To Rule in Kansas City

[PotatoOfCouch13]

Perhaps there is nothing better than a new season, especially one where you've got the target on your back! Good luck getting 102 wins!

[CatKnight]

gosensgo: Yah, I know. I don't believe it...it's a little too good to be true

Coach Owens: Haha!

PotatoofCouch: Well, I don't see 102 as realistic...but we're sure going to try.
*******

We faced three problems entering the 1973 season:

First, once more we lost Wally Bunker to the disabled list. This was his fourth major injury, totaling approximately six months, in two years. This is horrible for a twenty-eight year old man. Bunker put up excellent numbers last year (13-3 3.63 3 CG) but we simply can't rely on him. Wally will remain at least through this season, and probably see significant usage if he stays healthy, but he's not worth $216,000 if he chooses to renew.

Second, our catcher is also our field manager. I think it's worth giving Joe Torre a shot, but I promoted Jack McKeon to bench coach. Torre's agreed to let Buck Martinez serve as starter so he can stay in the dugout and manage the team when appropriate. Joe says he's experienced in organizing defenses, and perhaps that's so, but will it translate to being able to control an entire team?

Third, the Sporting News expects us to be the best team in baseball. Talk about a bright red target on your back. Joe tells me the players now have high expectations...and a bit of overconfidence. I don't know whether to hope for a small losing streak to bring us back to earth, or to run away from the rest of the division as quickly as humanly possible.

The Star, in its wisdom, is already prepared to call us divisional champs. Fine, so long as we don't end up being the divisional chumps.

Ewing called to ask what I thought of the SN article. I told him that while I expected to be competitive, and even had hopes of taking the division, 102 wins was simply too much. "Ninety or ninety-one, but I'll be satisfied if we pass last year's total."

Kauffman wrinkled his nose. He didn't like pessimism and couldn't always tell the difference between that and pragmatism.
*******

KANSAS CITY ROYALS

OPENING DAY ROSTER
POSITION PLAYERS

CATCHER

Buck Martinez (82/95) [24] (.330 0-10 0)
CON: $18.3K thru Arb 75 / ACQ: 12/68 Trade with HOU
Debut: 1969 Kansas City Royals (5th season)

Buck's played in only 70 games since debuting 4 years ago. I think he's finally ready, coming out of ST with a .929 OPS. He's young, and will still need some help controlling the game as well as Torre or Rodriguez, but I think he can do this.

Joe Torre (86) [32] (.280 10-52 0 with Cardinals/Royals)
CON: $281K through 1974 / ACQ: 4/72 Trade with STL
Debut: 1960 Milwaukee Braves (14th season)

A veteran of the last Card dynasty, a surprising array of injuries have slowed him of late. Perhaps it's just as well he'll spend much of his time on the bench.

Ellie Rodriguez (81) [26] (.253 0-16 1)
CON: $89K thruh 1973 / ACQ: 10/68 Expansion Draft (7th Round)
Debut: 1968 New York Yankees (5th season)

Ellie seemed to be on the tail end of his career, but performed respectably whenever Torre suffered an injury. With Mike Fiore (below's) decline in ST, and the fact both Torre and Robinson can play first in a crisis, this left a roster spot open. Ellie deserves a chance to help us get our first divisional pennant.

On the Farm:
Jerry Grote (75)[30] is trade bait. 'Nuf said.
*******

FIRST BASE

Will Thompson (93) [21] (.323 36-122 1)
CON: $123K through 1973 / ACQ: 11/69 Free Agent
Debut: 1970 Kansas City Royals (4th season)

Thompson needed to do well last year, and he did leading the team in homers and RBIs while securing his place in the heart of the order. At 21, he can only get better.

On the Farm:
Mike Fiore (66/67)[28] had a disappointing spring training and appears to be fading. Barring a sudden resurrection in B-Jacksonville, he's done here.
*******

INFIELD

Frank White (93/96) [22] (.266 5-59 4)
CON: $18.3K through Arb 75 / ACQ: Off Season 68/69
Debut: 1969 Kansas City Royals (4th season)

White stepped forward after Andrews suffered a serious injury last year, and made second base his own. His career is just beginning, and can only get better.

Eric Soderholm (86/94) [24] (.272 6-33 0 with Twins/Royals)
CON: $18.3K through Arb 75 / ACQ: 4/72 Trade with MIN
Debut: 1969 Minnesota Twins (3rd season)

Soderholm proved his worth backing up Hart last year, and for awhile looked like he might take the position away from our (former) best hitter. This year he gets to show us what he can do.

Bill Russell (88/96) [24] (.282 2-50 12)
CON: $153K through 1973 / ACQ: 06/71 trade with LAD
Debut: 1969 Los Angeles Dodgers (5th season)

Russell's emerged as reliable, if not brilliant. He'll never be a power hitter, but he can hit the ball, run fast, and excellent range.

Frank Duffy (75/77) [26] (.125 0-0 0)
CON: $18.3K through Arb 75 / ACQ: 07/70 trade with CIN
Debut: 1969 Cincinnati Reds (3rd season)

Duffy is filling a roster spot and ready to step in if there's an emergency. 'Nuf said.

Mike Andrews (83) [29] (.311 7-31 0)
CON: $240K through 1974 / ACQ: 11/70 Free Agent
Debut: 1966 Boston Red Sox (8th season)

Injuries last year cost Andrews his starting spot. He's our primary utility infielder (though he's only really good at 2B) and might still have a future here, depending on how much he asks for next year.

On the Farm:
Roy Smalley (69/91) and Junior Kennedy (66/93) continue to develop. We won't have to worry about them this year, but by 75 or so we'll have to make some decisions.

*******

OUTFIELD

Jim Ray Hart (88) [31] (.296 17-73 2)
CON: $245K through 1973 / ACQ: 11/69 Free Agent
Debut: 1963 San Francisco Giants (11th season)

With Soderholm ready to play, we didn't want to relegate Hart to the bench so he gets to try his luck in left field. Hopefully his iffy glove won't be too much of a detriment there.

Pat Kelly (91/94) [28] (.332 13-64 13)
CON: $200K through 1973 / ACQ: 10/68 Expansion Draft (17th round)
Debut: 1967 Minnesota Twins (5th season)

Kelly continues to be one of the mainstays of the KC offense. He doesn't have MUCH power, but he gets on base frequently scoring 82 runs last year.

Bill Robinson (84) [29] (.288 21-88 5)
CON: $252K through 1974 / ACQ: 07/71 Trade with CLE
Debut: 1966 Atlanta Braves (8th season)

Robinson offered some much needed power to last year's offense. He moves to CF with Cardenal sitting on the bench. It's a tossup though, and if Robinson struggles then Cardenal could come back.

Jose Cardenal (85) [29] (.294 11-80 8)
CON: $154K through 1973 / ACQ: 07/70 Trade with CLE
Debut: 1963 San Francisco Giants (11th season)

Cardenal may or may not be tiring. If so, it'd be a shame since he's not even thirty. Cardenal still has a lot to offer this team, but this year he starts on the bench.

Lou Piniella (81) [29] (.274 1-19 3)
CON: $250K through 1973 / ACQ: 11/71 Free Agent
Debut: 1964 Baltimore Orioles (5th season)

Last year we didn't expect Lou to see much playing time, but he still managed 219 AB. This year is much the same. Lou's a great backup, but probably not worth the money we're paying him to warm our bench.

On the Farm:
We picked up Johnny Jeter (80) in FA to step in if anyone gets hurt. Al Cowens (66/95) and Jim Rice (68/95) continue to develop with Reggie Walton (56/91) only a year or two behind.

[Coach Owens]

I happen to think that it's not very funny, Cat!

[CatKnight]

Coach Owens:
*******

KANSAS CITY ROYALS

OPENING DAY ROSTER
PITCHERS

STARTING ROTATION

Paul Splittorff (93) [26] (12-11 3.72 6 CG)
CON: $190K through 1973 / ACQ: 06/68 Amateur Draft (25th round)
Debut: 1969 Kansas City Royals (5th season)

With Larry Dierker gone and Wally Bunker on the DL, Splittorff emerges as our staff ace again. If he stays reasonable about contract expectations, there's no reason he can't stay indefinitely.

Bert Blyleven (89/94) [21] (5-10 6.20 4 CG)
CON: $327K through 1973 / ACQ: 06/69 Amateur Draft (1st round)
Debut: 1969 Kansas City Royals (5th season)

The same can't be said of Mr. Blyleven, whose outrageous contract demands have put him on notice. He has one season to return to elite pitching form, or he'll either be released or traded in April 1974.

Bill Butler (83/84) [26] (7-5 3.51 4 SV)
CON: $18.3K through Arb 74 / ACQ: 10/68 Expansion Draft (11th round)
Debut: 1969 Kansas City Royals (5th season)

Butler's bounced between occasional starts and middle relief for years now. With Bunker out of the way, he gets his chance to show us what he can do.

Steve Busby (85/90) [23] (9-2 4.85 4 CG)
CON: $18.3K through Arb 75 / ACQ: Off Season 68/69
Debut: 1970 Kansas City Royals (4th season)

Busby's waited for his chance for years. He finally got it and did quite well. (Certainly better than Blyleven!) He should be able to stay in the rotation if he can stay healthy.

Mike Hedlund (78/80) [26] (5-3 3.00 2 SV)
CON: $120K through 1973 / ACQ: 10/68 Expansion Draft (23rd round)
Debut: 1965 Cleveland Indians (5th season)

Like Butler, Hedlund's bounced between relief and starts his entire career in KC. Took a step back over the winter, and will probably go to Omaha when Bunker is healthy to try and regain his form.

Disabled:
Wally Bunker (83/84)[28] (13-3 3.63 1 CG) keeps getting hurt, which doesn't do much for his reliability. Bunker was supposedly washed up last year, but ended up with the most wins of any Royal pitcher.

On the Farm:
Monty Montgomery (72/75) is really done here in KC. There are people who can take over the spot start/mopup role. Marc McNabb (71/84) will soon be ready to try and join the club.

BULLPEN

Rollie Fingers (84/85) [26] (7-5 4.05 14 SV)
CON: $92K through 1973 / ACQ: 07/70 trade with OAK
Debut: 1968 Oakland Athletics (5th season)

Rollie returns to his accustomed role as team closer. He's reliable, if not outstanding, and should be able to get the job done with the help of...

Lance Clemons (85/92) [25] (4-0 1.45 14 SV)
CON: $18.3K through Arb 75 / ACQ: 06/68 Amateur Draft (7th round)
Debut: 1971 Kansas City Royals (2nd season)

In his first substantial season with the club, Clemons allowed only 24 hits in 37 innings. He's our best reliever, and the only reason he isn't closing is because we hope he sees more play time in the setup role.

Jim York (87/88) [25] (2-4 6.28 0 SV)
CON: $18.3K through Arb 74 / ACQ: Off Season 68/69
Debut: 1970 Kansas City Royals (4th season)

Jim is hard to figure. He'll put together some great performances...then some team will annihilate him for 7 runs in an inning. This lack of consistency is holding him back.

Cy Acosta (85/91) [26] (5-9 4.50 5 SV with Padres/Royals)
CON: $18.3K through Arb 74 / ACQ: 07/72 Trade with SD
Debut: 1969 Chicago White Sox (5th season)

Acosta didn't see as much playing time as we'd like after being traded, but did well enough (3.75 ERA) in limited play. Hopefully he'll be able to make a more solid contribution this year.

Ken Wright (81/82) [26] (0-1 5.49 1 SV)
CON: $18.3K through Arb 74 / ACQ: Off Season 68/69
Debut: 1969 Kansas City Royals (5th season)

This is what I wrote last year: "Ken's performance has really fallen off over the last two years. This may be as good as he gets, in which case he just won't last." It still applies.

Dick Drago (83/92) [27] (2-2 5.56 2 SV)
CON: $93K through 1974 / ACQ: 10/68 Expansion Draft (16th round)
Debut: 1969 Kansas City Royals (5th season)

At age 27, if Drago's going to improve more it's really now or never. A disappointing season resulted in him spending time in Omaha.


On the Farm:

We have a number of good relievers ready to step in if Wright or anyone else falters, including Doug Bird (81/91) and Jerry Cram (81/94). Not as spectacular, but still useful in emergencies are Aurelio Lopez (76/79), Dave Rajsich (70/80) and George Throop (70/81).

[petrel]

I hate to admit it, but I believe that Will Thompson is going to be the heart of the team. His youth and his incredible stats will power the K. C. engine. Let's hope that he doesn't get hurt.

--Pet

[Imgran]

So it's dead then?

[Coach Owens]

So it's dead then?

I doubt it. It's probably just on hiatus, like Even the Braves.

[YEAH DAAAAWG]

Yeah, if you look at Cat's signature he has it listed as "Napping" so he'll probably return to it at some point.

[CatKnight]

Nope, it's definitely not dead.

I grew more and more burned out, and it became a bit of a chore to work on this. I just needed to try something different for awhile, rather than try to keep going and eventually need to completely stop.

My plan is to run Indians for awhile, then probably go back to Royals (or finally do the Mariners dynasty Coach keeps trying to bully me into. )

[Coach Owens]

Nope, it's definitely not dead.

I grew more and more burned out, and it became a bit of a chore to work on this. I just needed to try something different for awhile, rather than try to keep going and eventually need to completely stop.

My plan is to run Indians for awhile, then probably go back to Royals (or finally do the Mariners dynasty Coach keeps trying to bully me into. )

Why would I try to bully someone 21 years older than I am?

[YEAH DAAAAWG]

Because he can't actually beat you up :P.

[Imgran]

I really like this dynasty. It's got a well-balanced story to it and things were just starting to get good.

O well, I look forward to renewed posting here with eagerness and will be patient.

[CatKnight]

Imgran - thanks. As I said, it's not dead by any means. Will you beat up Coach for me? I'm apparently old and frail.

[Coach Owens]

I never said you were old and frail, Cat. I merely said that why in the world would any 16 year old try to "bully" a 37 year old? Sheesh, old man!

[JeepGuy63]

COMMENTS:

Um...I'm going to HOPE that as I play through this season the offense corrects itself. As it stands....well, let me show you.

Historical: (American League) (National League)

Runs per Game: (4.09) (4.05)
ERA: (3.62) (3.60)

Simmed through April 15:

RpG: (6.56) (6.19)
ERA: (6.21) (5.83)

Now 15 days means absolutely nothing statistically speaking, but in that time you see the following scores:

Boston 24 Minnesota 15
Baltimore 23 White Sox 11
Cincinnati 23 Montreal 7
Washington 19 Kansas City 8
Detroit 18 Oakland 15
Dodgers 18 Philadelphia 3
San Diego 16 Cubs 14
Cubs 16 Houston 0

Among others.

Has anyone else played with the 1969 rosters and found this? Eep.

On the other hand, I guess this universe is going to see no need for a DH.

In my Seattle Pilots game, I noticed the same thing - early in the season, scores were pretty high and my team ERA was well over 6. As the season progressed, the scores dropped as did the team ERA.

Of course, I thought this was just happening to a crappy team but it seemed to happen league wide.