STREAKIN'

Don't look now, but by completing the three-game sweep of the A's today to win their fourth in a row, the Royals have pulled to under 10 games under .500. Baby steps, people. Baby steps.

Actually, "baby steps" is a good way to characterize the Royals' progress from last year:

July 30, 2007 (through 105 games)

47-58, last place, 14 games back, 490 RS, 512 RA, 5-5 in their last ten.

Aug. 4, 2007 (through 109 games)

48-61, last place, 13.5 games back, 507 RS, 543 RA, 5-5 in their last ten.

July 30, 2008 (through 109 games)

50-59, 2nd to last place, 11 games back, 454 RS, 528 RA, 5-5 in their last ten.

So, the Royals have two more wins and are 2.5 games closer to first place through the same number of games so far this year. They've scored 53 fewer runs, but have allowed 15 fewer runs.

On their 109th game last year, the Royals' lineup looked like this:

DeJesus CF
Grud 2B
Teahen RF
Butler DH
Gload 1B
Gordon 3B
Pena SS
Gathright LF
LaRue C
Davies SP

Today, the Royals' lineup was:

Aviles 2B
Maier CF
Gordon 3B
Guillen RF
Teahen LF
Butler DH
Gload 1B
Olivo C
Pena SS
Bannister SP

In both lineups, the backup catcher started in place of John Buck. Grud, of course, is still the regular 2B. Aviles has replaced Pena as the regular starter at short. DeJesus got the day off today. So, the main changes to the regular lineup from this time last year are: Aviles for Pena and Guillen for Gathright.

Thus, the Royals invested millions of dollars in an outfielder who has brought them more clubhouse blowups than additional wins. Their runs scored are down. Ross freaking Gload is still, somehow, the regular 1B--no progress on getting Billy Butler installed as the regular over there. Tony Pena Jr. finally sucked so bad that the Royals were forced to bring up a guy who was tearing up AAA, despite their best efforts to ignore him. Surprise, surprise...he's been a sparkplug for a terrible offense.

53 offensive runs worse than last year. 2 more wins. Ross Gload still at 1B. The major offseason acquisition turning into not only a bust, but a bust who is poisoning the clubhouse.

Let's hope the Royals' management has a better year between now and next August. Otherwise, we should expect to see a winning record, at this rate of improvement, somewhere around 2012...probably with Gload still at 1B.

NOW I'VE SEEN EVERYTHING: TPJ EDITION

I just watched Tony Pena Jr., epitome of 2008 Royals suckitude, get the backwards K on Ivan Rodriguez in the middle of a 1-2-3, 12-pitch 9th inning. Of course, he was pitching because Luke Hochevar (7 runs, 5 innings--#1 overall draft pick in 2006) and Jimmy Gobble (10 runs! 1 inning!) were utterly horrid, and Royals pitchers had already thrown 196 pitches in the game.

Pena Jr. was hitting 91 on the gun with a funky sidearm delivery and got IRod with a slow breaking ball...maybe the Royals could pull a reverse Rick Ankiel.

STATE OF THE PROGRAM: ROYALS MID-SEASON

It's the All-Star break, which means it's time to make the mid-season assessment of Royal futility. The Royals are 10 games under .500, 12 games out of first in the Central. Looking at this team, you can tell it's not really even that close to being in the race, though.

That being said, this year's Royals team looks different than the last few incarnations, even though the results so far aren't drastically different. So as we sit here today, let's take stock of what the Royals have, and whether they could feasibly put themselves in a position to be in contention as early as one year from now.

Lineup

Positions covered: CF, LF, RF, 2B, 3B, DH, C.

Positions needed: 1B, SS.

The Royals are adequate at many positions. Their main problem is the lack of impact bats. They have one in Guillen, at the OF/DH spot. They expect Gordon, at 3B, and Butler, at DH, to become impact bats, as well. Mike Aviles has been a nice bat at SS, but his defensive shortcomings mean that the best option for him with the Royals is going to be for his to compete with Callaspo for 2B next year. DeJesus is having a nice year, Teahen is having a decent year, and Gathright is a nice option off the bench with his speed.

The best option is going to be for the Royals to try to get an impact bat at 1B. Teixera will be the most obvious free agent meeting this description this coming off-season.

SS presents a bigger problem. Pena gives no indication of ever being an adequate big league shortstop. The Royals also don't seem to have much SS depth in the farm system. Mike Moustakas, the high school shortstop drafted by the Royals last year, is not projected to be a big league shortstop. It looks like there may be some adequate shortstop free agent possibilities next year, so maybe the Royals could go that route to get a player for 3-4 years while they acquire and develop a SS through their farm system. Given Dayton Moore's history with the Braves, it would be interesting to see if he would try to get Furcal for that role.

Pitching

Positions covered: 1/2SP, 3SP, 4SP, 5SP, CL, SU, LRP, MRP, MRP.

Positions needed: 1/2SP, MRP, MRP.

Provided Greinke doesn't suffer a drop-off in the second half, he looks like an ideal #2 starter, although you may be able to stretch him into a #1. Meche is looking more like the #3 starter he likely is, rather than the #1 starter he was tagged last year. Brian Bannister, Luke Hochevar, and Kyle Davies look like they are positioned to fight for the #4 and #5 spots, with the loser going into long relief in the bullpen.

In the pen, Soria looks to have the closer's role sewn up, but more on that a little later. Mahay has proven to be a good lefty option, and Ramon Ramirez looks solid in the setup role. Jimmy Gobble no longer looks like he has much of a future with this club, and Peralta doesn't seem to have the stuff to be considered a solid part of the future. We'll have to see how Horacio Ramirez and Robinson Tejeda perform the rest of the year, as well as Leo Nunez, who was off to a hot start before his injury.

The most pressing pitching need is going to be for the #1/#2 starter to pair with Greinke. The obvious candidates for this spot are CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets. You have to think that the Brewers will hold on to at least one of the two. The odds of the Royals being able to get the other probably aren't that great. Another approach that has been discussed is moving Soria to starter to see if he can become the guy to pair with Greinke at the top of the rotation. This would assumedly result in Ramirez or Nunez moving into the closer's role.

Although the Royals will need to get a couple of arms for the bullpen, this shouldn't be as tough a task. Between the arms in there, some up-and-coming arms in the minors, and the recent Royals strategy of shelling out a few million on a couple of free agent options, they should be able to cover those spots, and with the key spots in the bullpen possibly set, the Royals shouldn't have too much trouble maintaining a solid pen.

Conclusion

So, if the Royals can somehow come up with an impact bat at 1B, another top starter, and at least an average SS, and their returning players perform to expectations, then next year at this time they may be able to take a look at the standings and at least be in spitting difference. Of course, that's a lot of "ifs" for a franchise as futile as the Royals, so don't hold your breath.

BILLY BUTLER NEEDS AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT

Billy Butler thinks he's hot shit. You can tell from the way he swaddles to the plate. You can tell from the way he looks back at the umpire and mutters when he gets called out looking, yet again.

You can tell from the way he lays down a bunt with a runner on first in a tied game in extra innings, as he did last night, but lays it down right back to the pitcher, then fails to hustle down the line...resulting in a double play.

You can tell from the way he says, over and over again in interviews, that he doesn't really put too much preparation into hitting. "I just go up there, see the ball, try to hit the ball," he says.

Well, Billy, I'll tell you what. You may have been hailed as one of KC baseball's bright young stars, but you've still got a ways to go.

Butler's now played in 154 games, a pretty standard major league player's season's worth. His stats are 10 HR, 35 2B, 71 RBI, 47 BB, 85 SO, and a .279 average. You know what those stats are? Average. That's not star power. That's the next Emil Brown.

Add to that his inability to make any meaningful contribution in the field, and that's not much to write home about.

Butler got sent down earlier this season, supposedly at least in part for an attitude adjustment, but it doesn't seem to have taken hold. So, Billy, you can just go to the ballpark every day, get your paycheck, and act like a big shot without putting up the numbers.

Or, you can fix your attitude and start acting like you're at least trying to earn your paycheck. You can hustle and avoid dumb double plays. You can put a little more preparation into hitting. You've got some great natural ability, and it served you well in the minors, but in case you haven't noticed, it's a little tougher up in the bigs. Sure, you can probably keep hitting .279, with 10 HR each year, just by going up to the plate and hacking away. But if you want to become a good hitter, a great hitter, it's probably going to take more work. Tony Gwynn might be a good source of inspiration.

Kansas City loves you, Billy, and wants to keep loving you. But if you don't fix that attitude, pretty soon the love is going to be more commensurate with the stats you've been putting up.

GLORY DAYS: TOP 5 MEMORIES AT THE K

When I was a kid, my grandparents/parents had season tickets to the Royals. As a result, I'd typically attend about 20 games each summer. Once I got to college, my friends and I would come over to KC in the spring for weekend games, and attend even more once school was out for the summer. I'd estimate that I've attended more than 300 Royals games throughout my lifetime.

Why don't we take a break from our regularly-scheduled Royals-ineptness programming to relive five of the most memorable games in that bunch?

Game #5: August 1, 1993 vs. Cleveland Indians. George Brett homered and Kevin Appier took the 9-5 loss, but it was nothing on the field that made this a memorable game. Rather, it was when Ewing Kauffman's portrait was shown on the JumboTron and the PA announcer told the crowd that Kauffman, the savior of baseball in KC, had passed away earlier that day. Although the crowd was saddened, they had no idea that Kauffman's death, coupled with the strike the following year, would signify the beginning of a decline from which the Royals have yet to recover. Although the Royals had not made the playoffs since 1985, they had at least been trying, which is more than you can say for the organization for most of the period between 1995 and 2008.

Game #4: August 14, 2002 vs. New York Yankees. I'm sitting behind first base in the upper deck with some college friends. Sixth inning, Royals are tied 1-1 with the Yanks, and Mike Sweeney is on third base. For some reason, I turn to my friend and say, "Wouldn't it be something if Mike Sweeney stole home right now?" A pitch or two later, he does just that to give the Royals a 2-1 lead. My friend just turned, looked at me, and laughed.

Was it some sort of ballpark prescience with which I've been gifted, or was it the fact that I utter the words "Wouldn't it be something if Mike Sweeney stole home right now?" at least 15 times every day?

Game #3: July 19, 2003 vs. Seattle Mariners. Ask most KC guys my age, and they'll swear to you they were at this game...and although more than 39,000 were, odds are that the attendance has increased in the years since. In the middle of the Royals' only decent season since 1994, Beltran had the defensive highlight of the year when he reached beyond the center field fence to rob Seattle's Dan Wilson of a home run at a crucial point in the game.

The cool thing about the catch was that those of us sitting in the right field GA had the best view of Beltran's glove as it dipped over the top of the fence to snag the ball, and hence we were the first to see that Beltran had made the catch. As a result, the roar began in our section and then spread to the rest of the stadium as Beltran landed and revealed the ball in his glove.


Game #2: September 26, 1993 vs. California Angels. George Brett had announced his retirement either earlier this day or the day before. In the 4th, Brett hit a three-run homer to help give the Royals a 5-3 lead. If I remember correctly, Brett's double later in the game would drive in another. The most dramatic moment, though, came when the game was tied in the 10th. With two out, Brett hit a ball that barely scraped into the right field bullpen for a walk-off HR. It was a final great game for KC's greatest player. Since we were at the ballpark that day, we went ahead and bought tickets for...

Game #1: September 29, 1993 vs. Cleveland Indians.

ROYALS RENOVATIONS: FIXING WHAT'S NOT BROKEN, IGNORING WHAT IS

The Background

Earlier this season, SI.com presented the results of a fan survey and ranked major league ballparks accordingly. Ballparks were rated in 10 categories:

Affordability
Food
Team Quality
Tradition
Atmosphere
Fan IQ
Hospitality
Promotions
Traffic
Neighborhood

A little over two years ago, a brain-dead majority of Jackson County voters swallowed the stink bait fed them by their corrupt politicians (as well as the Hunts and David Glass) hook, line, and sinker, and ponied up $425 million for renovations to Arrowhead and Kauffman Stadium, despite a strong movement in KC to wait for a plan that would instead renovate Arrowhead and provide funding for a downtown baseball stadium. Of course, at the same time, the voters also rejected the idea of a rolling roof, an idea that had been pitched as a way to lure a Final Four or Super Bowl to Kansas City, thereby ensuring that not only would KC miss out on the economic benefit of a downtown stadium, but it would also miss out on the possibility of the economic benefit from a major sporting championship event. Kind of reminds one of this:



Anyway, once the Royals got around to deciding how to spend their windfall, they came up with this. The "features" of the new stadium?

• 39,000 seats
• Four new entry ticket gates
• New high definition scoreboard and control room
• New press facilities
• Fountain view terraces
• Outfield concourse
• Kid’s area
• Taste of KC
• Right field restaurant
• Left field hall of fame and conference center
• Group sales area
• Wide concourses
• New and upgraded concession and toilet amenities on all concourses
• Enhanced vertical circulation to all levels

Now that the renovations are underway, I thought it would be interesting to compare the "new and improved" Kauffman Stadium with the fan survey...see where improvements needed to be made and if the planned renovations address these improvements.

The Analysis

Affordability

While a move to a new ballpark could result in increased ticket cost, tickets did go up this year and are likely to do so as more and more of the renovations are complete, so this category is not very relevant.

Food

As with affordability, this category doesn't have much bearing on this discussion. Any additional options available after the renovations would likely be available in a new ballpark, too.

Team Quality

As the Royals have shown over the last 15 years, they can suck equally in any ballpark. Irrelevant.

Tradition

Now, here's a category that might cut a little toward renovation. After all, the Royals' glory years all occurred at Kauffman Stadium. That being said, Kauffman Stadium is only 35 years old, and its most popular elements, the fountains and scoreboard, would no doubt be incorporated into a downtown ballpark to preserve that tradition. More significantly, instead of watching trucks drive by on I-70, you'd have a beautiful view of downtown KC lit up at night.

Atmosphere

19th out of 30 clubs.

Anyone who has gone down into the Crossroads/Power and Light District since the Sprint Center opened can tell you about the electicity in the area on event nights. It's not hard to extend this to a ballpark in the Crossroads, where you'd get this electricity another 81 nights a year. And as mentioned in the previous category, imagine watching a fountain display with the Power and Light building, Sprint Center, Bartle Hall, Kauffman Performing Arts Center, and the rest of the downtown skyline rising behind. Before and after the game, you could hang out at one of the many eateries, bars, or other venues that have opened up downtown.

Instead, we get to continue listening to the trucks and looking at the FCA building and the Adams' Mark. If you want to do something after the game, you can enjoy a bean burrito at the Taco Bell across the street. Lovely.

The first major category impacted by the renovation debate, and it is decidedly in favor of a new downtown ballpark.

Fan Intelligence & Fan Hospitality

Not likely to change with location. Royals "fans" will continue to try to do the wave during crucial game situations no matter where they watch the game.

Promotions

Likely to be better in a renovated Kauffman than in a new ballpark, because fans sure aren't going to be coming out to enjoy a new ballpark, or a good team. The Royals marketing department looks to remain busy coming up with shiny new bribes to entice people out to the game.

Getting to the Game

19th out of 30 clubs.

The second major category impacted by the renovation debate, and once again decidedly in favor of a downtown ballpark. Kauffman Stadium is at the intersection of two interstates, and is designed to be driven to. With no residential areas in walking distance, and only one hotel, there is no accomodation made (or needed) for pedestrians. And since it's out in BFE, a cab fare is pricey. There are some buses that run, but they run as specials, limiting their routes and availability.

It's also conveniently located 30-40 minutes away from those parts of the Kansas City area that, demographically speaking, have the most disposable income for going out to sporting events. Move the stadium downtown, and it's 10-15 minutes closer to many of these areas.

Neighborhood

27th out of 30.

Well, no shit.

63% of the respondents rated the dining and drinking options within walking distance of the ballpark as "poor," with another 19% rating them as "below average." Incredibly, 4.9% rated them as "above average" and 3.8% actually rated them as "excellent." Someone must really love Taco Bell.

Alas...if only there were some neighborhood in Kansas City where you could put a stadium and have plenty of dining and drinking options within walking distance...

The Conclusion

In the three categories most affected by ballpark location, the Royals ranked toward the bottom of the league. When given a golden opportunity to improve in these areas and move into the Top 5 stadiums in baseball, they choked. Just another example of the ineptness that has plagued this organization in all facets of its business for the past 14 years.

The fans graded the Royals' ballpark before the season, and now I assign the Royals' handling of their ballpark business my own grade: epic fail.