Thought this was funny, Passan pokes fun at Royals

[caulfield12]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-h...o&type=lgns

 

The funniest thing is that four of the five players they acquired (Pods, Anderson, Fields, Getz...to go along with Jason Kendall) are all former White Sox players.

 

Argues they might threaten the all-time Mets' record from the 60's of being shut out 30 times or more this season.

[JorgeFabregas]

He accidentally used BA's Red Sox stats/OPS+ instead of his cumulative 2009 stats.

[Kyyle23]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=jp-h...o&type=lgns

 

The funniest thing is that four of the five players they acquired (Pods, Anderson, Fields, Getz...to go along with Jason Kendall) are all former White Sox players.

 

Argues they might threaten the all-time Mets' record from the 60's of being shut out 30 times or more this season.

 

 

Dont forget Betemit. He is the key to their defense

[caulfield12]

The sad thing is that 20 years ago, saying something like that would have been unthinkable or unimaginable.

 

The Royals under Kauffman were always one of the "model" franchises in the game of baseball. Most younger fans don't remember how good those 70's and 80's ERA Royals teams actually were, they just think of them like they do the Pirates, Nationals, Marlins (minus the two World Series titles), Padres, etc.

[Balta1701]

The sad thing is that 20 years ago, saying something like that would have been unthinkable or unimaginable.

 

The Royals under Kauffman were always one of the "model" franchises in the game of baseball. Most younger fans don't remember how good those 70's and 80's ERA Royals teams actually were, they just think of them like they do the Pirates, Nationals, Marlins (minus the two World Series titles), Padres, etc.

It's somewhat amazing how good ownership can turn a franchise around quickly, while poor decisionmaking at the top can murder it for so long.

[witesoxfan]

The sad thing is that 20 years ago, saying something like that would have been unthinkable or unimaginable.

 

The Royals under Kauffman were always one of the "model" franchises in the game of baseball. Most younger fans don't remember how good those 70's and 80's ERA Royals teams actually were, they just think of them like they do the Pirates, Nationals, Marlins (minus the two World Series titles), Padres, etc.

 

You can say pretty much the same thing about the Pirates. That's a team with a storied history that has hardly been relevant in my lifetime, and I turn 23 this year.

[Dick Allen]

In 1990 or 1991, the Royals had the highest payroll in baseball.

[Pants Rowland]

You can say pretty much the same thing about the Pirates. That's a team with a storied history that has hardly been relevant in my lifetime, and I turn 23 this year.

 

Those Expos teams up until the strike were always competitive as well and developed some phenomenal talent. They used to give the Cubs a ton of fits, too.

[caulfield12]

You can say pretty much the same thing about the Pirates. That's a team with a storied history that has hardly been relevant in my lifetime, and I turn 23 this year.

 

 

The early 90's Pirates teams were great with Bonds, Bonilla, Drabeck, Leyland, etc.

 

Of course, you have the Roberto Clemente Era teams with 2 World Series titles and the 79 "We Are Family" team with those crazy hats with the yellow stripes and stars like they now put on football helmets (Willie Stargell and Kent Tekulve).

 

 

In KC, David Glass has been a so-so owner, but he's just not as personally rich as Kauffman was, nor is he willing to put winning over the finances of the team or himself personally. Simply, he's someone that people might respect as a business leader from his Wal-Mart days, but there's so much backlash against that style of running a business that he suffers for it by extension. And he just doesn't have a "vibrant" or charismatic personality. It's kind of like comparing Martha Coakley and the new Massachusetts Senator. I can understand why so many Dems were frustrated that they actually voted across party lines. Well, that's how a lot of people feel about Glass in comparison to Kauffman, he can never measure up no matter what he does (which hasn't been much, the jury's definitely out on Hillman and Dayton Moore replacing Allard Baird/Muser and Pena).

 

They've made some very strange decisions in the last decade, such as signing Gil Meche (better than expected) but trading away Damon/Dye/Beltran and not receiving much of value is those deals...as well as bringing in Jose Guillen for that type of salary when he was declining as an outfielder and always a difficult personality for the best "New Age" manager to deal with just didn't make much sense.

Edited January 27, 2010 by caulfield12

[hogan873]

You can say pretty much the same thing about the Pirates. That's a team with a storied history that has hardly been relevant in my lifetime, and I turn 23 this year.

 

Having grown up in Pittsburgh, I was a die-hard Pirates fan. At least until they decided to never compete again. Plus, their decision to do so happened around the same time as the strike. I lost interest in baseball until I moved here in 1999. I have since become a die-hard Sox fan. I still keep an eye on the Pirates, but it's so sad to see what has happened with that team. Awesome city with a great sports history and a beautiful baseball stadium puts out a minor league team every year. Very sad.

[iWiN4PreP]

Such a shame... Best wishes to a Royal turnaround and a Pirate turnaround

[witesoxfan]

Having grown up in Pittsburgh, I was a die-hard Pirates fan. At least until they decided to never compete again. Plus, their decision to do so happened around the same time as the strike. I lost interest in baseball until I moved here in 1999. I have since become a die-hard Sox fan. I still keep an eye on the Pirates, but it's so sad to see what has happened with that team. Awesome city with a great sports history and a beautiful baseball stadium puts out a minor league team every year. Very sad.

 

Didn't they recently switch ownership? I thought I remembered that but I'm not sure. I know they have a completely different philosophy in the front office now, so hopefully things are turning around for that franchise.

[caulfield12]

I think McClatchy was trying to find a buyer recently.

 

I'm assuming this is because of the downturn in profits from his media (mostly newspaper) empire...

 

Sadly, the most profitable thing he will do for the rest of his media career is probably sell the Pirates and they will end up relocating with that beautiful new stadium becoming a ghost town. I hope not, Roberto Clemente and Pops Stargell would be turning over in their graves.