Royals Nation Questionnaire

[KC Royals Nation]

I initially posted this at Royals Review, but I'm going to move it here.

---------------------

The following is a list of 75 questions that you are free to answer. My goal with this questionnaire is to organize the thoughts of you - the Royals Nation poster - and compare your answers with other posters and compile the 'average answer' of the posters here at Royals Nation.

I'd appreciate it if everyone could devote about 5-10 minutes and answer these questions. Relax and enjoy!

Here's how the questionaire will work. Each of the questions will contain a scale of 1 to 5. "1" means you couldn't disagree more with the statement and "5" means you could agree more with the statement.

Scale: 1-5
1 = Strongly disagree
2 = Mildly disagree
3 = Neutral, uncommitted
4 = Mildly agree
5 = Strongly agree

If you have no opinion or are confused on a particular question, feel free to skip that question.

1. Dayton Moore has performed exceptionally well as General Manager of the Royals.
2. I believe Buddy Bell performed well as manager of the Kansas City Royals.
3. I currently support and agree with the signing of Jose Guillen.
4. I rely heavily on sabermetrics in my study of baseball.
5. Rank our offseason moves, using the 1-5 scale. (1 means we had a terrible offseason, 5 means we had an excellent offseason)
6. The steroid use deserves to receive as much publicity as it has, as steroids are a prevalent problem in today's game of baseball.
7. (1) = Hitting is more important in the success of 'x' ballclub, (5) = Pitching is more important in the success of 'x' ballclub
8. We should re-sign Mike Sweeney.
9. The Royals' record will improve considerably from last season.
10. In 2008, Mark Teahen will fully regain the power he displayed in mid and late 2006.
11. Alex Gordon's 2007 performance will have no effect on the rest of his career. In other words, his upside is still as great as it always was.
12. In today's game, Major League Baseball players make too much money.
13. I supported the owners over the players in the 1994 Players strike.
14. Zack Greinke will become an above average pitcher in the Major Leagues.
15. The Royals will increase payroll to the mid-market range (say, 13-18 in payroll rankings) by 2010.
16. David Glass is an honest owner fully committed to bringing a winning franchise to Kansas City.
17. If Dan Glass succeeds his father as the owner of the Royals, I will completely trust and support him as an owner.
18. I believe the original powder blue uniforms were unique and aesthetically pleasing.
19. I consider the Cardinals and Royals rivals.
20. I am indifferent towards - or support - the St. Louis Cardinals.
21. Generally, I have disdain toward the New York Yankees.
22. Economic disparity is having a negative impact on the game. (if the disparity even exists)
23. Rowdy Hardy will eventually emerge as a big-league pitcher.
24. Local media outlets such as the Kansas City Star generally do a good job reporting on the Royals.
25. Frank White deserves to go to the Hall of Fame.
26. I support the 'consistency' argument when determining Hall of Fame votes - if 'Player X' is in, 'Player Y' should be in.
27. I will never want supposed steroid users Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire to go to the Hall of Fame.
28. Pete Rose should be inducted to the Hall of Fame.
29. I believe the Gil Meche acquisition will, overall, be considered a good one.
30. We should forget about what happened before the Moore administration, because it's in the past.
31. We will become a contending ballclub sometime within the next 6 years.
32. I support the signing of Trey Hillman as manager of our ballclub.
33. Advanced defensive statistics such as zone rating are vital in determining the defensive ability of a ballplayer.
34. VORP (Value over Replacement Player) is overrated as a sabermetric statistic.
35. The biggest problem in the Baird and Robinson administrations was the lack of commitment to the amateur draft.
36. The A.L. Central, as a whole, has improved from 2007.
37. We should begin using Joakim Soria as a starter sooner rather than later.
38. I supported the signing of Ross Gload to a 2-year, $3.2 million contract (with a 2010 club option).
39. I am worried that Jose Guillen may be a negative clubhouse force.
40. Bob Davis should continue announcing for the Royals ballclub, either on the radio or television.
41. I supported the decision to not protect former first round draft pick Chris Lubanski on the roster, in order to protect him from the Rule 5 draft?
42. Agent Scott Boras is negatively impacting the game of baseball.
43. If you were a star baseball player (hypothetically), you would choose Scott Boras as your agent.
44. If the money were available right now, I would support signing Barry Bonds to a 1-year contract.
45. Dayton Moore did a sufficient job in improving our offense to this ballclub this offseason.
46. Dayton Moore did a sufficient job in improving our pitching to this ballclub this offseason.
47. The American League will be significantly better than the National League in 2008.
48. The Royals should consider Billy Butler as the first baseman of the future.
49. 2008 is a make or break season for Zack Greinke.
50. 2008 is a make or break season for John Buck.
51. A baseball manager makes little to no difference in a team's performance.
52. I support the decision to eliminate RSTN, and move Royals games to the new network Fox Sports Kansas City.
53. I would rather listen to Royals games on radio than watch them on TV.
54. I predict the Royals to finish in last place in 2008.
55. A reasonable argument could be made that Mike Sweeney took performance enhancing supplements.
56. I would boo the Kansas City Royals (this can mean the players or coaches) while attending a baseball game.
57. I would have supported moving the Royals stadium to another location, such as Downtown Kansas City.
58. I read baseball blogs such as Royals Review often and it is where I get most of my baseball information. (Please, please be honest!!!!!!)
59. Baseball America does a good job at ranking prospects, and predicting their eventual success in the Major Leagues.
60. I believe Bud Selig has handled his job well as commissioner of Major League Baseball.
61. The MLB Players Association is too powerful.
62. I rely on basic statistics such as slugging percentage, RBI's, stolen bases, wins, and home runs more than advanced statistics such as Value Over Replacement Player, Runs Created, and OPS+.
63. The Royals are doing an exceptional job handling the remodeling/rebuilding process of Kauffman Stadium.
64. Any good pitcher can be implemented as a closer.
65. The Royals should taken Justin Huber, as a prospect, more seriously.
66. Brian Bannister will continue posting sub-4 ERA's for the forseeable future.
67. Having a left-hander in the starting rotation is vital for any MLB club.
68. Joe Posnanski is the best local journalist on the Kansas City Royals.
69. I am upset that the Royals didn't move to the National League, when they were faced with the decision before the 1998 season.
70. I have a negative opinion of the Chicago White Sox and their fans.
71. The Royals received a good return for Carlos Beltran, when they traded him in 2004.
72. Mike Sweeney deserves some blame for his continual injury problems during the latter part of his Royals tenure (thus far).
73. In every players' draft, taking the best player available is of the utmost importance.
74. The Royals should seriously consider moving Mark Grudzielanek soon.
75. Batting order and lineups are important over the course of an entire season, in getting the most success from a ballclub.

Thanks for your time! ~RN

[FanOfJoseAgain!]

1. 5
2. 2
3. 4
4. 2
5. 4
6. 5
7. 4
8. 1
9. 5
10. 4
11. 5
12. 5
13. 3
14. 5
15. 5
16. 5
17. 5
18. 5
19. 3
20. 5
21. 5
22. 5
23. 5
24. 4
25. 2
26. 4
27. 3
28. 5
29. 5
30. 5++++++
31. 5
32. 5
33. 1
34. 3
35. 5
36. 4
37. 3
38. 2
39. 2
40. 1
41. 1
42. 4
43. 5
44. 1
45. 4
46. 4
47. 5++++
48. 4
49. 1
50. 2
51. 2
52. 5
53. 1
54. 1
55. 1
56. 3
57. 3
58. 4
59. 4
60. 4
61. 5+++++
62. 2
63. 5
64. 4
65. 4
66. 3
67. 1
68. 5
69. 3
70. 4
71. 3
72. 1
73. 4
74. 5
75. 4

[Dr. Thunder]

1. Dayton Moore has performed exceptionally well as General Manager of the Royals. 4
2. I believe Buddy Bell performed well as manager of the Kansas City Royals. 1
3. I currently support and agree with the signing of Jose Guillen. 3
4. I rely heavily on sabermetrics in my study of baseball. 1
5. Rank our offseason moves, using the 1-5 scale. (1 means we had a terrible offseason, 5 means we had an excellent offseason) 4
6. The steroid use deserves to receive as much publicity as it has, as steroids are a prevalent problem in today's game of baseball. 1
8. We should re-sign Mike Sweeney. 1
9. The Royals' record will improve considerably from last season. 5
10. In 2008, Mark Teahen will fully regain the power he displayed in mid and late 2006. 4
11. Alex Gordon's 2007 performance will have no effect on the rest of his career. In other words, his upside is still as great as it always was. 5
12. In today's game, Major League Baseball players make too much money. 5
13. I supported the owners over the players in the 1994 Players strike. 1
14. Zack Greinke will become an above average pitcher in the Major Leagues. 3
15. The Royals will increase payroll to the mid-market range (say, 13-18 in payroll rankings) by 2010. 2
16. David Glass is an honest owner fully committed to bringing a winning franchise to Kansas City. 1
17. If Dan Glass succeeds his father as the owner of the Royals, I will completely trust and support him as an owner. 1
18. I believe the original powder blue uniforms were unique and aesthetically pleasing. 1
19. I consider the Cardinals and Royals rivals. 1
20. I am indifferent towards - or support - the St. Louis Cardinals. 5
21. Generally, I have disdain toward the New York Yankees. 5
22. Economic disparity is having a negative impact on the game. (if the disparity even exists) 5
23. Rowdy Hardy will eventually emerge as a big-league pitcher. 3
24. Local media outlets such as the Kansas City Star generally do a good job reporting on the Royals. 1
25. Frank White deserves to go to the Hall of Fame. 2
26. I support the 'consistency' argument when determining Hall of Fame votes - if 'Player X' is in, 'Player Y' should be in. 5
27. I will never want supposed steroid users Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire to go to the Hall of Fame. 5
28. Pete Rose should be inducted to the Hall of Fame. 5
29. I believe the Gil Meche acquisition will, overall, be considered a good one. 4
30. We should forget about what happened before the Moore administration, because it's in the past. 1
31. We will become a contending ballclub sometime within the next 6 years. 5
32. I support the signing of Trey Hillman as manager of our ballclub. 5
33. Advanced defensive statistics such as zone rating are vital in determining the defensive ability of a ballplayer. 1
34. VORP (Value over Replacement Player) is overrated as a sabermetric statistic. 5
35. The biggest problem in the Baird and Robinson administrations was the lack of commitment to the amateur draft. 5
36. The A.L. Central, as a whole, has improved from 2007. 5
37. We should begin using Joakim Soria as a starter sooner rather than later. 3
38. I supported the signing of Ross Gload to a 2-year, $3.2 million contract (with a 2010 club option). 5
39. I am worried that Jose Guillen may be a negative clubhouse force. b][/b]2
40. Bob Davis should continue announcing for the Royals ballclub, either on the radio or television. 1
41. I supported the decision to not protect former first round draft pick Chris Lubanski on the roster, in order to protect him from the Rule 5 draft? 5
42. Agent Scott Boras is negatively impacting the game of baseball. 5
43. If you were a star baseball player (hypothetically), you would choose Scott Boras as your agent. 3
44. If the money were available right now, I would support signing Barry Bonds to a 1-year contract. 1
45. Dayton Moore did a sufficient job in improving our offense to this ballclub this offseason. 3
46. Dayton Moore did a sufficient job in improving our pitching to this ballclub this offseason. 2
47. The American League will be significantly better than the National League in 2008. 4
48. The Royals should consider Billy Butler as the first baseman of the future. 3
49. 2008 is a make or break season for Zack Greinke. 2
50. 2008 is a make or break season for John Buck. 2
51. A baseball manager makes little to no difference in a team's performance. 1
52. I support the decision to eliminate RSTN, and move Royals games to the new network Fox Sports Kansas City. 5
53. I would rather listen to Royals games on radio than watch them on TV. 5
54. I predict the Royals to finish in last place in 2008. 2
55. A reasonable argument could be made that Mike Sweeney took performance enhancing supplements. 5
56. I would boo the Kansas City Royals (this can mean the players or coaches) while attending a baseball game. 5
57. I would have supported moving the Royals stadium to another location, such as Downtown Kansas City. 5
58. I read baseball blogs such as Royals Review often and it is where I get most of my baseball information. (Please, please be honest!!!!!!)5
59. Baseball America does a good job at ranking prospects, and predicting their eventual success in the Major Leagues.1
60. I believe Bud Selig has handled his job well as commissioner of Major League Baseball.1
61. The MLB Players Association is too powerful.5
62. I rely on basic statistics such as slugging percentage, RBI's, stolen bases, wins, and home runs more than advanced statistics such as Value Over Replacement Player, Runs Created, and OPS+.5
63. The Royals are doing an exceptional job handling the remodeling/rebuilding process of Kauffman Stadium.4
64. Any good pitcher can be implemented as a closer.5
65. The Royals should taken Justin Huber, as a prospect, more seriously.4
66. Brian Bannister will continue posting sub-4 ERA's for the forseeable future.4
67. Having a left-hander in the starting rotation is vital for any MLB club.2
68. Joe Posnanski is the best local journalist on the Kansas City Royals.1
69. I am upset that the Royals didn't move to the National League, when they were faced with the decision before the 1998 season.3
70. I have a negative opinion of the Chicago White Sox and their fans.5
71. The Royals received a good return for Carlos Beltran, when they traded him in 2004.5
72. Mike Sweeney deserves some blame for his continual injury problems during the latter part of his Royals tenure (thus far).5
73. In every players' draft, taking the best player available is of the utmost importance.5
74. The Royals should seriously consider moving Mark Grudzielanek soon.3
75. Batting order and lineups are important over the course of an entire season, in getting the most success from a ballclub.3

[ror1fan]

Scale: 1-5
1 = Strongly disagree
2 = Mildly disagree
3 = Neutral, uncommitted
4 = Mildly agree
5 = Strongly agree



1. 4
2. 1
3. 2
4. 3
5. 3
6. 2
7. 4
8. 2
9. 4
10. 3
11. 3
12. 5
13. I was three I didn't care
14. 4
15. 2
16. 3
17. 5
18. 5
19. 5( here in Mid Mo I say it's even more then that)
20. 1
21. 5
22. 4
23. 4
24. 3
25. 3
26. 3
27. 2
28. 4
29. 4
30. 3
31. 3
32. 5
33. 1.
34. 4
35. 3
36. 4
37. 3
38. 2
39. 3
40. 1
41. 5
42. 5
43. 1
44. 1
45. 1
46. 3
47. 4
48. 3
49. 3
50. 5
51. 1
52. 1
53. 5+++
54. 2
55. 2
56. 1
57. 1
58. 1 I very rarely go to RR I live on RN and RB
59. 3
60. 2
61. 5
62. 4
63. 3
64. 4
65. 2
66. 4
67. 1
68. 5.
69. 1
70. 4
71. 2
72. 1
73. 5
74. 3
75. 4

[mdinaz]

1. Dayton Moore has performed exceptionally well as General Manager of the Royals. 5 done a great job
2. I believe Buddy Bell performed well as manager of the Kansas City Royals. 2 not so hot, not very inspiring
3. I currently support and agree with the signing of Jose Guillen. 3 neutral on the idea but may provide a spark
4. I rely heavily on sabermetrics in my study of baseball. 1 dunno what that is
5. Rank our offseason moves, using the 1-5 scale. (1 means we had a terrible offseason, 5 means we had an excellent offseason) 3 some good, some not so sure about
6. The steroid use deserves to receive as much publicity as it has, as steroids are a prevalent problem in today's game of baseball. 5 agree - rather see honest playing than super men with super stats
7. (1) = Hitting is more important in the success of 'x' ballclub, (5) = Pitching is more important in the success of 'x' ballclub 3 pitchers keep you in games, but hitters gotta score to win
8. We should re-sign Mike Sweeney. 1 no
9. The Royals' record will improve considerably from last season. 4 i believe so
10. In 2008, Mark Teahen will fully regain the power he displayed in mid and late 2006. 3 sure hope so
11. Alex Gordon's 2007 performance will have no effect on the rest of his career. In other words, his upside is still as great as it always was. 4 rookie year should not reflect.
12. In today's game, Major League Baseball players make too much money. 4 probably but thats what the market supports
13. I supported the owners over the players in the 1994 Players strike. 1 i didnt support either, they put the fans and the game last, the people who pay for the entire thing
14. Zack Greinke will become an above average pitcher in the Major Leagues. 3 may be a better closer or setup man than a starter
15. The Royals will increase payroll to the mid-market range (say, 13-18 in payroll rankings) by 2010. 4 good possibility
16. David Glass is an honest owner fully committed to bringing a winning franchise to Kansas City. 3 his past doesnt reflect that but its getting better
17. If Dan Glass succeeds his father as the owner of the Royals, I will completely trust and support him as an owner. 3 do i have a choice?
18. I believe the original powder blue uniforms were unique and aesthetically pleasing. 4 sure i liked 'em
19. I consider the Cardinals and Royals rivals. 1 no still the yankees and A's for me
20. I am indifferent towards - or support - the St. Louis Cardinals. 1 indifferent
21. Generally, I have disdain toward the New York Yankees. 5 of course - i remember 76-78 very well
22. Economic disparity is having a negative impact on the game. (if the disparity even exists) 5 definitely, small market teams are at a huge disadvantage
23. Rowdy Hardy will eventually emerge as a big-league pitcher. 1 dunno who/what that is
24. Local media outlets such as the Kansas City Star generally do a good job reporting on the Royals. 5 i think their coverage is good
25. Frank White deserves to go to the Hall of Fame. 3 dunno, maybe after his full support of the team is finally over he can go in as a veteran/legacy player who contributed much to the game, not just as a player
26. I support the 'consistency' argument when determining Hall of Fame votes - if 'Player X' is in, 'Player Y' should be in. 4 things are definitely not consistent from year to year
27. I will never want supposed steroid users Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire to go to the Hall of Fame. 4 i have a huge problem with that
28. Pete Rose should be inducted to the Hall of Fame. 3 tough one, as a player, definitely, but off field performance is important too
29. I believe the Gil Meche acquisition will, overall, be considered a good one. 5 a very positive acquisition
30. We should forget about what happened before the Moore administration, because it's in the past. 3 i suppose
31. We will become a contending ballclub sometime within the next 6 years. 5 probably sooner, within 3
32. I support the signing of Trey Hillman as manager of our ballclub. 4 looks good so far
33. Advanced defensive statistics such as zone rating are vital in determining the defensive ability of a ballplayer. 3 havent studied it
34. VORP (Value over Replacement Player) is overrated as a sabermetric statistic. 1 dunno what that is
35. The biggest problem in the Baird and Robinson administrations was the lack of commitment to the amateur draft. 4 thats only the beginning
36. The A.L. Central, as a whole, has improved from 2007. 2 its gone backwards
37. We should begin using Joakim Soria as a starter sooner rather than later. 3 dunno, ambivalent
38. I supported the signing of Ross Gload to a 2-year, $3.2 million contract (with a 2010 club option). 4 yes
39. I am worried that Jose Guillen may be a negative clubhouse force. 3 yes but may provide that needed spark
40. Bob Davis should continue announcing for the Royals ballclub, either on the radio or television. 3 still like fred/denny or ryan/denny
41. I supported the decision to not protect former first round draft pick Chris Lubanski on the roster, in order to protect him from the Rule 5 draft? 3 no answer
42. Agent Scott Boras is negatively impacting the game of baseball. 3 they could choose not to deal with him but do anyway
43. If you were a star baseball player (hypothetically), you would choose Scott Boras as your agent. 4 sure if you want the $$
44. If the money were available right now, I would support signing Barry Bonds to a 1-year contract. 1 hell no
45. Dayton Moore did a sufficient job in improving our offense to this ballclub this offseason. 4 pretty good although still thin at catcher
46. Dayton Moore did a sufficient job in improving our pitching to this ballclub this offseason. 4 better although please dont sign anymore 5+ ERA pitchers
47. The American League will be significantly better than the National League in 2008. 4 probably
48. The Royals should consider Billy Butler as the first baseman of the future. 5 definitely
49. 2008 is a make or break season for Zack Greinke. 4 getting close to that time
50. 2008 is a make or break season for John Buck. 5 i think so
51. A baseball manager makes little to no difference in a team's performance. 1 absolutely false
52. I support the decision to eliminate RSTN, and move Royals games to the new network Fox Sports Kansas City. 3 hate to see RSTN go but FOX can provide more money and wider coverage
53. I would rather listen to Royals games on radio than watch them on TV. 3 i like to watch on tv with the radio on in the background
54. I predict the Royals to finish in last place in 2008. 1 no
55. A reasonable argument could be made that Mike Sweeney took performance enhancing supplements. 2 doesnt matter, it obviously didn't help
56. I would boo the Kansas City Royals (this can mean the players or coaches) while attending a baseball game. 1 only a player for an extremely poor play
57. I would have supported moving the Royals stadium to another location, such as Downtown Kansas City. 1 hell no. i live in phoenix and downtown games are impossible to attend due to traffic. truman sports complex is the EASIEST place to enter/exit in the MLB, and I"ve been to about 14 stadiums across the country
58. I read baseball blogs such as Royals Review often and it is where I get most of my baseball information. (Please, please be honest!!!!!!) 4 i read blogs but also local papers in different markets
59. Baseball America does a good job at ranking prospects, and predicting their eventual success in the Major Leagues. 3 don't follow it
60. I believe Bud Selig has handled his job well as commissioner of Major League Baseball. 2 steriod use handling very poor
61. The MLB Players Association is too powerful. 2 its a union like any other
62. I rely on basic statistics such as slugging percentage, RBI's, stolen bases, wins, and home runs more than advanced statistics such as Value Over Replacement Player, Runs Created, and OPS+. 4 yeah i don't pay much attention to these fancy new ones
63. The Royals are doing an exceptional job handling the remodeling/rebuilding process of Kauffman Stadium. 2 i think bad idea in eliminating the ramps - they were much faster in getting out of the stadium than jammed/broken escalators will be
64. Any good pitcher can be implemented as a closer. 2 closing requires the right attitude and ability to handle major pressure, not all starters have that
65. The Royals should taken Justin Huber, as a prospect, more seriously. 3 no opinion
66. Brian Bannister will continue posting sub-4 ERA's for the forseeable future. 4 he'll be a very good pitcher overall
67. Having a left-hander in the starting rotation is vital for any MLB club. 5 sure thing
68. Joe Posnanski is the best local journalist on the Kansas City Royals. 5 i like joe and jason both, but joe is great for baseball
69. I am upset that the Royals didn't move to the National League, when they were faced with the decision before the 1998 season. 1 hell no, i want to stay in the AL
70. I have a negative opinion of the Chicago White Sox and their fans. 1 couldnt care less. i've been to old comiskey and the neighborhood is a s---hole
71. The Royals received a good return for Carlos Beltran, when they traded him in 2004. 2 hardly
72. Mike Sweeney deserves some blame for his continual injury problems during the latter part of his Royals tenure (thus far). 2 the royals deserve more blame for keeping him on so long when he obviously couldn't play consistently
73. In every players' draft, taking the best player available is of the utmost importance. 5 drafting AND developing is important
74. The Royals should seriously consider moving Mark Grudzielanek soon. 3 moving where? keep him at 2nd
75. Batting order and lineups are important over the course of an entire season, in getting the most success from a ballclub. 4 a consistent lineup is important

[mtroyals]

Scale: 1-5
1 = Strongly disagree
2 = Mildly disagree
3 = Neutral, uncommitted
4 = Mildly agree
5 = Strongly agree



1. 2 Mostly it's the word exceptional that I disagree with. Right now, I think he's doing an okay job. The mlb team improved a small amount and I've had a problem with a few things we've seen including sitting Butler, Huberization continuing, not trading Riske/Grudzielanek (though the draft pick for Riske will be nice), and not trying to do more to assure Soria's future as a closer. The '07 draft looks pretty good, but could have been better with a few other picks that I've harped on about--it seems to similiar to the pre-Moore days on that front. A lot of our more advanced prospects took steps backwards in 2007, which makes the '07 draft even more important.
2. 1 *shudder* just thinking about that man.
3. 2 I just don't know if it's really worth sinking that kind of money into a guy who I just don't think is going to produce that much. If he has a good Guillen year, he'll give us about 25 home runs, or three more than Frank White's career high. Just because we had little power last year, that doesn't justify the cost or the idea that we now have a power hitter.
4. 5 That's just obvious.
5. 3 If we're going to spend, I'd like to see us do it more wisely. Of course, we were after many guys that didn't take our offers, but it seemed to lack a coherent plan. After A turned us down, we went to B, then to C, then to D. Other than Hunter, there wasn't really a player that we seemed to WANT. So, I'm wishy-washy on an off-season that doesn't land us our top priority. But in Hunter's case...he wouldn't have been mine. My favorite transaction is the one that brought us Callaspo. I hope we don't blow it by not getting him 500+ ab.
6. 5 I understand sensationalism and it might be this way and maybe it's unfair that baseball is held to a higher standard than other American sports, but their standard needs to be raised. Baseball's doesn't need to be lowered.
7. 3 You need plenty of both. We haven't enough of either.
8. 3 I don't really care so much about this, but I do think he has a good shot to do better than Gload will do. I'd rather it go to Huber anyways.
9. 2 Again, wording. I think we'll be better...but I'd have to consider significantly to be 84 wins or so. Right now, I'm hoping for 74, which isn't significant.
10. 2 He hit 18 that year in 300-something at bats. I think he hits 15 in close to 550 at bats. Not exactly fully regaining.
11. 5 I believe in him.
12. 4
13. 5
14. 5 I've always believed in him.
15. 4 It's really hard to say and when I can find the optimist within, this is what he tells me. But Glass being Glass... the bad thing about the surge now is that nothing has changed about Glass. He's still not spending in the areas I think he needs to spend. And he's still not spending his money. It's all the new tv contract. If he'd "risk" just a little bit of his money, he'd get it back in the end. I know he would.
16. 2 haha
17. 1 He's been disasterous for the Kansas City Royals. Completely unqualified to fill the "job" he's in.
18. 1 Or hideous creations of an era that was long gone until too much clamoring overcame the PR department.
19. 4 Geographically, yes. But I think too big of a deal is made out of it.
20. 5 They're tied with 29 teams for my second favorite. I LOVE BASEBALL!!!
21. 1 See above.
22. 2 I cannot believe in this because I believe in intelligence. There's more margin for error with the Yankees and the Red Sox and whatever, but you get the right guy with the right abilities in the office, a team can go a long, long ways.
23. 2 Wording. Will he make it to the bigs? Yes. Will he stick in the bigs? Don't know, have doubts. It would have been nice to stick him in AA after he had conquered Hi-A. I don't know why he wasn't promoted.
24. 1 Um, no.
25. 2 No. Not at all. Defense alone? And arguing that he hit fourth for a terrible-hitting World Championship team? Not a good argument for a CAREER ACHIEVEMENT. (FYI--he's my deceased mother's all-time favorite.)
26. 1 That's ridiculous. They have a lot of terrible players that really don't even belong in there. And that'll just continue to lower the bar. This should be a Hall of the Elite. Phil Rizzuto? No. Bruce Sutter? No. Jim Rice (next year)? No.
27. 5--but I do actually want Barry Bonds in. Weird, huh? I think Bonds has been a Hall of Famer for years. The outcome of his ordeal NEEDS to be noted on his plaque.
28. 1 NEVER! He put his own selfish needs above the his team, above our game. I don't see how he can glamorize betting as he was growing up, expect us to believe that he never did it as a player, and then finally confess his lie and want us to get over it because it's 15 years in the past. The rules were clear on this one, the punishment was clear on this one.
29. 3 I was staunchly against this signing. I'm still against this signing, as it's still early, but I'm not as against it as I was before. What I didn't consider is by the time the deal is over, it's pretty likely that 11 per is what a 4 starter will be going for, if he's not already.
30. 1 It's compare and contrast. I know most of you love Moore and defend a lot of his moves just because they're his moves and maybe it's too early to judge him. Well, there are a lot of his moves that are good, a lot that are interesting and a lot that make me scratch my head. Anytime I see one singular similarity to this GM and GMs past, I'm going to point it out. When I see a similar philosophy, it's time for scrutiny.
31. 3 I don't know. A lot would have to go right. It might take six years to grow a farm system that will do good work for us. And it also depends on what is meant by contending. A 2003 season? I don't consider that contending, though by definition and limited to the small sample size of one very fun season, it is contending. But I consider contending to be a long run where we're favorites to win the division, wild card or be in the running for it for multiple seasons.
32. 5 He seems to be an all around good guy but I think that a manager doesn't have that much positive effect on a team...he's probably good enough to get a good team over a hump. but a bad manager can cause serious damage.
33. 4 Errors and fielding percentage leave out so, so, so much...but there are still a lot of questions that haven't been answered yet by the newer metrics.
34. 1 Why is this so much harder to understand than QB-rating? Why is that thing so much more acceptable than the "newer" baseball stats?
35. 5 By far.
36. 3 It's up and down. We've improved, I'd have to say, but by a small margin. How far will the Twins sink? Shouldn't they look to trade away Nathan at some point in 2008? The Sox haven't really done that much to improve and it's really not that hard to see them falling flat on their faces. Detroit has improved, but I'm not sure really by how much. Willis isn't that impressive to me. What will they get out of Zumaya? Jones? Rogers? Indians pretty much stood still.
37. 5 Slowly move him away from the closer spot. Maybe down one role per month. Closer in April, set-up in May, short relief in June, long relief in July, swingman in August, start in September. Advise player accordingly. Put a maximum on his innings.
38. 1 Inefficient.
39. 1 (They're grown men, not pre-schoolers.)
40. 3 I just don't really put that much weight into who is talking.
41. 1 Insanity not to protect a lefty 22 year old in Triple-A. He didn't have a great season by any means and maybe should have played out the whole season in Wichita, but you just don't risk those types of players when you have a farm system as crummy as ours is.
42. 1 Scott Boras, like it or not when he chases Beltran of our team, is doing his job. And com'on, what would baseball be without guys like Boras? It's not like the baseball owners were practicing good business until Marvin Miller, Donald Fehr, Scott Boras came out of the woodwork.
43. 2 I'm not greedy and there are so many other things that should go into decisions. And even if I would get him as my agent, which come to think of it, I might, I would donate significant portions of it anyways (I love to give away money to people that need help, no lie). The donating the money would be the main reason I'd pick him as my agent.
44. 5 YES. We need power. We need guys that know the importance of OBP. He's better than Ross Gload. He hasn't been caught cheating though I think he has cheated. I don't put weight into surly jerks messing up chemistry. And we need the prospects we'd get when trading him at the deadline.
45. 1 We weren't good in 2006, we were worse in 2007. Limiting Callaspo's playing time and adding only Jose Guillen isn't enough. I think Butler/Gordon will do much better, though they could have sophomore slumps, but that's not Moore adding to the offense.
46. 3 There are still a lot of question marks. Meche? Bannister? Greinke? How do we go from Silva/Kuroda/Whomever else was rumored to Brett Tomko? Who is going to really replace Greinke? Yabuta will have to be amazing to equal Riske and to be honest, I'm hoping for league average pitching out of him. Bale? de la Rosa? Hudson? YIIIKES!
47. 4 Wording keeps it from being a five. These things run in cycles. The National League is closing the gap.
48. 1 I fear that they'll do so for the wrong reason. I'm all about squeezing in offense wherever you can get it and I don't mind Butler at first, but I think that they might put him there, ready or not, just because they believe in that crap about a player being too young for an AL position known as the DH. It's a real thing and it needs to be filled by your best hitter who can't field. Simple.
49. 3 Too young, too promising for this to be make or break. At this moment, he's the young starter I hope to have for 10-15 years.
50. 4 He's getting older and his improvements have been minimal. If he doesn't get a lot better this year...maybe we should look for alternatives instead of continue to sign a subpar backstop to more expensive deals, though he's not really that expensive.
51. 5 See somewhere above.
52. 3 I don't really care apart from the added revenue, which again, I think is being misappropriated.
53. 3 Don't care how I get my fix.
54. 4 I think there's a pretty good chance of it, but I think there might be an equal chance of us getting out of the cellar. It's going to depend on two other teams, the Twins and the White Sox, both of whom have enough to beat us out. I'm impressed by the young players the Twins have. They're not going to be ready to contend for a few years, but that's not the same thing as avoiding the doormat.
55. 3 I don't think he did, but I don't really know. You can make a reasonable argument that he did it. The problem with most people trying to argue that he did it is they forget to add the reasonable part to it.
56. 1 Never. And not just the Royals. I don't boo. And I applaud good/great plays by the opposing team because I am entertained by such things.
57. 1 The K is gorgeous.
58. 2 I don't know. Blogs? Do message boards count? I spend a ton of time at Royalboard.com as everyone knows. I'm here a lot too, but also facebook and all kinds of other places. I'm a baseball junkie and I'm proud.
59. 4 Sometimes they think too highly of prospects. And that's probably not fair to them because it's prospects' nature to fail as most of them do. I enjoy their work overall and I love reading Callis' chat transcripts. I might have to move to Durham.
60. 1 He's awful. And it's unfortunate that that imbecile is the face of major league baseball.
61. 5 The world's most powerful union. There was once upon a time a clause that gave the commissioner power to protect the best interest of the sport. That was waived a long time ago.
62. 1 The basic stats are too dependent on mitigating factors. Should we punish Gil Meche because his offense doesn't protect him, which is what W-L does. Should we just consider a .500 slugging percentage to be better than .450 without taking into context era and league and ball park?
63. 4 Minor errors.
64. 5 Obviously.
65. 5 Far and away. It's not just about Huber though. It's about being an organization that has neglected its farm system for entirely too long not using the best prospects it has. Is Huber going to be Gordon? No. Is he going to be Prince Fielder some day? Of course not. But he's a young player that can produce at a good enough level for a 375 k player. We shouldn't just throw away a young player simply because he's not going to be an All-Star.
66. 2 I really have no idea. And what is a sub-4.00 ERA pitcher? A #2 these days? A #3? If his career ends with an ERA under 4.5, I'll think he's done very well for himself.
67. 1 Having the best pitchers available is more important than giving them different looks. Are you telling me that since they're all righties, Meche, Bannister and Greinke give hitters the same look over and over again?
68. 5 Obvious. Fluff or not.
69. 1 That rational is ridiculous. The Brewers are a similar team due to the size of Milwaukee, payroll, dependency on its farm system. But at the same time, had we moved instead of Milwaukee, would that assure us of not having David Glass as the owner? Would it mean we would have drafted smarter? It would mean that we wouldn't be in the tough AL Central, but there have been plenty of years when the NL Central was tough. There are plenty of years when the NL is the better league. It's ridiculous to assume that we'd be better off on February 5th, 2008 had we switched leagues in 1997.
70. 3 I love baseball. No negativity about a club. Supporters, on the other hand... Well, every club has them. Even Kansas City.
71. 1 That trade was horrible. Even if Teahen had maintained '06 Teahen, it would have been horrible simply due to the dynamics of the trade...the limitations that Allard put on himself. When you're trading superstar talent and you have a team on the brink, yes it's okay to get specific positions filled, but even then it's not completely advisable. Had he used his chips properly, I have little doubt that the Kansas City Royals would be better off at this exact moment. Little doubt whatsoever. But that would require Allard to be a different GM, a different person.
72. 5 That's obvious.
73. 5 That's obvious. They cost so little...and if you don't go into scouting with the "Draft Colt Griffin despite him having only one plus pitch and not knowing how to pitch", you get burned a little less often...and it hurts a little less when you do get burned. If you have a good foundation with good scouts and executives and coaches, then you really can't go wrong often enough to avoid the best simply because the best costs a bit more.
74. 5 PLAY ALBERTO CALLASPO!
75. 3 It is but not in the way people think. Is it important to have a fast guy at the top? Not really because you also put your John Bucks at the bottom and how often does the fast guy really lead off an inning? Not THAT often. If he's fast with a good OBP, go for it...but Willie Wilson and his .326? Umm...your chances of starting that inning with an out are extremely high.

[mtroyals]

"74. The Royals should seriously consider moving Mark Grudzielanek soon. 3 moving where? keep him at 2nd" I believe Royals Nation meant off the team...trade him. (So Callaspo [or someone else, I guess] can start.)

[FanOfJoseAgain!]

Glad I'm not the only one that didn't like taking the chance of leaving Lubanski off the roster.

[KC Royals Nation]

^Yes, I meant 'move' Grudz as in trade him.

Here are my own (these might not be the same as my replies over at Royals Review...but hopefully, they are ...they are followed by an extremely brief explanation).

1. Dayton Moore has performed exceptionally well as General Manager of the Royals.
4 - I wouldn't say 'exceptionally' well but most of the moves I have agreed with

2. I believe Buddy Bell performed well as manager of the Kansas City Royals.
1 - No; I've made my opinions of Buddy well known on a number of mediums.

3. I currently support and agree with the signing of Jose Guillen.
4 - It was probably the best of those available (Fukudome was a greater risk), so I'm on board. Funny that JGF! only responded with '4' as well. I don't think there were too many 5's here (or 1's)

4. I rely heavily on sabermetrics in my study of baseball.
5 - Where I can find them, they are certainly relevant.

5. Rank our offseason moves, using the 1-5 scale. (1 means we had a terrible offseason, 5 means we had an excellent offseason)
4 - We improved, but did we improve enough? I'm skeptical, but overall it was a good offseason.

6. The steroid use deserves to receive as much publicity as it has, as steroids are a prevalent problem in today's game of baseball.
5 - Steroids are bad, folks. They can kill you years sooner.

7. (1) = Hitting is more important in the success of 'x' ballclub, (5) = Pitching is more important in the success of 'x' ballclub
3 - Scouting and coaching is more important in pitching, but I tend to trust sabermetrics slightly more with hitters. I think it's more important that the right hitters in place, but more attention is devoted to pitching, if that makes sense. But the difference overall is quite minimal.

8. We should re-sign Mike Sweeney.
1 - No. I'm ready to see what we have in Shealy, Huber, and possibly Butler.

9. The Royals' record will improve considerably from last season.
5 - Yes, coupled with our pythag, it should improve by at least 6 games. That's a considerable improvement.

10. In 2008, Mark Teahen will fully regain the power he displayed in mid and late 2006.
1 - Not fully.

11. Alex Gordon's 2007 performance will have no effect on the rest of his career. In other words, his upside is still as great as it always was.
5 - No affect whatsoever.

12. In today's game, Major League Baseball players make too much money.
5 - It's obscene.

13. I supported the owners over the players in the 1994 Players strike.
4

14. Zack Greinke will become an above average pitcher in the Major Leagues.
5

15. The Royals will increase payroll to the mid-market range (say, 13-18 in payroll rankings) by 2010.
3 - I'm sure we (Glass) could if we (Glass) wanted to.

16. David Glass is an honest owner fully committed to bringing a winning franchise to Kansas City.
2 - His history says it all....Can he change? Maybe, but I'm skeptical.

17. If Dan Glass succeeds his father as the owner of the Royals, I will completely trust and support him as an owner.
2

18. I believe the original powder blue uniforms were unique and aesthetically pleasing.
2 - They inspire memories of winning baseball but, like most uniforms of the time, were not exactly aesthetically pleasing.

19. I consider the Cardinals and Royals rivals.
4 - But it's more difficult to be rivals in different leagues, and when the history is limited to one series 23 years ago.

20. I am indifferent towards - or support - the St. Louis Cardinals.
1 - But that '1' goes for many of their smug fans, not necessarily the players themselves or the idea of a St. Louis baseball team.

21. Generally, I have disdain toward the New York Yankees.
4

22. Economic disparity is having a negative impact on the game. (if the disparity even exists)
5 - +++++

23. Rowdy Hardy will eventually emerge as a big-league pitcher.
4 - Screw his velocity. He's dominated. Dominated.

24. Local media outlets such as the Kansas City Star generally do a good job reporting on the Royals.
4 - They fall short on investigative analysis, but generally do a good job reporting the facts.

25. Frank White deserves to go to the Hall of Fame.
1

26. I support the 'consistency' argument when determining Hall of Fame votes - if 'Player X' is in, 'Player Y' should be in.
4 - But that consistency ends at suspected steroid use, gambling, or another blatant and dramatic form of cheating.

27. I will never want supposed steroid users Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire to go to the Hall of Fame.
5 - I can't accept this theory that 'Bonds would have been historically great had he not taken steroids'.

28. Pete Rose should be inducted to the Hall of Fame.
2

29. I believe the Gil Meche acquisition will, overall, be considered a good one.
4 - A '2' or '1' here is extremely pessimistic. A season-destroying injury would have to occur, or a sudden and unexplained reverting to Jose Lima territory. By 2011, $11-13MM for a league average pitcher will be commonplace. So what's the big deal? It's David Glass' money that we spent well.

30. We should forget about what happened before the Moore administration, because it's in the past.
1 - No; we're still paying the dividends from the two previous administrations.

31. We will become a contending ballclub sometime within the next 6 years.
4 - I would like to raise that to a '5' by September.

32. I support the signing of Trey Hillman as manager of our ballclub.
5 - But it's difficult not to support such a signing, thus far.

33. Advanced defensive statistics such as zone rating are vital in determining the defensive ability of a ballplayer.
4

34. VORP (Value over Replacement Player) is overrated as a sabermetric statistic.
1

35. The biggest problem in the Baird and Robinson administrations was the lack of commitment to the amateur draft.
5

36. The A.L. Central, as a whole, has improved from 2007.
4 Detroit, Chicago, and K.C. are considerably better. Minnesota got significantly worse in the short term, and Cleveland will slightly gain from more experience, etc.

37. We should begin using Joakim Soria as a starter sooner rather than later.
2 - I'm skeptical he can be a reliable starter.

38. I supported the signing of Ross Gload to a 2-year, $3.2 million contract (with a 2010 club option).
3

39. I am worried that Jose Guillen may be a negative clubhouse force.
2

40. Bob Davis should continue announcing for the Royals ballclub, either on the radio or television.
1

41. I supported the decision to not protect former first round draft pick Chris Lubanski on the roster, in order to protect him from the Rule 5 draft?
1

42. Agent Scott Boras is negatively impacting the game of baseball.
5

43. If you were a star baseball player (hypothetically), you would choose Scott Boras as your agent.
1

44. If the money were available right now, I would support signing Barry Bonds to a 1-year contract.
5

45. Dayton Moore did a sufficient job in improving our offense to this ballclub this offseason.
3

46. Dayton Moore did a sufficient job in improving our pitching to this ballclub this offseason.
4

47. The American League will be significantly better than the National League in 2008.
5

48. The Royals should consider Billy Butler as the first baseman of the future.
4

49. 2008 is a make or break season for Zack Greinke.
2

50. 2008 is a make or break season for John Buck.
4

51. A baseball manager makes little to no difference in a team's performance.
2

52. I support the decision to eliminate RSTN, and move Royals games to the new network Fox Sports Kansas City.
5

53. I would rather listen to Royals games on radio than watch them on TV.
2

54. I predict the Royals to finish in last place in 2008.
1

55. A reasonable argument could be made that Mike Sweeney took performance enhancing supplements.
1

56. I would boo the Kansas City Royals (this can mean the players or coaches) while attending a baseball game.
4

57. I would have supported moving the Royals stadium to another location, such as Downtown Kansas City.
4

58. I read baseball blogs such as Royals Review often and it is where I get most of my baseball information. (Please, please be honest!!!!!!)
5

59. Baseball America does a good job at ranking prospects, and predicting their eventual success in the Major Leagues.
4

60. I believe Bud Selig has handled his job well as commissioner of Major League Baseball.
1

61. The MLB Players Association is too powerful.
5

62. I rely on basic statistics such as slugging percentage, RBI's, stolen bases, wins, and home runs more than advanced statistics such as Value Over Replacement Player, Runs Created, and OPS+.
3

63. The Royals are doing an exceptional job handling the remodeling/rebuilding process of Kauffman Stadium.
3

64. Any good pitcher can be implemented as a closer.
5

65. The Royals should taken Justin Huber, as a prospect, more seriously.
5

66. Brian Bannister will continue posting sub-4 ERA's for the forseeable future.
3

67. Having a left-hander in the starting rotation is vital for any MLB club.
1

68. Joe Posnanski is the best local journalist on the Kansas City Royals.
5

69. I am upset that the Royals didn't move to the National League, when they were faced with the decision before the 1998 season.
1

70. I have a negative opinion of the Chicago White Sox and their fans.
4

71. The Royals received a good return for Carlos Beltran, when they traded him in 2004.
2

72. Mike Sweeney deserves some blame for his continual injury problems during the latter part of his Royals tenure (thus far).
3

73. In every players' draft, taking the best player available is of the utmost importance.
5

74. The Royals should seriously consider moving Mark Grudzielanek soon.
4

75. Batting order and lineups are important over the course of an entire season, in getting the most success from a ballclub.
4

[skillset]

1. Dayton Moore has performed exceptionally well as General Manager of the Royals.
4
2. I believe Buddy Bell performed well as manager of the Kansas City Royals.
2
3. I currently support and agree with the signing of Jose Guillen.
4
4. I rely heavily on sabermetrics in my study of baseball.
4
5. Rank our offseason moves, using the 1-5 scale. (1 means we had a terrible offseason, 5 means we had an excellent offseason)
3
6. The steroid use deserves to receive as much publicity as it has, as steroids are a prevalent problem in today's game of baseball.
5
7. (1) = Hitting is more important in the success of 'x' ballclub, (5) = Pitching is more important in the success of 'x' ballclub
3 you just gotta out score your opponent. No one gets bonus points for scoring 10 runs a game or throwing a shutout.
8. We should re-sign Mike Sweeney.
1 LOL
9. The Royals' record will improve considerably from last season.
4
10. In 2008, Mark Teahen will fully regain the power he displayed in mid and late 2006.
1 Can't see that happening.
11. Alex Gordon's 2007 performance will have no effect on the rest of his career. In other words, his upside is still as great as it always was.
5
12. In today's game, Major League Baseball players make too much money.
2 In today's game, MLB charges too much money to attend a game. The players deserve their share of that.
13. I supported the owners over the players in the 1994 Players strike.
5
14. Zack Greinke will become an above average pitcher in the Major Leagues.
5
15. The Royals will increase payroll to the mid-market range (say, 13-18 in payroll rankings) by 2010.
4, I hope I'm right.
16. David Glass is an honest owner fully committed to bringing a winning franchise to Kansas City.
4 I think he is committed to a team playing above .500, which technically is a winning team, but I seriously doubt he is committed to winning a Championship.
17. If Dan Glass succeeds his father as the owner of the Royals, I will completely trust and support him as an owner.
2
18. I believe the original powder blue uniforms were unique and aesthetically pleasing.
5
19. I consider the Cardinals and Royals rivals.
2, Hard to be rivals when they play in different leagues.
20. I am indifferent towards - or support - the St. Louis Cardinals.
4, as long as they are not playing the Royals.
21. Generally, I have disdain toward the New York Yankees.
4
22. Economic disparity is having a negative impact on the game. (if the disparity even exists)
5+
23. Rowdy Hardy will eventually emerge as a big-league pitcher.
2
24. Local media outlets such as the Kansas City Star generally do a good job reporting on the Royals.
3
25. Frank White deserves to go to the Hall of Fame.
4
26. I support the 'consistency' argument when determining Hall of Fame votes - if 'Player X' is in, 'Player Y' should be in.
4, you gotta have standards for the different eras though. Comparing Cy Young to Bret Saberhagen doesn't work.
27. I will never want supposed steroid users Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire to go to the Hall of Fame.
1, It's part of the game.
28. Pete Rose should be inducted to the Hall of Fame.
3, he should only get in if baseball changes it standards and lets Shoeless Joe Jackson in too.
29. I believe the Gil Meche acquisition will, overall, be considered a good one.
5
30. We should forget about what happened before the Moore administration, because it's in the past.
1, what's wrong with a little history?
31. We will become a contending ballclub sometime within the next 6 years.
5
32. I support the signing of Trey Hillman as manager of our ballclub.
5
33. Advanced defensive statistics such as zone rating are vital in determining the defensive ability of a ballplayer.
5
34. VORP (Value over Replacement Player) is overrated as a sabermetric statistic.
2
35. The biggest problem in the Baird and Robinson administrations was the lack of commitment to the amateur draft.
5+
36. The A.L. Central, as a whole, has improved from 2007.
2
37. We should begin using Joakim Soria as a starter sooner rather than later.
3, next year is the time to try that.
38. I supported the signing of Ross Gload to a 2-year, $3.2 million contract (with a 2010 club option).
2, It's cheap, but I don't see the need for it.
39. I am worried that Jose Guillen may be a negative clubhouse force.
1
40. Bob Davis should continue announcing for the Royals ballclub, either on the radio or television.
4
41. I supported the decision to not protect former first round draft pick Chris Lubanski on the roster, in order to protect him from the Rule 5 draft?
4, his ceiling is limited and we didn't have a spot for someone like him.
42. Agent Scott Boras is negatively impacting the game of baseball.
5
43. If you were a star baseball player (hypothetically), you would choose Scott Boras as your agent.
1, I think he does a "great job" for his clients, but ethics would play a role for me.
44. If the money were available right now, I would support signing Barry Bonds to a 1-year contract.
4
45. Dayton Moore did a sufficient job in improving our offense to this ballclub this offseason.
2
46. Dayton Moore did a sufficient job in improving our pitching to this ballclub this offseason.
2
47. The American League will be significantly better than the National League in 2008.
2
48. The Royals should consider Billy Butler as the first baseman of the future.
5
49. 2008 is a make or break season for Zack Greinke.
2, He can thrive in the bullpen if he fails as a starter.
50. 2008 is a make or break season for John Buck.
5, Bat must meet ball more frequently if he wants to remain a regular.
51. A baseball manager makes little to no difference in a team's performance.
1
52. I support the decision to eliminate RSTN, and move Royals games to the new network Fox Sports Kansas City.
5
53. I would rather listen to Royals games on radio than watch them on TV.
3
54. I predict the Royals to finish in last place in 2008.
1, nope, 4th place is ours...
55. A reasonable argument could be made that Mike Sweeney took performance enhancing supplements.
1, not that I know of, but he did bulk up way too much to remain productive.
56. I would boo the Kansas City Royals (this can mean the players or coaches) while attending a baseball game.
2
57. I would have supported moving the Royals stadium to another location, such as Downtown Kansas City.
5
58. I read baseball blogs such as Royals Review often and it is where I get most of my baseball information. (Please, please be honest!!!!!!)
2, If Royals Nation counts then this is a 5.
59. Baseball America does a good job at ranking prospects, and predicting their eventual success in the Major Leagues.
3, mixed results but they have gotten much better in recent years.
60. I believe Bud Selig has handled his job well as commissioner of Major League Baseball.
4
61. The MLB Players Association is too powerful.
2, more like the owners are not as strong as a group as the players are.
62. I rely on basic statistics such as slugging percentage, RBI's, stolen bases, wins, and home runs more than advanced statistics such as Value Over Replacement Player, Runs Created, and OPS+.
1
63. The Royals are doing an exceptional job handling the remodeling/rebuilding process of Kauffman Stadium.
5
64. Any good pitcher can be implemented as a closer.
5, most overrated job on the diamond.
65. The Royals should taken Justin Huber, as a prospect, more seriously.
5, he also needs to stay healthy.
66. Brian Bannister will continue posting sub-4 ERA's for the forseeable future.
3, I see him right around 4 most years.
67. Having a left-hander in the starting rotation is vital for any MLB club.
2, Preferred, but not vital. I would take a rotation of Oswalt-Webb-Lowe-Beckett-Halladay. My point is that the important factor is the ABILITY of the pitchers. Giving teams a different look is a bonus, not a need.
68. Joe Posnanski is the best local journalist on the Kansas City Royals.
5, Easily.
69. I am upset that the Royals didn't move to the National League, when they were faced with the decision before the 1998 season.
2, not upset, but I did think they should have done it at the time.
70. I have a negative opinion of the Chicago White Sox and their fans.
5
71. The Royals received a good return for Carlos Beltran, when they traded him in 2004.
1
72. Mike Sweeney deserves some blame for his continual injury problems during the latter part of his Royals tenure (thus far).
5
73. In every players' draft, taking the best player available is of the utmost importance.
5
74. The Royals should seriously consider moving Mark Grudzielanek soon.
5, He should be traded by the end of July.
75. Batting order and lineups are important over the course of an entire season, in getting the most success from a ballclub.
5. Do you want John Buck getting 600 ABs or Billy Butler getting 600 ABs? Of course it is important who gets to hit most.

[mtroyals]

Over the course of the season, barring injury or overwhelming under performance, your starters are going to have approximately the same number of at bats...and Buck is a bad example because as a catcher he's going to get fewer days anyways. So Butler/DeJesus/Gordon/Grudzielanek/Guillen/Teahen will have somewhere around 550. And you set it up for the first inning, but after the first inning, does it really matter because at some point, someone's speed, most likely Gordon's in the current line-up, is going to be negated by Butler's lack of speed.

[skillset]

Over the course of a season, batting order plays a big role in who gets more ABs than their teammates. Lets look at a team that had a set lineup for the most part... the Tigers.

Granderson hit leadoff and played in 158 games with 612 ABs.
Inge hit in the 9 hole mostly during his 151 games and had 508 ABs.

I really don't think Granderson got those extra 104 ABs in the 7 games Inge sat the bench. Your top 4 to 5 hitters should get an extra AB on the nights your team scores some runs. They may get 5 ABs and the bottom half of the lineup only gets 4. This is less of an issue when your team struggles to score like the 2007 Royals, but that doesn't mean that there is not a fact of baseball that shows us that your leadoff hitter will lead the team in ABs.

[skillset]

mtroyals said:

And you set it up for the first inning, but after the first inning, does it really matter because at some point, someone's speed, most likely Gordon's in the current line-up, is going to be negated by Butler's lack of speed.

Of course it matters who hits behind who in a lineup. You have a good point about speed, and a manager would not want Butler hitting in front of Gordon because of that. You always want to have runners on base, preferably with some speed, when the sluggers come up to bat. If they knock the ball deep in the gaps or over the fence, you want those runners to score. Also you want your fly-ball hitters to hit behind the guys who hit the ball on the ground, so when you have a runner on 3B with less than 2 out a sac fly can score a run. I am sure you know all this basic baseball stuff already but your statement suggested that it did not matter what the batting order was after the 1st inning. And for some teams like the Yankees or Red Sox, it doesn't matter a whole lot because they have excellent hitters 1 through 9 most nights. But for teams like the Royals who have hitters like Buck and Pena at the bottom, it makes a big difference.

The Royals lineup has a few things set. Buck and Pena will hit 8 and 9 and have poor on-base percentages. So DeJesus, the leadoff hitter, will get very few chances to hit with runners in scoring position. We also know that Guillen will hit in the 3 or 4 hole, so we have to build the rest of the lineup around that. We also know that Buck and Pena are below-average with the bat, so whoever hits #7 does not have to be great at getting on-base because he will get left out there most times anyway.

So knowing the above, how would someone arrange the rest of the expected starting lineup (Butler, Gordon, Grudzielanek, Teahen, and lets go with Gload at 1B)?
I would arrange it this way:

1. DeJesus
2. Teahen
3. Guillen
4. Gordon
5. Butler
6. Gload
7. Grudzielanek
8. Buck
9. Pena

I think this best utilizes the offensive talent of the ball club. DeJesus and Teahen are the best on-base guys we have and having a RH-LH-RH hitting middle of the lineup is nice. I put the Gload/Shealy/Huber monster above Grudz due to his lack of on-base skills. Plus I like having someone who can handle the bat hitting in front of Buck, thus simplifying what would be asked of him.

[mtroyals]

Teahen
Guillen
DDJ
Butler
Grudzielanek
Gload
Gordon
Buck
Pena

It's funny to me that most people talk about pressuring the pitcher with speed, but it would seem that the best way to pressure the pitcher would be to have the guys with the best chance of getting on to do just that. Gordon would have the most room to improve his line-up standing in this scenario. And considering we're a team that's not known for its speed...

[sahurst]

1. 5
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