 run) and Alex Gordon (2-4 [double and triple] with 1 run and 1 RBI) had a solid day. Albert Pujols finished out the series by going 2 for 2 with 1 run, 2 RBI’s, and 2 walks. Mike Montgomery was named the Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game.

Season Record: 33-40 (3rd Place, 4 GB)

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Trade: Royals Pick Up Gregerson from the Padres

Recognizing the desperate need to shore its bullpen, the Kansas City Royals worked out a trade with the San Diego Padres to bring relief pitcher Luke Gregerson to KC and sending pitchers Jake Odorizzi and Vin Mazzaro to the Padres. Gregerson has been in the league for 3 years, posting a career record of 6-11 with 4 saves in 186 games, including a 0-0 record with 1 save, a 2.79 ERA in 22 games on the season. Losing Mazzaro and Odorizzi does hurt the Royals farm system, but GM Chowderhead thought it was worth the risk. We shall see…

As for the salary impact, the trade was pretty much a wash as Mazzaro is making $400,000 and Odorizzi is on a minor league contract, while Gregerson is making $416,500 on the year. None of the players have yet reached the point where arbitration estimates are being given.

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MLB News & Notes
June 13 - 19, 2011


AWARDS:
AL Player of the Week: Cleveland’s Ben Zobrist took home AL PoW honors by going 13-24 (..542) on the week, smacking 2 HR, and 6 RBI’s. Zobrist is having a career year as he is batting .335 with 16 HR's.

NL Player of the Week: Rockies second baseman Jose Lopez earned the NL’s PoW honors by going 11-22 with 3 HR’s, 6 runs, and 8 RBI’s. Lopez is hitting .307 with 9 HR's, 61 RBI's, and 31 runs scored on the year.

TRADES:
* Kansas City sent Gregor Blanco, Joaquin Arias, and Mitch Maier to the Cubs in exchange for Blake DeWitt.
* Kansas City traded pitchers Vin Mazzaro and Jake Odorizzi to the Padres for relief pitcher Lke Gregerson.

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES:
* June 13 ~ Seattle starter Doug Fister threw a 4 hit, CG shutout over the Angles. Fister is 5-8 on the year with a 4.83 ERA.
* June 14 ~ Philadelphia ace Roy Halladay twirled a 2 hitter as he shut out the Marlins. Halladay is having another tremendous year, posting a record of 9-4 with a 2.82 ERA in 15 starts.
* June 14 ~ Giants catcher Buster Posey wowed the home crowd by going 5-5 on the day. Posey smacked a HR, 2 doubles, 2 singles and had 5 RBI's in the Giants win.
* June 17 ~ Zack Greinke blanked Boston as he tossed a 4 hitter, walking 1, and striking out 9. Greinke is 4-3 on the year with a 3.14 ERA.
* June 19 ~ Cincinnati Reds' slugger Scott Rolen reached a milestone today as he smacked his 2,000 career hit. Rolen's all-time numbers include a .282 batting average, 308 home runs, and 1234 RBI's.

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Royals Handle Diamondbacks, Win 2 of 3 from Arizona

June 21 ~ Arizona 9 KC 2: The question of which Jeff Francis would show up was quickly answered as the Diamondback hitters jumped out to an early 5 run lead and never looked back. Francis (4-9) only lasted 2 1/3 innings, allowing 5 runs on 7 hits, walking 1, and striking out 2. Picking up the win for the D-Backs was Zach Duke (4-4) who went 8 2/3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 8 hits, striking out 4, and finishing with a game score of 64. The lone bright spot for the Royals was Wilson Betemit who went 3-3 (2 doubles) with 2 runs and 1 walk. Especially troubling for the Royals was Willie Bloomquist who stole 3 bases to go with his 4-6, 1 run, 1 RBI day. The Hy-Vee Player of the Game went to Wilson Betemit, despite the fact that in a post-game interview he exploded into a profanity laced tirade in which he demanded to play full-time or be traded. It will be interesting to see how that plays out.

June 22 ~ KC 4 Arizona 3: Finally, the “Aaron Crow” as a starter worked out, though it is likely to be short-lived. Crow (4-3) managed to go 7 innings, allowing 1 run on 5 hits, striking out 5 and finishing with a game score of 67. Luke Gregerson pitched a perfect 8th (striking out 2) for his 6 hold of the year, though J. Soria could not close out the game and R. Tejeda (2nd save) had to come to preserve the win. Taking the loss for the Diamondbacks was D. Hudson (1-8) who, despite the horrendous record, turned out a nice solid performance. The Royals were led by K. Ka’aihue’s 2-4, 2 RBI day, as well as Alex Gordon’s 1-2, 2 run, 1 RBI, 2 walk day. The Hy-Vee Player of the Game went to Aaron Crow.

June 23 ~ KC 6 Arizona 1: Pitching win by committee was the mantra for the Royals today. Running out 6 different pitchers, the Royals were able to limit the Diamondbacks to just 6 hits on the day. Picking up the win was T. Collins (2-0), while taking the loss for Arizona was Ian Kennedy (2-10). Alex Gordon had another nice day, going 2-2 with 1 RBI and 2 walks, as well as A. Escobar’s 2-4, 1 run, 3 RBI, 1 stolen base performance. It should be noted that I simmed out this game and the game, for reasons unknown, decided to use Aaron Crow (yesterday’s starter) for 2/3 of an inning. Not good! The Hy-Vee Player of the Game went to Alex Gordon.

Season Record: 35-41 (3rd Place, 3 1/2 GB)

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Royal Rampage! KC Sweeps the Cubs

June 24 ~ KC 7 Chicago 6: Nothing like a 13th inning win to get the team fired up. Capping off his 5-7, 2 run, 1 RBI day, Melky Cabrera blooped a broken-bat single over 1st base to bring in A. Escobar from 3rd base to win the game. Starter Jaime Moyer failed to get a decision though pitched well-enough to keep the Royals in the game. J. Bonderman picked up his 1st hold of the year, J. Soria notched his 5th Blown Save of the season (not good), and T. Collins (3-0) recorded the win. Taking the loss for the Cubs was Kerry Wood (1-1, 4th Blown Save). In addition to Cabrera’s big day, Blake DeWitt continued to shine as he went 3-6 with 1 run and 1 RBI, as well as Alex Gordon’s 1-3, 1 run, 2 RBI, 2 walk performance. It should be noted that Marlon Byrd and Aramis Ramirez crushed the KC pitching by going a combined 8-13 (2 doubles and 2 HR’s) with 4 runs, 5 RBI’s and 1 walk. There is considerable chatter amongst the beat-writers that the Royals front office is very close in acquiring disgruntled Dodgers starter Vicente Padilla though the reports are not saying what the Dodgers are seeking in return. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to Cabrera.

June 25 ~ KC 4 Chicago 0: What a day for K. Davies (6-3) who threw a complete game, 4 hit shutout in which he dominated the Cubs and posted a game score of 81. Pacing the KC 7 hit attack was Blake DeWitt (2-4 [double and HR] with 2 runs and 2 RBI’s) and Jeff Francoeur (2-4 with 1 run and 1 RBI). If the Royals are going to make a legitimate run at the Division, it will need to get continued outings like what Davies threw today. Adding to the news, the Royals announced that they had agreed to acquire Vicente Padilla from the Dodgers in return for rookie Kanekoa Texeira. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to K. Davies.

June 26 ~ KC 5 Chicago 4: Nothing like being thrown into the fire, newly acquired Vicente Padilla was given the ball just hours after the trade was recognized by MLB front offices. Padilla, showing no signs of jet lag, flew to Chicago and proceeded to hold the Cubs to 4 runs on 8 hits over 8 innings, striking out 7 and finishing with a game score of 55. J. Soria closed the game out with his 18th save of the season. M. Avilies went 2-3 with 2 runs and Melky Cabrera had a 1-3, 3 RBI day. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to Padilla for his gutsy performance.

Season Record: 38-41 (2nd Place, ½ GB)

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Trade: Royals Acquire Padilla from Dodgers

Being a small-market team, KC doesn’t have the vast resources of the New Yorks, Bostons, or Chicagos. Because of that, the moves that it does make have to not only help the team in the short term, but it has to do so in a way that does not take on too much salary and does not deplete the already thin minor league system. With that said, the Royals took a gamble and went after veteran (and rather disgruntled) pitcher Vicente Padilla from the Dodgers. Padilla on the year has a 3-5 record with a 4.43 ERA in 61 innings. In return the Dodgers acquired rookie Kanekoa Texeria who has put up some very impressive numbers for the AAA team, and who had been previously been identified as a middle of the rotation/set up guy for the Royals. The move is not without its challenges in that the Royals were forced to give up youth (9 year age difference between the players), took on salary ($1,600,000 salary difference), and the question if Padilla will change his attitude or continue to be the “cancer in the clubhouse” guy.

It is important to note that as I have previously indicated, I will not make a trade unless it is deemed questionable by my owner (where I am told that I should "ask for more" clear up to "not even fair". Given the Royals budget, I have to make trades that are not very "noteworthy" (don't expect big name players) yet hopefully prove to be beneficial. I will not try and game the system and have already walked from a couple of trades that just did not feel right.

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MLB News & Notes
June 20 - 26, 2011

AWARDS:
AL Player of the Week: Tampa Bay hitter Evan Longoria took home AL PoW honors by going 11-25 (.440) on the week, smacking 2 HR, and 8 RBI’s. Longoria has been smashing the ball all year, putting up a .305 average with 75 RBI's, 24 HR's, and a .380 OBP.

NL Player of the Week: Marlon Byrd did it again, earning NL PoW honors by going 11-21 with 5 HR’s, 7 runs, and 7 RBI’s. Byrd is not batting .344 on the year.

SIGNINGS:
* Philadelphia signed veteran pitcher LaTroy Hawkins to a 2 year deal worth a total of $7,960,000. Hawkins has posted a record of 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA in 28 innings of work this year.

TRADES:
* Kansas City sent Kanekoa Texeira to the Dodgers in exchange for Vicente Padilla.
* The Arizona Diamondbacks traded Kam Mickolio to the Florida Marlins and will receive Marcell Ozuna.

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES:
* June 20 ~ Pittsburgh fans were treated to a rare event today as starter James McDonald tossed a No-Hitter against the Orioles. McDonald struck out 6, walked five, and faced 32 batters on the day as the Pirates won 3-1.
* June 20 ~ Tampa Ray starter Jeremy Hellickson tossed a 3 hit gem against the Brewers, striking out 10 and walking 2 in the 4-0 shutout win.
* June 24 ~ Kansas City Royals outfielder Melky Cabrera had a career day as he went 5-7 in a 7-6 win over the Cubs. Cabrera had 3 singles, a double, and a home run on the day.
* June 25 ~ Royals starter Kyle Davies tossed a 4 hit gem in shutting out the Cubs 4-0. Davies is 6-3 on the year with a 4.17 ERA.
* June 25 ~ Giants slugger Vladimir Guerrero collected his 2,500 career base hit when he smacked a 3rd inning double against the Indians. Guerrero has 445 career home runs, .318 average, and 1462 RBI's.
* June 26 ~ Justin Morneau thumped the Brewers today as he went 5-5 (all singles) and 3 RBI's in the 11-2 win.

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Padres Rough Up Royals, Take 2 of 3 from KC

June 27 ~ San Diego 4 Kansas City 2: The start of the west-coast swing did not go well for the Royals as Mat Latos held the Royals in check to earn the victory. Latos (6-5) went 8 innings, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits, walking 1, and striking out 9. Closer Heath Bell came on in the 9th and shut the door on the Royals, picking up his 23rd save of the season. Taking the loss for the Royals was M. Montgomery (2-8) who went 5 2/3 innings, allowing 4 runs on 8 hits, walking 4, striking out 4, and finishing with a game score of 39. The Royals were paced by Alex Gordon (1-3 [10th HR of the year], 1 run, 2 RBI’s, 1 walk) and Melky Cabrera (2-3, 1 run and 1 walk). The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to Alex Gordon.

June 28 ~ San Diego 7 Kansas City 2: Another rough day for the Royals as starter Jeff Francis (4-10) was pounded for 7 runs on 7 hits over 3 1/3 innings and finished with a game score of 15. Francis has the unfortunate distinction of being the first AL player to reach double digit losses on the season. Picking up the win for the Padres was veteran pitcher T. Stauffer (7-5) who held the Royals in check throughout the day. The lone bright spot on the day was Alex Gordon who went 3-4 [18th double and 11th HR of the year] with 2 runs, and 1 RBI. Gordon was named the Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game .

June 29 ~ Kansas City 2 San Diego 0: Finally, a decent pitching performance by a KC starter. In what turned out to be a tremendous battle between the two starters, J. Moyer (5-3) was able to do just enough to get the win over A. Harang (9-4). J. Soria notched his 19th save of the season. Moyer went 8 innings, allowing 0 runs on 3 hits, walking 2, striking out 5, and earning a game score of 79. His counterpart, A. Harang, went 7 2/3 innings, allowing 1 run (unearned), on 4 hits, walking 4, striking out 6, and finishing with a game score of 71. Given the low scoring nature of the game, there is very little offensive excitement to note other than Blake DeWitt’s 1-4 [9th HR of the season], 1 run, and 2 RBI day. Moyer was named the Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game.

Season Record: 39-43 (Tied for 2nd Place, 1 ½ GB)

The Royals put together a respectable June, going 14-13 to make up some ground on the rest of the division. In light of the fact that they sit only 1 ½ games out of first place, it is very likely that the Royals will continue to look for ways to tweak its lineup so as to make a run at the playoffs.

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June Players of the Month

Hitters:
AL ~ Tampa Bay Rays slugger Evan Longoria was named the American League’s June Batter of the Month. The Tampa Bay powerhouse belted .324 with 9 HR’s, 21 runs scored, 23 RBI’s, and a .392 OBP. For the season Longoria is hitting .306 with 25 HR’s and 76 RBI’s.

NL ~ St. Louis superstar Albert Pujols was named the National League’s June Batter of the Month. Pujols posted a .379 batting average (36-95) with 7 home runs, 24 RBIs, scored 27 runs. Pujols is now batting .334 on the season (102-305) with 17 HR’s and 57 RBI’s.


Pitchers:
AL ~ It was announced today that White Sox starter John Danks had been named the AL’s Pitcher of the Month, after posting a 5-0 record with 47 k’s in 6 starts and a 2.13 ERA. Danks is 10-4 on the year with a 2.85 ERA.

NL ~ It should come as no surprise that superstar pitcher Roy Halliday once again took home NL pitching honors. Halliday was named June’s Pitcher of the Month by going 5-1 in 6 starts, posting a 1.66 ERA, striking out 38 in 48 2/3 innings of work. Halliday is now 11-5 on the year with a 2.66 ERA.


Rookies:
AL ~ Indians rookie Alex White showed why he belongs in the majors as he recorded a 3-0 record in 4 starts, posting a 4.61 ERA, and striking out 17 in 27 1/3 innings of work. White has a record of 5-3 with a 5.68 ERA in 10 starts on the year.

NL ~ The San Francisco Giants continue to pump out young, star talent, the latest being Brandon Belt who took home NL Rookie of the Month honors. Belt smacked the ball around by hitting .319 with 3 HR’s and 11 RBI’s on the month. For the season, Belt is batting .289 with 6 HR’s and 26 RBI’s.

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KC Crush! Royals Top Rockies

July 1 ~ Rockies 10 Royals 1: The Royals first game at the launching pad known as Coors Field did not go very well. Royals starter K. Davies (6-4) lasted just 2 innings, giving up 4 runs on 4 hits, walking 3, striking out 1, and a game score of 19. While the mop-up crew of Collins, Bonderman, and Crow did an admirable job of keeping the Rockies in check, Gregerson and Tejeda allowed 6 runs in just 1 inning of combined work. The Gregerson trade has not worked out very well for the Royals thus far. Picking up the win for the Rockies was Jorge de la Rosa (10-7) who went 7 2/3 innings, allowing just 1 run on 2 hits, striking out 7, and a game score of 75. The lone bright spot on the day for the KC offense was Melky Cabrera’s 8th inning solo shot (his 7th of the season) off of de la Rosa. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to Cabrera.

July 2 ~ Royals 7 Rockies 0: What a difference a day makes. The Royals bounced back from yesterday’s trouncing to thump the Rockies 7-0. Newly acquired pitcher Vicente Padilla (5-5) tossed a 7 inning, 1 hit gem in which he struck out 4 and finished with a game score of 75. Luke Gregerson pitched the final two innings to preserve the win. Taking the loss for the Rockies was Ubaldo Jimenez (8-4) who pitched a solid game, but simply did not get the bullpen support he needed. Leading the 14 hit attack was C. Getz (3rd HR of the year) 3-4, with 1 run and 1 RBI; A. Escobar 3-5 with 2 runs and 1 stolen base; and Jeff Francoeur (8th HR of the year) 2-5 with 1 run and 2 RBI’s. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to Padilla for his outstanding performance.

July 3 ~ Royals 5 Rockies 2: A great way to end the west coast swing! Starter M. Montgomery (3-8) pitched a respectable game in which he went 6 2/3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 9 hits, striking out 5, and a game score of 50. Aaron Crow (recently demoted to the pen with the acquisition of Padilla) and R. Tejeda each earned a hold (4th and 6th respectively), while J. Soria recorded his 20th save of the year. Taking the loss for the Rockies was C. Vargas (1-2). The Royals smacked out 12 hits on the day, with 4 players having at least 2 hits including starter M. Montgomery who was 2-2 on the day with 2 RBI’s. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to Montgomery for his solid pitching and his timely hitting.

Season Record: 41-44 (2nd Place,½ GB)

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MLB News & Notes
June 27 – July 3, 2011

AWARDS:
AL Player of the Week: Tampa Bay hitter Ben Zobrist took home AL PoW honors by going 8-21 (.381) on the week, smacking 3 HR, and 8 RBI’s in 6 games. Longoria has been smashing the ball all year and his currently batting .322 for the season.

NL Player of the Week: Reds slugger Jay Bruce had a tremendous week in which he hit .423 (11-26) with 5 HR’s, 8 RBI’s and 8 runs to win the NL PoW honor. Bruce is batting .279 with 23 HR’s and 66 RBI’s on the season.

TRADES:
* The Florida Marlins picked up closer Edward Mujica today in a trade with the Mets in exchange for shortstop Wilmer Flores.
* The Pirates moved Evan Meek to the Twins for Michael Tonkin and Tyler Robertson.
* The Phillies made a rather surprising move today as they parted with veteran (and fan favorite) Placido Polanco to the A’s for closer Michael Wuertz.

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES:
* June 27 ~ Veteran slugger Jim Thome joined the elite rank of power hitters as he belted out his 600th career homerun. For his career, Thome is batting .276, with 2254 hits, and 1657 RBI’s.
*June 29 ~ Mark Teixeira continues to show that he is worth every penny of his massive contract. Teixeira smacked his 300th career homerun today against the Boston Red Sox. For his career, he has hit .286 with 1412 hits, 917 RBI’s in 1298 games.
* June 30 ~ Dubbed by many as being the best hitter in the game, Albert Pujols thumped his 2000 career hit in a 7-2 victory over the Dodgers. Pujols has a lifetime batting average of .332 with 2002 hits (went 3-4 in the game), 453 doubles, 425 HR’s, and 1287 RBI’s.
* July 3 ~ While Justin Verlander’s season has not gone according to plan, he did twirl an impressive performance against the Giants. Verlander tossed a 5 hit shutout in which he struck out 11, and walked 1. For the season Verlander is 3-11 with a 4.92 ERA.

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Royals Roll - Sweep Chicago!

July 4 ~ Royals 11 White Sox 6: The Royals smacked 17 hits on the day on the way to victory. The Royals jumped out to an early 6-0 lead and never looked back, providing starter Jeff Francis (5-10) with the run support he needed. Francis went 7 innings, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits, walking 6 (he has a real control problem), 2 strikeouts, and a game score of 55. Taking the loss for the White Sox was Mark Buehrle (3-10) who lasted just 3 innings on the day. Leading the hitting attack was Billy Butler’s 3-4 (22nd double) 2 run 1 RBI day; Jeff Francoeur’s 3-5 (triple) 3 run day, Alex Gordon’s 2-4, 2 run, 2 RBI, 1 walk outing; and Wilson Betemit’s 2-4 (3rd HR of the season) 1 run, 3 RBI’s, and 1 walk performance. It was a great performance by all. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game was awarded to Billy Butler who has quietly put together a solid season.

July 5 ~ Royals 7 White Sox 5: Another Jaime Moyer start, another no-decision. Moyer lasted 5 innings on the day, giving up 5 runs on 9 hits, walking 3, and striking out 1. Aaron Crow (5-3) picked up the win, with Bonderman (2) and Gregerson (7) getting holds, and J. Soria recording his 21st save of the year. Taking the loss for the White Sox was D. Nippert (1-1). It is worthy to note that the Royals started off the game with back to back solo shots by A. Escobar and M. Avilies off of Danks. Billy Butler had another great game, this time going 3-5 with 2 runs and 2 RBI’s, while Jeff Francouer went 2-4 (16th double of season) with 1 run, 1 RBI, and his 1st stolen base of the year. The Hy-Vee Player of the Game again was awarded to Billy Butler. Local fans and media are hopeful that he will get the chance to play in the upcoming All-Star game.

July 6 ~ Royals 9 White Sox 1: The Royals are really on a roll. Capping the 3 game sweep, running their win strak to 5 games, and moving into first place is not a bad position to be in as the All-Star break approaches. Getting the win for the Royals was Kyle Davies (7-4) who went 8 innings, allowing 1 run on 4 hits, striking out a season high 11 batters, and finishing with a game score of 80. Taking the loss for the White Sox was jake Peavy (1-1) who is trying to bounce back from an early season injury. Taylor Teagarden had a nice game going 2-3 with 2 runs, 3 RBI's, and 1 walk, as did A. Escobar who went 3-5 with 1 run, 1 RBI, and 2 stolen bases. The Hy-Vee Player of the Game was presented to Kyle Davies for his dominate pitching performance.

Season Record: 44-44 (1st Place)

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Tigers Terrorize Royals, KC Drops 3 of 4

July 7 ~ Detroit 4 KC 1: In a good matchup between Vicente Padilla and Max Scherzer, the Tigers, scoring 3 runs in the 8th, did just enough to get the win. Padilla (2-2) went the distance in taking the loss, striking out 9, scattering 7 hits, and finishing with a game score of 66. Scherzer (8-2) gave up 1 run on 5 hits over 8 innings, with closer Jose Valverde pitching a perfect ninth to record his 24th save of the season. The Royals lone run came on a solo-blast by K. Ka’aihue (6th HR of the year). The Hy-Vee Player of the Game went to Padilla for his solid, but wasted outing.


July 8 ~ Detroit 10 KC 0 : Yikes, rough game to watch if you’re a Royals fan. The Tigers jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after the first inning and never looked back. Taking the loss for the Royals was M. Montgomery (3-9) who gave up 4 runs on 5 hits, walking 4 over 5 2/3 innings. The relief effort of Crow, Collins, and Gregerson did not prove to be any more effective. Justin Verlander (4-11) earned the win, going 8 1/3 innings, scattering 4 hits, striking out 7, and earning a game score of 81. The lone bright spot on offense was Blake DeWitt who went 2-3 with 1 walk; good enough to earn him the Hy-Vee Player of the Game honors.


July 9 ~ KC 10 Detroit 7: Nice bounce back win by the Royals, as they came out and smacked 13 hits on the day. Despite the win, and the nice offensive production, it should be noted that the KC staff allowed 15 hits and the KC defense committed 2 errors. Jeff Francis (6-10) earned the win, with Collins (6) and Gregerson (8) picking up holds, and J. Soria closing the game with his 22nd save of the year. Taking the loss for the Tigers was Rick Porcello (6-7). The KC attack was led by Alex Gordon’s 4-5 (21st double of season), 2 runs, 3 RBI day, followed by Billy Butler’s 2-5 (23rd double of the season) 1 run, 2 RBI day. The Hy-Vee Player of the Game award was given to Gordon.


July 10 ~ Detroit 6 KC 1 : Aside from a disastrous fifth inning, KC kept the Tigers in check. Jaime Moyer was cruising along until he got the fifth inning, then all heck broke loose. Moyer (5-4) gave up all 6 runs during the fifth inning, allowing 9 hits, and walking 1. Tigers starter P. Coke (9-6) went 8 innings, allowing 1 run on 6 hits, striking out 5, and had a game score of 69. Jeff Francoeur went 2-4 on the day, while Blake DeWitt went 1-3 with 1 run and 1 RBI. The Hy-Vee Player of the Game award was given to DeWitt.

Season Record: 45 - 47 (1st Place, 1 game lead)

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MLB News & Notes
July 4 - 10, 2011

AWARDS:
AL Player of the Week : Angels shortstop Erick Aybar took home AL PoW honors by going 13-30 (.433) with 1 HR and 6 RBI's. Aybar is hitting .284 on the year with 4 HR's and 34 RBI's on the year.

NL Player of the Week: Dodger slugger Andre Ethier his pounding the ball, hitting 12-30 (.400) with 4 HR's and 10 RBI's in 7 games. Ethier is putting together an MVP type season as he is batting .353 with 26 HR's, 67 runs, 76 RBI's, and a .414 OBP.

SIGNINGS:
* The Kansas City Royals announced that they have signed Vicente Padilla to a 2 year deal worth $3,300,000 per year. Padilla is 5-7 on the year with a 4.08 ERA, though he is 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA since being traded from the Dodgers.
* Kansas City announced another signing when it signed Jeff Francoeur to a 2 year deal worth $2,800,000 per year. Francoeur is hitting .347 on the year with 10 HR's and 39 RBI's.

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES:
* June 27 ~ Veteran slugger Magglio Ordonez smashed his 300th career home run. Ordonez has a lifetime batting average of .311 with 2170 hits and 1242 RBI's.

ALL-STAR SELECTIONS:

American League Roster

John Danks (CHA)       10-4, 3.17 ERA
Felix Hernandez (SEA)  14-2, 1.99 ERA
Jon Lester (BOS)        8-7, 2.70 ERA
Justin Masterson (CLE) 10-6, 2.81 ERA
C.C. Sabathia (NYA)    13-4, 2.39 ERA
C.J. Wilson (TEX)      12-2, 2.73 ERA
Neftali Feliz (TEX)     0-5, 3.13 ERA, 26 Saves
Jonathan Papelbon (BOS) 5-2, 1.91 ERA, 14 Saves
Chris Perez (CLE)       2-3, 3.49 ERA, 21 Saves
Mariano Rivera (NYA)    3-1, 1.14 ERA, 26 Saves
Matt Thornton (CHA)     4-1, 2.50 ERA, 26 Saves
Jose Valverde (DET)     1-3, 3.02 ERA, 24 Saves
Victor Martinez (DET)  .289/.364/.489, 16 HR, 59 RBI
Joe Mauer (MIN)        .319/.404/.470,  9 HR, 34 RBI
Miguel Cabrera (DET)   .310/.387/.501, 17 HR, 64 RBI
Mark Teixeira (NYA)    .291/.369/.601, 29 HR, 74 RBI
Chone Figgins (SEA)    .298/.400/.416,  5 HR, 44 RBI
Ian Kinsler (TEX)      .318/.382/.524. 15 HR, 59 RBI
Ben Zobrist (TBA)      .323/.415/.570, 21 HR, 59 RBI
Evan Longoria (TBA)    .296/.352/.595, 26 HR, 78 RBI
Derek Jeter (NYA)      .349/.413/.507, 11 HR, 49 RBI
Carl Crawford (BOS)    .292/.360/.519, 17 HR, 60 RBI
Josh Hamilton (TEX)    .342/.411/.554, 19 HR, 60 RBI
Conor Jackson (OAK)    .323/.401/.571, 14 HR, 50 RBI
Manny Ramirez (TBA)    .322/.407/.535, 16 HR, 65 RBI
Rajai Davis (TOR)      .318/.353/.451,  5 HR, 34 RBI
B.J. Upton (TBA)       .306/.390/.473, 10 HR, 42 RBI
Ichiro Suzuki (SEA)    .332/.364/.450,  7 HR, 56 RBI

National League Roster

Brandon Beachy (ATL)      8-5, 2.21 ERA
Chris Carpenter (STL)    11-5, 2.98 ERA
Roy Halladay (PHI)       12-5, 2.66 ERA
Kyle McClellan (STL)     12-0, 2.32 ERA
Mike Pelfrey (NYN)        9-5, 1.97 ERA
Edinson Volquez (CIN)    10-5, 2.32 ERA
Ryan Madson (PHI)         2-2, 2.81 ERA, 25 Saves
Heath Bell (SD)           2-3, 3.33 ERA, 26 Saves
Jonathan Broxton (LAN)    3-2, 3.38 ERA, 24 Saves
Carlos Marmol (CHN)       6-3, 4.68 ERA, 24 Saves
Jason Motte (STL)         2-5, 2.42 ERA, 32 Saves
Francisco Rodriguez (NYN) 2-5, 2.81 ERA, 24 Saves
Yadier Molina (STL)      .311/.381/.436,  7 HR, 49 RBI
Buster Posey (SF)        .298/.332/.404,  6 HR, 54 RBI
Prince Fielder (MIL)  	 .293/.402/.574, 26 HR, 74 RBI 
Ryan Howard (PHI)	 .287/.368/.568, 24 HR, 61 RBI
Albert Pujols (STL)	 .343/.458/.609, 19 HR, 61 RBI
Orlando Hudson (SD)	 .317/.367/.479,  7 HR, 42 RBI 
David Wright (NYN)	 .327/.391/.580, 17 HR, 69 RBI
Hanley Ramirez (FLO)	 .320/.392/.480, 11 HR, 43 RBI
Jose Reyes (NYN)	 .314/.379/.496, 10 HR, 48 RBI
Troy Tulowitzki (COL)	 .333/.442/.540, 14 HR, 53 RBI
Ryan Braun (MIL)	 .343/.386/.565, 20 HR, 58 RBI
Matt Holiday (STL)	 .298/.400/.522, 17 HR, 64 RBI
Martin Prado (ATL)	 .359/.422/.527,  9 HR, 46 RBI
Marlon Byrd (CHN)	 .340/.404/.577, 17 HR, 56 RBI
Andre Ethier (LAN)	 .352/.412/.636, 26 HR, 76 RBI
Carlos Gonzalez (COL)	 .332/.402/.538, 11 HR, 59 RBI

Despite being in 1st Place, the Royals did not have any of its players selected for the 2011 All-Star game. While it would have been nice to see Gordon or Butler get some recognition, winning the division is much more important. Here's to a great second half.

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2011 MLB All-Star Game
July 12, 2011

NL 3 AL 2

Tied at 2 going into the bottom of the 8th inning, Marlon Byrd replaced Albert Pujols in the batting order and promptly smashed an RBI single to give the NL the lead and ultimately the game. Picking up the win for the NL in the Mid-Summer Classic was Carlos Marmol, with a save by Jonathan Broxton, while the loss was recorded to Matt Thornton. The NL, despite the win, only manager 4 hits with Byrd’s and C. Gonzalez being the most important (2 run blast in the 3rd inning). While no pitcher threw more than 2 innings, special mention must be given to Roy Halladay who threw 2 innings of 1 hit ball, striking out 4 and walking 0 – he just plain dominated. The All-Star Game M.V.P award was given to Marlon Byrd for his game winning hit.

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American League Standings

EAST                    W     L      PCT    GB
New York Yankees	61    31    .663     -
Tampa Bay Rays	        58    34    .630     3  
Boston Red Sox		50    42    .543    11
Baltimore Orioles	40    51    .440    20.5
Toronto Blue Jays	37    55    .402    24

CENTRAL
Kansas City Royals	45    47    .489     -
Cleveland Indians 	44    48    .478     1  
Chicago White Sox	44    49    .473     1.5
Detroit Tigers		43    50    .462     2.5
Minnesota Twins	        37    55    .402     8

WEST
Texas Rangers 		56    36    .609     -
Oakland Athletics  	49    43    .533     7  
Seattle Mariners 	48    45    .516     8.5
Los Angeles Angels 	40    52    .435     16

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National League Standings

EAST                    W     L      PCT    GB
New York Mets 		56    36    .609     -
Philadelphia Phillies   55    36    .604     0.5  
Atlanta Braves  	47    45    .511     9
Washington Nationals 	39    53    .424    17
Florida Marlins 	33    59    .359    23

CENTRAL
St. Louis Cardinals 	60    32    .652     -
Chicago Cubs	 	56    36    .609     4  
Milwaukee Brewers 	44    49    .473    16.5
Cincinnati Reds 	41    51    .446    19
Pittsburgh Pirates      39    53    .424    21
Houston Astros		34    58    .370    26				

WEST
Colorado Rockies	50    41    .549     -
Los Angeles Dodgers   	51    42    .548     -  
San Diego Padres 	49    43    .533     1.5
Arizona Diamondbacks 	39    53    .424    11
San Francisco Giants	36    56    .391    14.5