caulfield12

Attendance may get a lot of attention, but it's not among baseball's biggest problems. The biggest problems, in no particular order, are 1) re-establishing the World Series as a true national event rather than one that is strong regionally; 2) selling a handful of players as national, mainstream stars rather than regional favorites; 3) improving the pace of play so that the ball is put into play more often; and 4) resolving the stadium issues of Oakland and Tampa Bay. Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mlb/news/.../#ixzz2V8c4grzL

Young Royals Hosmer and Moustakas need to grow up June 3 BY SAM MELLINGER The Kansas City Star The new baseball lives of Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer include no more hype. Order Reprints FILE PHOTO BY JOHN SLEEZER | THE KANSAS CITY STAR In 2009, minor-leaguers Mike Moustakas (left) and Eric Hosmer were the prospects upon whom the Royals pinned their hopes for the future. Today, the Royals need the two players to live up to that potential. No more quotes from anonymous scouts about Moustakas’ “light pole power” or Hosmer’s “can’t miss talent.” No more talk about how young players take time to develop, or misguided defenses about society’s need for instant gratification, especially the segment of society that’s waited through the longest playoff drought in North American sports and has so far seen a combined 2,526 plate appearances of Hosmer and Moustakas often being overmatched. No more. George Brett’s new job as Royals hitting coach is a clear message that Moustakas and Hosmer need to grow up. Take the training wheels off. Scholarships are over. Hosmer is 23 and Moustakas 24. They are young players, sure, but you may have noticed that Texas’ Jurickson Profar hit the go-ahead home run against the Royals on Sunday. Profar is 20 years old, and now has more home runs in 40 plate appearances this season than Hosmer has in 207. No more blaming it on youth, because just in the last three years we’ve seen Justin Upton, Mike Trout, Giancarlo Stanton, Pablo Sandoval, Buster Posey, Andrew McCutchen, Bryce Harper, Evan Longoria, Carlos Gonzalez, Billy Butler (yes, Billy) and others turn in star numbers at Moustakas’ age or younger. The truism about the Royals’ latest attempted march into baseball relevancy has been that the whole thing is dependent upon Hosmer and Moustakas being good players. They don’t need to be Hall of Famers, or even perennial All-Stars, but if they become Juan LeBron and Dee Brown then nothing else matters. It all falls apart, many baseball people lose their jobs, and Dayton Moore’s “Process” is remembered in Kansas City like Carl Peterson’s five-year plan. They must at least be thinking about the worst-case scenario during private moments in the Royals’ front office: what if we were wrong about these guys? The Royals have no safety net here, and are operating accordingly. Hosmer and Moustakas are important enough and scuffling enough that in the last eight months the Royals have fired three hitting coaches and this is where their new baseball lives are interesting. Because Brett is in uniform now, and if Hosmer and Moustakas continue to underwhelm nobody will blame The Greatest Royal Of All-Time. Brett is the first hitting coach with the stature and nature to call them out. The first with a big league resume they look up to. No more excuses, in other words. No more blaming it on a lack of veteran leadership, because Butler and Alex Gordon are friendly examples of players who’ve navigated what Hosmer and Moustakas are struggling with. In the first few days of Brett’s new job, you don’t have to read too hard to see code words about Hosmer and Moustakas needing to transition from Baseball America champions to legitimate big league sluggers. Dayton Moore: “The fierce competitiveness that George brought (in his playing days) is something I feel we need in our clubhouse.” Ned Yost: “It’s a special mindset that you have to have to be able to accomplish all he has.” Brett himself: “Get rid of the (baby) bottles, let’s go.” This is all directed at Moustakas and Hosmer, and these are drastic measures because the Royals know the inconvenient truth. Nothing else matters if these two continue to flounder. David Glass changed his penny-hoarding ways in 2006 and started spending like a legitimate small-market owner. He hired Moore, who turned a farm system that had been an industry joke into the best in baseball. An international program that was effectively non-existent became one of the best. The Royals went from running out of bonus money after four or five rounds to paying third-round pick Wil Myers $2 million in 2009. Sal Perez, Alex Gordon, Billy Butler and Alcides Escobar are all signed long-term to club-friendly terms. James Shields and others have moved the Royals from one of the five worst in team ERA last year to one of the five best this year. And none of that matters if Moustakas and Hosmer don’t hit. The Royals will continue to lose 90-plus games if they were wrong about Moustakas and Hosmer. There is no Plan B here. Not until the next leadership group inherits those club-friendly contracts and a minor league system with some more potential stars. So far, we’ve seen flashes of the potential that made both men rich and famous. Moustakas hit 20 homers and 34 doubles last year. Hosmer finished third in Rookie of the Year voting in 2011. But the fuller picture is ugly. Moustakas is hitting .186 this year and his on-base percentage entering Sunday’s game (.293) was the eighth-worst in baseball among players with at least 1,000 plate appearances since 2011. Hosmer is hitting .242 the last two seasons and has somehow turned into a singles hitter: only Ichiro and Juan Pierre have fewer extra-base hits this year among regulars at a corner position. There is still enough talent here that most within baseball expect Moustakas and Hosmer to each become good big leaguers – maybe very good, perhaps even great. They’ll get their chances, too, no matter what they do with the Royals. But this team’s only chance to be good in the immediate future is if Moustakas and Hosmer do it soon. Brett’s new job is a clear sign that the good-job-good-effort spirit of encouragement has its limits. This is Moustakas’ and Hosmer’s new baseball life. A franchise and its fans wait to see if it makes any difference. Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/06/03/42699...l#storylink=cpy

QUOTE (Jake @ Jun 2, 2013 -> 04:13 PM) Ha -- that's right! I think we're on more or less the same page, as far as likely targets goes. I was a bit strapped for word length because of course the potential players are endless. I really think we're going with a college pitcher, but you can't be surprised if he takes a guy like Wilson from Stanford. I was fairly surprised that we took Hawkins last year, but of course it was also not surprising. I personally really liked Marcus Stroman. And Stroman has been terrible so far this year...he actually makes Hawkins look decent, in comparison.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/white-sox-mar...13044--mlb.html Danks (0-1, 5.40 ERA) has played a key role, going 7-0 with a 1.31 ERA in eight starts versus the Mariners, including a 4-0 record in five visits to Seattle. The veteran left-hander hasn't been sharp in two starts since returning from shoulder surgery. He lost the most recent one Wednesday, giving up four runs and two homers in four innings of a 9-3 road defeat to the Chicago Cubs. "The fastball isn't quite where it was," Danks told the team's official website. "It's plenty, but it's not quite where it was. I anticipate that getting better. The more velocity I get, the better it makes my changeup and cutter." Konerko may be looking forward to visiting Safeco after sitting out one game with a stiff neck. He's hitting .434 over his last 13 games there and owns a .381 average in 30 overall meetings with the Mariners. The six-time All-Star enters this series 10 for 27 (.370) in eight games, raising his season average 23 points to .240. Gordon Beckham may also be back in the lineup after Chicago activated him from the disabled list on Sunday. The second baseman was 6 for 19 through the first seven games before suffering a fractured hamate bone in his left hand on April 9 at Washington. His return could mean the White Sox will have to find somewhere else to put Jeff Keppinger, who has filled in at second and is hitting .386 over the past 13 games. The Mariners have dropped 12 of 16 after being held to five singles in Sunday's 10-0 loss at Minnesota. Joe Saunders (3-5, 5.57) is expected to get the ball, and he's 9-1 with a 2.23 ERA in 14 starts at Safeco. The left-hander is 3-1 with a 2.41 ERA in five games at Seattle this year compared to 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA in six road outings.

QUOTE (kitekrazy @ Jun 2, 2013 -> 10:43 PM) What happen to Tim Lincecum? How the might have fallen. 5+ ERA. It's like the pitching version of Adam Dunn. Cain isn't so far ahead of him. Halladay is nearing the end. Johan Santana. Oh, how the mighty have fallen, to be replaced by the likes of Harvey, Corbin, Jose Fernandez and Shelby Miller. Heck, Zito's been better than those two guys. http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/break...0,2968079.story Strasburg with a Grade 1 lat strain (same muscle Peavy detached from the bone)

I think you mean "below-averageness."

Two shutouts by the A's. Swept by the Cubs. And we get Oakland again next weekend...winners of 14/16 now. Lovely. OH, and King Felix/Iwakuma. The only hope is the Mariners are more pathetic than the Sox, if just barely.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 2, 2013 -> 05:05 PM) Lack of talent is 50%? Exactly who manages this team to a better record? Then there's no argument for NOT rebuilding if the team is so terrible they can't contend or be "managed up."

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Jun 2, 2013 -> 05:07 PM) Who wants Cooper to go? I only said that were Ventura to resign/be fired and Cooper said he wouldn't stay unless he was named the manager. That's the only situation where it would be wise to part ways.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 2, 2013 -> 05:05 PM) Lack of talent is 50%? Exactly who manages this team to a better record? A week ago, we had one of the best pitching staffs in the AL and Viciedo looked like a stud.

QUOTE (JoshPR @ Jun 2, 2013 -> 05:00 PM) Good point. But what I meant was more that the players we have seem to be meatheads, but that is just me I thought it was SoxTalk posters who were the meatheads, lol.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 2, 2013 -> 04:59 PM) In a society where a lot of people get a kick out of people except themselves gettimg fired, I can assure you the White Sox are more than happy with Robin. If you really think this is all on him, you might want to find a different hobby because he won't be going anywhere for a while. Because his presence deflects attention from KW's mistakes, and JR. After all, it's impossible "hate" Robin Ventura. What you'll end up with is apathy, frustration and discontent, which you're already seeing evidence of. Hard to get upset with Ventura, he was put in an impossible situation, he did a great job for most of last season under the circumstances but he hasn't been able to make adjustments. The team doesn't seem to be responding and hasn't since last season. Sure, 50% of it's a lack of talent...but Ventura's managing hasn't gotten better. There's no way anyone who has followed the team closely the last 1 1/2 years could come to that conclusion.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 2, 2013 -> 04:53 PM) His defense has been mediocre at best since joining the Sox. Maybe the most overrated defensive prospect in a long time for the Sox. Not exactly Brian Simmons or Mike Huff, lol....except for his 2 walkoff homers and being John's brother, he would be 100% forgettable.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 2, 2013 -> 04:54 PM) Can't he just go to another organization? He's just not good. Unless he can fix his brother's fastball and control/command issues.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 2, 2013 -> 04:52 PM) Jordan Danks kicked the ball. It has to be Ventura's fault, correct? There's an atmosphere being created where the errors are either 1) being tolerated or 2) snowballing and defining this team/season. At a certain point, managers are held accountable for those kinds of things.

No excuse there for the runner scoring from 1st at ALL.... Shades of Brent Lillibridge, lol. More horrible defense....supposedly from our best defensive outfielder, whatever that rating/ranking is worth.

Reed in these situations or with a tie...always scary. But let's face facts, our offense isn't likely to score even if they give up one or two "insurance" runs. Of course, if we gave up a crooked number, the Sox would probably score 2-3 in the 9th and come up just short.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Jun 2, 2013 -> 04:47 PM) I agree but if he doesn't get it next time, he could be gone all together. Then so be it, I don't think even Hahn can be intimidated into being forced into a managerial move that will end up backfiring on him.

Supposedly, Cooper has the highest, or one of the highest, pitching coach salaries in baseball. It's not quite like taking over the White Sox in 2006 or Matheny last year with the Cards.

Sox losing 8-3 this weekend, lol.

Cooper doesn't have the makings of a great manager. His communication/media/PR skills SUCK. It would be another Bevington. The pitching would fall off with him having to delegate that more....you don't weaken the strongest area of your team, that almost never works. He would never survive a month of being second-guessed.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 2, 2013 -> 04:32 PM) You wouldn't see me upset if they cleared house and started from scratch with the whole coaching staff after this season (including a new clubhouse atmosphere with Konerko gone). Cooper's done a great job here, but sometimes change is best for everyone. No disagreement here. And I don't blame the hitting on Manto and certainly not the bullpen on Cooper, when we have one of the better pitching staffs in baseball (not going to blame him for Danks, either) overall. Everyone could see Thornton was fading, and Veal couldn't be expected to work miracles year after year since it was never on the back of his baseball card. If anything, the Sox deserve a lot of credit for getting so much out of Septimo, Omogrosso, Jones and Veal last year. But that wasn't Ventura... The complete lack of fundamentals, sound decision-making on defense, bad instincts, base-running gaffes....that's always going to be on a manager, as the buck stops with him. If his coaches aren't getting the job done, he has to intervene personally or replace them.

QUOTE (flavum @ Jun 2, 2013 -> 04:20 PM) Viciedo on pace for a whopping 12 homers and 39 RBIs. (he was injured though) YOUR EXTRAPOLATE PACE THINGY SUCKS. Sure, if Viciedo was on pace for 600 ab's, a regular major league season (some guys get high 600's)...then he would be slated for 20 homers and 60-70 RBI's. Considering we have the worst White Sox offense by far since the beginning of the KW regime, that's not a surprise. Are you going to do the say the same thing with projecting Beckham, too, when he comes back? Sale's streak the longest continuous scoreless innings streak since Wilson Alvarez in 1993.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 2, 2013 -> 04:22 PM) Sale knows he is supposed to back up the play. He went back there but for some reason, the first base side. I don't see how his stupidity is on any coach or manager. Then why aren't the players doing it? Most of us have seen high school and junior college teams that play better fundamental baseball than this year's Sox team.

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Jun 2, 2013 -> 04:20 PM) I think it is safe to say the rest of 2013 for the Sox will be bad baseball. Or, even if it isn't, the argument will be we were already out of the race so none of the experience the players gained was under the pressure of a late season pennant race. For example, if Erik Johnson came up and looked like Kip Wells in his rookie campaign.