Spring Training Notes: February 24

On Sunday, the Royals played a 4 1/2 inning intrasquad game in which Ryan Shealy and Ross Gload hit home runs. Both of these guys may be fighting losing battles considering the logjam at first base this season, but it’s good to see them both swinging the bat well. Alberto Callaspo, affectionately known as “Bert” by Trey Hillman, had two hits.

It’s too early to say who is going to wind up hitting third this season, but David DeJesus is going to at least get a look in the three hole this spring. Bob Dutton pointed out that the combination of players who hit third last season for the Royals only hit .247. DeJesus didn’t fare much better in the 24 games he hit there—hitting just .253, but he has been one of the most consistent hitters on the team over the past few seasons. I’m not convinced he’s a legitimate number three hitter, but he does drive in runs (73 last season—even though he spent the majority of it in the leadoff spot). When you look at the rest of our lineup, DeJesus seems to be the best man possible for the job—unless Alex Gordon finally begins to settle in and drive the ball. DeJesus drove in more runs than Gordon did last season.

The Royals have Derrick Robinson following Coco Crisp around Spring Training to learn as much as he can. Remember the hype about Robinson’s speed when he first signed with the Royals in 2006? Well, he’s living up to the hype so far. In Wilmington last season, he stole 62 bases in 124 games. And he did that with a .245 average. Imagine what could happen if he improved his average by thirty points? In addition to his low batting average, he strikes out way too often for a guy with no power, so he probably won’t see the Major Leagues any time soon. But he seems to be excited about just being in camp. Let’s just hope it helps him.

Tony Pena underwent lasik eye surgery during the offseason and he’s seeing the ball better according to Hillman. In the Dominican Winter League he hit .275 with a .347 OBP—both of which are considerably higher than his career averages (.237 AVG, .255 OBP). I don’t think Mike Aviles is in danger of losing his job at shortstop any time soon, but maybe Pena can find a way to hang on to a Major League job if he is able to improve as much as he did during the DWL.

John Bale is battling a sore shoulder or back, depending on which source you read. Jose Guillen’s sore shoulder and big toe are feeling better. He shagged balls in the outfield during BP recently.

The Royals begin Cactus League play tomorrow afternoon against the Rangers.

Spring Training Notes: February 20

You’ve got to love this time of year as a baseball fan. Teams aren’t playing games yet, so the stories that come out of camp are all we’ve got. Well, that and speculation about the coming season.

One story we’re hearing is about Jose Guillen removing his own toe nail because it was ingrown. Guillen went to a pharmacy, got some tweezers, and pulled it out over the course of an hour. My knees went weak just thinking about it. I’ve had the surgery a couple of times in a doctor’s office. I wouldn’t dream about doing it myself. Give me the shots to numb the pain please. I’m guessing that Dayton Moore and Trey Hillman weren’t too pleased to hear about Guillen’s actions, but you just know that this is going to be added to the rather lengthy timeline of events that started the minute Guillen put on a Royals uniform.

The Royals claimed Tug Hulett on waivers from the Mariners. Hulett is primarily a second baseman, but Moore says he can play third and short as well. Moore says the Royals see him beginning the season in Omaha. At first, this one seemed like a head-scratcher to me. Do we really need another second baseman? Well, maybe. One of our biggest weaknesses over the past decade has been our lack of depth at all positions. Of course, our front line guys haven’t exactly tore up the league, but you have to be prepared for injuries and for down seasons from some guys. Hulett has been around for a while. He’s played 524 games in the Minor Leagues and last season at Triple-A Tacoma he hit 14 HR with 47 RBI in 91 games. He also had a .380 OBP. So, if Teahen or Callaspo or Bloomquist or German falters/gets injured/doesn’t work out, Hulett may get a shot down the line.

Sounds like the Royals are just about out of the Orlando Hudson sweepstakes because they are already set to open the season with a payroll in the $74 million range—which is already over budget.

With the baseball season drawing near, I finally decided to pull the trigger and switch to DirecTV. I got so tired of Cox Communications not showing Royals games that I just couldn’t take it anymore. I won’t have to deal with that this season.

How I Became a Royals Fan Series

My hard drive crashed yesterday and I lost all of my email. Thankfully I had all of my documents backed up though. With that said, over the past week or so, I had received email from a couple of people who were interested in being interviewed for the “How I Became a Royals Fan” series here at Royal Reflections. If you could please email me again, I would appreciate it. My email address is on the right side of the page.

If you’ve never heard about or seen the series here at Royal Reflections and you are interested in participating, I’d love to hear from you. If you look at the side bar on the right you’ll see a section devoted to the series that contains links to the previous interviews. Drop me an email if you are interested. Baseball might be measured in numbers, but in my opinion, it’s still a game of stories.

More Signings

The Royals have signed several more players, avoiding arbitration with them:

Mike Jacobs

Jacobs signed a one-year deal that is reportedly worth $3.275. Looking at the numbers he put up in Florida last season (32 HR, 93 RBI, .299 OBP), this one looks like a steal for the Royals—especially since his numbers were arguably better than Jose Guillen’s numbers last season (20 HR, 97 RBI, .300 OBP) and the Royals paid him $12 million.

Mark Teahen

Teahen signed a one-year deal worth $3.575 million. Much has been debated about Teahen in recent weeks—what position he’ll play, whether the Royals should have shipped him off by now, how adaptable he is defensively, etc. In my opinion, Teahen will only be worth the three and a half million dollars if he plays 130+ games and I’m guessing that Hillman will find a way to make that happen.

Brian Bannister

Bannister signed a one-year deal worth $1,737,500. Over the off season, several Royals fans have asked me, “What happened to Brian Bannister last season?” The answer is, I have no idea. In 2007 he was 12-9 with a 3.87 ERA and seemingly poised to become a fixture in the Royals rotation for the next decade. He got off to a hot start in 2008, then the wheels fell off. He did win three of his final five starts, but even then, his ERA was nearly six during those five starts. Nobody doubts his ability to perform at a high level, but he’ll still be fighting to keep his spot in the rotation this spring.

Teahen to Second?

After church on Sunday, a knowledgeable Royals fan and I were having a discussion about the acquisitions the Royals have made this offseason, when he asked me what I thought about moving Mark Teahen to second base since DeJesus, Crisp, and Guillen are a lock in the outfield. I told him that Teahen is probably too tall to play second base, but if anybody his height could pull it off, it would probably be Teahen because he’s so athletic.

I came home after that and heard that Trey Hillman is thinking about giving Teahen a shot at second base. How about that? But we already have a log jam at second base: Willie Bloomquist, Esteban German, and Alberto Callaspo. The question is, would Teahen be better? Hard telling. He’s an above average fielding third baseman, but second base is a different animal. We’ll see how he adjusts during Spring Training. My fear is, if he is below average defensively that we’re going to have some problems because Mike Jacobs isn’t exactly known for his glove work over at first base. Another option is to use Teahen as an uber-utility man and put him in a different spot every day.

But I have another option:

1B: Alex Gordon (his best fielding position)

2B: Willie Bloomquist/Alberto Callaspo

3B: Mark Teahen (his best fielding position)

SS: Mike Aviles

DH: Mike Jacobs

Yes, this leaves Billy Butler, Ryan Shealy, and Kila Ka’aihue out of the equation. But we knew that somebody’s playing time was going to get cut when Moore signed Jacobs. If Moore was convinced that one of these three guys was going to turn into a 25+ home run guy in the next year or two, he wouldn’t have singed Jacobs. And if the Royals went with the infield I’m proposing, it would be their strongest defensive infield because nobody would be playing out of position. Of course, Butler or Shealy could play first base or DH once in a while.

What do you think?

Sweeney Signs with Mariners

The Seattle Mariners have signed Mike Sweeney to a Minor League contract and invited him to Spring Training as a non-roster player. Sweeney had this to say at the press conference:

“I’m going to go to camp, put my head down and leave everything I can on the field,” Sweeney said. “If things don’t work out, and I don’t make that trip to Minnesota [for Opening Day], I’ll probably just sail off into the sunset to San Diego with my wife and three kids, be thankful for the opportunity, and look into the next chapter of my life.”

It would be just as hard to see him in a Mariners uniform as it was to see him in an A’s uniform last season, but I’m hoping that makes the team and has a good season. I’d like to see his career come to an end on his own terms.

Royals Sign Greinke to Four-Year Contract

Big news out of Kansas City today. The Royals signed Zack Greinke to a four-year deal through 2012. This is a great way for the Glass family and Dayton Moore to show Royals fans that they are serious about re-building this team around great pitching and that they are serious about keeping young talent in Kansas City.

Royals Sign Gobble, Buck, and Peralta

The Royals are busy singing players who are arbitration eligible:

Jimmy Gobble

The Royals signed him to a one-year deal with $1.35 million (compared to his 2008 contract in which he made $1,312,500). I like Jimmy Gobble. He hasn’t complained about the various roles he’s been given and I see him as a total team player. But he had an awful season in 2008 (0-2, 8.81 ERA, 1.958 WHIP). Remember the game against Detroit on July 21 when he gave up 10 earned runs in one inning? Wow. He did finish the 2008 season strong by not allowing any runs over his final eight appearances. But I’m not sure that he deserves a raise for that and I can’t imagine he would have won his arbitration case. He’s really only had one good season (2007, when he went 4-1 with a 3.02 ERA) and I can’t see that changing unless Hillman begins to use him more as a situational lefty. Right handed hitters eat him for lunch. In 2008, they hit .382 against him. In 2007, even in his good season, they hit .319 against him. In my opinion, he’s worth $1.35 million only if he’s used solely as a situational lefty.

John Buck

The Royals signed Buck to a one-year contract. Terms were not disclosed. According to Yahoo!, the contract is worth $2.9 million (he made $2.2 million last season). Is he worth it? From an offensive standpoint, probably not. He hit nine less home runs in 2008 than he did in 2007 and he had more at bats in 2008 than he did in 2007. With Miguel Olivo on the roster in 2009, Buck will surely split catching duties again, much like in did in 2008. Olivo hits righties better than Buck does (Buck hit just .219 last season against them while Olivo hit .251 against them). It seems that Dayton Moore and company like Buck because of the way he handles and understands the pitching staff. Some would argue that the numbers the Royals’ pitching staff puts up hardly warrants keeping Buck around, but I think the poor numbers have had more to do with poor personnel than anything. So, does his understanding of the pitching staff make him worth $3 million? Tough call, but probably.

Joel Peralta

The Royals signed Peralta to a one-year contract. Terms were not disclosed. According to Yahoo!, the contract is worth $640,000. Peralta had the worst year of his career in 2008 (1-2, 5.98 ERA). He didn’t even have one good month in 2008 (his best month was May, during which he had a 5.06 ERA). He did have a decent 2007 season (1-3, 3.80 ERA), so we know he’s capable. He’s experienced, knows and accepts his role, and has a career 4.45 ERA. Nothing to get too excited about, but he certainly seems worth $640,000.

Remaining Arbitration Eligible Players

Four players remain on the arbitration eligible list: Brian Bannister, Zack Greinke, Mark Teahen, and Mike Jacobs. According to Yahoo!, here’s where the Royals and players stand:

Right-hander Zack Greinke asked for $4.4 million and was offered $3.4 million; fellow right-hander Brian Bannister proposed $2,025,000 and was offered $1.45 million; outfielder Mark Teahen requested $3.85 million and was offered $2.75 million; and first baseman Mike Jacobs asked for $3.8 million and was offered $2.75 million.

Another Dennis Leonard Video from the Royals Caravan

A video I shot at the Royals Caravan today in Omaha during which Ryan Lefebvre and Dennis Leonard discuss the severe knee injury Leonard endured in 1983, the four surgeries it took for him to get back, and the feelings he had when he returned to the mound on April 16, 1986 and shut out the Toronto Blue Jays 1-0 in Kansas City. If you aren't familiar with the story, read about it here. It was an incredible day in Royals history.

Dennis Leonard Video from the Royals Caravan

A video I shot at the Royals Caravan today in Omaha during which Ryan Lefebvre discusses the old school mentality of starting pitchers with former Royals pitcher Dennis Leonard. To set the video up, Lefebvre had just told the audience that there were only 22 complete games pitched in the AL Central last season. Leonard threw 21 complete games in 1977 and he threw 103 in his career.

Alex Gordon Video from the Royals Caravan

A video I shot at the Royals Caravan today in Omaha during which Ryan Lefebvre asks Alex Gordon about his expectations heading into Spring Training. Gordon talks about taking on a leadership role.

Luke Hochevar Video from the Royals Caravan

A video I shot at the Royals Caravan today in Omaha during which Ryan Lefebvre asks Luke Hochevar about his quick jump from the minor leagues to the big leagues and about being the first player drafted in 2006.

Royals Caravan Stop in Omaha

I attended the Royals Caravan stop in Omaha today. A lot of fans showed up to hear and meet Alex Gordon, Luke Hochevar, Dennis Leonard, Ryan Lefebvre, and Joel Goldberg. I'll be uploading a number of videos from the event throughout the day. Here are a few photos.

Ryan Lefebvre telling a joke a Luke Hochevar's expense:

Ryan Lefebvre interviewing Luke Hochevar:


Lefebvre interviewing Dennis Leonard. Leonard still has that all familiar stare that used to intimidate hitters:

Lefebvre interviewing Alex Gordon:

Hochevar fielding questions from the press:

Hochevar, Leonard, and Gordon signing autographs:

More autographs:

Royal Memories: Dave Cripe

When I was a kid, my mom occasionally took my sister and I to see the Omaha Royals play. I remember one season, 1978, when she took us to a few games. I was 12 years old at the time. A third baseman named Dave Cripe caught my eye when he made a tremendous backhanded dive, ala Craig Nettles, snaring a ground ball and throwing the runner out. It made me think he might have a chance to play for Kansas City one day. But I was 12, what did I know?

Looking back, he’d been in the organization since he was signed as a free agent in 1972. He played for Omaha for two and a half seasons, joining them in 1976. Of course, a guy named George Brett was already establishing himself at third base in Kansas City, so Cripe never stood much of a chance. I certainly didn’t want him to oust Brett, but I was still rooting for him.

I can’t say for sure, but I think he wore number six when he played for Omaha. I followed him in the box scores for the rest of the 1978 season. While he didn’t put up stellar numbers (9 HR, 53 RBI, .300 AVG in 133 games), they were good enough for the Royals to call him up to the big leagues. According to Baseball-Reference, he played his first game on September 10, 1978 against California, going 1-1 with an RBI. He only saw action in seven games that September, getting 13 at bats. He had just one more hit that season. Baseball-Reference has a breakdown of all seven games he appeared in. Of course, with only two hits, there’s not much to see. According to this website, manager Whitey Herzog had this to say about why Cripe saw such limited playing time: “Dave really didn't get a chance to play much with us last September because of the divisional race, but we know he is a pretty good hitter. We also know he can play third and we'll watch him closely in the spring.” The Royals went on to win the American League West that year with a 92-70 record. Here’s a peek at the 1978 Royals roster. You’ll find Cripe’s name toward the bottom.

In 1979, Cripe went back to Omaha where his numbers diminished (6 HR, 46 RBI, .248 AVG in 131 games). In 1980, he went on to play in the Astros’ Minor League system and that was the end of his career. He ended up playing nine seasons in the Minor Leagues at varying levels. The most complete career statistics page I can find for him is on this website. Cripe went on to manage the Single-A Asheville Tourists in 1982 (they went 65-76, finishing eighth in the Northern Division, 31 games out of first place).

I’m not sure what he is up to these days, but for a brief summer many years ago, he had a big fan in Omaha.

Royals Sign Willie Bloomquist; Resign Davies

The Royals signed infielder Willie Bloomquist to a two-year deal yesterday that is believed to be worth $3.1 million. Sounds like he’ll compete for the starting job at second base, along with Alberto Callaspo, and presumably Esteban German. With Mike Aviles already penciled into the lineup, and Tony Pena firmly entrenched on the bench, I really don’t get the Bloomquist signing.

Yeah, he gets on base, and is above average defensively, but he doesn’t hit for average (.263 lifetime) and he certainly doesn’t have any power (6 HR in 7 seasons). And really, how many backup infielders do we need? I can see going after a legitimate starting second baseman and then letting the chips fall where they may regarding Callaspo, German, and Pena, but why add another guy who has never really been a starter to the mix? And for two years? Why two years?

He’s scrappy, plays hard, is said to have a good clubhouse presence, and all of that. I probably put more value in those those qualities than many other people do, but there comes a point in which scrappiness and playing hard aren’t enough. You need players who produce at high levels. I certainly don’t want more Jose Guillen’s on the team, but I don’t think we need any more David Eckstein’s either.

Turning the page . . . the Royals also signed Kyle Davies yesterday. According to this website, he signed a one-year deal worth $1.3 million, which seems about right—especially given how well he pitched last September when he went 4-1 with a 2.27 ERA. He was 9-7 for the season with a 4.06 ERA in 21 starts. But with all of that said, last season was the best of his career. If he can sustain his momentum, he’ll be well worth the money.

A couple of other items to note:

• The Royals caravan hits the road next week with stops in Nebraska and Iowa. It’ll stop in Omaha on Thursday. I may try to get to it if my schedule allows. Here’s a link with info about all of the upcoming stops.
  


• The Royals Award Night is scheduled for January 16 in Overland Park. Tickets are available. Here’s a link for more info.