Weekend in Review

Tough loss yesterday, though there was no shame in the way the Royals played. The Royals just had a few breaks late in the game, which cost them dearly. The Royals stand at 30-57 at the Break, the second worst record in all of baseball. They're on pace for a 56-106 record, which would mark two consecutive seasons with sub-60 wins and no relief in sight.

I don't think it's going to get much better in the second half. The offense is pathetic; they don't hit for average, they don't have plate discipline, they don't hit for power and they don't even run the bases very well. But that's a constant. The main reason I think the Royals are going to have a very difficult second half of the season is their starting pitching. The Royals have at least two starting pitchers - Jose Lima and J.P. Howell - who do not give the Royals a chance to win when they pitch. Greinke hasn't been much better, frankly. Carrasco and Hernandez have been the only semi-consistent performers in the rotations, but they're both #3/#4 type starters anyway (and I'm still amazed how Carrasco has been able to succeed given his rotten K/BB ratios).

Even worse, there isn't any help on the horizon. Brian Anderson reaggravated his elbow injury over the weekend and is probably out for the season. Denny Bautista continues to experience shoulder problems and the Royals will (smartly) keep him on a protective leash the rest of the season. There are no starting pitching prospects in the minors worthy of a call-up right now either other than Kyle Snyder, who is also on injury rehab (story of his life).

Sadly, I think the Royals have little choice but to keep Lima in their rotation for the rest of the year. He's not injury prone and does provide some innings, and I'd rather see him filling that spot instead of another rushed minor leaguer (and he's been a bit better of late). Howell needs to be sent down to AAA posthaste before his confidence is completely shattered; he's just not ready, physically or mentally, to handle major league pitching. Howell has provided Clear Example #2 in 2005 of why no one should ever try to glean anything from one performance (the first being Denny Bautista). I expect the Royals will probably try to replace Howell in the rotation with Kyle Snyder, though its hard to know how much to expect out of Snyder. Unfortunately, the Royals just don't have many options right now.

-- Joe Nathan's lifetime line against the Royals:

15.2 IP, 8H, 3R (2ER), 1HR, 5BB, 23K, 0.83 WHIP, .145 BAA

And that's AFTER Sweeney finally broke through against him yesterday.

Damn, Nathan is good. Why can't the Royals make trades like that? The Twins get Joe Nathan, the Royals get Eli Marrero.

-- I think it was Fred White who was calling the game today with Ryan, and wow, he is bad. He has a very, very hard time keeping up with what's happening in the game. Throughout baseball, it seems like its very hard to let go of a broadcasting legend. Here in New York, the Mets suffered with Bob Murphy's incoherence for years, but he was such a Met legend that they really had no choice but to let him leave on his own terms or face a media and PR backlash. He finally retired a couple of years ago, well beyond his usefulness as a radio broacaster (and passed away soon therafter, R.I.P).

Fred White is indeed a Royal legend, and as such should have been allowed to retire on his own terms or at least eased out behind the scenes with as little pressure as possible, allowing him to leave with his grace and dignity intact. Of course, the Royals dismissed him unceremoniously a few years ago, only to bring him back when people following the inevitable media and PR firestorm. It was a classless move by the Royals, but I at least can sympathize with the thought: Fred's just not capable anymore (and at least he only does spot broadcasts). Perhaps the Royals will do right by him this time and open the door for him this time, rather than kicking him through it.