|
Posted 07/22/2009 at 04:19 AM
I’m not what one would call a high volume contributor at Twitter or Facebook. I basically use Twitter as a great source for news and sports feeds, and I’ll post a Tweet when my daily blog is completed or when I’m about to go on the air with the radio show. Facebook is a cool way to network with friends and also update in the same fashion as I utilize Twitter. For the most part, that’s all I use either site for. But on occasion, I’ll make a snide remark about something, and that was the case last night as I watched the Angels dismantle the Royals en route to a sweep of their doubleheader.
The comment was, “I’m watching the Royals right now. My way of supporting minor league baseball.”
Wow, is this team ever terrible. Their starting pitching combo for the Tuesday twinbill was Sidney Ponson and Bruce Chen. That may well be the worst doubleheader duo I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been watching baseball for a long time.
I can’t even see where there’s any real hope right now among even the most ardent KC fans. The team has a great pitcher in Zack Greinke and a stud closer in Joakim Soria. Aside from that duo, there’s very little to get excited about for Royals fans. Highly touted Alex Gordon hasn’t come close to living up to expectations. Billy Butler was supposed to be a fabulous hitter but he’s become little more than a decent BA with ordinary production and a terrible glove. Mark Teahen is about the same as Butler offensively, although he’s at least versatile defensively. David DeJesus has never developed into what the Royals thought he would become. There is another good prospect on the way in Mike Moustakas, but I would not classify him as a future All Star and their top pick from last year, Eric Hosmer, is having a rough first full season as a pro.
Unfortunately, that’s the good news for the Royals. The brief regime of GM Dayton Moore has seen a succession of bad moves, and there’s a growing belief that Moore is simply in over his head at this level. Take a look at the moves Moore has made and judge for yourself.
Moore used the first overall selection in the 2006 draft on Luke Hochevar, and he’s looking to be a back of the rotation starter at best. He’s wasted free agent money on Jose Guillen and Kyle Farnsworth, among others. I hated the deal he made with the Marlins this past off season when he shipped useful reliever Leo Nunez to Florida for Mike Jacobs. His recent deal with Seattle in which he relieved the Mariners of Yuniesky Betancourt while parting with pitching prospect Daniel Cortes was ripped by every sharp baseball analyst I’m familiar with. Include me in that group on this deal. I know Cortes has stalled this season, but he’s only 22 years old and still has a high ceiling. Betancourt is a low OBP SS who can’t play defense and has evidently already reached whatever ceiling he’s got. I can go on, but you get the point.
As far as I can tell, the highlight of the Moore regime to date is the deal with the Diamondbacks that brought Alberto Callaspo to Kansas City. No offense to Callaspo, who’s a pretty good utility guy, but if that’s the headline grabber, there’s something very wrong.
The bottom line is that it’s got to be tough to be a Royals fan these days. They’re not even a team in transition. They just plain stink, and there’s simply nothing to indicate that’s going to change anytime soon. Too bad, because Kansas City was long ago established as a terrific baseball town with great fans. They deserve better than what they’re stuck with right now.
——–
I had the Angels in both games for the Tuesday free opinion, so I’ll come right back with them here. Joe Saunders has been lousy lately, and at this point Brian Bannister is probably the better pitching option. But the bottom line is that the Halos have four straight wins, the Royals have eight straight losses, and with the Tuesday DH sweep tucked away, playing the Angels right back is the right move.
|
