It’s no secret the 2016 Royals were undone in large part due to their struggling starting pitching. With Edinson Volquez now gone to the Miami Marlins, the Royals definitely have a hole to fill and few internal prospects to fill it. The top four starters (Danny Duffy, Ian Kennedy, Yordano Ventura, and Jason Vargas) seem […]
Author: Darin Watson
U.L.’s Toothpick: The Year Of The Card–Darryl Motley, 1985
Only 10 players in Royals history have managed to hit a home run on the sport’s biggest stage. I’m sure everyone reading this remembers half of those 10, as they happened in the 2014 and 2015 World Series (Omar Infante, Mike Moustakas, and Salvador Perez in 2014; Alcides Escobar and Alex Gordon in 2015). You […]
Relinquishing The Crown
It’s been a fun year. Well, a year plus a couple of days. The Royals’ reign as defending champions is over. However, their reign as 2015 champions will last forever, which is nice. I’m grateful for the fact we got a seven-game World Series. Admittedly, it’s less stressful and more enjoyable when your team isn’t […]
U.L.’s Toothpick: The Year Of The Card–Marty Pattin, 1976
Those of us who grew up with a little bit less money than our peers know: if you want to play ball, lots of things can become a good substitute for a baseball. A rolled-up pair of socks, a ball of tape, even an apple. Yes, an apple. There’s nothing wrong with being able to […]
U.L.’s Toothpick: Steve Balboni’s Record, And The Players Who Almost Broke It
If you’re reading this, you probably know that Steve Balboni still holds the Royals’ single-season home run mark with 36, set back in 1985. Even though we all know Kauffman Stadium isn’t a homer-friendly park, it’s still kind of funny that the record has stood for more than 30 years and yet is rather low. […]
Royals’ Offensive Dropoff Was A Big Reason For 2016 Disappointment
During two seasons that each ended with a World Series appearances, the Royals’ offense has probably not received enough credit. Now, after a somewhat disappointing .500 season, I wonder if they’re getting enough blame. The narrative over the last two seasons was that the Royals succeeded in spite of their offense, depending on an airtight […]
The 2018 Royals: Probably Better Than You Think
I told a few people the other day that the Royals are “logically eliminated, not mathematically eliminated” from postseason contention; sure, there is a path to the playoffs, but it involves so many what-ifs and need-this-and-thats that it is only a slightly better bet than a lottery ticket. There will be plenty of time to […]
Recap: Indians 2, Royals 1; #IndiansDevilMagic
Things may be mostly academic at this point in the season–the Cleveland Indians are almost certainly going to win the American League Central, and the Royals are almost certainly going to be playing golf in October. But nothing is official yet, and so there was no reason for the Royals not to try and spoil […]
U.L.’s Toothpick: The Year Of The Card–Bo Jackson, 1989
It’s entirely subjective, of course, but I would guess only twice in team history have the Royals had a player who would be considered the “coolest” player in baseball. Even after two World Series appearances and one championship, I don’t think the current squad has anyone really close. Sure, Salvador Perez is immensely popular, and […]
Joakim Soria And The Blame Game
The Royals might miss the playoffs. That shouldn’t be news. It’s been a distinct possibility for months now. But after Wednesday night’s loss to a miserable Minnesota team, it seems to be the consensus. I’m not giving up all hope just yet, as Kansas City is still just four games out of a playoff spot, […]