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Official 2008 Royals Thread

kcballboykcballboy Posts: 1,405 ✭✭✭
in Sports Talk
By popular demand (ok 1 person requested it) the official 2008 Royals thread.

They aren't going to win 80 games, but I don't think 74-77 wins is out of reach. I also think they will finish at least 4th, and may be able to get past both Chicago and Minnesota.

My predictions

76-86 4th place in the AL Central
Gordon and Butler both provide a solid .290, 25 hr, 90 RBI season each
Jose Guillen becomes overpaid
Justin Huber finally gets a shot to play regularly and hits .300+
Gil Meche gets more run support and wins 15 games
Brian Bannister puts together another solid year that will carry over into a big 2009
Dayton Moore makes at least one trade for a guy that will contribute to the long term success of the team
Mike Sweeney stays healthy and turns in a good season for the A's (It would fit with the KC tradition of cast-offs succeeding elsewhere, plus he's a good guy and deserves to do well)
Travis

Comments

  • DarinDarin Posts: 7,098 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Thanks Travis. image
    I'm not going to post much until avatar day when I can upload my new Billy Butler avatar. Manilow just don't cut it here. image
    I think Billy should hit at the very least .330 this year. Hope you're right about Huber, but I don't think they have a place for him.
    My one real prediction is that Trey Hillman will do well managing and work well with Dayton Moore, and KC fans will be very happy with the job he does.
  • MeteoriteGuyMeteoriteGuy Posts: 7,140 ✭✭
    Gordon hits over .300 with 30 hr and 100 RBI this year.

    Go Royals!
    Collecting PSA graded Steve Young, Marcus Allen, Bret Saberhagen and 1980s Topps Cards.
    Raw: Tony Gonzalez (low #'d cards, and especially 1/1's) and Steve Young.
  • mkg809mkg809 Posts: 1,320 ✭✭
    GO ROYALS!!
    SIGN BARRY!!
    image

    I think they can win 80 if the pitching holds up.
    Jimmy Gobble is the key. (hometown boy!)image
  • DarinDarin Posts: 7,098 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Here's a nice article about Mike Moustakas, sounds like a good kid.

    Text
  • DarinDarin Posts: 7,098 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Mark Teahan hit a long home run last night, hopefully a good sign he's over his nagging shoulder injury and has his power back this season.
    Can't wait for the regular season to start, next Monday at Detroit is the first game.
  • kcballboykcballboy Posts: 1,405 ✭✭✭
    Well I was all ready partially wrong about one of my predictions. Justin Huber has been traded to the Padres for a player to be named. It's unfortunate because of his potential, but it's a by-product of something the Royals haven't had in a long time; a glut of capable and promising 1st basemen and corner outfielders.

    And Huber was out of options so we had to get something for him.

    Stay classy, San Diego and give him a shot to play, because he's a damn good hitter. (Plus if he does well it means the Royals can ask for a better player to be named)
    Travis
  • MeteoriteGuyMeteoriteGuy Posts: 7,140 ✭✭
    What that? I smell packaged peanuts and overpriced beer, yep Royals open today. Guillen and Gordan are gonna' tame some Tigers.
    Collecting PSA graded Steve Young, Marcus Allen, Bret Saberhagen and 1980s Topps Cards.
    Raw: Tony Gonzalez (low #'d cards, and especially 1/1's) and Steve Young.
  • BobaFett72BobaFett72 Posts: 7,304
    does billy butler have a spot in the starting lineup?
  • kcballboykcballboy Posts: 1,405 ✭✭✭
    Looks like Gordon might be off to a better start than last year.
    Travis
  • kcballboykcballboy Posts: 1,405 ✭✭✭


    << <i>does billy butler have a spot in the starting lineup? >>



    Yeah. A 21 year old DH. He'll get time in the field at 1st but I think he's primarily slotted in at DH. I'm sure he'll see more time in the field as the season goes on and KC knows for sure they won't be in contention.
    Travis
  • kcballboykcballboy Posts: 1,405 ✭✭✭
    1-0, 1st in the division

    Everyone else might as well mail it in image
    Travis
  • GootGoot Posts: 3,496
    What do you think about getting rid of Justin Huber?
  • cwazzycwazzy Posts: 3,257 ✭
    I'd love to see the Royals have a decent year. I've lived in KC for the past couple of years and it's really hard to get excited about going to a game when they are as lousy as they have been recently. I actually have hope for them this year.

    Chris
    Chris
    My small collection
    Want List:
    '61 Topps Roy Campanella in PSA 5-7
    Cardinal T206 cards
    Adam Wainwright GU Jersey
  • DarinDarin Posts: 7,098 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>What do you think about getting rid of Justin Huber? >>



    They just didn't have a place for him. He can't play defense, just like Billy Butler. But Billy has a better stick so he's the DH.

    Good win today. Guillen has an arm! Nunez was great in relief. Some nice things happened out there.
  • DarinDarin Posts: 7,098 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Bannister with 7 scoreless innings against Detroit. Amazing!
    Hope Greinke is sharp tommorrow.
    Great to start off the season with two straight wins at Detroit.
  • kcballboykcballboy Posts: 1,405 ✭✭✭
    Didn't get to watch the game but 2 hits over 7 innings against that offense is pretty impressive.

    It's nice to have reason to hope for once. image
    Travis
  • BobaFett72BobaFett72 Posts: 7,304
    Thank you KC! keep beating those Tigers...

    warmest regards,

    Chief Wahoo
    image
  • stownstown Posts: 11,321 ✭✭✭
    +1 for small market teams.

    image
    So basically my kid won't be able to go to college, but at least I'll have a set where the three most expensive cards are of a player I despise ~ CDsNuts
  • MeteoriteGuyMeteoriteGuy Posts: 7,140 ✭✭
    image
    Collecting PSA graded Steve Young, Marcus Allen, Bret Saberhagen and 1980s Topps Cards.
    Raw: Tony Gonzalez (low #'d cards, and especially 1/1's) and Steve Young.
  • DarinDarin Posts: 7,098 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Didn't get to watch the game but 2 hits over 7 innings against that offense is pretty impressive.

    It's nice to have reason to hope for once. image >>



    Travis, it was a thing of beauty. Banny was working fast, throwing strikes, working the corners. He no-hit everyone except Renteria.
    I'll goof off again tomorrow and watch how Greinke does. image
  • 1neatstuff1neatstuff Posts: 1,156 ✭✭✭
    k.c you looked great this week...congrats
  • perkdogperkdog Posts: 30,659 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Nice work against the Tigers..
  • DarinDarin Posts: 7,098 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Greinke was almost as good as Bannister, only gave up a solo homer to Inge plus a few other scattered hits.
    Grudz is off to a great start hitting.
    Gordon was impressive today, Tigers had been hitting the outside corner of the plate on him, he had struck out looking several times the first two games, so today he drilled one of those outside corner pitches over left-center wall. And almost had another homer.
    Just three games, but great start. image
  • MeteoriteGuyMeteoriteGuy Posts: 7,140 ✭✭
    Nice Alex Gordon and Mark Teahen home runs. Starting off the season good.
    Collecting PSA graded Steve Young, Marcus Allen, Bret Saberhagen and 1980s Topps Cards.
    Raw: Tony Gonzalez (low #'d cards, and especially 1/1's) and Steve Young.
  • kcballboykcballboy Posts: 1,405 ✭✭✭
    Going to Detroit and Minnesota and walking away 4-2 is a good start any way you look at it. I'd like to go see the home opener on Tuesday but stupid work has me busy up until a 1/2 hour before the game (my bro-in-law even had an extra ticket). I'm just gonna have to settle for ditching early to go watch the game at a friend's house.

    I've heard from two people (Peter Gammons was one) this week that Billy Butler is by far the best young hitter in the game, and I don't doubt it.
    Buster Olney says Brian Bannister is the real deal.
    Joakim Soria is drawing comparisons to Mariano Rivera.

    It's finally promising to be a Royals fan. image
    Travis
  • kcballboykcballboy Posts: 1,405 ✭✭✭
    Took the first 2 from the Yankees after last night's shutout. Going for the sweep tonight. 6-2, first place in the division. image
    Travis
  • stevekstevek Posts: 29,035 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Congrats on the terrific start.
  • DarinDarin Posts: 7,098 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Took the first 2 from the Yankees after last night's shutout. Going for the sweep tonight. 6-2, first place in the division. image >>



    Even with Tony Pena Jr. doing nothing.
    Bring on Alberto Callaspo. That kid can hit.
  • MeteoriteGuyMeteoriteGuy Posts: 7,140 ✭✭
    A couple losses and we are 6-5 now, still a winning record.

    On the bright side, the Royals lead the AL in ERA (2.82) and the majors in fielding average at .995. Plus they've committed two errors in 11 games. I will ignore that the Royals have gone 26 innings without scoring.
    Collecting PSA graded Steve Young, Marcus Allen, Bret Saberhagen and 1980s Topps Cards.
    Raw: Tony Gonzalez (low #'d cards, and especially 1/1's) and Steve Young.
  • kcballboykcballboy Posts: 1,405 ✭✭✭
    It's starting to get ugly again. 15-1 to Cleveland, after getting handled by Oakland this weekend. Hopefully the bats will start to pick up (paging Mr. Guillen) and the pitching will find a happy medium between where they were the first week and where they are now.
    Travis
  • kcballboykcballboy Posts: 1,405 ✭✭✭
    Nothing to add, I just think there are way too many Phil vs. Mets threads in this forum right now and I wanted to bump something else.
    Travis
  • kcballboykcballboy Posts: 1,405 ✭✭✭
    Nice read on Trey Hillman

    Story
    Travis
  • mkg809mkg809 Posts: 1,320 ✭✭
    Only 2.5 games out and it's MAY!!!!!!!
  • mkg809mkg809 Posts: 1,320 ✭✭
    image
  • baseballfanbaseballfan Posts: 5,458 ✭✭✭
    gullien went off on the team last night, will it help????

    their still young
    Fred

    collecting RAW Topps baseball cards 1952 Highs to 1972. looking for collector grade (somewhere between psa 4-7 condition). let me know what you have, I'll take it, I want to finish sets, I must have something you can use for trade.

    looking for Topps 71-72 hi's-62-53-54-55-59, I have these sets started

  • MeteoriteGuyMeteoriteGuy Posts: 7,140 ✭✭
    We have been coming up with new ways to loss lately. Still looking at 80-85 wins (?) which will not be bad all things considered.

    I just wish they would throw Gullien out of there and put Frank White in.
    Collecting PSA graded Steve Young, Marcus Allen, Bret Saberhagen and 1980s Topps Cards.
    Raw: Tony Gonzalez (low #'d cards, and especially 1/1's) and Steve Young.
  • MeteoriteGuyMeteoriteGuy Posts: 7,140 ✭✭
    Not bad last few games.

    Where are you Travis, the boys in blue seem to do better when you post....and yes, I am convinced the two are directly related.
    Collecting PSA graded Steve Young, Marcus Allen, Bret Saberhagen and 1980s Topps Cards.
    Raw: Tony Gonzalez (low #'d cards, and especially 1/1's) and Steve Young.
  • kcballboykcballboy Posts: 1,405 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Not bad last few games.

    Where are you Travis, the boys in blue seem to do better when you post....and yes, I am convinced the two are directly related. >>



    Been busy. I check in every once in a while.

    Butler's back in the minors, probably a good thing for now. Guillen is definitely earning his money. Pena is the next Ted Williams. The pitching is wavering a bit but is still good enough to win as long as the offense shows up. This team is packed full of #2 hitters.

    That losing streak was tough, especially after lighting up the Marlins, it looked like the offense was starting to get hot. Jon Lester put a stop to that real quick.

    I heard a nice little fact, in the last 4 years there have been 7 losing streaks of 11 games or longer in the MLB. The Royals have endured 4 of them. image
    Travis
  • kcballboykcballboy Posts: 1,405 ✭✭✭
    Wow, maybe I am good luck. We've won 4 in a row, 5 of 6, and are going for the I-70 sweep job tonight. No matter how the season winds up, it always feels good to beat the Cards in the Lou.

    Mike Aviles has looked good so far. Definitely a HUGE improvement over Tony Pena and his .365 OPS. The Royals would have been better off this year letting their pitchers hit for Pena. The bats are starting to come to life. After hitting 27 homers in the first 52 games, they have now hit 23 in the last 17.

    The best thing is that this division has enough parity for even the Royals to still be able to make things interesting.
    Travis
  • kcballboykcballboy Posts: 1,405 ✭✭✭
    Things are really looking good. We've won 9 of 10 and 4 straight series'. Granted we've been playing the Giants, Rockies and a Pujols-less Cardinals team, but you've got to win the games you're supposed to.

    Quote of the day.

    After former Rockie Ramon Ramirez threw two pitches behind former teammate, catcher Yorbit Torrealba, Torrealba was asked to comment.

    "I don't speak English right now."

    Classic.

    Going for the sweep tonight. GO ROYALS!!!
    Travis
  • MeteoriteGuyMeteoriteGuy Posts: 7,140 ✭✭
    Not a bad month and no longer at the bottom. A .500 season is not out of the question.
    Collecting PSA graded Steve Young, Marcus Allen, Bret Saberhagen and 1980s Topps Cards.
    Raw: Tony Gonzalez (low #'d cards, and especially 1/1's) and Steve Young.
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