The Royals are not the MLB equivalent of Rice. The Royals won a World Series championship, an achievement that many teams, including the Astros and Rangers, can't claim. They are a small-market team just beginning to recover from years of bad front-office management.
⚾ KC Royals Royals winning more championships
- Thread starter Steve Zissou
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I was in OKC a couple of days ago and took in a Redhawks vs Omaha Royals game... Batting 4th for the Omaha Royals was Billy Butler.. Wow, I got to see one of my starters, no longer in the majors, for a 20 man fantasy AL league. Didn't expect that.
The Drillers win the dedicated crowd and showing up... OKC wins when it comes to the facility (it was dead Tuesday night). I hope when we build the new ballpark downtown (it will be), we don't go on the cheap.
The Drillers win the dedicated crowd and showing up... OKC wins when it comes to the facility (it was dead Tuesday night). I hope when we build the new ballpark downtown (it will be), we don't go on the cheap.
Nice pitching on both sides tonight. Difference was that they have Ron Villone who's been awful since the day he stepped in the league. Hopefully Bannister and Grienke give the same effort Davies did tonight. I suspect we'll score another two or three runs win or lose tomorrow night, then explode for 10-plus Thursday.
Mariners miss Guillen
Ex-Seattle general manager Bill Bavasi, fired Monday, cited the decision last winter not to retain outfielder Jose Guillen as the biggest factor this season in the Mariners’ poor play.
“It’s really ironic,” Bavasi said in a news conference after his dismissal, “that the person we’re missing the most is Jose Guillen.
“He could do some strange things, and he did, but at the top of his agenda was to win, and if anybody got in the way of playing the game right, he had no patience with that.”
The Mariners opted not to exercise a $9 million option to retain Guillen for this season.
?The Royals are 5-2 this season in interleague play and have won 25 of their last 40 games against National League opponents.
Ex-Seattle general manager Bill Bavasi, fired Monday, cited the decision last winter not to retain outfielder Jose Guillen as the biggest factor this season in the Mariners’ poor play.
“It’s really ironic,” Bavasi said in a news conference after his dismissal, “that the person we’re missing the most is Jose Guillen.
“He could do some strange things, and he did, but at the top of his agenda was to win, and if anybody got in the way of playing the game right, he had no patience with that.”
The Mariners opted not to exercise a $9 million option to retain Guillen for this season.
?The Royals are 5-2 this season in interleague play and have won 25 of their last 40 games against National League opponents.
Nice young pitcher in Davies, he seems to have finally bloomed in the majors after three tough seasons. All 3 KC pitchers looked good last night.
This wasn't a bad night night for the Cardinals except for the loss. Pineiro looks to back to full health, and Isringhausen might have some potential shelf life after all. Villone and the other relievers have been getting hit lately, they getting tired.
You'll get a chance to see the team's mystery man come Thursday night, when Reyes takes Wellemeyer's slot. Reyes can't be hit upon in the triples, but he gets shellacked when called up, although he had a 1,2,3 closing against the Phillies Sunday.
This wasn't a bad night night for the Cardinals except for the loss. Pineiro looks to back to full health, and Isringhausen might have some potential shelf life after all. Villone and the other relievers have been getting hit lately, they getting tired.
You'll get a chance to see the team's mystery man come Thursday night, when Reyes takes Wellemeyer's slot. Reyes can't be hit upon in the triples, but he gets shellacked when called up, although he had a 1,2,3 closing against the Phillies Sunday.
He threw 112 pitches through 7, so I think I pull him before the 8th. I wouldn't PH Hermann for him though. Zac has the better BA.
I know. Just b/c Germany is kicking Portugal's ass right now, doesn't mean you have to bat Steve German.
Billy Butler is tearing up AAA since he was sent down... .391 and a rbi machine like he was in preseason.
KC needs to get him back up and fast.
KC needs to get him back up and fast.
Besides relief, the Cardinals got excellent starting pitching in this series, so Cardinal fans shouldn't be discouraged about long-term prospects. Cardinals are hurting in two obvious areas presently, relief and hitting. Relief pitching will work itself out with rest and Wainright and Wellemeyer back in the rotation, and hitting will take care of itself when Pujols and Molina are in the lineup again, the two most valuable players besides pitchers. In sports, it's all about timing, Kansas City played a wounded Cardinal team, and did what championship teams do when playing wounded foes, beat them. Now, if the Royals keep it up and win their next 15 series, they'll be back in contention for post-season, like the Cardinals.
If we can keep taking 2 of 3 for the next month, I would be most pleased. I'll be rooting for the Dodgers and waiting for Ozzie to blow his top ... again.
Quirk, Hurdle look back in return to KC
06/24/2008 10:27 PM ET
By Mark Dent / MLB.com
KANSAS CITY -- Sometimes, past memories of powder blue and crowns come to Jamie Quirk and Clint Hurdle during games.
One flashback happened earlier this year. Colorado was up, 11-0, early in a game. Quirk, the Rockies' bench coach, and Hurdle, the manager, started talking about a time in their playing careers with the Royals when they were trailing, 11-0, to Milwaukee on a Saturday night. Their then-manager, Whitey Herzog, took out as many of the regulars as he could, and put in the reserves.
He didn't stop there. Herzog told all his starters to go back to the hotel, so they left. Kansas City won that night, 13-11.
"Those guys didn't even realize we'd won until the next day," Quirk said.
All kinds of memories started to float back for Quirk and Hurdle as the Rockies are in the middle of a three-game series at Kansas City. The pair, each first-round Draft picks of the Royals, won division titles and played in a World Series, Quirk as a catcher, Hurdle as an outfielder.
Although some of their thoughts about the past are the same, like that game in Milwaukee, the city has a different feel for each.
For Quirk, Kansas City is his home. It has been full-time since 1978. Baseball took him to several other locations, but he raised his family in Kansas City, and always remembered it fondly.
Hurdle was traded from the Royals in 1981 and has not been back until his Rockies team got into Kansas City on Sunday night. When he visited the Plaza on Sunday, he got lost.
Instant Success
A 17-year-old Quirk was drafted by the Royals in the first round of the 1972 Draft. The Royals had been in existence since 1969. By the time Quirk got his first significant playing time with the club in 1976, the Royals were a power.
They won the American League West that season. Quirk was back again in 1978 after spending a season with the Twins, and Kansas City won the division that year, too. The '80s were even better.
Quirk played in the World Series in 1980 when the Royals lost to the Phillies and again in 1985, when they won against the Cardinals.
"I don't have one bad memory," Quirk said. "My whole 25 years in the organization, not one."
Life outside of baseball was sweet, too. Quirk grew up in Southern California. The change of scenery and actual cold temperatures and snow in the winter deepened his fondness for the city. The people were nice and recognized him around town. Soon he met his wife, Anna, who was from the area.
All of it made him want to stay. Quirk played for several other teams, but always found his way back to the Royals. After his career ended, he got a job on the Royals coaching staff and stayed there from 1994 until 2001.
When Quirk found out that Colorado would visit Kansas City this season, he started looking forward to it right away. The last two days he's met with several friends. None of the staff or players from his stint as coach are with the Royals anymore, but he talked to clubhouse employees, ushers and equipment managers.
Quirk's also had a reunion with former teammates. He's spoken with Frank White and Paul Splittorff, and went out with George Brett the last two nights. And of course, Quirk's gotten to spend time with his family and sleep in his own bed -- the two best parts of the trip.
"I've always loved the community," Quirk said about Kansas City. "It's just home now."
The Phenom
Kansas City fans will always remember Hurdle for the cover. Sports Illustrated gave Hurdle top billing in a 1977 issue with the caption, "This Year's Phenom."
Hurdle had been in the visitors' dugout for no less than 30 minutes Monday before he saw that old cover. A fan handed it to him, and Hurdle signed it.
"Oh, I've got it already, I don't need it," Hurdle joked.
Hurdle never quite lived up to the expectations promised on that cover. He appeared in just nine games in '77, and got regular playing duty only in '78 and '80. The Royals traded him in the winter of '81, and that was it.
Hurdle wouldn't step foot in the city again until Sunday night, and even then, he didn't get the best reaction.
A driver suggested Plaza III, a steakhouse, as a good place to dine for Hurdle and his wife, Karla. Hurdle had been there before, back in his playing days. This time, they walked in, and Hurdle told the man working there they'd like to have dinner. The worker said the restaurant was closed.
Hurdle and his wife went up the street to Brio Tuscan Grille and happened to cross by Plaza III again after their meal. About 10 of Hurdle's players were sitting at a table having dinner.
Did they remember him at the Plaza III?
"Obviously," Hurdle said.
Return to Kansas City
There they were in the outfield at Kauffman Stadium, Nos. 13 and 9. Hurdle wears 13 as manager and Quirk wears No. 9 as bench coach, and some of the Rockies players put the numbers out there before early batting practice, giving Hurdle and Quirk some recognition for their Kansas City playing days.
They both got a kick out of it. This series has been all about remembering the past and Hurdle and Quirk's time during the Royals' Golden Age.
Quirk is in Kansas City as often as he can, and can never get enough of it.
Hurdle says he hasn't had any fuzzy feelings or any of alienation. He'll never feel the same about the city as Quirk, but Hurdle still has enough of the good memories.
"This place was in the diamond lane at that time," Hurdle said. "We were drawing people from all over the Midwest. We had a good team. It was exciting, and we could beat you a number of ways. It was fun."
06/24/2008 10:27 PM ET
By Mark Dent / MLB.com
KANSAS CITY -- Sometimes, past memories of powder blue and crowns come to Jamie Quirk and Clint Hurdle during games.
One flashback happened earlier this year. Colorado was up, 11-0, early in a game. Quirk, the Rockies' bench coach, and Hurdle, the manager, started talking about a time in their playing careers with the Royals when they were trailing, 11-0, to Milwaukee on a Saturday night. Their then-manager, Whitey Herzog, took out as many of the regulars as he could, and put in the reserves.
He didn't stop there. Herzog told all his starters to go back to the hotel, so they left. Kansas City won that night, 13-11.
"Those guys didn't even realize we'd won until the next day," Quirk said.
All kinds of memories started to float back for Quirk and Hurdle as the Rockies are in the middle of a three-game series at Kansas City. The pair, each first-round Draft picks of the Royals, won division titles and played in a World Series, Quirk as a catcher, Hurdle as an outfielder.
Although some of their thoughts about the past are the same, like that game in Milwaukee, the city has a different feel for each.
For Quirk, Kansas City is his home. It has been full-time since 1978. Baseball took him to several other locations, but he raised his family in Kansas City, and always remembered it fondly.
Hurdle was traded from the Royals in 1981 and has not been back until his Rockies team got into Kansas City on Sunday night. When he visited the Plaza on Sunday, he got lost.
Instant Success
A 17-year-old Quirk was drafted by the Royals in the first round of the 1972 Draft. The Royals had been in existence since 1969. By the time Quirk got his first significant playing time with the club in 1976, the Royals were a power.
They won the American League West that season. Quirk was back again in 1978 after spending a season with the Twins, and Kansas City won the division that year, too. The '80s were even better.
Quirk played in the World Series in 1980 when the Royals lost to the Phillies and again in 1985, when they won against the Cardinals.
"I don't have one bad memory," Quirk said. "My whole 25 years in the organization, not one."
Life outside of baseball was sweet, too. Quirk grew up in Southern California. The change of scenery and actual cold temperatures and snow in the winter deepened his fondness for the city. The people were nice and recognized him around town. Soon he met his wife, Anna, who was from the area.
All of it made him want to stay. Quirk played for several other teams, but always found his way back to the Royals. After his career ended, he got a job on the Royals coaching staff and stayed there from 1994 until 2001.
When Quirk found out that Colorado would visit Kansas City this season, he started looking forward to it right away. The last two days he's met with several friends. None of the staff or players from his stint as coach are with the Royals anymore, but he talked to clubhouse employees, ushers and equipment managers.
Quirk's also had a reunion with former teammates. He's spoken with Frank White and Paul Splittorff, and went out with George Brett the last two nights. And of course, Quirk's gotten to spend time with his family and sleep in his own bed -- the two best parts of the trip.
"I've always loved the community," Quirk said about Kansas City. "It's just home now."
The Phenom
Kansas City fans will always remember Hurdle for the cover. Sports Illustrated gave Hurdle top billing in a 1977 issue with the caption, "This Year's Phenom."
Hurdle had been in the visitors' dugout for no less than 30 minutes Monday before he saw that old cover. A fan handed it to him, and Hurdle signed it.
"Oh, I've got it already, I don't need it," Hurdle joked.
Hurdle never quite lived up to the expectations promised on that cover. He appeared in just nine games in '77, and got regular playing duty only in '78 and '80. The Royals traded him in the winter of '81, and that was it.
Hurdle wouldn't step foot in the city again until Sunday night, and even then, he didn't get the best reaction.
A driver suggested Plaza III, a steakhouse, as a good place to dine for Hurdle and his wife, Karla. Hurdle had been there before, back in his playing days. This time, they walked in, and Hurdle told the man working there they'd like to have dinner. The worker said the restaurant was closed.
Hurdle and his wife went up the street to Brio Tuscan Grille and happened to cross by Plaza III again after their meal. About 10 of Hurdle's players were sitting at a table having dinner.
Did they remember him at the Plaza III?
"Obviously," Hurdle said.
Return to Kansas City
There they were in the outfield at Kauffman Stadium, Nos. 13 and 9. Hurdle wears 13 as manager and Quirk wears No. 9 as bench coach, and some of the Rockies players put the numbers out there before early batting practice, giving Hurdle and Quirk some recognition for their Kansas City playing days.
They both got a kick out of it. This series has been all about remembering the past and Hurdle and Quirk's time during the Royals' Golden Age.
Quirk is in Kansas City as often as he can, and can never get enough of it.
Hurdle says he hasn't had any fuzzy feelings or any of alienation. He'll never feel the same about the city as Quirk, but Hurdle still has enough of the good memories.
"This place was in the diamond lane at that time," Hurdle said. "We were drawing people from all over the Midwest. We had a good team. It was exciting, and we could beat you a number of ways. It was fun."
Not sure who pitches for the Rockies tonight. Some hombre named Cook. The only Cook I remember was middle reliever Dennis Cook who always looked constipated when he pitched.
We need Minnesota to relax and start playing .500 baseball so we got a chance to catch 'em by late July.
We need Minnesota to relax and start playing .500 baseball so we got a chance to catch 'em by late July.
After Clint Hurdle's rookie season, a sportswriter asked Hurdle if he thought he lived up to expectations. Hurdle replied, "If I had lived up to expectations I would have won the batting title, led the league in home runs and RBIs and married Marie Osmond."
DAY-UM we ain't too shabby! This is where I thought we would be this time of year. Since I didn't anticipate the 11-game losing streak, I figgered we'd be about two to four games under .500 right now. So, that said, I'm pretty happy. Let's keep it up.
+1, We are only 7 games out, when the Braves made their first run at a division title in the early '90s I think they were 9 games behind the Dodgers at the all-star break.
I wonder if we will try to get another bat in the lineup. If we had another outfield bat to go with DeJesus and Gullien, Baird would be jealous.
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