I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like Ragans yesterday. Didn’t see it live but it was three pitches in a row to the backstop? Man.
Hernandez, I’m over it. If there was nothing there to trade him with so be it. If there was something there and you held back, learn from it and don’t let it happen again. I don’t know if there was or wasn’t. I think you keep him as a reliever and he has 4 years to really figure it out and you do it again if not in contention. I’m over that one.
I look at the standings and struggle a little bit. Lol. The Royals should be better than the A’s. The run differential confirms that. And does it matter if you are the worst team in baseball? No, not really. I guess should be cheering for it at this point. But it’s the one place I stop at when we talk about 2025. I know it CAN happen quickly…..but two years is a quick turnaround for the worst team in baseball without the farm system. People will come up and help, I don’t doubt that…but we should be better than the A’s. Lol.
I don’t get what is great about Fermin behind the plate, his glove floats and he doesn’t frame pitches well that are borderline strikes and doesn’t get the strikes called that should or could be. Melendez will never be more than a mediocre outfielder, he also continues to bail out his hips when swinging, he looks like he is guessing on every swing, Perez should retire unless they are going to let a pinch runner run for him from the plate to 1st. Bottom line with this team is still inadequate managing and coaching, the entire season was managed like a travel team tryout. They hired a ton of analytical employees and it surely didn’t help with the running of the club or they were ignored. Pitchers still not ready when starting or relieving, batters acting like they don’t know what the pitcher is throwing.
Why do they keep running Greinke and Pratto out there? Let’s see what the prospects can do.
Is Greinke damaging his HOF chances with a 1-15 record? That’s quite a blemish. He’s made $338 million over in his career; did he really need another $8 million?
The difference between the Royals and Orioles, DBacks, Reds and others is the condition of their farms systems when they were bad at the MLB level. The Royals have limited talent at the big league level (we can surely agree on that with a likely 110 loss team) and zero prospects on any top 100 prospect list. I’m not nearly as optimistic as you and Rex Hudler.
I agree that Hernandez’s problem is partly mental. He’s always been a bit unreliable because he’s young, but after the Barlow trade, when Q began using him as a closer, he completely fell apart. I had hoped the stepped-up role would focus him and bring out the best.
forgot to ask you about Keller. What was that about bringing him back from the DL? Just doing him a solid and letting him try to throw a couple innings to show he still has the stuff after injury before FA? I mean, it’s nothing to get worked up about or anything. I just kind of figure anyone with a remote change of sticking here should get those innings. But maybe they don’t have enough of those to go around and it’s just a someone has to get us to the end of the year kind of thing.
Pratto stats after 484 ABs: -.9 WAR, .216 BA, 87 OPS+, 37% strikeout rate. Well below replacement level after about 80% of the ABs for a full season. That doesn’t seem like a prospect to me.
If I recall correctly, the main free agent signings last winter were Lyles, Greinke, Chapman and Yarborough. All were third tier or below FAs. Other than a complete overpay, I’m not sure any first or second tier FA would want to sign with a 110 loss team that has a poor farm system.
I would challenge Hernandez to come to camp next spring in shape... if not .... ship him. That would tell me all I need to know about his level of focus.
I do think Ragans will be fine (those Canadians probably sabotaged the mound...they are not as friendly as they say they are!).
But, I will say the same thing about Zack Grienke today as i said about him the last time he had 15 losses in a season..."stop the pain...send him to the bull pen!" Although then I was worried the Royals were ruining him, now I am saying it to protect my mental health!
Hey...any thoughts on that kid Dominguez wrecking his elbow? Is it lack of training and technique or just an accident? Seems odd an outfielder would wreck his elbow if he is throwing properly...crow hop, etc.... just 'wondering aloud.'
I was at the Posnanski book event too!! Yes, about being a baseball nerd & a writing nerd!! It’s because of him that a mild interest in the local baseball team blossomed into a love of baseball that I have now.
Not really Royals related. But the George Kirby outrage this weekend has me perplexed. IDK if you saw or not. I don’t really understand the backlash. Even with Ragans yesterday, at some point it is on the players to tell the truth. There is no reason to say Q is ruining anything. If you ask the player and they say they are fine then what is the problem? Same thing with Kirby, if he told the manager all he had was 92 pitches in him….then he told the truth and its on the manager for sending him out there. I mean, he’s a rookie throwing the most innings he’s ever thrown. I’d believe in a heartbeat his arm is tired and maybe that’s all he had that day. All I want if the players to tell the truth…then they do and get roasted for it. Lol….no wonder they only say the lip service line all the time.
Loved Joe (most of the time).. 4 quadrants for MLB, large spender-good management. Large spender-bad management. Small spender - good management. Small spender- bad management. Hopefully the new regime can move us up a level
The only reason (aside from your charm and witty banter, David) that I subscribe to Inside the Crown is to get insight and some element of realistic optimism about the future for this team we're all nuts enough to love. So I appreciate that angle. I don't need anyone to tell me over and over again that this is a team with a terrible record that has made some very poor personnel/development decisions over the past several years. That part is obvious and easy to see. So keep the "optimism" coming. You ground it in reality and still tell it like it is as it relates to the current team, and I find it entertaining and therapeutic, especially in a year that's been about next year (or the year after that) since mid April! Keep up the good work.
I really enjoyed this newsletter, David. I also attended the JOPO and Michael Show... My kids purchased the book (which I now have to wrap) and tickets as a Christmas gift. Like you said, everyone who enjoys a good story should see him in person. I miss him writing for the Star. Their podcast is pretty good as well.
Thank you for highlighting Joe Pos because I have been greatly admiring his work for many years now, whether he was writing about one of the local teams or about somebody else. He is a virtuoso who deserves to be widely read.
Weekend in Review: The Posnanski Book, Another Sweep and the Week Ahead
I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like Ragans yesterday. Didn’t see it live but it was three pitches in a row to the backstop? Man.
Hernandez, I’m over it. If there was nothing there to trade him with so be it. If there was something there and you held back, learn from it and don’t let it happen again. I don’t know if there was or wasn’t. I think you keep him as a reliever and he has 4 years to really figure it out and you do it again if not in contention. I’m over that one.
I look at the standings and struggle a little bit. Lol. The Royals should be better than the A’s. The run differential confirms that. And does it matter if you are the worst team in baseball? No, not really. I guess should be cheering for it at this point. But it’s the one place I stop at when we talk about 2025. I know it CAN happen quickly…..but two years is a quick turnaround for the worst team in baseball without the farm system. People will come up and help, I don’t doubt that…but we should be better than the A’s. Lol.
I don’t get what is great about Fermin behind the plate, his glove floats and he doesn’t frame pitches well that are borderline strikes and doesn’t get the strikes called that should or could be. Melendez will never be more than a mediocre outfielder, he also continues to bail out his hips when swinging, he looks like he is guessing on every swing, Perez should retire unless they are going to let a pinch runner run for him from the plate to 1st. Bottom line with this team is still inadequate managing and coaching, the entire season was managed like a travel team tryout. They hired a ton of analytical employees and it surely didn’t help with the running of the club or they were ignored. Pitchers still not ready when starting or relieving, batters acting like they don’t know what the pitcher is throwing.
Why do they keep running Greinke and Pratto out there? Let’s see what the prospects can do.
Is Greinke damaging his HOF chances with a 1-15 record? That’s quite a blemish. He’s made $338 million over in his career; did he really need another $8 million?
The difference between the Royals and Orioles, DBacks, Reds and others is the condition of their farms systems when they were bad at the MLB level. The Royals have limited talent at the big league level (we can surely agree on that with a likely 110 loss team) and zero prospects on any top 100 prospect list. I’m not nearly as optimistic as you and Rex Hudler.
I agree that Hernandez’s problem is partly mental. He’s always been a bit unreliable because he’s young, but after the Barlow trade, when Q began using him as a closer, he completely fell apart. I had hoped the stepped-up role would focus him and bring out the best.
forgot to ask you about Keller. What was that about bringing him back from the DL? Just doing him a solid and letting him try to throw a couple innings to show he still has the stuff after injury before FA? I mean, it’s nothing to get worked up about or anything. I just kind of figure anyone with a remote change of sticking here should get those innings. But maybe they don’t have enough of those to go around and it’s just a someone has to get us to the end of the year kind of thing.
Pratto stats after 484 ABs: -.9 WAR, .216 BA, 87 OPS+, 37% strikeout rate. Well below replacement level after about 80% of the ABs for a full season. That doesn’t seem like a prospect to me.
If I recall correctly, the main free agent signings last winter were Lyles, Greinke, Chapman and Yarborough. All were third tier or below FAs. Other than a complete overpay, I’m not sure any first or second tier FA would want to sign with a 110 loss team that has a poor farm system.
Question: Over / Under 95 losses next year?
I would challenge Hernandez to come to camp next spring in shape... if not .... ship him. That would tell me all I need to know about his level of focus.
I do think Ragans will be fine (those Canadians probably sabotaged the mound...they are not as friendly as they say they are!).
But, I will say the same thing about Zack Grienke today as i said about him the last time he had 15 losses in a season..."stop the pain...send him to the bull pen!" Although then I was worried the Royals were ruining him, now I am saying it to protect my mental health!
Hey...any thoughts on that kid Dominguez wrecking his elbow? Is it lack of training and technique or just an accident? Seems odd an outfielder would wreck his elbow if he is throwing properly...crow hop, etc.... just 'wondering aloud.'
I was at the Posnanski book event too!! Yes, about being a baseball nerd & a writing nerd!! It’s because of him that a mild interest in the local baseball team blossomed into a love of baseball that I have now.
Not really Royals related. But the George Kirby outrage this weekend has me perplexed. IDK if you saw or not. I don’t really understand the backlash. Even with Ragans yesterday, at some point it is on the players to tell the truth. There is no reason to say Q is ruining anything. If you ask the player and they say they are fine then what is the problem? Same thing with Kirby, if he told the manager all he had was 92 pitches in him….then he told the truth and its on the manager for sending him out there. I mean, he’s a rookie throwing the most innings he’s ever thrown. I’d believe in a heartbeat his arm is tired and maybe that’s all he had that day. All I want if the players to tell the truth…then they do and get roasted for it. Lol….no wonder they only say the lip service line all the time.
Loved Joe (most of the time).. 4 quadrants for MLB, large spender-good management. Large spender-bad management. Small spender - good management. Small spender- bad management. Hopefully the new regime can move us up a level
The only reason (aside from your charm and witty banter, David) that I subscribe to Inside the Crown is to get insight and some element of realistic optimism about the future for this team we're all nuts enough to love. So I appreciate that angle. I don't need anyone to tell me over and over again that this is a team with a terrible record that has made some very poor personnel/development decisions over the past several years. That part is obvious and easy to see. So keep the "optimism" coming. You ground it in reality and still tell it like it is as it relates to the current team, and I find it entertaining and therapeutic, especially in a year that's been about next year (or the year after that) since mid April! Keep up the good work.
I really enjoyed this newsletter, David. I also attended the JOPO and Michael Show... My kids purchased the book (which I now have to wrap) and tickets as a Christmas gift. Like you said, everyone who enjoys a good story should see him in person. I miss him writing for the Star. Their podcast is pretty good as well.
Thank you for highlighting Joe Pos
Thank you for highlighting Joe Pos because I have been greatly admiring his work for many years now, whether he was writing about one of the local teams or about somebody else. He is a virtuoso who deserves to be widely read.