BBQ Billy and Second Guessing

The 2014 World Series between the Royals and Giants is ready for game 6 in Kansas City tonight. After winning 2 of 3 in San Francisco the Giants hold a 3-2 lead and hope to wrap it up tonight. I wanted to post some thoughts because if I don't get it done it may never get them put down and on record.

Those that know me understand that I am glass half full kind of guy and as much as I have questioned manager Ned Yost in the past, this year I have pretty much had confidence in this post season as almost every string he had pulled seemed to fall in place and just work. I give my brother Steve credit for opening my thoughts on Yost and things like the playing or not playing of Billy Butler.

As the game went along we were texting and discussing moves and lineup changes. After seeing the result of the 3 games in San Fran and listening to the post game discussions by Soren Petro and Rany Jazayerli,  I am fully in the second guessing group. Regardless of what happens tonight in game 6 and hopefully game 7, things could have been different.

2nd Guess #1 - I understand no DH changes things in the NL park for games 3 and 4 and I am sort of ok with that. But why in 3 games in the NL league park did perhaps the best hitter on the team sit on the bench and get only ONE at bat. Jason Nix, a late season add on player with ZERO career hits as a Royal in 2014 actually had 2 at bats in SF and Billy Butler had only ONE at bat in the next to last inning of game 5. Explain this... Butler 0-1 and Nix 0-2??? You pinch hit Butler to leadoff in the 8th down by 2 runs? Did those decisions give the Royals the best chance to win?

BBQ Billy

Butler is one of the few that has had very good results vs Bumgarner. Lefties vs Bumgarner are especially bad against him and for some strange reason the lineup for game 5 had a pitcher batting and only 3 right handed bats. Yost started 5 lefties against this tough pitcher. Another thing.. if Butler gives you a better chance in the 8th leading off down 2, then why does he not give you a better chance in the previous 7 innings? Sure his defense is not Gold Glove like Hosmer, but with Bumgarner, runs are critical. There were also some chances to pinch hit Butler earlier in the game with runners on base. Bottom line is Billy BBQ Butler should have been in the starting lineup for game 5. In his one at bat, he strikes out on a curve ball that was way outside but was called a strike.

Think back to the last week of the season, Royals are chasing the Tigers for the AL West crown and it was a national Fox tv broadcast on the next to last Saturday of the regular season. Yost sat Butler vs a lefty, he didn't even DH in Kansas City! Royals lost and it seemed to stretch the Tigers lead out of reach. The next game Butler was back in and had a couple of RBI's and it seemed to light the fire to clinch the Wild Card for the final week of the season. Again I ASSumed that Yost had learned his lesson with BBQ Billy. I ASSumed incorrectly.

Christian Colon

2nd Guess # 2 -  The 25 man roster for the World Series dropped rookie Christian Colon and added the inept veteran Jayson Nix. Regular season 2014 he had 8 at bats and ZERO hits. When it was announced I assumed it was for defense flixibility in the NL games but after review Christian Colon played the same various positions, but actually hit .333 in 21 games and has speed. Whatever Yost said to justify it before the series started, this was a mistake. A player with zero hits as a Royal vs a player that contributed to your playoff run and hit over .300 in both AAA and the majors this year. This one also in on you Ned.

I do still think Ned has done a great job with this team and really doubt that there have been very many World Series winning teams where the manager moves and decisions were not questioned. It's the fun of the game. Good call Steve... you got this right! And I did not even discuss the botched double switch and playing Dyson in game 5 as he cannot hit lefties at all. This game like no other leads to moments like this to question so who really knows what will happen tonight in game 6. Personally I am confident in a game 6 win and then the famous game 7 will be a thrill. Regardless of the result, it's still a game. Enjoy this friends.... enjoy it!  

From one of my favorite writers, his post after game 5...

From Rany on the Royals...
God willing, I’ll be one of those fans tomorrow night, and (hopefully) Wednesday night as well. The Royals are two wins away from delivering us a championship I honestly never even contemplated as being within the realm of possibility, of delivering me a memory I never dreamed would be a reality. I expect them to do everything in their power to deliver it. It’s only fair that I hold myself to the same standard, and cheer them on from the stands, to give the same 100% I demand from them, until the final out. Until we are defeated. Or until we are delirious.