SBNation.com User Blog: cmkeller

How many Royals can you name in an hour?

cmkeller — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 21:20:10 -0000

How many Royals can you name in an hour?

If you have infinite time to waste, try this Sporcle quiz, to name all major league baseball players in the history of the existing 30 franchises. It starts out giving you an hour, but you can get time bonuses for reaching certain benchmarks (e.g., naming all 500 HR hitters, naming 10,000 players). Personally, I concentrated on naming all Royals, and after several tries I managed to get them all.

(Please don't hate me for killing all your free time.)

Friday OT Thread

cmkeller — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 22:29:39 -0000

Wow, it's 6:30 PM (Eastern, 5:30 for the majority of this board's membership, I'd suspect), and no one has posted a Friday OT thread? I guess I'll step up to the plate.

1) If you could erase one player Royals history, who would it be?

2) What brands of consumer products are you intensely loyal to?

3) Who is the funniest non-animated sitcom character on TV, past or present?

4) I would do anything for love, but I won't do that. What is "that"?

Wow, it's 6:30 PM (Eastern, 5:30 for the majority of this board's membership, I'd suspect), and no one has posted a Friday OT thread? I guess I'll step up to the plate.

1) If you could erase one player Royals history, who would it be?

2) What brands of consumer products are you intensely loyal to?

3) Who is the funniest non-animated sitcom character on TV, past or present?

4) I would do anything for love, but I won't do that. What is "that"?

Is the xkcd cartoonist a Royals fan?

cmkeller — Wed, 23 May 2012 04:32:42 -0000

Is the xkcd cartoonist a Royals fan?

Interesting coincidence for Randall Munroe's web comic to be making a "Fresh Prince" joke on the same day that Will Smith is scheduled to make his debut.

Royals in Cooperstown

cmkeller — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:25:11 -0000

Yesterday, I took my 13-year old son to Cooperstown for a long-promised treat. I haven't been to the town since 1999 for George Brett's induction ceremony, and not in the museum itself since...I don't know when.

One of the exhibits in the Hall is called "Baseball Today" and it has a "locker" containing a current uniform and various recent memorabilia for every current major league team. Obviously, I spent a lot of time drinking in the Royals' locker (especially as it was one of the very few Royals-related displays in the entire museum), and I'd love to see what the faithful fans at RR think is the answer to this question (I'll reveal the answer after tonight's Royals-Yankees game, or after the Sonic Slam inning, if there's a winner):

Poll

Which recent Royal does NOT have an image or artifact displayed in the Royals "locker" in the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Justin Huber

21 votes

Mike Sweeney

36 votes

Wilson Betemit

28 votes

Reggie Sanders

8 votes

93 votes | Poll has closed

Most common last names in Royals History

cmkeller — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:26:16 -0000

Most common last names in Royals History

Jackson (5): Bo, Damian, Danny,Grant, Mike
Johnson (5): Bob, Brian, Ron, Rondin, Rontrez
Jones (5): Lynn, Mike, Ross, Ruppert, Steve
Perez (5): Melido, Mike, Neifi, Odalis, Salvador
Sanchez (4): Angel, Israel, Orlando, Rey

Encouraging signs from Moose?

cmkeller — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 04:35:59 -0000

What I'd like to know from any of you who have more hands-on knowledge of our prospects' development than I do: when he's been in the adjustment phase in previous years, is there anything particular that he does that indicates that he's learning? Any adjustments of his stance, or a change in GB/FB ratio, or something like that? Or maybe once he's been around the league and sees pitchers a second time, he's figured out how to read them properly? Basically, beyond simply getting off to a bad start, does his time in the majors show any similarities to his minor league "adjustment periods" that should give us the hope that a "figuring it out" will eventually follow?

As Mike Moustakas's batting average approaches the Mendoza line, I am not panicking. I am well familiar with his history of needing time to adjust to each new level as he's promoted, but then, after a certain period, he figures it out and works great on his new level. What I'd like to know from any of you who have more hands-on knowledge of our prospects' development than I do: when he's been in the adjustment phase in previous years, is there anything particular that he does that indicates that he's learning? Any adjustments of his stance, or a change in GB/FB ratio, or something like that? Or maybe once he's been around the league and sees pitchers a second time, he's figured out how to read them properly? Basically, beyond simply getting off to a bad start, does his time in the majors show any similarities to his minor league "adjustment periods" that should give us the hope that a "figuring it out" will eventually follow?

OT: Minor League hockey for KC?

cmkeller — Tue, 31 May 2011 19:24:04 -0000

With the Atlanta Thrashers moving to Winnipeg, the AHL's Manitoba Moose will be looking for a new home. Would KC support an AHL team in the Sprint Center? (Perhaps they'd change the name to Missouri Moose, to keep the alliteration?) Or would Kansas Citians support only the NHL (to whatever degree they'll support hockey at all), watching Nassau County drag its feet on a new Islanders arena, and counting the days until their lease runs out in 2015?

Jose Bautista - he could have been ours

cmkeller — Mon, 16 May 2011 21:21:52 -0000

So, it's taken me a while to realize that the guy in Toronto who's been tearing the cover off the ball for the last two seasons is the same Jose Bautista to whom the Royals gave a cup of coffee seven years ago.

Of course, the Royals were hardly alone in not knowing what a gem they had. He also passed through the hands of the Orioled and (Devil) Rays and spent a few years with the Pirates before breaking out in the Land of Maple Leaf.

So...assuming that he's not taking some new, undetectable form of PEDs, what has happened to the guy? How does a man add 250 points to his OPS after six years of MLB play? Do the Blue Jays have a miraculous hitting coach? How did we - and the other teams - fail to discover and tap into this wellspring of talent that could have made Emil Brown and Reggie Sanders and Jose Guillen never wear Royals blue?

Royals 1st Round Draft picks on current roster

cmkeller — Fri, 06 May 2011 14:12:12 -0000

Royals 1st Round Draft picks on current roster

Billy Butler, 2004
Alex Gordon, 2005
Luke Hochevar, 2006
Eric Hosmer, 2008
Aaron Crow, 2009

The Cell or the Jake?

cmkeller — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:47:24 -0000

Due to automotive issues, a trip my family had planned for this weekend must be postponed. We were going to visit relatives in South Bend, Indiana. Since we are postponing it, I am considering trying to time the re-schedule to take in a game in which the Royals are visiting either the White Sox (2 hours drive from South Bend) or Indians (further from South Bend, but en route home to New York).

So....does anyone have any advice as to which I should choose? I'd like to hear comparative stadium experiences between U.S. Cellular Field and Progressive (formerly Jacobs) Field. Any factors I should consider - parking availability, parking costs, ticket prices, friendliness of opposing fans, accessibility of first base coaches for pummelling - would be appreciated. Just don't bother regarding the concessions; as Kosher-observant Jews, we would not be able to eat stadium food anywhere (except for New York and Baltimore - at least as far as I know).

Thanks to all!

And Kendall came over to Kansas City from this place (the Brewers) and he was great for our team....

cmkeller — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 11:41:17 -0000

And Kendall came over to Kansas City from this place (the Brewers) and he was great for our team. I’m assuming that he got some of his attitude from being in this organization.

From Zack, telling the Milwaukee press why he wanted to be a Brewer. I guess Kendall must have been good for something after all.

Does Ned know these guys well?

cmkeller — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 04:05:21 -0000

A thought on the Grienke trade which I have not seen amongst the thousands of comments on here already: is it likely that we chose these Milwaukee players on the basis of recommendation from Ned Yost? Would he have been reasonably familiar with them during his days in Milwaukee? Or were they too far from his notice at the time?

Another question I want to explore, who in this trade would you say came over for the value of Yuni? I'm curious because when evaluating GMDM's trading ability we tend to examine an entire chain of trades if one player was flipped for another. So until last week, the return for Mike Macdougal was just Yuni. Now we packaged Yuni with Grienke and got these four guys in return, so what would we say we now have to show for Mac the Ninth?

There are two ex-Royals on the upcoming year's BBWAA ballot. For those who have not yet looked: can...

cmkeller — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:31:32 -0000

There are two ex-Royals on the upcoming year's BBWAA ballot. For those who have not yet looked: can you guess who they are?

Hint: they played for the Royals in the same year.

Your 2010 Texas League Champions

cmkeller — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 03:59:49 -0000

Your 2010 Texas League Champions

Great post-season performances by Goivatella, Hosmer, Lamb and some others. Dare we have hope for the future?

David DeJesus's injury

cmkeller — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:25:18 -0000

Is there any manner in baseball of stopping play when it's clear that a player has gotten injured? Im thinking of Friday night when Jeter hit the ball that DDJ hurt himself jumping up to field it. So, the player closest to the ball clearly goes down hurt and Jeter just happily rounds the bases, and the umpires are powerless to say "ball is dead" or some such?

That "inside-the-park home run" felt way cheap to me (and it's not like the Yankees have so little talent they need to use cheap shots to win). On the other hand, if the ball is still in play, Jeter has an obligation to hustle himself as far around the bases as he can. But could/should the umps have stopped play due to injury?

Royals no longer Onion's only punching bag

cmkeller — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:30:39 -0000

Royals no longer Onion's only punching bag

The Onion is picking on other teams' suckiness now. The process is working! Viva Dayton!

R.I.P. Chris Haney

cmkeller — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 17:19:47 -0000

R.I.P. Chris Haney

For the orange wedge: what game designer confusingly shares a name with the 87th greatest Royal of all time?

A less cynical view of Kendall

cmkeller — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 14:46:23 -0000

I'd like to start the new year on a positive-thinking note.

Many here have ridiculed the idea of Jason Kendall serving as a mentor for young catchers in the system, speaking of his "magical teleportation abilities" and the like. Cute enough - obviously, he can't mentor minor leaguers if he's catching in Kansas City. But what if we carry three catchers on the roster like we did all of last year? Surely Brayan Pena can use some veteran guidance, and Manny Pina (our pseudo-Pena) might benefit more from spending time with Kendall than with spending the year in Omaha.

If Wil Myers does well enough this season to end up in Northwest Arkansas by August, then the second year of Kendall's contract may see our best catching prospect in years benefiting from his presence.

So maybe the mentoring idea isn't so off the wall. Sure, he has no power (perhaps a strange segue for a team whose leaders in home runs for two of the last three years played behind the plate) but the Royals, even in the best of years, have never been a power team. Let's say that Dayton Moore learned his lesson from the Guillen, Olivo and Jacobs acquisitions, and won't overrate the importance of raw power anymore.

I'd like to start the new year on a positive-thinking note.

Our Girl Jenn

cmkeller — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:10:19 -0000

Our Girl Jenn

is one of the top Sports Pop Culture moments of the decade, according to Sports Illustrated.

Royals are an Onion joke again

cmkeller — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:20:10 -0000

Royals are an Onion joke again

I really wish they'd start picking on the Pirates for a change. Heck, at least we tied for last rather than taking the cellar outright this year.

10 Greatest moments in recent Royals history?

cmkeller — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:49:46 -0000

I saw a link to this article in Sports Illustrated, and I was wondering if we could come up with a decent "10 Greatest Moments in Recent Royals History".

Some possibilities:

Win # 82 in 2003
Opening Day come-from-behind victory in 2004
Opening Day come-from-behind victory in 2008
Series of walk-off victories in April 2000 (see here)
Zack's 1-hitter
Zack's 15-strikeout game
Pair of 17-run games in June 2007
26-run victory over Tigers in September of 2004

That's just off the top of my head, though I'm sure you guys can come up with a bunch of others. No sarcasm, no off-field moments, no full seasons. Only single game or sets of games close together are to be considered "moments."

I saw a link to this article in Sports Illustrated, and I was wondering if we could come up with a decent "10 Greatest Moments in Recent Royals History".

Some possibilities:

Win # 82 in 2003
Opening Day come-from-behind victory in 2004
Opening Day come-from-behind victory in 2008
Series of walk-off victories in April 2000 (see here)
Zack's 1-hitter
Zack's 15-strikeout game
Pair of 17-run games in June 2007
26-run victory over Tigers in September of 2004

Apparently the Royals still hope to make the playoffs

cmkeller — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:31:07 -0000

I imagine I'm not the only one on this message board who's on the Royals' mailing list. Well, I found the opening line of the latest e-mail, which I received yesterday, interesting:

There is something for everyone at The K during the last homestand of the 2009 regular season!

I'm so glad they specified that this is the last "regular season" homestand of 2009. I eagerly await the post-season homestands of 2009 that will no doubt follow. Meet me at the Plaza, anyone?

I imagine I'm not the only one on this message board who's on the Royals' mailing list. Well, I found the opening line of the latest e-mail, which I received yesterday, interesting:

There is something for everyone at The K during the last homestand of the 2009 regular season!

I'm so glad they specified that this is the last "regular season" homestand of 2009. I eagerly await the post-season homestands of 2009 that will no doubt follow. Meet me at the Plaza, anyone?

Bo Jackson makes SI's list of 10 most thrilling baseball players to watch

cmkeller — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:26:58 -0000

Bo Jackson makes SI's list of 10 most thrilling baseball players to watch

Bo makes the football top 10 list as well.

Radical idea to help Royals

cmkeller — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 18:53:40 -0000

I haven't seen this idea floated yet, but I think it would have some merit:

Can we get Mark Grudzielanek back? It was a nice idea of Dayton Moore's to not re-sign him in order to try and snag an extra draft pick (and make up for the one we lost signing Juan Cruz), but clearly no one else seems to want to sign him and give us the pick, so...let's take him back. Unless it can be proven that his skills have declined, he's definitely both better on both defense and on offense than any middle infielder currently on our roster.

What do the rest of you think?

I haven't seen this idea floated yet, but I think it would have some merit:

What do the rest of you think?

Another former Royal gets a managerial job

cmkeller — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:04:34 -0000

Another former Royal gets a managerial job

A. J. Hinch has replaced Doug Melvin as manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

He was playing for us as a rookie in what, 2001? Now he's managing? I feel old.

Can we Boycott Farnsworth?

cmkeller — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 02:13:38 -0000

Is there any way, by internet and word-of-mouth, to get noticeable masses of Royals fans to exit the K whenever Kyle Farnsworth enters a game? Trey and Dayton can't possibly be stubborn enough to keep pitching the guy in the face of a full fan revolt, can they?

It's a shame that Dayton has committed 9 million dollars to this man, but enough's enough. He needs to be forced to admit he made a mistake and not make the fan base suffer for it any further.

An optimist's perspective on yesterday's game

cmkeller — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:06:22 -0000

OK, I'm no happier with yesterday's blown game, with Hillman, with Farnsworth, maybe with Moore (remember, he's also responsible for Meche, so he might deserve more credit for yesterday's game than blame). But here's a way to look at things to cheer us up:

After yesterday, the Royals have the same record as the Yankees, and the White Sox have the same record as the Orioles.

If we can say that again at the end of the season, I think we'll all be a bunch of happy campers.

After yesterday, the Royals have the same record as the Yankees, and the White Sox have the same record as the Orioles.

If we can say that again at the end of the season, I think we'll all be a bunch of happy campers.

Tom Verducci gives the 2009 Royals some love

cmkeller — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:19:29 -0000

Tom Verducci gives the 2009 Royals some love

This probably falls into the category of "damning with faint praise", but any "damning" of the Royals that does not include the word "hapless" is a step up for our Boys in Blue. Some relevant quotes:

"Outside of a handful of teams (Pirates, Padres, Nationals, Orioles, Mariners), every team has a right to be dreaming of October." (Note which team is not amongst the exceptions!!)

"Other surprise candidates: the Indians, chock full of players hitting their prime years; the Rangers, who can accelerate their 2010 arrival if they integrate some young pitching; the Braves, who should be way better than their 90 losses of last season; and even the Royals, who may be one starting pitcher away from contending. The gap between the eight playoff teams and the next eight teams that don't make the playoffs is so small now that many of the spots become interchangeable." (implication: the Royals are somewhere within the top 16 teams this season!)

OT: Kansas City Islanders?

cmkeller — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:38:34 -0000

OT: Kansas City Islanders?

KC has been teased by the Penguins recently, but the Islanders definitely have less of a local fan base, and a worse bureaucracy to deal with getting any new construction done than the Penguins did. Wang is getting impatient.

Of course, there's no island anywhere near KC. Scouts? Blades? A new name entirely?

Who could the Mets blow us away with?

cmkeller — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:32:41 -0000

In today's Newsday, one of the sports columnists discusses the Mets' need for a closer, and suggests Joakim Soria as a possible trade target. We all know it would take a heck of a lot to get Soria from the Royals. Do the Mets have it? I'd think they're depleted after trading for Johan Santana, but who knows...maybe they have something great the Royals would be willing to trade even the Mexicutioner for?