Is this the year for the Royals?

[CRTsports.com]

Royals finish 108-54, Playoffs start on Friday!!

10/06/2011

Welcome to the big time folks. A day after finishing off the 2011 regular season with a sweep of the Red Sox, the Royals are ready to open the ALDS against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Royals enter the five game series riding a seven game winning streak to finish the season at 108-54. A very impressive 22 more wins than last year and they won the Central Division by 26 games. The largest win in Central Division history.

The Blue Jays stumbled late in the season and instead of heading in as the AL East Champions, they enter as the Wild Card team. The Blue Jays finished the season 93-69, one game behind the Orioles for the division crown.

The Royals and Blue Jays met seven times this season with the Blue Jays winning the season series 5-2. So the Royals will enter with the best record between the two but the Blue Jays will have the mental edge.

"I have no worries about these guys. I know they will go out there and show everybody why they were the best team in the majors this year. We are hot at the moment and Toronto is struggling a bit." said Manager Antonio DeLeon.

But for the fans, Game 1 will showcase pure lighting from the mound. The Blue Jays will be starting the 3-time Cy Young Award Winner in Roy Halladay and the Royals will start their Cy Young Award Winner in Joe Blanton.

For the third straight year Halladay won 21 games and lost eight games along the way. His 2.17 ERA in 265.2 innings pitched was tops in the American League. Blanton finished 19-3 for the year with a 2.30 ERA in 223.1 innings pitched.

Now after Game 1, the Royals seem to have the slight advantage. The Blue Jays had only two winning pitchers this year with the second being Kevin Correia(20-7, 3.35). The Royals on the other hand had every starting pitcher win at least ten games and every one of the them has a winning record. The Royals Blake Hawksworth has the third best ERA in the AL with a 2.86. Halladay, Blanton and Hawksworth were the only three pitchers to have a sub 3.00 ERA this season.

The Blue Jays might have two twenty game winners on their staff but that's about all they have that is better than the Royals. Here is a breakdown of the team batting and pitching stats for the year.

Now we all know in the playoffs, none of this matters but the Royals are clearly a class about the Blue Jays and with everyone healthy, this series should go in the Royals favor. Lets go Royals!!!

2011 Playoff Bracket:

[CRTsports.com]

Royals fall in Game 1

10/07/2011

It was not to be for the Royals in Game 1 of the ALDS versus the Blue Jays. In a game that saw their number two's go at it, Kevin Correia beat Blake Hawksworth. Many expected to see a Roy Halladay/Joe Blanton matchup but both starters are being held back till around Game 3.

While Hawksworth didn't pitch that bad, the Blue Jays took advantage of almost every opportunity they had. The very first batter of the game Doyle Tyrell, was walked and that was followed by an Elijah Dukes single. So before the hot dogs were finished in the stadium, the Blue Jays had runners on the corners with no outs. Morgan Ensberg then hit a sac fly to deep center to score Tyrell. The Royals escaped anymore damage but were still down 1-0 after the first inning.

In the top of the third with the score still 1-0, Hawksworth was able to get Ensberg and Reed Johnson, the first two batters of the inning, out routinely. Cliff Floyd was the next batter up and he promptly hit a line drive center to right field. And that was followed by a two-run home run by Adrian Beltre. Hawksworth was able to strikeout out the next batter but the damage was done. It was 3-0 going into the bottom of the third.

In the mean time the Royals bats had gone cold. They had only managed one hit and that was a double from William Quattlebaum. With two outs in the third, Santiago Rao managed a single but Peter Friel immediately flied out to end any chance of a rally.

In the top of the 5th, Elijah Dukes added a solo home run to make the score 4-0. "I still felt good about the game even after Dukes homered. Blake was pitching good but we were not getting any brakes yet." said Manager Antonio DeLeon.

Heading into the eighth inning with the score still 4-0 and the Royals bats still cold, the fans were hoping for a miracle comeback in Game 1. But they just got more heartburn. Chris Hernandez who pitched a solid seventh inning in relief of Hawksworth, completely lost his command. He walked the first three batters of the inning.

Hernandez was quickly sent to the showers and Rocky Biddle was brought in to stop the "rally." Doyle Tyrell immediately singled and drove in a run. Dukes was up next and Biddle managed to get him to strike out. Morgan Ensberg was up after that and he reached base on a Rudolph Shaeffer error.

"I have no idea what happened there. I fielded the ball perfectly but when I went to grab it, I just dropped it. Maybe it was nerves but who knows." said Shaeffer.

On the error another run scored and the bases were still loaded. Reed Johnson was up next and he hit a sac fly to center which allowed the third run of the inning. Cliff Floyd grounded out after that but the damage was done. It was now 7-0 in favor of the Blue Jays with just two innings left for the Royals.

The bottom of the eighth went 1-2-3 for the Royals and they didn't get a rally started until the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Shaeffer and Quattlebaum both singled. So they had runners on the corners and eyed a comeback. David Adam grounded out after that but Shaeffer was able to score and Quattlebaum moved up to second.

The next batter was Joey Ros and he earned a free pass to first base. Larry Bigbie was up next and he also singled to load the bases with two outs. The fans started getting a little crazy because if Rao and Peter Friel could reach base, that would bring up Gene Marguez and possibly Melvin Colmenares. But it was not to be. Rao hit a screaming line drive to the shortstop and the game was over. The Royals are now down 1-0 in the best of five series.

If there is one reason that the Royals lost its because their top of the lineup went 0-12 with the leadoff batter Friel leaving three men on base. Chalk it up to nerves or whatever you want but hopefully the Royals can carry that bottom of the ninth mini rally into tomorrow's game and tie the series at one a piece. Lets go Royals!!

[CRTsports.com]

Brownlie Dominates, Royals Even Series!!!

10/08/2011

The Royals got their much needed victory tonight and it was courtesy of a masterful performance by Bobby Brownlie. Other than the first inning where he looked extremely rattled, he was lights out for the rest of the game. Brownlie went eight strong innings, allowing only four hits, one run and striking out ten.

In the first inning the Royals fans thought it might a very long game. Brownlie walked his first batter and he stole second. Morgan Ensberg was up next and he promptly singled to right field driving in Doyle Tyrell. Ensberg single was followed by a Reed Johnson single and before they knew it, the Royals were down 1-0 with one out and men on first and second. Brownlie then settled down and got the last two men out with ease.

Unlike last nights game, the Royals were able to answer right back with a run of their own. Leadoff batter Peter Friel opened up with a double and he was promptly moved to third by a deep ball from Gene Marguez. Melvin Colmenares then grounded out to second base but it was enough to get Friel home and to tie the game. Rudolph Shaeffer was up next but he struck out.

After the first inning it was the Bobby Brownlie show. From the second to the sixth inning Brownlie did not allow a hit and struck out five in those innings. "I was extremely nervous when I started out but after they scored their first run, I realized its just another game and to settle down. I credit Gene with calling a great game and the guys behind me playing great defense." said Brownlie at last nights press conference.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Royals were getting the feel for their bats again. Shaeffer led off the inning with a single and that was followed by William Quattlebaum's double that scored Shaeffer. Quattlebaum was aggressive on the base paths and he ended up at third when they threw home trying to get Shaeffer out. David Adam was up next and he grounded out to first but Quattlebaum scored on the play. The next two batters struck out but the Royals had their lead at 3-1.

In the bottom of the sixth the Royals almost broke the game completely open but an amazing catch by Doyle Tyrell in centerfield ended their chances. Colmenares finally got his first hit of the post season and was on with no outs. Shaeffer flied out to center field but Quattlebaum immediately walked and that put two on with one out. Adam struck out after that but Joey Ros also walked to load the bases with Santiago Rao up.

Rao hit an extremely deep ball to centerfield and it appeared to everyone in the stadium that it would be a bases clearing double. But Tyrell had other ideas. He basically jumped and laid out for the ball and caught it with the tip of his glove. An highlight reel catch for sure but it kept the game from getting out of hand.

The Blue Jays were finally able to eek out a few more hits in the seventh but Brownlie came back with a timely strike out to end their rally and the inning. Brownlie then pitched the eighth inning and struck out two in the inning to complete his masterful performance.

Brian Meadows was brought in to close the game and he picked up right where Brownlie left off. He struck out the side and sent the Royals north of the border with a tied series.

"This win feels great but we still have a tough road ahead of us. I am just glad the guys fought back and Bobby pitched well today. We will fly to Toronto tomorrow morning and this plane ride will certainly be better now that we are heading there tied and not down two games to none." said Manager Antonio DeLeon. Lets go Royals!!!

[CRTsports.com]

Royals falter, season over!

10/11/2011

And just like that it, its over. All the hard work this season was wasted. No other way to put it really. Coming into the playoffs, the Royals were the team to beat but they apparently forgot how to hit the ball.

For a team that led the American League in home runs this season to only hit one this series, is down right pitiful. When Joe Blanton gets creamed in game three and allows seven earned runs in six innings, that disgusting. When the likely AL MVP Award Winner Gene Marguez and All-Star Melvin Colmenares hit .125 and .200 respectively in this series, it makes you want to gouge your eyeballs out. And when the Royals lost in four games, it makes you want to throw away your Royals gear and find a new team because this was supposed to be the team this year. But it just wasn't to be.

"Blame it on lack of experience, nerves, whatever the hell you want but it comes down to me. I failed the organization and fans tonight. I thought I had the guys ready but I didn't. All their hard work this season meant nothing. No one ever remembers who won the most games in the regular season. They only remember the World Series winner." a distraught Antonio DeLeon had to say. The manager is taking full blame for the loss but we will say it came down to three things.

The Royals pitching was just not there. The Royals had the best ERA in the AL this season but that didn't matter this week. The consistently gave up early runs and were making the hitters press for runs. You cant win games like that. Bobby Brownlie's performance in Game 2 was magical but the other starters forgot how to pitch. And with Blanton getting absolutely shelled in Game 3, it is just icing on the cake for now.

The next two reasons are practically the same but without Marguez and Colmenares hitting, the Royals were terrible. And with Peter Friel leading off and only hitting .125 how can you win games. Now the bright spot was the play of Rudolph Shaeffer and William Quattlabaum. They hit .400 and .467 respectively. Absolutely great numbers for their first post season appearance but when your one through three guys are not getting on base, there is no one to drive in. Shaeffer hit .400 and only had one run batted in. That's down right sickening.

And after them Santiago Rao who led the majors in stolen bases this year with 90, hit .083. That's right, that's a zero to start out with. Hard to generate runs when you are never on base.

So it comes down to this, the Royals were terrible and have a lot of time now to think about what happened. Its hard to nail it down to one thing but overall the team just stunk it up.

GM Chris Torres had this to say after the loss, "I am extremely proud of the guys but we will start tomorrow rebuilding the team and find people who want to win and not go fishing in the off season. I thought we had the right team this year and with everyone healthy, I didn't think losing was a possibility. But look what happened. I will make a promise to the fans that we will be back better than ever next year. Just watch."

So as the Royals boarded the plane back to Kansas City tonight the thoughts on their minds was about all the blown chances. But there is always tomorrow and with most of the big name players still locked up for a few years, the Royals should become a consistent playoff team. Lets just hope for more winning next year. Lets go Royals!!

[CRTsports.com]

Royals Nearly Sweep End of Year Awards!!!

11/01/2011

Just a week after watching the Toronto Blue Jays win the 2011 World Series, the Royals received a bit of good news. Gene Marguez was named the 2011 American League MVP, David Adam was named American League Rookie of the Year and Joe Blanton finished second in the American League Cy Young Award.

In what was the closest margin of victory for AL MVP, Marguez was able to hold off John Holle of the Texas Rangers for the award. He becomes the first Royals player in history to win the MVP Award. Both players were very deserving of the award but the voters picked Marguez.

"It feels very rewarding to win this award. Its makes the season just a few points better but nothing can take away what happened in the playoffs. I would trade this award for a World Championship any day of the week." said Marguez.

For the year Marguez lead the American League in OBP(.472), Slugging(.600), OPS(1.072), VORP(90.5), Runs Created(155.8), Runs Created /27 Outs(12.48), Runs(131) and Walks(110).

And on the Rookie of the Year Award, David Adam continued the trend of having a Royals player win it every other year. He follows up Santiago Rao and William Quattlebaum who won the award in 2007 and 2009 respectively.

The most important aspect of this award from an organizational aspect is that its showing their farm system is working. All three players were drafted by GM Chris Torres.

"While I am happy that David won, all the minor league coaches should feel like they won also. Without their tireless effort in the minors these sort of awards would never happen. All I do is select their name, the managers mold the players to who they are now." stated GM Torres at yesterdays press conference.

Adam practically lead all rookies in every category minus average and on base percentage. Overall in the AL he was second in triples(13), seventh in home runs(33), sixth in sacrifice hits(11), third in extra-base hits(71), fifth in slugging(.545) and lead the entire American League in isolated power(.289).

"I am extremely honored and humbled to win this award. Like I said a few months back, I was just excited to play everyday when the season started. Its beyond my wildest dreams to have won this award. I just want to follow in Rao's and William's footsteps and become a solid Royals player." said an overjoyed Adam when receiving the news of his award.

And if it was not for Roy Halladay's(21-8, 2.17) marvelous season, the Royals would have swept all three awards. This was Halladay's fourth Cy Young of his career and practically cements his place as one of the greatest pitchers in NABL history.

While Blanton pitched extremely well and gave the Royals a solid number one, it was heart breaking to see Blanton lose the award. 2011 was by far his best year of his career by going 19-3 and having a 2.30 ERA. He pitched a solid 223.1 innings and struck out exactly 250 batters.

"It would have been nice to win the award but those are the breaks. Roy is an absolute deserving winner and I just look forward to going against him next year. But maybe he will sign with a National League team so we never have to face him next year." a jokingly Blanton said yesterday.

If Halladay does sign with a National League team, Blanton will become the front runner for the 2012 Cy Young Award but that is a long way away. For now the Royals will celebrate these two awards and look at improving their team in the upcoming free agent period. Lets go Royals!!

Off-Season Transactions: These players have been released to avoid arbitration; Vince Perkins, Edwin Encarnacion, Brian Bannister, Walter Young and Robinson Cano.

[CRTsports.com]

2012 Arbitration Cases Settled!!

11/18/2011

After cutting a few players last week the Royals were all set to go into their arbitration meetings with the players. Up for arbitration this year was Ian Oquendo, Melvin Colmenares, Rudolph Shaeffer, William Quattlebaum, Freddie Bynum and Chris Hernandez.

The Royals Front Office attempted to sign a few of the players to long term contracts but nothing came out of it. And with the Royals maintaining control of the players anyways, there was no real pressure to get a deal done either way.

The big name of the group that the Royals will have to sign to a long term deal during the 2012 season will be starting SS Shaeffer. He is set to make $7.135 million this season and will be looking to get paid at the end of the season. Last year he made just over six million so a nice raise for Shaeffer.

Along with Rudolph, the only other player not under the Royals control after this upcoming season will be Reliever Chris Hernandez. He has been a sturdy arm in the bullpen for the past several years and will be looked upon again in 2012 to solidify the pen. He was rewarded with a $1.7 million dollar contract up from $1.385 last year.

The other players salaries are as follows, Oquendo $2.60M, Colmenares $6.182M, Quattlebaum $5.2 and Bynum $414,000. This currently puts the Royals payroll right at $69 million with free agency coming up.

While the Royals will not be in play for any big name stars this year they will be after solid backup players at catcher and a utility player. "I know we are over budget but the owner has given us permission to spend a little bit more to try to win it all." said GM Chris Torres when reached on his cell phone.

Last year the Royals lost $12 million dollars and are currently looking at being about $10 million over budget for the 2012 season. After this year, there are a plethora of salaries coming off of the books and their finances should be back in order for the 2013 season. Lets go Royals!!!

[CRTsports.com]

Royals Ink Two Free Agents!!

02/01/2012

As the free agency period comes to an end, the Royals have landed two solid backup players for the 2012 season. The Royals desperately needed a backup catcher and a utility man and they landed both for very cheap.

Javy Herrera was signed to be the backup catcher and Michael Cuddyer will become the Royals super utility man. Cuddyer can currently play 1B, 2B, 3B, LF and RF. Cuddyer should see a lot of playing time because he gives the Royals a lot of options.

"I am extremely pleased to sign Michael and Javy." GM Chris Torres said. "Both players have proved they can play and want to win in Kansas City. And considering we couldn't offer a lot of money, the both took a little bit less and we love that."

Herrera signed a one year contract for $440,000 and Cuddyer a one year deal for $360,000. The 32 year-old Cuddyer spent most of the 2011 season at home after being released by the Brewers but before that he was solid bat for the Brewers and Twins.

Herrera is the definition of a journey man having played for the Indians, Marlins, Red Sox, Nationals and Red Sox again in the past five years. "I am excited to be in Kansas City. Gene(Marguez) is an extremely talented player and I have no intentions of beating him out of his job. I just want to step in and give him a day off or two. I am tired of moving and would love to stay here for more than a year." said Herrera.

With the addition of these two players, the Kansas City Royals 25 man roster is almost complete. They are currently at 24 players and with Spring Training coming up, it will be a battle for that last spot. Lets go Royals!!!

[CRTsports.com]

Spring Training 2012: Shaeffer Lost for Year

03/16/2012

Just six days after hearing that starting 2B Joey Ros would be out two to three months with a fractured ankle, the Royals received the worst possible news. Starting SS Rudolph Shaeffer was lost for the year with a dislocated shoulder.

This news is just heart breaking for the Royals fans. Shaeffer batted fourth last year and hit .316 and led the team with 112 RBI's. Where the Royals will go now for a short stop is anybody's guess. The Royals might be forced to bring up prized prospect Jose Yan but he still young and probably not ready for the show.

"I am just stunned by this news," said GM Chris Torres, "I dont know what to make of it. Shaeffer was the man last year when Gene and Melvin was out. On top of losing Ros for the next three months, thats half of our infield lost in the past week. I just want to pack up shop and wait till April 7th. These injuries are unreal."

Shaeffer was headed into his last year before he would become a free agent and this has to be really wrecking his future. Will the Royals sign him in the off-season hoping he will play like he was or will he try to test the free agent waters with a repaired shoulder. Only time will tell but if the Royals receive any more injury news, they might as well skip to 2013. Lets go Royals!!

Shaeffer's Career Batting Statistics:

[CRTsports.com]

2012 Spring Training: Jesus Uriate out 5 Months

03/23/2012

And the hits keep coming for the Royals. First it was their starting 2B Joey Ros out for three months, then their starting SS Rudolph Shaeffer lost for the entire year and now its their best arm in the bullpen, Jesus Uriate lost for five months with a torn bicep muscle.

This has just been an unbelievable Spring Training for the Royals. At the beginning they were the team to beat in the American League but as the days go by they are becoming weaker and weaker.

"Who the hell knows what is going on. This is just the most unbelievable Spring Training I have ever been associated with." said GM Chris Torres. "It seems like every other day someone is getting injured. I am just looking to field a team for opening day now. I am not religious by any stretch of the means but I will be praying to end this Spring Training with no more injuries."

In his first year of pro ball, Uriate was 5-0 with a 2.25 ERA in 64.0 innings pitched last year. He was certainly the go to guy for the Royals last year. Who knows who that will be this year now.

"I felt good all morning and Spring Training. I just threw one pitch today and heard a pop. I knew it was bad immediately. I feel incredibly bad for letting the team down and just hope to rehab and get out there asap." a dejected Uriate said.

With only a few more days before the regular season starts, lets just hope for good news from the Royals camp. Lets go Royals!!

[CRTsports.com]

Your 2012 Royals!!

04/05/2012

Hours after signing Burton Bye to a one year deal, the Royals 25 man roster was completed. But more importantly its currently about who is not on the 25 man roster than who is.

After an extremely brutal Spring Training, the Royals will start the season with three big names on the DL. Rudolph Shaeffer(out for year), Jesus Uriate(5 months), and Joey Ros(3 months) all are on the DL. But before we cry more about spilled milk lets look at the players that are able to play and will defend the Royals Central Division Crown.

The starting catcher this year will be the reigning AL MVP Gene "Boom Boom" Marguez. Coming off a year for the ages, Gene will be looking to stay healthy all year long. Last year he hit .356 and had an amazing .472 OBP. Along with his 23 home runs and 97 RBI's he had 110 walks. He will bat second this year again to take advantage of his incredible ability to get on base.

Starting at first base will be 2-time All-Star Melvin "Butterball" Colmenares. Butterball missed three months of the 2011 season with a fractured cheekbone but will be looking to top the 159 games he played in 2010 this year. Last year he hit .299 which included 23 home runs, 73 RBI's and 65 walks. He also had a .412 OBP and will be batting third again this year.

The starting second baseman will be different this year. With the injury to Joey Ros, Michael Cuddyer will be called on to fill his absence. Cuddyer only played four games in 2011 but before that he averaged just over 26 home runs a year from 2004-2010. He is no where near the defensive second baseman Ros is but should fit nicely in that position for the next few months. Cuddyer will bat eighth in this years lineup.

Freddie Bynum will be this years starting short stop after Shaeffer was lost for the year. This will be the position that will be most closely watched by the front office. Bynum is strictly a role player and has never really started on a regular basis in his career. He hit .197 in 48 games last year for the Royals but hopefully it works out for Bynum this season. Bynum is penciled in as the ninth hitter this season.

Starting at third base is the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, David Adam. Coming off a season that rookie's just dream about, it will be interesting to see how Adam does. He led the Royals in home runs with 33 last year and will be looking to duplicate that performance. He will bat fifth in this years lineup and should be able to drive in a lot of runs behind Marguez and Colmenares.

The Royals DH this year will again be William Quattlebaum. The 27 year old ex-Rookie of the Year has made a nice home in the DH spot. He dislocated his shoulder late in the 2011 season but bounced back to have an outstanding playoff appearance. In 114 games he hit .282 with 18 home runs and 71 RBI's. With the absence of Shaeffer, William will be batting in the fourth spot this year where is last year he batted fifth.

In center for the Royals will be Larry Bigbie. Bigbie who is in his last year of his contract has certainly turned his career around in Kansas City. Originally signed a few years back to bridge the gap to the younger guys, he has proved he deserves a spot in the starting lineup. After never hitting over ten home runs in a season he has 15,12,10,10 in the past four years. The 34 year old has been extremely durable and has made his desires known he wants to stay in Kansas City after this year. He will be batting in the sixth spot in 2012.

In left field will be Kevin McCreight. Behind Bynum at SS, this position will also be closely monitored. Kevin has proved he belongs in the majors but has really struggled at times. And with Santiago Rao on the bench to start this year, if Kevin starts to struggle again, the Royals will be fast to put the ex-Rookie of the Year Rao in left. While Rao struggles at the plate he led the league in stolen bases last year so he can certainly help the team. Keven is currently slated as the seventh batter in the lineup.

And rounding out the offense will be Peter Friel. He will be roaming in right field again this year. He will be batting leadoff this year and with his incredible speed he will be looked upon to set the table early and often. He hit .257 last year but towards the end of the year he was moved to the leadoff spot and really excelled. He is also an extremely good gap hitter and in Kauffman Stadium that only makes you more valuable to the offense.

On the bench for the Royals will be Santiago Rao as mentioned above, Javy Herrera(C), Burton Bye(1B,2B,3B,SS,LF,CF) and Teo Aguinaldo(1B,2B,3B).

Now when it comes to the pitching staff, its almost the same players that led the Royals to 108 wins last year. Anchoring the staff and in the second year of his four year $60 million contract, will be Joe Blanton.

Blanton is coming off a 2011 season where he went 19-3 and had a 2.30 ERA. He also finished second to Roy Halladay in the AL Cy Young Award. The 31 year old pitcher will certainly be a force again this year and with Halladay now with the Indians, these two pitchers will go head to head quite a bit this year. Will certainly be an interesting year.

In the second spot in the rotation is free agent to be Blake Hawksworth. Last year he went 15-6 with a 2.86 ERA. The third lowest ERA in the American League. With Blake in a contract year you know he will pitch lights out. Lets just hope the Royals will be able to re-sign him before the season is up.

Ian Oquendo will be the middle man in the starting rotation. Oquendo has always been a guy you never know what you are going to get from. Some days he will be lights out and others he will be hit all around the park. Last year he went 10-8,4.02 and struck out 125. He did lower almost his entire stat line from the 2010 season so there is hope this will be a strong year for the 30 year old pitcher.

Pitching fourth for the Royals will be Mr. Royal himself, Bobby Brownlie. The longest tenured player on the Royals roster will be looking to improve off his 14-5 2011 season where he had a 3.72 ERA. Brownlie has always been a pitcher the Royals could count on and this year should not be any different. The only area of concern has been his endurance. If he gets in a jam early, he has a hard time getting past the fifth inning which then taxes the bullpen. But we will hope for more wins than losses this year for Bobby.

Rounding out the rotation will be the youngster Cleo Garrido. The 23 year old certainly proved he was worth being up here last year. In his first full year of starting he went 12-5 with a a 3.75 ERA. Not bad at all from a 22 year old pitcher. He does give up a lot of hits but with maturity comes the ability to manage games and the Royals front office has high hopes for this young gunslinger.

Closing games for the Royals will again be Brian Meadows. He saved a Royals record 36 games last year but all signs point to the fact that he wants out of Kansas City. This is his last year of a two year $20 million dollar contract and expect him to be moved if the Royals falter or find a young arm that can close games this year.

Rounding out the bullpen will be spot starter Robert Shelor, Rocky Biddle, Eddy Valtierra, Tokuma Hayakawa, Porfirio Camara and Chris Hernandez. All have major league experience minus Hayakawa.

Hayakawa is one of the Royals promising up and coming arms and will certainly be nursed along much of the year to let him adjust to the big leagues.

So going into tomorrow's game against the Cleveland Indians, the Royals appear to be ready to roll in 2012. Minus in the massive injuries in Spring Training, the Royals Front Office has high hopes for this season and the owner expects a return trip to the playoffs. Lets go Royals!!!

[CRTsports.com]

Opening Day Thriller!!

04/07/2012

If you were just a casual fan of the Royals and you would have thought this was game three of last years ALDS. Today Joe Blanton faced off against the defending Cy Young Award Winner Roy Halladay. The only thing different was the jersey Halladay was wearing. Last year it was a Blue Jays jersey, now its an Indians jersey.

The game was billed as a pitchers dual and it lived up to its hype. Blanton made the first mistake of the game and allowed a solo home run to Russell Warden in the bottom of the second inning. Halladay was then hit up for a run in the fifth after David Adam tripled and was driven in by Kevin McCreight.

The game stay tied until the bottom of the seventh when Brad Wilkerson reached base on a single and that was followed by a Jose Castillo double. That allowed Wilkerson to score and to give the lead back to the Indians, 2-1.

Even though Blanton was roughed up in the seventh he pitched a strong eighth and finished the game with a respectable line. 7 2/3 innings pitched, six hits, five strike outs and one walk. Not a bad start to the season at all.

On the other hand, Halladay just looked untouchable. In the eight innings he pitched he struck out ten and only allowed three hits. "I knew that Roy would be tough today but it was unreal. My only hope was that we get lucky or we can knock him out of the game and get to a relief pitcher." said Manager Antonio DeLeon.

The baseball gods must have been smiling on the Royals tonight. With the Indians up 2-1, they brought in their closer Derrick Pafford to finish up the game. But the first batter he faced was Gene Marguez. A dream scenario for the Royals.

Marguez promptly singled to start off the inning and that was followed up by a Melvin Colmenares double to put the runners in scoring position with no outs. William Quattlebaum was up next and he also doubled to score Marguez and Colmenares.

Last years team home run leader David Adam was up next and he picked up right where he left off in 2011. He parked a ball in the right field seats to give the Royals a 4-1 advantage with no outs in the ninth. Adam finished the game 2-3 with a home run, triple, 2 RBI's, 2 Runs and a walk.

It was an excellent show of the Royals power bats that the fans hope to see more often this season. The top of the ninth ended with the Royals up 4-1 and Brian Meadows was brought in to save the game. After an opening walk, he settled down and gave the Royals their first win of the season! Lets go Royals!!!

[CRTsports.com]

Garrido pitches first gem of season!!!

04/10/2012

One day after the Royals hung 18 on the Twins, the Royals once again had their way with the Twins. This time is was courtesy of Cleo Garrido's arm. Cleo pitched the first complete game shutout of the 2012 season and led the team to a 7-0 win.

With the Royals rotation reeling to start the season, this is just the type of momentum they needed from their fifth starter. A year after leading the league in Team ERA, after five games they are currently ranked ninth with a 3.98 ERA.

"I had a bit of an upset stomach this morning and was just lucky to be able to take the mound today." said Garrido. "I guess with it being my first start of the season, my nerves got the best of me. But after a few innings I settled down and pitched well. I got some great help from my defense and I appreciate that."

This was Cleo's fourth shutout of his career after having three last year. While you cant put much weight into early season stats and performances, it certainly calms the fears about the Royals rotation after the first week of the season. Lets go Royals!!

[CRTsports.com]

Royals Sweep Twins, Colmenares Out 2-3 Weeks!!

04/13/2012

While the fans were still shocked over their opening "performance" against the Indians, the Royals showed the world they still mean business. Headed into Minnesota they were 1-2 but a nice four game sweep ended all of their frustration.

The Royals put up an amazing 40 runs in four games against the Twins and moved to 5-2 for the season and back into the Central Division lead. "We got timely hitting and just hitting overall this past series. It was like watching a video game. Every time we got an opportunity, we capitalized on it." said Manager Antonio DeLeon.

Leading the charge for the Royals is the most unexpected player, Freddie Bynum. Coming into the season many wondered what the Royals were doing starting him after Rudolph Shaeffer went down with a season ending injury.

Bynum has silenced all the critics and probably earned a few new fans because of his play in the first seven games on the season. He is currently hitting .462/.533/.577 in 26 at-bats so far this season. He leads the team with twelve hits and has three doubles.

"I left Spring Training feeling good and it has just carried over. I don't expect to hit .450+ all year long but it feels great to get off to a hot start and help this team win. We had a rough series in Cleveland but beating Minnesota the way we did, makes our home opener tomorrow even better!" said Bynum on last nights flight back to Kansas City.

But even with all that good news coming out of the Royals recent sweep of the Twins, the injury bug was out and about also. With the Royals already reeling from the absence of three of their top players, they couldn't afford another injury.

In the top of the fourth inning with the game scoreless, Melvin Colmenares hit a screaming line drive to center that he willed into a double. But after he rounded first it was obvious he was in pain.

"I just landed on the base wrong. I almost fell down because of the pain. I luckily made it to second base but it was not pretty." said Melvin.

Colmenares was promptly removed from the game and replaced at first by Burton Bye. After the game he was diagnosed with a strained groin muscle and will miss the next two to three weeks. Just another All-Star on the Royals Injury Team!

With the Royals headed home for their opening home stand of the season, the fans will be getting used to a new infield. Lets just hope the fans buy the media guide and get their names right over the next ten games!! Lets go Royals!!

[CRTsports.com]

Personal Note: Recently moved and finally settled down to where I can post regularly again now! Sorry for the lack of updates during that time.

Royals win 2012 Home Opener!!!

04/14/2012

In what has become a makeshift Royals team this year, one thing has stayed the same, they keep winning. With star First Baseman Melvin Colmenares(2-3 weeks) joining Joey Ros, Rudolph Shaeffer and Jesus Uriate, its a wonder that the Royals can field a roster for each game. But after starting the season 1-2, the Royals are currently on a five game win streak with tonight's win over the Indians.

And if you had to do a double take this evening when you saw the starting lineup, you are not alone. And unless you are a Royals faithful Kevin McCreight, Teo Aguinaldo, Freddie Bynum and Burton Bye are not familiar to you at all.

But on the mound tonight was seven-year veteran Ian Oquendo(1-1). He struggled in his first game this year in Cleveland and in the first inning tonight.

After allowing two runs in the first inning off of the bat of Cesar Torres, he rebounded very nicely. He went seven strong innings, allowing only five hits and striking out eight. He did give up an incredibly high five walks tonight but its only his second start of the year.

Oquendo had this to say after the game, "That first inning really pissed me off. I let the nerves get to me and I pitched like a rookie out there. I was able to settle down after that inning but I cant put my offense in a hole like that after the first inning again."

Headed into the bottom of the first inning and already down four stars and two runs, the Royals proved why they are the defending AL Central Champions.

Peter Friel lead off the inning with a single and was driven home two batters later courtesy of a Gene Marguez double. William Quattlebaum followed that up with a single which scored Marguez. Kevin McCreight also singled to put men on the corners with one out and last year's Rookie of the Year David Adam due up.

Adam, who had 33 home runs in his rookie season, parked his third home run of the year over the center field wall and gave the Royals a 5-2 lead after one. The Royals fans went crazy after that home run and the team rode that first inning rally to a 9-2 victory tonight.

While its not certain the Royals will be able to bat as well as they did last year considering all of the injuries, the pitching staff is still intact and should give the Royals a lot of opportunities to win in 2012. Lets go Royals!!

[CRTsports.com]

HOLY COW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

04/16/2012

In what was headed to be a game in the wrong category for the Royals record book, ended the exact opposite.

Heading into the bottom of the ninth, the Royals were being one hit by Indians starter Chuck James. The Royals had only hit two balls out of the infield before the ninth and they were struggling mightly. "Ill give it to James, he owned our batters today. He pitched one hell of a game. I have no idea how we managed that comeback." said manager Antonio DeLeon.

With practically all of the thirty-seven thousand fans out of the ballpark, the Royals pulled off one of the most incredible comebacks in NABL history.

To start off the ninth, the nine batter Teo Aguinaldo led off with a walk. Peter Friel followed that up with a bunt that resulted in a hit. "They gave me the bunt sign and I knew with my speed I could leg it out. And it worked out perfectly." said Friel.

So with two on and no outs, Santiago Rao came to the plate. He also laid down a bunt, but his was a bit more exciting. The Indians 2B Jose Castillo fielded the ball cleanly but then threw the ball over the first baseman's head, resulting in Rao reaching second and Aguinaldo to score courtesy of the error.

So with runners in scoring position, the always dangerous Gene Marguez came to bat. He grounded a 1-2 pitch between first and second which plated Friel and Rao.

So before the Indians knew it, James's one hitter masterpiece was gone and the Royals were in striking distance down 6-3. The Indians replaced James with their closer, Eduardo Sierra. He did not fare much better.

With Marguez on first, William Quattlebaum strolled to the plate with no outs. He promptly drilled the 0-1 pitch, 352 feet over the right field fence. "When I came to the plate I could feel the momentum swing. Our team was in the game again and you could tell Sierra did not want to be out there." proclaimed Quattlebaum.

So the Royals were now down just 6-5 to the Indians after only managing one hit in the first eight innings. Talk about not giving up.

Next up after Quattlebaum was Kevin McCreight. He also contributed to the hit parade with a double of his own. Now the Royals had another runner in scoring position with no outs and down by one.

David Adam was up next but he recorded the first out of the inning with a flyball to center field. "When Adam came up, I was not sure what to do." said DeLeon. "I wanted to move over Kevin but do you sac hit with a guy that has Adam's power. It was a gamble that didn't pay off this time."

After Adam's out, Michael Cuddyer drew a full count walk to put two men on with one out. Freddie Bynum entered the batters box with all the pressure in the world and he struck out.

With Teo Aguinaldo due up next, Antonio DeLeon decided to pinch hit for him. In came backup catcher Javy Herrera. "I just felt right about bringing Javy in." said DeLeon.

And on the 0-1 pitch, Herrera picked up his first hit of the year. It was a 386 foot home run over right center. "When I hit it, I knew it was gone." said Herrera. "I just wanted to get around the bases so we could celebrate."

The Royals celebrated at home plate like they had just won the World Series. Down 6-0 with three outs, the Royals scratched and clawed their way to an 8-6 win.

Who knows if this win, which moved the Royals 7-2, will motivate the guys to never give up in a game, but it should sure motivate all the fans that left and gave up on their team today. Lets go Royals!!!

[CRTsports.com]

José Yan Makes Professional Debut!!

04/18/2012

When the Royals designated Burton Bye for assignment after last nights game, it was little question as to who they would call up. After three years in the minors, José Yan has arrived in Kansas City.

The Royals made Yan their first overall selection in the 2009 Amateur Draft and the fans have been anxiously awaiting him making the big league roster. While he has not had the greatest of minor league careers, he was ranked as the 61st best prospect in the NABL before the season.

And to not keep the Royals fans waiting, Antonio DeLeon threw him right into tonight's starting lineup. "I consider it trial by fire with Jose. He was called up to replace Joey Ros for the next five weeks and there is no reason to wait." said DeLeon.

Yan went 1-3 in tonight's game with his first major league hit coming in the seventh off of Bill Boynton. "When I got the call up the other day I was really excited. I have been dying to finally get my chance to prove myself to the front office. I know I am up here because of an injury but I hope to prove that I belong up here even after Ros comes back."

We will see how well Yan adjusts and we can only hope for great things over the next four to five weeks. Lets go Royals!!

Yan's Minor League Statistics:

[CRTsports.com]

Brian Meadows Traded to the Cubs!!

04/21/2012

In what was a move that has been expected for sometime now, Brian Meadows was finally traded from the Royals today. He is headed to the Cubs in exchange for two minor league players. In return the Royals will be receiving 22-year-old SP Kanrou Benkei and 20-year-old 1B Ultse Zuydam.

While Meadows lead the team last year in saves with 36, he just never fit in with the organization. "He made it clear in the Spring Training he wanted out of Kansas City. His family was not happy here and we said we will move you when we get the right offer." said GM Chris Torres.

Meadows was in the second year of a two-year $20 million dollar contract and this move will save the Royals nearly $9 million dollars the rest of the year. "We want to thank Brian for his hard work last year and wish him the best of luck with the Cubs." said Torres

Torres also cautioned the fans about not over reacting to this trade, "I for one do not like to make trades mid-season but this was a special circumstance. If we kept Meadows around with his attitude, it had the potential to destroy the clubhouse attitude and with a lot of young guys here, that's not a risk I was willing to take. Chris Hernandez will more than likely resume the closers role he had before Brian was signed and he is looking forward to it. I have no doubt this will benefit us tenfold the rest of the season."

Headed to Kansas City in the trade are two borderline prospects by baseball standards. Torres had this to say about Zuydam and Benkei, "We feel these players both have potential to make the big league roster one day. We will just see how they do the next few years in the minors."

Zuydam who hails from Herent,Belgium will head off to AA Northwest Arkansas and Benkei who is from Japan will start off in AAA Omaha. So far in 2012, Benkei was 3-0 with a 1.14 ERA and Zuydam was batting .384/.404/.500 in 86 at bats, both with the Cubs AAA team.

We will not know who "won" this trade for several years but with the Royals shedding some payroll this year and possibly gaining a few players for the future, the arrow is pointing in the Royals direction at the moment. Lets go Royals!!

[CRTsports.com]

Royals finish April 16-6, lead American League!!

On the eve of getting their Two-Time All-Star 1B Melvin Colmenares back from the disabled list, the Royals concluded another stellar month of baseball. After starting off 1-2, they rode their hot bats to a 16-6 record. That is currently the best record in the American League and tied with the Washington Nationals for the best record in baseball.

"Our guys really gutted it out this month." said GM Chris Torres. "We have been undermanned all month long and playing with makeshift lineups but they just keep trucking along and winning games. Its great to have a bunch of guys that check their ego's at the door and just want to win."

Leading the charge for the Royals is their Reigning AL MVP Catcher Gene Marguez. In April he hit .385 and had an astronomical .538 OBP. He also slugged five home runs, drove in thirteen runs and was named Batter of the Month for April today. And with his protection back in the lineup tomorrow, those numbers should only increase!

"Its great to win awards and all but I just want to win games. I am paid to win and that's what we want to to here in Kansas City. Last years failure still burns us and we want to get back to the playoffs and prove it was not a fluke. And I cant want to have my partner in crime back in tomorrows game. Its been lonely without him."

Colmenares has only played in seven games this year but in that short time he has managed a .385 average, .500 OBP, two home runs and six RBI's. His bat will only make this team that much stronger.

After the April numbers were finalized the Royals led the AL in seven statistical categories. They had a .360 OBP, slugged .477, .837 OPS, scored 134 runs, had 89 extra-base hits, knocked twenty-nine balls out of the park and walked 105 times in just twenty-two games.

"My guys have just hit the cover off of the ball. And all of these numbers are basically without Melvin in the lineup and Rudolph Shaeffer(.316/.372/.553/29HR/112RBI's in 2011) out for the year. Its great seeing our role players stepping up and contributing on a daily basis." said Manager Antonio DeLeon

Along with their hot bats, the starting rotation has been just as strong. Once again they are led by Joe Blanton. Blanton leads the starting rotation with a 1.85 ERA through thirty-four innings pitched and has recoded thirty-five punch outs.

And right behind him is up and coming pitcher Cleo Garrido. Coming off last years 12-5 record, the twenty-three year old Cleo has picked up right where he left off in 2011. He is currently 1-0 with a 2.40 ERA.

His first win of year was a complete game shutout of the Twins and he has yet to lose a game this season. In his last three games he has pitched very well but not managed a decision in the Royals wins.

The Royals currently lead the AL with a 3.13 Starters ERA and 181 Strikeouts. They then dominate second place in six statistical categories. They are second in ERA(3.11), Bullpen ERA(3.06), Runs Allowed(82), Hits Allowed(173), Opp AVG(.233) and BABIP(.288).

"The guys are just throwing heat this year." said Torres. "They are studying the scouting reports very well and it shows."

Along with all the great play from the team there are four players that currently have the fans worried. RF Larry Bigbie, CF Santiago Rao, and SP's Bobby Brownlie and Ian Oquendo.

In the thirteen games Bigbie has played in, he is currently batting a microscopic .114. He has only managed four hits in thirty-five at-bats and struck out fifteen times. Many wonder if the thirty-four year old has hit the warning track of his career or this is just a very cold start.

The scouts say he is swinging the bat well but can't figure out what is wrong. No matter if he figures it out or not, he has had an excellent four seasons in Kansas City and is one of the best free agent signings in the past seven.

While most of the starting rotation has been spot on, Brownlie and Oquendo have missed the point. Brownlie has started three games so far and has only managed 13.1 innings in the three outings and has a robust 4.73 ERA.

In those 13.1 innings, he has allowed seventeen hits and sixteen runs. Now only seven of those runs are earned, so its clearly evident that his defense has been letting him down. And if a defense falters, the pitchers day is usually ended early. So all signs lead to Brownlie getting back on the horse in a few more outings.

While Brownlie can pin his lack of production on his defense, Oquendo does not have that luxury. Ian is currently 1-3 in four starts this year with a 4.70 ERA. He has pitched twenty-three innings and allowed twenty-four hits, thirteen walks and struck out twenty-five.

"Its all about my control. Its either been really well or really bad. I am just a few more outings away from getting it nailed down. I just don't want to pitch myself out of a spot in the rotation but we will see." said Oquendo.

One of the most puzzling struggles this year has been Santiago Rao. The twenty-five year old past Rookie of the Year has just been down right awful. He is currently batting .148 through 54 at-bat's. Considering he hit .301 in 2009, .282 in 2010, .248 in 2011 and now .148 many wonder if his career is nearly over.

If there is one reason for this dramatic fall, it would have to be injuries. The former second round draft pick has missed a total of 103 games in just five years of pro baseball. One scout used this word to describe Rao the other day, "finished." Who knows what will happen with Rao but without his lighting fast speed he would certainly be in the minors already. Lets just hope he can pull out of this funk and regain his starting lineup spot.

So minus the small problems on the roster at the moment, the Royals appear to be headed for another great month of baseball. Lets go Royals!!

[CRTsports.com]

Here is a quick glance of the full statistics for the month of April for the Royals!!

[CRTsports.com]

Bigbie Leads Royals to Victory!!

05/05/2012

When Larry Bigbie ended the Toronto Blue Jays game on May 3rd with a .098 batting average, the fans wanted him benched immediately. That had grown tired of seeing him swing hopelessly at every pitch. The talk radio shows in Kansas City were abuzz as to why this guy was allowed to still play the game. But Antonio DeLeon stuck with him and it paid off big.

There was a glimmer of hope after last nights loss to the Blue Jays when Bigbie went 1-2 with two walks and a strikeout. "I felt the best I had all year at the plate last night. I had no idea if it was a sign of things to come but I was locating the ball out of the pitchers hand and reacting correctly." said Bigbie

In a game that pitted the AL East leader Orioles versus the AL Central leader Royals it was touted as a grudge match. In one corner you have the Orioles with their legendary 3B Alex Rodriguez and 1B Eddie Pena while the Royals had C Gene Marguez and 1B Melvin Colmenares. Rodriguez is destined for the Hall and with Pena and Marguez already claiming AL MVP Awards, all four players might end up in the Hall of Fame one day. So all the talk was about who was going to outshine the other.

While both pitching staffs did their absolute best to keep the stars at bay, they forgot about the man with a .116 average. While the four stars went a combined 5-22, with only four runs scored and no RBI's, Larry Bigbie went an amazing 4-6, with two RBI's and scored a run. And more importantly he had the game winning hit in the bottom of the 12th that scored Marguez.

"It was great seeing Larry getting mobbed on the field after his game winning hit. No one has worked harder than him. He has struggled greatly this year but we believed in him and it paid off big time tonight." said Colmenares.

With Bigbie's performance last night, he has raised his average to .184 and has raised it some 86 points in just two games. "I knew a few days back I would find the ball and I just kept plugging away at it." said Bigbie.

Larry will certainly earn more playing time with this performance and just maybe might return to the .270 hitter he has been the last four years in Kansas City. Only time will tell but all signs are pointed in his direction! Lets go Royals!!