And Now For Something Completely Different...

So I've been really negative about the Royals lately. And there's good reason for that. They are once again buried in last place and don't look like they will be competitive for the rest of the year. Add to that the flurry of bizarre roster moves and embarrassing on-the-field antics, and things are kind of depressing around Royals nation.

However, believe it or not, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic for the future of this team. Everyone expected the Royals to lose around 100 games this year, so there's no reason to be any less optimistic than last year at this time. In fact, there are a few reasons to be even more optimistic right now. Here are some of those reasons:

• The bullpen. Let's be honest, everyone pretty much expected that our bullpen was going to be terrible this year. Inexperience is the theme, so some struggles should be expected. But what we got instead is the undeniable highlight of this team. What is essentially a group of rookies and Joakim Soria has turned out to be lights out. And the best part is that they're young, and are only going to get better. Do you know how scary that is (for other teams)?
• Danny Duffy. Although he got off to a somewhat shaky start, Duffy continues to get better and better every time he takes the hill. The Royals' starting pitching woes are well documented, so seeing a guy that is going to be a part of the future rotation do well early is really nice. And there's more pitching help on the way. Help that may come as early as next year with Aaron Crow possibly moving to the rotation.
  
• Alcides Escobar. This guy is becoming one of my favorite Royals to watch. Alcides has been wowing with his glove all year, but it wasn't until recently that he started hitting. In fact, since June 1st, he's batting over .300. If Escobar can bat somewhere around .270 and be a steady base stealer, this guy is going to be key in the Royals becoming competitive in the future.
• Young hitters. Eric Hosmer came up and immediately was impressive. He was cruising with a .300 average or better for his first month or so in the big leagues, but he has fallen off lately. However, there is no denying that this guy is going to be a stud. Once he has some time in the majors under his belt and gets a chance to make adjustments, watch out. On the flip side, Mike Moustakas has not looked good for the most part. But once again, he's young and is seeing top-notch pitching for the first time in his life. He's obviously got natural talent and he will definitely get better with experience. And how about Alex Gordon? Once viewed as a bust, all he's done this year is busted out the bat and should of been an All-Star. The Royals are putting together a great young core of hitters, with others such as Johnny Giavotella and Wil Myers on their way as well. This is going to be a scary offense if everything clicks with these young guys.

So Royals fans, try not to be too down during these frustrating days. If you look beyond the horizon just a little bit, there's a hint of something great.

Quick Review: The Tree of Life

Before I start with my thoughts on The Tree of Life, let me set a scene for you: The final screen fades to black. Almost as soon as the words "written and directed by Terrence Malick" appear on the screen, two things happen. An exhausted man behind me in the theater exclaims- "thank God," while about five or six others break out into applause. Immediately following that, audible groans. That perfectly sums up the film- polarizing.

This movie is definitely not for everyone. Anyone who is prone to falling asleep during long movies or needs something exciting happening on screen the majority of the time need not apply. This is a slow, slow movie. This is not necessarily a bad thing of course. It's deliberate and meaningful in it's pacing. The result is a mesmerizing experience, for people willing to indulge it.

Having said that, this is, in my opinion, the most technically stunning movie ever made. Avatar got high praise for being visually amazing, and I agree that James Cameron's magical, made-up world looked pretty great. However, what The Tree of Life does is far more impressive- it magnifies and demonstrates the wonders of OUR world. Sometimes we don't understand how amazing the world around us is every day. This film makes you think about and more fully appreciate these things.

There is an overarching narrative, but the meaning is open for interpretation. It definitely contains very spiritual imagery and themes, but I believe no matter what faith you are a part of, you will find something to grasp on to here. And that's the power of a good piece of art. It can be all things to all people at the same time. It is what you think it is.

If you are willing to give a chance to a movie that is very challenging and unconventional, then I definitely recommend this film. However, if you're just looking for a good time at the theater, your money is best spent elsewhere. Unfortunately, it's already too late for the man who sat behind me at Glenwood Arts Theater on Friday night.

Angry Royal Rant 7/9/11

This likely won't be a long post, but I was just thinking about something today.

It's been well-documented (mostly by me) that the Royals' management have made some awful decisions in 2011. Some of these decisions being ones that have no clear purpose. Watching this is incredibly frustrating as a fan. We have no control over this, and to see our team getting screwed by the people who run it night-after-night can be infuriating.

I believe that whenever the front office makes a move, they should have to be upfront about why they're doing it. They should have to be held accountable by us, the fans, the ones who support them with our money. I'm tired of secrecy. I'm tired of "trust the process." They need to start explaining their bonehead decisions, or else, as far as I'm concerned, all they're doing is throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks.

In some bizarre, utopian reality where management has to answer to the fans, here are just some of the questions I'd ask:

• Why add Kyle Davies, a career under-achiever who is 1-7 with an ERA over 7, into one of the already worst rotations in baseball? Give us one more opportunity to lose every week?
• When we're already losing in bunches, why do you continue to play Matt Treanor, an old fart who can't hit a lick, but is supposedly good behind the plate? What is the point of that?
• Why the constant lineup shakeups? Our offense is not the problem. If a player is hitting well in a spot- KEEP HIM THERE.

As always, I'll have more later. But for now, I'm going to go sit by the beach and dream of a world where the Royals aren't run by monkeys.