I’d rather see the Royals ride with what they have for bats this season, other than perhaps trading MAT for an arm or two. I’m hoping against hope that MJ will learn to be an average left fielder and that Olivares won’t kill them in right. If they’re not winning in ‘23, I want to give all these guys a full year to show what they have, and not bring in someone from the outside to jam up an already crowded roster. I am good with Waters in CF THOUGH
I generally agree, though I will say with one caveat. If they can find a piece who can be part of the long-term plans, I’m fine with that. I’m not sure if O’Neill is that because they’d have to get him signed, but someone like that if they can keep him on board for more than a year or two would be interesting to me.
When you're not seriously trying to compete, I fail to see the point in bringing in an averageish veteran to play RF. You've got one guy who has given every indication he can hit, and one guy who is a tremendous fielder, neither of which have enough MLB playing time to know if they are good enough, AND you've got Tyler Gentry and Gavin Cross coming up quickly through the ranks. Why spend any money on a veteran?
I wouldn’t make the move myself. I agree with you, but the reports are that this is what they want to do. I think they want a veteran bat. My opinion is look to third base where there is less of an option, but I wouldn’t even do that. Any dollar they spend should probably go into pitching outside of maybe a backup catcher.
David—first off I appreciate you & what you do very much. But I have one question—not rhetorical: Did you read Game of Shadows?? If so I’d be most curious how you could vote for Bonds in HOF regardless of suspensions. The subject of steroids makes my blood boil—& none more than Bonds—& this is why: Recall the hell that Henry Aaron endured to break Ruth’s record. Then to see that record surpassed by a cheater & generally miserable SOB like Bonds is a crime. No way he does that w/o steroids.
I have read Game of Shadows, but it all comes down to the era for me. Bonds undoubtedly did steroids, in my opinion, whether it can be proven or not. But how many pitchers were using PEDs who he faced? Was it five? 20? 75? I don’t know the answer to that. Nobody does because nobody was tested. I’m not saying I respect him in any way, but without knowing all the circumstances beyond just the player, my viewpoint is that I can’t make those judgments so if I had a vote, that’s how I’d vote. If you can tell me with any certainty that only a small percentage of pitchers he faced were using, I’d change my tune. But we don’t know, therefore my opinion is that we have to go by what happened on the field. I absolutely respect there are differences of opinion there.
And while Rodriguez and Manny were both obviously elite talents, a system in place, as poor as it might be to catch cheaters, was there and gave me an ability to at least know *something* about the circumstances.
Without an exemption, any unvaccinated coach couldn’t be with the team anywhere. Eldred and DeRenne had exemptions that allowed them to be with the team outside of Toronto.
Hmmm.. First when it comes to Bannister BIG YAWN, but if Sherman sez hire him can we get an insurance policy that covers our 'losses' if indeed he keels over' with Covid, if that's ok then it is six of one and six of the other, I personally would give Zack Grienke a one year contract w/ a tie in to becoming THE pitching coach on his retirement.
Now on to the Sherman ownership team, 'THEY (whomever 'THEY' are) have shown us who they are, and it is, how to say it...not good. John wants a team built around some combination of the Bill James based Billy Beane EXPERIMENT, now before you shoot the guy who raises an eyebrow when it comes to squads built on Sabremetrics..let me go on.
Shermanites want a downtown stadium as a payment for their attempt and that's all it is..to give us a winner, in the words of the Beatles..."O blah de, o blah dah.." and additionally there was a not so 'subtle hint' that maybe the team might...go away, (only 'spoken guarantee') for this MUST HAVE NEW STADIUM is that it won't be on the KS. side.
We need to demand an INVESTIGATION and ISSUE SUBPOENA'S...(LOL, SORTA)
Frankly, I continue to be mystified by the unfounded assertion that Greinke will automatically make a great pitching coach. It seems to me that "Ted Williams syndrome" is much more likely.
Williams failed as a hitting coach and a manager primarily because he couldn't understand how other people were unable to do what came so easily and naturally to him. I have little trouble picturing that same thing happening with Greinke.
Williams was a unicorn, an utterly unique talent. In his own way so is Greinke. The stage has been set for more Ted Williams syndrome.
I also offer into evidence Babe Ruth's managerial "career."
The more unique and uber-talented a player is, the less likely he'll be able to understand players who only have "normal" levels of ability by MLB standards.
I'm thankful for your posts here and I'm hardly on Twitter or Facebook these days. I wonder what the future holds for Twitter and I'm not sure I want to be there. There's nothing like reading your clear words about baseball when there's not much in the usual media about the sport I love. I'm tired of reading about the Mets (although I am a fair weather Mets fan, being from Brooklyn originally and it's kind of in my DNA to hate the Yankees).
If you watch MLB Now, they have made a very good H.O.F. case for both Helton and Jones. I agree with the P.E.D. suspension guys. I have thought Beltran should be in the Hall for a while.
There is absolutely a case for both of them. I’m just not quite there. As for Beltran, I’m guessing he doesn’t get in this year partly because people think some players shouldn’t be in on their first year on the ballot while others will ding him for the Astros scandal.
Always enjoy reading your writing, David. You answered my question without me asking., and it seems to me they need to be getting a coaching staff in order on the pitching side. Happy Thanksgiving Sir.
If a player or manager makes a choice to not get vaccinated and therefore isn’t able be to play or coach all the time... he has no place on my baseball team... a pure and simple baseball decision. "There is no I in team"...
Not only do trades happen at the winter meetings, but the initial feelers that eventually lead to trades happen there as well. With that in mind, it would be nice to have a pitching coach who could say definitively which pitchers he wanted to keep, which ones he wouldn't mind getting rid of, and which ones he would like to acquire. I certainly hope they hired Brian Sweeney in time for all of that. At a minimum, BEFORE the meetings begin he needs to be thoroughly familiar with all of the pitchers in the Royals organization, and not just the guys on the 40-man roster.
Of course, it's possible that they "unofficially" hired him two or three weeks ago and for some reason waited to make the announcement. That strikes me as unlikely but I'll admit it could have happened that way.
Well, it's not Banny but I think we hired a great pitching coach. Read the profile from 2020 in The Athletic on our new pitching coach Brian Sweeney and must say I'm very impressed. We just solved our biggest competitive disadvantage. Love the moves so far, let's hope JJ and the leadership team keeps 'em coming!
I’m thankful for your columns and keeping us up to date! Looking forward to your writings and really looking forward to the 2023 season!
Thanks so much for reading, Jerry! I’m looking forward to next season too!
I’d rather see the Royals ride with what they have for bats this season, other than perhaps trading MAT for an arm or two. I’m hoping against hope that MJ will learn to be an average left fielder and that Olivares won’t kill them in right. If they’re not winning in ‘23, I want to give all these guys a full year to show what they have, and not bring in someone from the outside to jam up an already crowded roster. I am good with Waters in CF THOUGH
I generally agree, though I will say with one caveat. If they can find a piece who can be part of the long-term plans, I’m fine with that. I’m not sure if O’Neill is that because they’d have to get him signed, but someone like that if they can keep him on board for more than a year or two would be interesting to me.
When you're not seriously trying to compete, I fail to see the point in bringing in an averageish veteran to play RF. You've got one guy who has given every indication he can hit, and one guy who is a tremendous fielder, neither of which have enough MLB playing time to know if they are good enough, AND you've got Tyler Gentry and Gavin Cross coming up quickly through the ranks. Why spend any money on a veteran?
I wouldn’t make the move myself. I agree with you, but the reports are that this is what they want to do. I think they want a veteran bat. My opinion is look to third base where there is less of an option, but I wouldn’t even do that. Any dollar they spend should probably go into pitching outside of maybe a backup catcher.
100% in agreement for whatever that is worth. I'll be your assistant GM whenever the Royals finally see fit to hire you.
Excellent. It’s nice to come in with a staff in place.
David—first off I appreciate you & what you do very much. But I have one question—not rhetorical: Did you read Game of Shadows?? If so I’d be most curious how you could vote for Bonds in HOF regardless of suspensions. The subject of steroids makes my blood boil—& none more than Bonds—& this is why: Recall the hell that Henry Aaron endured to break Ruth’s record. Then to see that record surpassed by a cheater & generally miserable SOB like Bonds is a crime. No way he does that w/o steroids.
I have read Game of Shadows, but it all comes down to the era for me. Bonds undoubtedly did steroids, in my opinion, whether it can be proven or not. But how many pitchers were using PEDs who he faced? Was it five? 20? 75? I don’t know the answer to that. Nobody does because nobody was tested. I’m not saying I respect him in any way, but without knowing all the circumstances beyond just the player, my viewpoint is that I can’t make those judgments so if I had a vote, that’s how I’d vote. If you can tell me with any certainty that only a small percentage of pitchers he faced were using, I’d change my tune. But we don’t know, therefore my opinion is that we have to go by what happened on the field. I absolutely respect there are differences of opinion there.
And while Rodriguez and Manny were both obviously elite talents, a system in place, as poor as it might be to catch cheaters, was there and gave me an ability to at least know *something* about the circumstances.
David, great work as always. What do you see happening with Brady Singer? It is time to extend or trade him?
I imagine they’ll try to work out an extension. I wouldn’t be trading him just yet unless they can get some sort of bonkers return.
Great stuff, David.
Do you mean that the unvaccinated coaches currently just can’t travel with the team *internationally??
I thought the coaching staff was always on the road last season (even the unvaccinated ones) everywhere except Toronto…
Without an exemption, any unvaccinated coach couldn’t be with the team anywhere. Eldred and DeRenne had exemptions that allowed them to be with the team outside of Toronto.
Thank you, sir!
Hmmm.. First when it comes to Bannister BIG YAWN, but if Sherman sez hire him can we get an insurance policy that covers our 'losses' if indeed he keels over' with Covid, if that's ok then it is six of one and six of the other, I personally would give Zack Grienke a one year contract w/ a tie in to becoming THE pitching coach on his retirement.
Now on to the Sherman ownership team, 'THEY (whomever 'THEY' are) have shown us who they are, and it is, how to say it...not good. John wants a team built around some combination of the Bill James based Billy Beane EXPERIMENT, now before you shoot the guy who raises an eyebrow when it comes to squads built on Sabremetrics..let me go on.
Shermanites want a downtown stadium as a payment for their attempt and that's all it is..to give us a winner, in the words of the Beatles..."O blah de, o blah dah.." and additionally there was a not so 'subtle hint' that maybe the team might...go away, (only 'spoken guarantee') for this MUST HAVE NEW STADIUM is that it won't be on the KS. side.
We need to demand an INVESTIGATION and ISSUE SUBPOENA'S...(LOL, SORTA)
Frankly, I continue to be mystified by the unfounded assertion that Greinke will automatically make a great pitching coach. It seems to me that "Ted Williams syndrome" is much more likely.
Williams failed as a hitting coach and a manager primarily because he couldn't understand how other people were unable to do what came so easily and naturally to him. I have little trouble picturing that same thing happening with Greinke.
Williams was a unicorn, an utterly unique talent. In his own way so is Greinke. The stage has been set for more Ted Williams syndrome.
I also offer into evidence Babe Ruth's managerial "career."
The more unique and uber-talented a player is, the less likely he'll be able to understand players who only have "normal" levels of ability by MLB standards.
I'm thankful for your posts here and I'm hardly on Twitter or Facebook these days. I wonder what the future holds for Twitter and I'm not sure I want to be there. There's nothing like reading your clear words about baseball when there's not much in the usual media about the sport I love. I'm tired of reading about the Mets (although I am a fair weather Mets fan, being from Brooklyn originally and it's kind of in my DNA to hate the Yankees).
I'm so looking forward to next year!
Well I appreciate you reading and commenting here!
If you watch MLB Now, they have made a very good H.O.F. case for both Helton and Jones. I agree with the P.E.D. suspension guys. I have thought Beltran should be in the Hall for a while.
There is absolutely a case for both of them. I’m just not quite there. As for Beltran, I’m guessing he doesn’t get in this year partly because people think some players shouldn’t be in on their first year on the ballot while others will ding him for the Astros scandal.
Always enjoy reading your writing, David. You answered my question without me asking., and it seems to me they need to be getting a coaching staff in order on the pitching side. Happy Thanksgiving Sir.
Thanks for reading, Paul! And happy thanksgiving to you!
Was Cal Eldred vaccinated? He didn't make the trip to Toronto.
He was not, but he had an exemption that allowed him to be with the team that Banny did not have to be with his.
If a player or manager makes a choice to not get vaccinated and therefore isn’t able be to play or coach all the time... he has no place on my baseball team... a pure and simple baseball decision. "There is no I in team"...
Not only do trades happen at the winter meetings, but the initial feelers that eventually lead to trades happen there as well. With that in mind, it would be nice to have a pitching coach who could say definitively which pitchers he wanted to keep, which ones he wouldn't mind getting rid of, and which ones he would like to acquire. I certainly hope they hired Brian Sweeney in time for all of that. At a minimum, BEFORE the meetings begin he needs to be thoroughly familiar with all of the pitchers in the Royals organization, and not just the guys on the 40-man roster.
Of course, it's possible that they "unofficially" hired him two or three weeks ago and for some reason waited to make the announcement. That strikes me as unlikely but I'll admit it could have happened that way.
Well, it's not Banny but I think we hired a great pitching coach. Read the profile from 2020 in The Athletic on our new pitching coach Brian Sweeney and must say I'm very impressed. We just solved our biggest competitive disadvantage. Love the moves so far, let's hope JJ and the leadership team keeps 'em coming!