The Royals

[kso_FAN]

I was discussing this with a friend of mine and he made a good point about the "juiced baseball" this year and home runs being way up. First, it made our emphasis on average pitching with great defense behind it not nearly as effective. "Fly ball pitchers in a huge ballpark" have now just give up home runs (see Chris Young). Also, we then retooled our lineup to focus on hitting more home runs ourselves. Keep the line moving become secondary, and we simply don't hit enough home runs even though we will probably set club records this year. I think those were some decent points.

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

Here's my list of the Top 5 things that kept the Royals from the postseason:

1. Ventura's unfortunate death.
2. Trading Davis.
3. Salvy's injury.
4. Mondesi instead of Whit to start the season.
5. Gordon becoming the worst offensive regular player in the MLB.

Lots of others I know, but that's my 5.

Here's mine:
1. Trading away our entire farms system of pitching
2. Signing 3 well established loser SP's to fill the void
3. Failing to resign the RP's that got us there, particularly Wader.

Gordon being bad was easily outweighed by the stunning uptick in production we've gotten from Whit/Boni/Hos/Moose.

Mondesi got like 45 ABs, bfd. I'm sorry, but Ventura was wildly inconsistent and mentally volatile, and wouldn't have made a difference this year.

[mocat]

Ventura was indeed wildly inconsistent, but to say he wouldn't have been better than his replacement's replacements is laughable

Skoglund: 4 starts, 10.64 ERA
Wood: 3 starts, 8.31 ERA
Strahm: 3 starts, 7.71 ERA
Cahill: 3 starts, 8.18 ERA
Young: 2 starts, 12.15 ERA
Farrell (?): 1 start, 16.88 ERA

[star seed 7]

Also not trading Duffy for good starting pitching

[mocat]

Ventura was indeed wildly inconsistent, but to say he wouldn't have been better than his replacement's replacements is laughable

Skoglund: 4 starts, 10.64 ERA
Wood: 3 starts, 8.31 ERA
Strahm: 3 starts, 7.71 ERA
Cahill: 3 starts, 8.18 ERA
Young: 2 starts, 12.15 ERA
Farrell (?): 1 start, 16.88 ERA

"whew, good thing we didn't get 32 starts and a 4.45 ERA from that unpredictable rascal Ventura" - complete idiots wacky and FSD

[mocat]

i change my mind. it's not laughable. it's disgusting and i'm not going to say the R word but it probably has a BITB-level element of that too.

[420seriouscat69]

Ventura was indeed wildly inconsistent, but to say he wouldn't have been better than his replacement's replacements is laughable

Skoglund: 4 starts, 10.64 ERA
Wood: 3 starts, 8.31 ERA
Strahm: 3 starts, 7.71 ERA
Cahill: 3 starts, 8.18 ERA
Young: 2 starts, 12.15 ERA
Farrell (?): 1 start, 16.88 ERA

"whew, good thing we didn't get 32 starts and a 4.45 ERA from that unpredictable rascal Ventura" - complete idiots wacky and FSD

You're missing the point, but whatever. Remember when he'd fake an injury every time he was sucking? That crap was adorable. 

[420seriouscat69]

He'll be remembered for his stuff, being a hot head, and being wildly inconsistent in my book. Also, game 6 in a WS we didn't win.

[mocat]

Ventura was indeed wildly inconsistent, but to say he wouldn't have been better than his replacement's replacements is laughable

Skoglund: 4 starts, 10.64 ERA
Wood: 3 starts, 8.31 ERA
Strahm: 3 starts, 7.71 ERA
Cahill: 3 starts, 8.18 ERA
Young: 2 starts, 12.15 ERA
Farrell (?): 1 start, 16.88 ERA

"whew, good thing we didn't get 32 starts and a 4.45 ERA from that unpredictable rascal Ventura" - complete idiots wacky and FSD

You're missing the point, but whatever. Remember when he'd fake an injury every time he was sucking? That crap was adorable. 

remember when all those guys ^ made all those starts and the games were over in the 2nd inning? that crap was not adorable

[mocat]

He'll be remembered for his stuff, being a hot head, and being wildly inconsistent in my book. Also, game 6 in a WS we didn't win.

despite his wild inconsistency he was infinitely better than the train wreck that replaced him this season. why can't you just say that?

[mocat]

is it because they were all 5 heart guys who played the game the right way and never stared down josh donaldson? 

[SdK]

Wacky, do you believe Whit has done more for Royals baseball than Yordano?

[Cartierfor3]

He'll be remembered for his stuff, being a hot head, and being wildly inconsistent in my book. Also, game 6 in a WS we didn't win.

good thing no one will read your book, and if you did ever write one, I can't imagine the hell your editor would go through.

[420seriouscat69]

He'll be remembered for his stuff, being a hot head, and being wildly inconsistent in my book. Also, game 6 in a WS we didn't win.

despite his wild inconsistency he was infinitely better than the train wreck that replaced him this season. why can't you just say that?

Jason Hammel replaced him. Yo is better, but not by much.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hammeja01.shtml

[420seriouscat69]

Wacky, do you believe Whit has done more for Royals baseball than Yordano?

He's been here for 1 year, of course not. What kind of question is this?

He'll be remembered for his stuff, being a hot head, and being wildly inconsistent in my book. Also, game 6 in a WS we didn't win.

good thing no one will read your book, and if you did ever write one, I can't imagine the hell your editor would go through.

[Powercat Posse]

If Yo was here, Hammel would not have been. So Karns wasn't Ace replacement, Hammel was.  I do think we would have been better than 8-18, which KC was in Hammel starts. That said Hammel 4.76 ERA should not translate into a 8-18 team Record

[420seriouscat69]

What would your book be, cf3? How to put average players on a pedestal 101. 

[Cartierfor3]

Yo's career ERA was 3.89. "wildly inconsistent."

He was 25. I mean my word why is it even a question that his death was a massive blow to the chances a team like the Royals had. Look at mocat's post of some of the trash we've run out there on the mound this season.

[420seriouscat69]

I agree it was a massive blow, but I don't think the team would be that much improved from where they are right now. That's my only point.

[kso_FAN]

I tend to like stats/facts/numbers that back up my points, but I do think there are immeasurable factors that losing Ourdano caused for this team in a negative way that probably go beyond just the production talking points.

[SdK]

I asked because I wanted to know the answer.

[Cartierfor3]

I agree it was a massive blow, but I don't think the team would be that much improved from where they are right now. That's my only point.

ok

[420seriouscat69]

I hate that I look like the bad guy when talking Yo. People have more of an emotional relationship with him because of his awesome bad ass personality. His potential was through the roof. I just think it's fair to say he was also very frustrating to follow at times.

[Cartierfor3]

I hate that I look like the bad guy when talking Yo. People have more of an emotional relationship with him because of his awesome bad ass personality. His potential was through the roof. I just think it's fair to say he was also very frustrating to follow at times.

Then try saying it like that rather than demeaning 2014 WS Game 6 because we lost Game 7, or saying the thing you remember most about him is being a hot head. No one argues he was Pedro Martinez out there. You just do this weird thing where you crap on other people's points without backing it up at all, and you do it all the time.

[Cartierfor3]

Like, before you post, think "Would Kevin Keitzman agree with this post?" If the answer is yes and its a post about Jarrod Dyson, Yordano, Ed Volquez, Marcus Peters, Frank Martin, or any player/coach with attitude, then don't post it. Because yes, its going to look like you hate said player/coach.