Welcome to the my first Angry Royal Rant section of the year. These will likely be coming fast and furious as the Royals' season starts to circle the drain.
If you're my Facebook friend or follow me on Twitter, you know that I'm pretty passionate about the Royals. And along with that, remember that the Royals haven't been to the playoffs since 1985, which was four years before I was born. And since I've been a fan, they've had exactly ONE winning season. They were just four games over .500. So I have every reason to be frustrated, cynical even. And there are definitely times where those attitudes take over. But the bottom line is that I love the Kansas City Royals. When I get mad and criticize them it's only because I want so badly for them to be good and I care so much.
That being said, the Royals now have the #1 farm system in baseball and many predict a bright future is ahead. They have already seen some young players called up who are already making an impact. So there's reason to be optimistic.
But of course, we still have to suffer through the present. And there are plenty of reasons to be angry with the current team. So now, here's the real reason(s) I'm writing this first Angry Royal Rant section:
- Jeff Francouer. Francouer is a seasoned veteran who has always been known for his strong arm. Early in the season, he actually played quite well. He was hitting home runs at a consistent pace and hitting for a good average. Then, the month of June came. Long story short, he now couldn't hit a baseball if he was holding a bat the size of Texas. He's just terrible. He swings at everything, unless it's a good pitch to hit. He lets those go on by. Despite the fact that this guy doesn't belong on our AA team, the Royals throw him out there every day and at a spot in the lineup that is expected to drive in runs. This wouldn't make me quite as angry if we had no one else to play in right field instead. But our minor league system is bursting with major league-ready talent that could immediately be an upgrade. I have a feeling it has something to do with the Royals management respecting a veteran player. But their job is to win games, not make sure a guy's feelings aren't hurt. It's been assumed that we are eventually going to trade this guy. Now, that moment can not come soon enough.
- Ned Yost's dartboard managing style. Yesterday, the Royals' manager Ned Yost shook up the lineup due to the Royals' recent offensive struggles. There's no problem with that concept, but the way he put together the new batting order was ridiculous. The first thing that confuses me is that he moved Alex Gordon from #1 (where he had been thriving) to #5. Gordon has showed he can get on base reliably, which is the lead-off hitter's job. Instead, at #1 Yost put Melky Cabrera. There's not necessarily anything terrible about that, but....why? There's no good reason to do that. It's obvious he's just throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks. But he's also ignoring the things that have "stuck" in the past. The other puzzling thing he did was put Billy Butler back at #3, where he was notorious for hitting into double plays. And what did he do in his very first game hitting there? I'll let you take a guess.
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