The weather forecast for Thursday was not good, but the KC Royals and TB Rays got underway at Kauffman Stadium. The game got into the fourth inning before the rain came. Then the sleet and snow, forcing a postponement after about two hours of waiting.

No makeup date has been announced yet.

Can the Royals catch a break?

They have already had games postponed in both Detroit and at home last week against Cleveland. The manhunt in Boston also postponed a game. Hopefully, the Royals do not lose every off day later in the season.

The Royals now welcome American League Central foe Chicago into town for a weekend series.

Down 6-2 heading into the fifth, the KC Royals stormed back to beat the visiting TB Rays, 9-8.

Matt Joyce and Ben Zobrist hit back-to-back homeruns off Luis Mendoza in the first inning. The Rays scored two more runs in the second to take a 4-0 lead. They then scored a single run in the third and another in the 4th inning on Luke Scott‘s first homerun of the season.

Elliot Johnson hit his first homerun of the season in the 3rd inning off his former team to get the Royals on the scoreboard. In the fourth, Alex Gordon drove in a run on a single.

The Royals had tons of base runners early in the game, but only scored those two runs. They had the bases loaded in the 3rd inning, but Lorenzo Cain grounded into an inning ending double play and they left runner a on third in the 4th inning (and also left one base runner each in the first two innings).

Then the offense came alive against Jeremy Hellickson. Billy Butler led off the 5th inning with a double and scored on Cain‘s triple. A Mike Moustakas sac fly cut the Rays lead to 6-4.

The Rays went to lefty Jake McGee in the sixth and the Royals hitters seemed thrilled. Salvador Perez singled to lead off the inning. Gordon and Alcides Escobar both singled with one out to load the bases for Butler. I didn’t watch the game, but somehow, Butler lined out to the pitcher and first baseman. But it also scored a run? I’m not going to argue because a run is a run.

Eric Hosmer reached on an error that scored a run before Cain singled in another. After Moose walked to load the bases, Kyle Farnsworth relieved McGee and allowed an RBI single to Jeff Francoeur before striking out Perez to finally end the inning.

The Rays came right back with two runs in the top of the 7th inning off lefty Tim Collins. He allowed three straight one out hits, with James Loney‘s driving in a run. With two outs, Scott singled to drive in a run. However, Aaron Crow entered and got the final out and then retired the side in order in the eighth.

Mendoza lasted four innings in just his third start of the season. He allowed six runs on seven hits and one walk. Bruce Chen earned the victory with two scoreless innings of relief. He allowed two hits and one walk while striking out three. Greg Holland picked up the save with a perfect ninth.

So the offense pounded out 14 hits and went 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position. Hosmer was the only batter to not pick up a hit. The top three hitters (Gordon, Escobar, and Butler) went a combined 7-for-15 with three runs scored and two RBIs.

The two teams complete the series on Thursday afternoon (though I hope the snow stays away) with Roberto Hernandez (formerly Fausto Carmona) getting the start for the Rays against Ervin Santana.

The KC Royals began their series with the visiting TB Rays with an 8-2 win.

James Shields got the best of his former teammates. He made one mistake on Tuesday night when he allowed a two-run homerun to Matt Joyce in the top of the first inning. Three of the Rays hits came in that opening inning. Shields only allowed five hits over seven innings (and did not allow a base runner after the 4th inning). He retired the final 13 Rays batters he faced.

Meanwhile, the Royals offense finally bust out, though it took five innings to get warmed up.

Finally, in the sixth, the offense went to work on Rays starter Alex Cobb with two outs and no one on base. Eric Hosmer hit his fourth double of the season to get the rally started. Lorenzo Cain followed with an RBI single before Mike Moustakas hit his first homerun of the season to give the Royals the lead. After Jeff Francoeur doubled, the Rays made a coaching visit. That did not help, as Salvador Perez singled Frenchy home. Elliot Johnson singled to chase Cobb from the game.

The Royals were not done, as they ripped Rays reliever Brandon Gomes in the seventh. Moose drove in another run with a sac fly with the bases loaded. On Cain‘s stolen base, Rays catcher Jose Molina made a bad throw, allowing Hosmer to score (it was the Royals second stolen base of the inning). Frenchy then tripled Cain in to finish that inning’s scoring.

Five of their seven RBIs came with two outs.

Hopefully, they didn’t score all their runs for the entire series. Luis Mendoza is scheduled to start on Wednesday (just his third of the season). The weather forecast is not real good over the next two days in Kansas City.

The KC Royals and TB Rays finally completed their December 9th deal on Tuesday, at the start of spring training.

After receiving starting pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis back in December, the Royals received infielder Elliot Johnson. Johnson is the “player to be named later”. He is expected to arrive in Surprise on Thursday.

Here are some stats on Johnson via the Royals press release:

 The switch-hitter played in 123 games for the Rays in 2012, batting .242 with 10 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 33 RBI and 32 runs scored.  The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder also stole 18 bases in 24 attempts playing mostly at shortstop (68 starts), but also making starts at second base and third base and appearing in the outfield.  Johnson is a career .223 hitter in 200 Major League games, all for Tampa Bay.

To make room for the utility infielder, the Royals placed Felipe Paulino on the 60-day DL. Paulino is recovering from Tommy John surgery and is eligible to return on June 1st.

To many, right-hander Wade Davis was the throw-in in the James Shields deal. However, according to Shields himself, fans (and the other MLB teams) need to watch out for the “Silent Assasin”.

Wade Davis via Keith Allison/Flickr

Though many teams see Davis as a reliever, especially after his success in the bullpen with Tampa Bay in 2012, the KC Royals will give him every opportunity to earn a spot in their 2013 rotation. That is something the fierce competitor is most looking forward to. That and a loyal fan base that should fill Kauffman Stadium if the team wins.

In 54 relief appearances in 2012 (70.1 innings), he allowed 48 hits and walked 29, compared to 87 strikeouts. Opponents hit a measly .189 against him. However, the Royals already have a few strong right-handed relievers. So they want him to channel last year’s aggressiveness over each start in the future.

In both 2010 and 2011, Davis made 29 big league starts. As a starter, he gave up around 23 homeruns a season and walks around 62 a season. As a starter, he hasn’t been a big strikeout guy: 218 over 352 innings.

In 2011, he pitched at Minnesota twice (two fairly solid starts) and at Chicago in his second start of the season (6IP, 5H, 2R, 3BB, 4K). He was lit up a bit in Detroit (6IP, 8H, 5R, 4ER, 2BB, 4K).

In 2011, Davis threw 184 innings, which was a career-high, but he only threw 70.1 innings in 2012. If he is used as a starter, it will be interesting how the Royals stretch him out. Will there be any innings limits?

James Shields via Keith Allison/Flickr

It’s a little more than 12 hours after the blockbuster deal went down between the KC Royals and the Tampa Bay Rays, with the Royals giving up some big name prospects and receiving James Shields, Wade Davis, and a player to be named later or cash.

The reaction on Twitter has been mostly negative, even at first by Shields’ teammates (ie David Price). Some believe the deal is good for both sides.

Apparently, Jeremy Guthrie and ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale were discussing the Royals getting Shields last night and then they woke up with it really happening.

Shields talked about his time with the Rays and looked back at his favorite times:

“I think I felt like something was going to happen this offseason,” Shields said. “I was kind of hoping it wouldn’t. I really like the organization and the Tampa Bay area. But Andrew felt like it was my time to go, and here I am. I’m going to start a new chapter in my life and move on and try to help the Kansas City Royals.”

“For me, going to the playoffs the last five years, going to the World Series and, for me, this last year also was special,” Shields said. “I felt like I was a part of the best pitching staff in baseball. If not for a long time. You can probably put our pitching staff up there with the best of them in Major League history. I’m very proud of that, to have played with those guys and to have been a part of that situation.

“I’m going to miss everybody. I’m going to miss the organization. Miss the city. I’m going to miss the fans as well. It’s a sad day. Definitely a sad day, but then again I’m moving on and I’m looking to go to new places.”

I’m looking forward to see what Shields can do wearing a Royals uniform. But for this deal to be a success, his 24 teammates will need to step up their game. I cannot remember where I saw it, but someone said that Shields could be great and the Royals could still stink, just like in 2009 when former ace Zack Greinke won the American League CY Young.

Let’s hope that isn’t the reality for 2013.

Why must the KC Royals make big moves later at night and not during the winter meetings?

According to the bottom line on MLB Network, Royals have traded top prospect Wil Myers (and others) to the TB Rays for James Shields and Wade Davis (and a player to be named later). Oh but Myers isn’t the only big name heading to Tampa.

The Royals also traded top pitching prospect Jake Odorizzi. Yup. Let that sink in.

And then former top pitching prospect Mike Montgomery. And third baseman Patrick Leonard, who had a great season in rookie ball.

Why didn’t the Royals make this move while they were in Nashville when it was really getting heat so the media could really get involved? Instead, they do it when many on the East Coast are sleeping.

I get that the Royals desperately needed an ace and Big Game James is certainly an ace. I’m a big fan of his, but will the Royals actually contend over the next two seasons? Sure, Shields has been in a rebuilding situation before and helped carry the team to success, but are the Royals there yet?

Davis is sort of an in-betweener. He can start and relieve, but he was better out of the bullpen in 2012 for the Rays than he had been as a starter. But do the Royals need another reliever?

Is two years of Shields worth giving up six years of what Myers is projecting to be?

Let me know what you think.

It could be the worst deal ever, especially if Myers and Odorizzi do what many Royals fans were hoping for and if Montgomery turns into the pitcher many thought he would be two years ago.

It was yet another year that rookies made an impact across Major League Baseball and three Rookie of the Year contenders in the National League (Freddie Freeman, Craig Kimbrel, and Vance Worley) were huge parts of playoff contenders (Atlanta and Philadelphia).

The American League had ROY contenders picked out in the preseason, but most had their ups-and-downs. Michael Pineda (Seattle Mariners) started out fast and made the All-Star team, but struggled during the summer months in a weak division. Zach Britton (Baltimore Orioles) became a bit of a bust and was sent to the minors to figure it out. Desmond Jennings (TB Rays) didn’t arrive in the big leagues until late in the season.

The one preseason pick that remains a post-season pick for AL ROY is the Rays right-handed starter, Jeremy Hellickson. With the trade of Matt Garza, Hellickson slid in perfectly to the Rays rotation. He led all rookies in innings pitched (189) and ERA (2.95) and was second in the AL in opponent batting average (.210). Hellickson made ten of his 29 starts against the AL East (which is considered the toughest division in baseball) and also started against the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers during Interleague play. It also helps that he was a huge part of the Rays surprise run to the post-season.

Then there were the AL rookie surprises. First baseman Mark Trumbo of the LA Angels filled in perfectly for the still injured Kendry Morales. Early in the season, he always seemed to be hitting big homeruns for the Angels (he also hit some of the longest homeruns of the season). Trumbo cooled off as pitchers adjusted, but he still hit a respectable .254 in 149 games (539 at-bats). He added 29 homeruns and 87 RBIs, while scoring 65 runs. It doesn’t hurt Trumbo that the Angels were in playoff contention for most of the season. He was honored with the Players’ Choice Award for Top AL Rookie.

Ivan Nova was seen as just rotation insurance for the NY Yankees and was even sent to Triple-A in July (just because he still had options). When he returned, he seemed to have taken the demotion personally. He went 12-0 with a 3.25 ERA over his final 16 starts and slid into the Yankees rotation right behind ace CC Sabathia (though he was their best pitcher down the stretch and in the post-season). Nova led all rookies with 16 wins, though he received 6.7 runs of support from the Yankees potent offense. What helps is that he pitched in the AL East and reached the post-season. He was also strong down the stretch when some struggle.

The other surprise was the KC Royals Eric Hosmer. As spring training came to and end, all anybody talked about was when highly-touted prospect Mike Moustakas would debut. Hosmer was a bit under the radar when he went to Triple-A, but he hit over .400 and just 26 games into his first Triple-A experience, he was promoted to the big leagues.

Hosmer is no longer flying under the radar. He was hot when he first arrived, but when Hosmer struggled, so did the Royals, as they drifted further and further away from first place.

Hosmer adjusted and took off in the second half, helping the Royals climb out of the AL Central basement. Overall, he hit .293 with 19 homeruns and 78 RBIs. He also scored 66 runs and hit 27 doubles. He even had a .334 on-base percentage.

Among AL rookies with 100 games played, Hosmer was first in average, runs scored, and OBP. He was second in doubles, walks, at-bats, and RBIs. He was third in homeruns.

» Continue reading “Can Hosmer Win AL ROY?”

That’s a headline KC Royals fans hope to enjoy as soon as next season. With the way the team played over stretches this season, it’s not hard to picture that scenario.

However this year, we are left to root for another team.

Being a baseball junkie, the playoffs are one of my favorite times of the year (outside watching guys make their debuts and the start of the season). It’s when nobody’s become somebody’s and sometimes superstars become choke artists.

While the Royals are beginning the offseason, some of their former players have the luxury of participating in the postseason. Actually, the only team without a former Royal on its roster is the NY Yankees.

Let’s start with former ace Zack Greinke. The whole reason he wanted out of KC was because he was tired of losing. Well, in his first year in Milwaukee, the Brewers won the National League Central and he is undefeated at home (Miller Park). Despite pitching the team’s finale at home on Wednesday as the Brewers secured home-field advantage against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS, Greinke is expected to start Game 2 at Miller Park on Sunday (on short rest).

Greinke isn’t the only former Royal on the Brewers. Shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt was also included in the deal that sent Greinke to Milwaukee. Betancourt has had a solid season (.252) in teaming with Rickie Weeks (and others when Weeks was on the DL) to form the Brewers double-play combination.

The Brewers counterpart, the Diamondbacks, have Willie Bloomquist on their roster. The Dbacks have yet to finalize their NLDS roster, so I am not 100% sure he made the cut. He had solid seasons in 2009 and part of 2010 with the Royals. He also had another solid season in Arizona this year (.266).

Utility man Wilson Betemit was traded to the Detroit Tigers during this summer to bolster their offense at third base. Despite dealing with a knee injury late in the season, Betemit started the Tigers final two games of the season. Betemit and the Tigers won the American League Central and begin their playoff push tonight against the NY Yankees in New York.

Catcher Matt Treanor was traded at the end of August while he was finishing up his rehab assignment (a concussion put him on the DL). Who was he traded to? The same team that dealt him to the Royals during spring training, the Texas Rangers. The Rangers won the AL West and secured home-field advantage in the ALDS. Surprisingly, Treanor made the Rangers ALDS roster, as they chose to carry three catchers. The Rangers begin their quest for a second consecutive AL title at 5pm ET today against the visiting TB Rays.

Treanor isn’t the only former Royal on the Rangers. Middle infielder Andres Blanco, who can be seen as more of a cheerleader than an actual player for the Rangers (he got into just 36 games this season), spent the beginning of his career with the Royals (I remember him as a youngster in Wilmington). He actually isn’t on the ALDS roster as he is dealing with a stress fracture in his lower back (though I’m sure you’ll still see him cheering). His replacement on the roster? You guessed it, a former Royal. That would be Esteban German (2006-2008), who can give them some speed and flexibility, but most likely won’t play (like last year). Another speed guy off the bench for the Rangers is Endy Chavez, who spent his first year in the big leagues (2001) with the Royals.

Speaking of the Rays, they have a host of former Royals on their roster, most notably in their revamped bullpen. Closer Kyle Farnsworth, who looks to be healthy, spent half of 2010 in KC before being traded to Atlanta. Farnsworth signed with the Rays this past offseason and helped solidify a brand new bullpen. His setup man, Joel Peralta (who can also close if Farnsworth is unavailable), spent 2006-2008 with the Royals. The past two seasons (in Washington and TB) may have been his best seasons yet. Juan Cruz, the guy who runs like a greyhound, spent the last two seasons with the Royals before signing with the Rays this year. Cruz has become the 7th inning guy or the reliever who comes in to get out of the mess. Lefty JP Howell is, thankfully, finally healthy. Howell was a 2004 draft pick of the Royals and started for them back in 2005. It has been a tough season on the quirky left-hander, but if he can figure it out, he will be tough.

The big name on the Rays that came from KC is Johnny Damon. Who can forget the guy who never wanted to leave, but has won how many World Series titles since? Damon will be batting 5th tonight for the Rays against the Rangers and lefty CJ Wilson. Despite his age, Damon has proven that he can still play the game and play it well.  I heard a rumor about a month ago that Damon wants to retire as a Royal.

The Philadelphia Phillies are the favorite yet again to win the NL title and Raul Ibanez is a big reason why. Though he struggled mightily against lefties this year and for most of the first half, he really came on strong down the stretch (he has seven RBIs over his last ten games). Ibanez spent 2001-2003 with the Royals.

The Phillies will face the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS beginning on Saturday afternoon. The Cardinals can bring reliever Octavio Dotel in early or late, and he doesn’t seem to care. Since being acquired at the trading deadline from the Toronto Blue Jays, Dotel is 3-3 with a 3.28 ERA in 29 games. He has struck out 32 over 24.2 innings. Dotel pitched in 24 games for the Royals in 2007.

So, who will you be rooting for Royals fans?

Let me know in either the comments section or on my Facebook page.

(Check out my Tigers-Yankees Preview on Around the Horn, which should be up shortly.)

The KC Royals’ series at Tropicana Field did not turn out the way the team had hoped. The TB Rays swept the Royals, culminated by the 4-1 loss on Thursday afternoon.

The Royals got on the board quickly against Rays starter Jeff Niemann. Alex Gordon singled to lead off the game. Melky Cabrera followed with a bunt single and both moved up a base by stealing a bag. With one out, Eric Hosmer grounded out to drive in Gordon. They had a chance to score more after Jeff Francoeur walked with two outs, but Johnny Giavotella grounded out to end the inning.

That was the only run the Royals would score, though they had PLENTY of chances. They collected 11 hits and two walks, but were just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. This team is NEVER going to contend if they don’t get better in clutch situations.

The bottom of the Royals order collected most of the hits. Salvador Perez, Mike Moustakas, and Alcides Escobar combined to go 6-for-12, but none of them scored a run or drove in a run. They out-hit the Rays 11-7, but did not collect an extra base hit. The Rays had four extra base hits (two doubles and two triples).

However once Niemann left the game, the Royals didn’t have many chances. The Rays bullpen allowed just two hits over the final 2.2 innings. The one shot the Royals had against the Rays bullpen came in the top of the 7^th inning. Niemann left the game after allowing a hit (and getting an out) and was relieved by lefty JP Howell, who allowed a single to Hosmer. In came Joel Peralta, who struck out Francoeur and Rays catcher Kelly Shoppach threw Hosmer out at second base trying to steal to end the inning.

The hard luck loser was rookie Danny Duffy. He allowed three runs on five hits over seven innings. Duffy walked three while striking out two. Duffy also picked Sean Rodriguez off first base, his sixth pickoff of the season (which is tied for second in the Majors).

The big blow against Duffy came in the bottom of the 3^rd inning. Ben Zobrist tripled in two runs with two outs to give the Rays a 2-1 lead (and they never looked back).