Royals Win Series in New York for First Time Since 1999

The Royals finished an impressive series win over the Yankees last night in New York marking the first time the Royals had won a series in New York since 1999. This is quite a statement for this young club who have exceeded expectations thus far. Many Royals fans, myself included are simply waiting for the collapse to begin. I thought the 0-6 road trip was the beginning of the end, then I looked at this road trip to NY and Detroit and thought this might be it. Lo and behold, the Royals surprise again. I now am a believer as the Royals simply destroyed the Yankees last night 11-5, and young hope Eric Hosmer had three more hits including a HR for the second straight game.

To give some perspective on how long it's been since the Royals won a series over the Yankees in New York, I thought I would compile a list of how the world was back in 1999.

Elvis Grbac was the Chiefs Quarterback and it had only been 5 years since the Chiefs had won a playoff game. Gunther Cunnigham was their Head Coach.

Norm Stewart had just retired as Mizzou's Basketball coach.

Almost nobody in the US knew who Osama Bin Laden was.

Napster was released to very little fanfare.

Bill Clinton was President of the United States.

Lance Armstrong won his first Tour de France.

The Columbine Massacre occurred in Colorado.

Eric Hosmer was 9 years old.

Royals Loss to Yankees Shows How Far Team has to Go

The Royals you were expecting this year have surfaced, as Kansas City has regressed back to its 2010 season form. Last night's 3-1 loss to the Yankees was a bad trip down memory lane for Royals fans, and it appears as if this year's magic may be slowly wearing off.

On paper, a two run loss to a dangerous Yankee team doesn't appear that bad. However, it was the way Kansas City lost that was so cringeworthy. Every inning, it seemed that the Royals put men in scoring position and failed to manufacture runs. Melky Cabrera provided Kansas City with its only run, a solo shot in the fourth inning. The bottom of Kansas City's order is what will ultimately hold this team back, proven last night when the Royals 7 through 9 hitters constantly left players on base.

The Royals also made several head-scratching plays that showed this club still has a long way to go. Matt Treanor got picked off in a horrible steal attempt, and Chris Getz was easily thrown out trying to reach second base off a pitch that hit the dirt.

The Royals also announced yesterday that starter Bruce Chen will be placed on the 15 day DL due to a sore side. Kansas City will call up Vin Mazzaro from Omaha to take his place. This could be a big blow as Chen has been the rotation's most consistent pitcher this year. The Royals are still above .500, but the team has a lot of work to do and obstacles to overcome if they want to keep the cinderella story going.

Royals Drop Home Series to A's - Francis Still Winless

The Royals finally hit a speed bump at home, dropping its latest series to the Oakland A's. Kansas City lost the final game of the series 5-2, dropping its record at the K to 15-8 this year. The Royals are 18-16 overall, and still remain in second place in the AL Central.

Jeff Francis yet again failed to earn a win, and the Royals starter might hit Independance day before he notches a victory at this rate. Francis isn't pitching terribly, and the Royals had an idea of what they were getting with the veteran. The lefty has a career ERA of 4.79 and an overall record of 55-54, and this season his ERA sits at 5.09. The Royals just need Francis to pitch decently and keep them in games, and he was able to do that in his last start. The Royals offense couldn't get anything going against the A's Tyson Ross, who is off to a solid start this season.

Kansas City is off today, and travels to New York to face the Yankees tomorrow. The matchup with the Yankees gives the Royals an opportunity to prove if they are for real or not to the entire nation. Don't hold your breath.

Royals Fall to A's

The Royals' offense was flying high, and fireworks Friday at the K seemed like a good omen that Kansas City's bats would remain hot. However, Gio Gonzalez had other ideas. The young lefty baffled the Royals all night, and Kansas City fell to Oakland 3-2.

Kansas City wasted a great effort from Sean O'Sullivan, who only gave up three runs in eight innings of work. O'Sullivan gave up all of his runs in the deciding fifth inning, but otherwise was just as good as Gonzalez.

Eric Hosmer made his much anticipated debut to mixed results. He drew two walks and stole a base early, but ended up striking out in his final two plate appearances. Hosmer, who led the minor leagues in hitting, likely needs some time to adjust to major league pitching - and he should eventually provide Kansas City's offense with a boost.

The loss dropped Kansas City to 17-15 on the season, and the Royals currently sit alone in second place in the AL Central - five games behind the surprising Cleveland Indians.

Royals Blast Orioles, Take Series

Kansas City's offense caught fire again last night, as the Royals humiliated the Orioles 9-1. The win gave Kansas City the series, and after losing six straight, the Royals have rebounded to win five of its last six.

Bruce Chen had yet another solid start, and has established himself as Kansas City's top starter this season. Chen improved his record to 4-1 for the season, and the lefty has brought some consistency to a rotation that has been up and down all year. Following the win, the Royals announced that top prospect Eric Hosmer will be called up from the minors, while the struggling Kila Ka'aihue will be demoted to Omaha. Hosmer will join an offense that has been one of the best in the majors this season, and his gaudy minor league stats have shown he is ready to take on the big league.

The Royals have gone 14-6 at home this season, and will look to continue its dominance in Kansas City tonight against Oakland. The Royals will face a talented pitcher in Gio Gonzalez, however the A's offense hasn't been anything to write home about this season. I expect Hosmer to give Kansas City a boost, and the Royals should have no trouble at least taking the series from the A's.

Royals Win Fourth Straight, Beat Orioles 6-5

Charlie Sheen would be proud of all the winning going on in Kansas City these days. After sweeping the Minnesota Twins at home for the first time since 1994, the Royals kept the momentum going in a 6-5 win over Baltimore. The victory over the Orioles moves Kansas City's record to 16-13 on the season, and the Royals currently sit comfortably in second place in the struggling AL Central.

Kansas City has participated in several thrilling extra-inning contests this season, and last night's game was yet another nail-biter decided late. Jeff Francoeur ended up being the hero, tying the game with a home run in the sixth inning and hitting a sacrifice fly in tenth that gave the Royals the win. Francoeur is having a strong season, hitting for a .315 average with 7 HRs and 23 RBI. He was a very smart free agent pickup (I guess the Royals were finally due for one) who has helped spark Kansas City's offense while also providing much-needed veteran leadership.

Unfortunately for Kansas City, Jeff Francis continued to struggle. Francis is now winless in his seven starts this season, and has been shelled in his last couple of outings. If the Royals want to keep winning into the summer and make a surprise run at a playoff position, they will need Francis and other starting pitchers to consistently pitch well.

Royals Back in Action After Sweeping Twins

After losing six straight, many felt that the Royals' annual collapse had begun. However, Kansas City rebounded in a big way by sweeping the Minnesota Twins, a team the Royals struggle against every season. Kansas City is back in action tonight against Baltimore.

Tonight's game features two struggling pitchers. Jeff Francis survived only three innings in his latest outing, and has pitched poorly after a strong start to the season. The Royals need him to get back on track; while the Royals' offense has been redhot, its starting pitching has been suspect all season. Francis has a great opportunity to turn it around tonight, facing winless Brad Bergensen.

The Royals' sweep of the Twins got Kansas City back above .500 (the club currently sits at 15-13 for the season) and gave the team a much-needed boost of confidence. The Orioles are average at best, and Kansas City has a great opportunity to continue its hot streak and gain some ground on the red hot Cleveland Indians.

Royals Pull Out late Victory to Split Series With Cleveland

The Kansas City Royals pulled out a late victory last night to split a 4 game series with division leading Cleveland. The good guys scored one in the 8th, and 2 in the 9th for a thrilling come from behind win. The victory salvaged a 2-2 split with the Indians, and kept Kansas City within a game of the Division lead.

Kansas City has had several walk off victories this season with many different heroes. Last night Melky Cabrera did the honers with his two RBI single in the bottom of the ninth off of previously perfect Indians Closer Chris Perez. Slumping Kila Ka'ahue delivered a lead off double to get the party started in the final frame. A pinch runner, a single, a walk and runner thrown out at home later, Cabrera came up with the bases loaded.

This win was just another day at the office for these young Royals. Exciting win after exciting win have been the norm for these guys. I guess they didn't get the memo that they were supposed to be the American League Central whipping boys. Kansas City sits at 12-7 and has the second best record in the American League. Maybe it won't last, but we should enjoy it while it does.

Next on tap for the Boys in Blue is a week long road trip visiting the reigning American League Pennant winning Rangers and then a trip to Cleveland where the Indians will be hungry for revenge.

Royals Face Indians with First Place on the Line

The Royals had a productive weekend, winning a series against lowly Seattle and pushing its record to 10-5 for the season. However, the Royals currently sit in second place behind the surprising Indians. Naturally, Kansas City begins a four game home series with Cleveland tonight.

The Royals had a great opportunity to sweep Seattle and pull even with Cleveland; however they came short against Seattle’s young Michael Pineda. Pineda was able to contain the Royals’ offense and limit Kansas City to only two runs. Before Sunday, the Royals’ bats had been red hot, and they will need to find their offense in a hurry with a tough upcoming schedule. Kansas City has a series with Cleveland, Texas and then Cleveland again.

Tonight’s game provides a golden opportunity for both Cleveland and Kansas City to prove they are for real. Both teams had terrible seasons last year, and have become the biggest stories in baseball. Most experts and fans still aren’t sure how legit the Royals are, but we will have a real good idea after this series.

Royals Fall to Twins in Extras

After starting the season with a couple of thrilling wins in extra innings, the Royals have now been on the wrong side of two extended games. Last night, Kansas City fell to Minnesota, 4-3. As a result, the Royals are no longer in first place, trailing the White Sox by a half-game. Chicago grabbed the division lead with its own extra-inning magic against Oakland. The Royals were in a dogfight all night, and were forced to manufacture runs off of sacrifices and infield singles. The weak offensive output wasted another solid start from Jeff Francis, who now has three straight no decisions despite only giving up six runs in his first 20 2/3 innings as a Royal.

The difference in last night’s game was the performance of the bullpens: Minnesota’s relievers were absolutely lights out, retiring 12 consecutive batters and never allowing KC to pose a threat. Robinson Tejeda struggled, loading the bases before Danny Valencia won the game with a single.

Kansas City has a bad habit of dropping close slugfests like last night’s game, especially against the Twins. If it wants to continue to win games and be a contender, it has to start beating Minnesota consistently.

Royals Take Weekend Series From Detroit

The Royals improbable fast start continued over the weekend in Detroit where Kansas City took 2 out of three from the Tigers. With some timely hitting and atrocious defense by the Tigers, the Royals won the rubber game on Sunday 9-5. The Royals had 15 hits on the afternoon, coupled with 4 errors by the Tigers, Kansas City put the game out of reach.

Luke Hochever (1-1) picked up his first win of the season, and the artist formerly known as "The Mexicutioner" pitched the final two-thirds for his 3rd save of the year. Offensively, Wilson Betimet had a great day reaching base in all five plate appearances. He went 4-4 with an RBI, 2 runs scored, and a walk. But everyone contributed, up and down the lineup, no one went hitless, and the Royals had a total of 6 extra base hits.

The series win puts the Royals at 6-3 and a game out of first in the AL Central. Cleveland is on first place and in the midst of a 7 game winning streak. We are off today before a short two game series in Minnesota Tuesday and Wednesday. Minnesota is off to a slow start, now is the time to take advantage with a sweep before heading back home for the weekend. There's hope again in this cow town.

Royals Lose In Third Straight Extra Inning Game

The Royals continue to give fans their money's worth, as nine innings once again was not enough to decide a winner. After winning their first two extended games, the Royals couldn't keep the magic going, falling to the White Sox 10-7.

Joakim Sora, one of the best closers in the league, was to blame for this one. Soria had the White Sox on the ropes - a three run lead with two outs in the ninth - and somehow surrendered four runs and the lead. Soria is one of the best closers in baseball, and this is likely just a rare slip-up from the all-star. When you have a great chance to move to 5-1 on the season and choke like Kansas City did last night, it could be a turning point.

If the Royals begin to lose games and fall apart, this will likely be the game many point at. The Royals' offense has continued to produce, so fans should remain optimistic about the team's chances.

Royals Beat Angels in Marathon, Improve to 3-1

After a dismal start to the season on opening day, the Royals have now won three straight games in dramatic fashion. Sunday's series-clinching win against the Los Angeles Angels was the craziest of all, as the Royals rallied in extra innings to prevail, 12-9.

Kansas City's offense finally woke up, as the Royals jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead. However, Los Angeles continued to climb back into the game, and eventually took a 9-7 lead off a home run by former Royal Alberto Callaspo. When it looked like Kansas City was just about finished, the Royals were able to load up the bases thanks to some terrible pitching from the Angels. Wilson Betemit then doubled to tie up the game, a ball that was nearly caught by a diving Vernon Wells. After three terrific innings from new relief pitcher Tim Collins, another new Royal - catcher Matt Treanor - ended the game with a three run home run in the bottom of the 13th inning.

After relying on solid pitching and some timely hits to win its first two games, the Royals offense exploded against the struggling Scott Kazmir. Alex Gordon woke up and had a monster game, as did Jeff Francoeur. The Royals now find themselves two games over .500 for the first time since May of the 2009 season, and in first place. It may not last long, but so far, the Royals' season is off to a great start.

Royals Drop Home Opener

It may be a new season, but its the same old Royals. Kansas City dropped its home opener 4-2 to the visiting Los Angeles Angels, and fans have to wonder if the best record the Royals will post this season was yesterday's 0-0 mark.

Many pundits predicted that the Royals' offense would be among the worst in the majors this season, and yesterday's game did nothing to dispute these claims. Kansas City managed only two hits in seven innings against Jered Weaver. Luke Hochevar didn't pitch great, giving up 4 runs over 5 2/3rds innings, but the Royals' relief pitchers were solid. The problem in Kansas City continues to be offense.

The Royals did make it interesting late in the game, thanks to solo shots by Mike Aviles and Jeff Francoeur. In the ninth, Alex Gordon barely missed a home run with runners on the corners before striking out. It was a terrible day for Gordon, as he went 0-5 with three strikeouts. He continues to be yet another draft bust for a team that seems to have more than anyone else in the majors.

It is hard to take a lot from one game, especially given how long the MLB season is. Hopefully yesterday's effort was not a prediction of things to come, because it was all too familiar.

Royals Home Opener 2011 at the K in Kansas City

Oh, say, can you see...all of the awesome new BARS that
we put in!  Don't watch the game - get drunk!

The Kansas City Royals held their Home Opener for their 2011 Season Today at the K
by Kansas City News

Well, once again it's time for adult "ditch day" at the K.  Thousands of Kansas Citians thought up good excuses to take personal days to head out to the old ballpark to watch our pathetic Royals take the field with the equivalent of minor league players at best.  The Kansas City Royals were promptly pummeled by The Los Angeles Angles 4-2.  We decided not to go this year because last year's home opener just had too many negative experiences including the hilarious bathroom situation (two urinals, 2 stalls), and the nearly impossible task of obtaining a friggin' beer.

Former Royals player Mike Sweeney was on hand to throw out the first pitch today and recalled his playing days with The Royals:


“Believe it or not, I was thrown in as a defensive replacement. They thought I was a pretty good catcher back then,” Sweeney recalled. “Paul Molitor hit a chopper down the third-base line and I threw a ball up the first-base line and made an error. And I got fined in Kangaroo Court for having more Major League errors than hits.”  At that point, Sweeney turned to his young son, Michael, and asked him if he wanted to be a Major League player. “Yes,” the boy replied.  Sweeney said, despite the error, his first game was special. “It was all you dream of and more,” he said.

It's not surprising to anyone that the Kansas City Royals are one of the worst teams in baseball.  The entire TEAM in Kansas City makes just under what ONE PLAYER makes for the Yankees.  The Royals entire salary total for 2011 = $36.1 Million.  Alex Rodriguez will make $32 Million in 2011.

When asked about this seriously lopsided salary situation Royals general manager Dayton Moore said “I’m not worried that it’s too low, I look at it as something that gives us tremendous flexibility going forward as an organization to be competitive as we negotiate for players.”  Yeah, OK, whatever.  I think the Royal's money goes into the same sort of pot that the Chiefs money goes into - right back into the owners pocket.  Neither the Royals nor the Chiefs have any plans to spend any serious money on players in the future, why do you think that they turned both stadiums into virtual BARS.

Gil Meche Retires, Hochever Probable Opening Day Starter

Gil Meche unexpectedly retired from the Royals on Tuesday leaving behind $12.4 Million for the final year on his five-year deal. His record was 29-39 with a 4.27 ERA in four seasons with Kansas City. He played 6 seasons prior to that with the Seattle Mariners before Royals General Manager Dayton Moore lured him away with a 5 year $55 million deal making him the highest paid player in Royals history.

It's unheard of for a player to retire and give up this much money, but Meche said he didn't feel it was right to take the money. He is coming off a sub par, injury riddled season that found him working out of the bullpen late in the year. Dayton Moore has said the club will not spend the $12 million on players this season, stating that he didn't see anything out there better than he already had. While I find that hard to believe looking at the Royals roster, it might be wise to spend the money next year when some of our good young talent is ready for the Bigs. What worries me is that Royals Owner David Glass will simply pocket the savings and not put the money into next year's payroll either.

With Zach Greinke gone, the talk at Royals Manager Ned Yost's press conference turned to who the opening day starter will be. Yost hinted that he was leaning toward former first round pick Luke Hochever. Hochever showed some improvement last year going 6-6 with a 4.81 ERA in 17starts. Not really opening day starter numbers are they? It's going to be a long summer at The K.

David DeJesus Traded to Oakland A's

The Kansas City Royals have traded away the longest tenured and probably most recognizable face (if there are any anymore) on the team. On Wednesday David Dejesus was trade to the Oakland Athletics for two pitchers - Right Hander Vin Mazzaro and Lefty Justin Marks. DeJesus played for the Royals for 10 seasons with a Batting Average of .289 and 61 Homers. He had a nice career with the Royals and I am sad to see him go. Oakland was a .500 ball club last year, so maybe he can help them. Maybe even get into the playoffs, something he obviously was never going to do here.

This is such a problem with baseball now and has been for a long time. No player stays with one team for his entire career anymore, it's such a shame. I grew up in the Royals heyday and it was great to go to the park and see all the players that you knew from year to year. It's too bad that today's kids don't get that. Well, anyway, let's see what we got for DeJesus.

Vin Mazzaro is a 24 year old Right Hander originally from New Jersey. He joined Oakland's farm system in 2006 and had a great year at Double A Midland, TX in 2008 winning several honors including mlb.com's Double A starting Pitcher of the Year. His Major League Debut was in June of 2009 and his career record is 10-17 with a 4.72 ERA.

Justin Marks is a young Lefty drafted by the A's in the Third round of the 2009 Amateur draft. He pitched Collegiately at Louisville and was named the Big East pitcher of the year for 2009. Marks spent last season in Class A ball with mixed results. Like most baseball trades, it will be a while before the success or failure of the deal can be measured.

The Royals also released pitcher Brian Bannister on Wednesday.