Twin$ and $ox - Indians and Royals

From this article on MLB.COM ...And it also bears mentioning that the Opening Day payrolls of the Indians ($49.2 million) and Royals ($36.1 million) can be combined and still not equal those of the White Sox ($127.8 million), Twins ($112.7 million) or Tigers ($105.7 million)

Ok, can we now say that talk of big market vs small market is a non issue? For years, Royals fans have complained about the Yankees spending 100+ million for salaries. The Royals are proving, along with other teams that it is NOT all about the money. Teams are building winning organizations with out spending 20 million for one player.

The real question may be... when do the Yankees, Red Sox and White Sox and yes Twins figure out you don't HAVE to go out and throw cash around. Sure it's only 2 weeks into the season, but I think that teams have shown it is not necessary to pay the obscene salaries to star free agents. If Cleveland and Kansas City keep it up this season, will this effect the mammoth Pujols negotiations?

Go Royal$ !! Now, time to shut down the 49.2 million dollar Indians !!!

Royal Opportunity Wasted - 8 out of 11

The Royals always have trouble against the Minnesota Twins and we all went in to this short 2 game series with hope. Hope that the team has made steps to take advantage of opportunities to win against a good team. The game Tuesday night had such a situation after the Royals tied the game.

Down 1 run going into the 7th, the Royals get a lead off infield single from Alcides Escobar. Then on an attempted sac bunt by Chris Getz, Twins pitcher Brian Duensing air mails the throw over the first baseman and Escobar goes to 3rd, Getz to 2nd. Excellent, the Twins make an unusual critical error and try to and the Royals the lead on a silver platter. Next up Melky Cabrera lines one off the knee of Duensing, Escobar scores, Getz to 3rd.

1st and 3rd with nobody out, tie game in the 7th inning with Alex Gordon, Billy Butler and Jeff Francoeur due up. 3 tries to get one run across. Then an amazing thing happened. Those 3 men swung at 8 of the next 11 pitches ( all fastballs by the way )... 3 quick outs, game still tied. The last strike was a fastball middle in that Francoeur watches to end the inning. They seriously could not get ONE ball it on the ground, or in the air far enough for a sacrifice? These are the games that good teams win. I know this team technically is not a "good" team.

The best we can hope for is that this inning will be used as a "teaching opportunity" at all levels of the organization. I don't blame the bullpen for this loss, I blame the offense for failure to execute.

It's the little things that great teams do... let's be great.

Take Me Out To The Ballgame... on Radio !

There is something very nice about listening to a baseball game over a portable AM radio. It evokes thoughts of sitting on a porch swing in the shade on a summer evening. Even if you are inside and it's cold and wind in April.

It's nice because you can have it going in the background, and it doesn't take over your thoughts unless you WANT it to. Then the announcer gets that edge of excitement and you know it's time to listen. If you don't quite catch the action, you can listen to the crowd because that inner "clock" in your mind tells you that your team is batting or in the field.

Also interesting to me is the companies that advertise, and how that changes based on region. Imagine hearing a commercial for John Deere or a farmers coop during a radio broadcast in New York or Los Angeles. I guess it would be like hearing a commercial on Kansas City for surf boards.


It is different than watching on TV obviously, but I think radio is the best way to experience a ball game, other than being there anyway. With radio, you are there in your mind and heart. It kind of goes back to the old time simplicity of the game. Simple game for a simple time. Well we can always hope right?


"7th inning stretch time at Kauffman Stadium" says Bob Davis on the Royals Radio Network.

Take me out to the ballgame...

Bob Davis, Denny Matthews and Steve Stewart
will broadcast games this season from the
radio booth. (Chris Vleisides/Kansas City Royals)

Somebody Pinch Me ?

How exciting it was to see the Royals come right back to tie it at 4 in the 2nd inning after giving up 4 quick runs in the top of the 1st. Nice to see this team keep bouncing back and playing aggressive as a double steal lead to a 2 run single by Melky Cabrera. Too bad Luke Hochevar could not make a few key pitches and keep them at 4. He leaves after 6 down 6-4.

Comeback kids do it again on a game tying home run in the bottom of the 8th. Billy Butler crushed one into the water in left. Again Soria comes in to the 9th in a tie game. Risky but it worked last time. Hopefully it will again. I like the 2 hand catch on the pop up to Escobar. Seems I remember Yuniesky Betancourt last year one handing a pop up, dropped it and it led to a loss.

The Royals are set up for another come from behind win against a tough team.

Wow... walk off again on an extra inning game winning single from Melky.. can this team be for real ?

Empty Seats in the Cathedral ?

Did anyone else notice that at the Twins/Yankees game Monday night at Yankee Stadium, that about one half of the seats were EMPTY? No rain, no blizzard and no signs of a valid reason. This just stuck me as very odd that the first week of the season and the Yankees cannot fill the place? I wonder if anyone has an idea as to what the reason may be?

Weather: 57 degrees, cloudy.
Wind: 5 mph, In from RF.
T: 2:38.
Att: 40,311.

It can't be that the Yankees are horrible, since they are the Yankees after all and they always win and draw fans. Now I am sure the 40,311 listed officially, did not all show up. There were empty seats spread out all over the ballpark.

Very odd... anybody have an explanation?

The Fauxhawks Win in 13 !! Oh and KC is in FIRST PLACE ?

Play Ball !!Windy day in KC with SSW wind... 79 degrees, Beautiful. Thanks Denny, I love the picture you paint with words.

Swing and a miss, 2 out. A Sunday afternoon game in August, forget about it, but Sunday in April, nice. Ground ball with 1 on by Hunter and the inning is over with only 13 pitches. As Denny says, "After half an inning, the Angels nothing, the Royals coming up".


Mike Aviles leads off and is nicked by the pitch and is on first base. After a steal and ground out, Aviles is at 3rd with one out. Critical situation for a good team, score the run from 3rd with less than one out. And Alex Gordon comes through with his first RBI of the season. BALK ? Boy the Angels seems to be struggling. Gordon at 2nd with 1 out. Billy Butler hits it hard but at somebody, runner on 2nd with 2 out. Kila Ka'aihue works a 3-0 count and you can hear the crowd buzz. Ball 4. Jeff Francoeur has a chance to add to the 1-0 lead as $12 million dollar pitcher Scott Kazmir struggles. Base hit! Royals up 2-0.

In the bottom of the first, the Royals are making contact putting the ball in play, being aggressive and Kazmir has thrown 26 pitches, many not even close to a strike. Wilson Betemit hopes to keep it rolling as it looks like the Angels will get into their bullpen early today!! Another stolen base by Frenchy, I like this. Ball Four and the bases are full. Alcides Escobar grounds to first for the 3rd out and Kazmir throws 36 pitches. Nice.

After 1 inning - Angels 0 Royals 2

Now a critical inning for Bruce Chen and the Royals. After a long inning, it will be key for the Royals to shut them down again and get Kazmir back out there as quickly as possible. A lead off walk is not the way to kick that off. A double play right here would be nice, but a little pop up works, 1 out and no runner advance. Double down the line, runners at 2nd and 3rd and Jeff Mathis fouls out. 2 out and close to getting out of it. Swing and a miss, inning over. Well done.

BOMB, Melky Cabrera ! Then Gordon drills one off the wall and he is at 2nd with 2 out and Kazmir is up to 58 pitches on the 2nd inning. Might be a long day. Wind blowing out, we'll need more than 3 to win this one. And like last year, Billy get beaned, again. Think it would be nice to see Kila pound one and he does... Vernon Wells could not hold on to a drive over his head and the Royals are up 5-0. Still probably not enough. But Angels manager Mike Scioscia has seen enough. Pitching change! Holy cow, a BALK before the replacement throws a pitch. Easy pop fly out and the inning is over. Again 5 will not be enough today.

After 2 innings - Angels 0 Royals 5

Ok, 3 batters into the 3rd, it's 5-2 after back to back home runs and a walk. Chen needs a double play very badly, but Tori Hunter is up and this could get ugly fast. After a doubling Bobby Abreu off of first on a pop up, Chen and the Royals are out of the inning......... after losing my internet, it is now 5-4 Royals and Chen seems like a different pitcher than he was in the first 2 innings. Then after a MUCH too quiet inning for KC, the Royals.....scratch that, I spoke too soon as Butler Pounds one out with 2 outs and it's 6-4 Royals. 426 feet.

After 4 innings - Angels 4 Royals 6

And after taking some care of some things at home, the Angels have the lead in the bottom of the 9th 9-7. Lead off walk to Gordon,  Butler at bat and the Angels closer seems to be a little wild and almost blew the save on opening day. Fernando gets some help on a hard line drive that was headed towards the gap that was picked off my the shortstop. 1 on and 1 out, and the tying run standing in the box. Could Kila do it again? Not this time, but he does work a walk to put 2 on with only 1 out.

Here we go kids.... showtime !! Betemit lines one that is almost caught. Key word "almost" but 2 runs score and the game is tied with the winning run at 3rd and one out.

Escobar is up with the chance to be a hero and accepted as part of the future in KC. First pitch ball, then a strike. Then 2-1 count and he squared to bunt and took a strike. 2-2 count, fans on their feet. Angels have 5 infielders hoping to cut off a grounder. Ball 3, this is getting FUN! The 3-2 pitch is fouled off... would be great to be in the ballpark right now! Shock.. another walk and the bases are loaded again. Last minute roster addition Matt Treanor is up now. He grounds into a force out at home after Callaspo bobbles it to lose the chance at an inning ending double play. Next pitch is grounded right at third. 3 outs and after 9, it's even at 9. The Royals missed a golden opportunity to take a gift win and will now rely on the bullpen for the hold.

After 9 innings - Angels 9 Royals 9

Soria gets a ground out on his second pitch thanks to a good play by second baseman Aviles. Tough part of the order for the Angels. A base hit by IzturisIzturis and a walk to Kendrick but then Abreu singles. Angels have 1st and 3rd but Soria makes a great pitch to end the inning, still tied. An uneventful bottom of the 10th and we are on to the 11th.

After 10 innings - Angels 9 Royals 9

Tim Collins comes in for the 11th. And he is throwing strikes, working fast but after getting a strikeout, he gives up a single. Now would be a good time for another couple of strikeouts. A good test for a rookie reliever and he is passing so far. Short foul pop up and he has 2 outs. The bullpen for the Royals has been very good so far this short season. The 2-2 pitch to Mathis is swung on and missed and Collins continues his 1+ strikeout per inning.

This is exhausting... Betemit walk and steals 2nd, then for some unknown reason tries to advance to 3rd on a pitch in the dirt. Then 2 walks and the Royals have 2 on with 2 out. Can we end it here men? Of course not, Aviles strikes out. Painful.

After 11 innings Angels 9 Royals 9

Collins starts off the 12th with a strikeout, what else! A ground out and ANOTHER strikeout and Kendrick and the Angels are done in the 12th. Now that was efficient, hopefully the offense will respond. But nope...

After 12 innings Angels 9 Royals 9

Lead off single is cleaned up with a double play and another strikeout by Collins and time for the bottom of the 13th. This has become one of those games you are stuck following. After about 11 innings you have to stay tuned in to see how it ends. 

Top of 13th uneventful... In the bottom half, Getz  tried to take the game over with a walk, stolen base and boldly advanced on a ground out to 3rd. But we was caught in a run down after a tap to the pitcher. But then, it was WALK OFF time again... Treanor slams a game winning 3 run home run and the Royals are 3-1. Second best story of the game is the performance of Tim Collins...  check this line out.  3 IP, 2 hits, 5 k's and the WIN.

Great job in this first series by the bullpen... or what MLB.com reports, they are called the Fauxhawks !!

photo from MLB.com

Getz vs Pujols?

 The Royals stand at 2-1 to open the season against a tough team, many picked to win the Western Division in the LA Angels. Two wins in come from behind late game heroics, impressive. Just as Royals fans should not get too excited, fans of other teams should not worry about their teams poor start.

My brother wrote on Facebook today...

At least he understands it's a long season and his team the Cardinals are having a rough start on and off the field. Injuries have hit them hard in a season that is very important to the organization. To give you an example of why it's good to keep looking forward, here is a  comparison...

Team Pitching	W-L	ERA	K's
Kansas City	2-1	2.67	4th in MLB
St. Louis	0-2	6.75	9th in MLB
Player	BA	OBP	RBI
Chris Getz	.429	.500	2
Albert Pujols	.222	.222	1

Now the truth is somewhere in the middle, but in years past these numbers could have been easily reversed. This Royals team will not end up with this kind of comparison and I am pretty sure that Pujols will have better numbers than Getz, by next week. But I guess my point is and will be all season is, hang on Royals fans it's going to be a fun, and entertaining ride.

It might be hard to argue though that this 2011 team is much better than those in recent history, even without Zack Greinke. This team seems to be playing to win and playing with confidence. An excellent transition from the really bad teams to the future full of talent and winning.

I have had a busy weekend, both with my "paying" job and with a daughter that is getting married soon and HAPPY as I have seen her in some time. Life is good... how can it not be. It's April 2 and the Royals are 2-1.

As the season progresses, I will be watching close for the fire and desire to win that has been missing. See my post on i70baseball for more on that. If  you see examples of players playing with intensity, post them here.

Lets go get a winning April ! And Mike, your Cardinals will be just fine!

KILA MONSTER !!

KILA MONSTER !!