With the Royals and Tigers set to end their three-game series this afternoon, this doesn't have quite the introductory feel that I was hoping for, but my procrastination is to blame for that.
Anyway, Will at Royals Review answered five questions I had for him. I'll be returning the favor later today or tomorrow. I'm hoping we can swap questions a few more times throughout this season.
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(1) In your mind, what has been the largest factor in the Royals' slow start? Or is the answer too big for just one question?
It depends on what you mean by "factor". They aren't winning because they're not scoring runs. No one is really sure why this is the case. We had high hopes of having a league average offense. That being said, the Royals have also found a way to go 0-4 in one-run games already. Just sheer incompetence mixed with stretches of cold weather fueled good pitching.
(2) Alex Gordon: Overwhelmed or trying too hard? Could he have been rushed up to the majors too early?
Well, it certainly looks that way. I try to steer clear of figuring out his mindset and if it's a problem, simply because I don't know the guy and even if I did, I take the mysteries of the human mind fairly seriously.
Some people think he's pressing/overwhelmed, others think he's overconfident. Basically, it's the baseball version of the problem of evil: either there's some reason for his hellacious start, and we must find it and address it. Or, it's just a "slump."
(3) I always thought Buddy Bell got kind of a raw deal in Detroit, but he hasn't exactly proven that move wrong since he was here. What's the thought on him in KC?
There seems to be this bizarre consensus that Buddy's alright for now, but will be fired when the team is ready to contend. If you think about it, it doesn't really make much sense, but you see sentiments like this regularly enough. Either he's a good manager or he's not. Period.
I'm not a huge fan, but he doesn't annoy me as much as he used to, either. He's a factory-issue 2007 manager: bunts, over-reliance on matchups, vet-friendly, never says anything remotely interesting to the media. He's managed over a 1000 games now, and I'm not really sure why.
(4) What sorts of moves would you like to see Dayton Moore make in the near-future? Do they need to bring in any veteran presence or do they need they're on the right track with their young talent?
At the current moment things look bad. Basically, every offensive player Moore has brought in is hitting horribly right now, and in many cases, there was no positional need for them anyway.
He's had some better luck with pitchers (although in a month, I might think the exact opposite). He just needs to keep on keeping on, picking up random pitching prospects and hoping 10% of them pan out. We have good offensive talent in the system.
(5) Dude, Royals Review gets so many more comments than Bless You Boys right now. Is it the way I look or smell? What's your secret?
I don't know. There's a certain randomness to these things. Two years ago I was getting no comments per game. Good content has a way of being discovered. Keep hope alive.
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Okay, thanks to Will, not just for answering my questions, but for also indulging my insecurities there at the end. I really should've come up with a better fifth question. As Tony Kornheiser says on "PTI," we'll try to do better the next time.
And as I said before, depending on how the day goes, I'll be answering five questions over at Royals Review some time today or tomorrow.