Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Royals

 

For a season without much to note for the Royals, I sure missed some big ones this year.

I only have six Royals for December, but three of them are ones I should have gotten to during the regular season. And that includes Brady Singer. This guy was a rookie that began the season in the rotation and acted like he'd been doing this for years. Singer started 12 games, had a 4.06 record, and led the team in strikeouts with 61. Brad Keller may have had more bang for his buck, but Singer was more consistent and a clear sign of the next few seasons of Royals baseball.

2021 Prediction: 200 strikeouts, not enough wins given this is a rebuilding Royals team, and an ASG nomination. 

I also should have done an Adalberto Mondesi custom during the season, on account of him LEADING THE LEAGUE IN STOLEN BASES. Who would have called that??? Mondi had a decent year, with .256 with 22 RBIs in 59 games for KC, and is still a crucial member of the core of this team. 

2021 Prediction: He'll be playing beautifully for the first two months before an injury sidelines him til September. 

Danny Duffy has been a consistent member of the Royals for a decade, even in weaker seasons. 2020 was a pretty neutral year for the Duffman- a 4-4 record in 11 starts, a 4.95 ERA and 57 Ks. He's not as sharp as he used to be, but he still had some strong games this year.

2021 Prediction: By July, there will be enough youth in the rotation that Duffy will be able to transition seamlessly to the bullpen.

Hunter Dozier came off the IL in August, and while he did his best to match his strong, ASG-caliber 2019, it wasn't much of a match. In 44 games, Dozier hit .228 with 12 RBIs. Not too great, despite some decent power numbers.

2021 Prediction: If he doesn't hit for average by June, he'll be DFA'd. 

The other rookie starting pitcher for KC was a crafty one named Kris Bubic. His 1-6 ERA and high WHIP hide the fact that he still had a 4.32 ERA and 49 Ks, and is a really interesting, clever pitcher just with some control issues.

2021 Prediction: 10 wins, a low WHIP, and some external factor that limits him to 22 games.

Of course, 2020 was the final one for Alex Gordon, a guy that's been a Royal since the year I started collecting. Gordo had some great power years and defensive years in the 2010s, and while he didn't exactly live up to expectations, he was still a consistent player and a Royals HOFer for sure. His mediocre 2020 stats, like a .209 average and 11 RBIs, were an afterthought. Gordon will be missed, and the Royals will need to establish a new type of consistency to live up to.

Coming Tomorrow- I genuinely have a ton of Detroit Tigers for tomorrow.

Alex Gordon Has Been Here Before

When Alex Gordon came into the leagues in 2007, he was joining a Royals team that had a few solid hitters waiting to be poached by better teams, no pitching, and a hazy outlook.

...sound familiar?

It's kind of sad that Gordon has been in Kansas City long enough to help grow a youth movement and a playoff dynasty, then watch both of those completely dissolve.

There are still remnants from those playoff teams, like Danny Duffy and Salvador Perez, but Perez is out for the year, and Duffy is...fine. But in terms ones that still are as productive, it's really down to Gordon right now. Thankfully he's playing beautifully, recently notching his 1500th hit, and his 800th run. There is a strong core of him, Hunter Dozier, Whit Merrifield and Adalberto Mondesi, but...aside from them, the lineup is not much at ALL. Yes, Jorge Soler has 10 home runs, but he doesn't have much else. Hell, Billy Hamilton isn't even leading the team in steals (Mondesi is), so he's not really a factor.

As good as a player as Alex Gordon is, though, I can't imagine this team being terribly different without him at this point, which honestly says a lot about his Hall of Fame case (however minuscule it is). Gordon is fine, and when he's hot he's great, but we haven't exactly seen THIS Gordon since 2016. Gordon's 2017 was one where he couldn't do shit at the plate, but was amazing in the outfield. Now we're...sort of getting the opposite? His RunsFielding totals aren't as high as they've been, and usually they're equalizing negative batting numbers. Now...they're at 0. So...you can't really get both anymore with Gordon, can you?

Ah well, he's still a great player, and he's still a gift to Kansas City fans, even in these trying times. Hope he keeps it up.

Coming Tonight: My dad and I were discussing this the other day. This guy might be the single best all-around player in baseball. He can play any position, has speed, and can hit like hell.

GORDON'S ALIVE!

(Had to. Had to.)

The 2018 Kansas City Royals. Or 'uuuurrrghhhhh'

This team is just a cavalcade of guys who either aren't experienced enough or are past their prime. Anybody who proves they can play well is promptly traded, like Jon Jay and Kelvin Herrera have been. Everybody else who's still here and doing well...like Whit Merrifield, Alex Gordon, Mike Moustakas and Salvador Perez...shan't unpack.

The pitching is the most atrocious part. Jason Hammel has a record of 2-11. That's pretty hard to do if you're not trying. Ian Kennedy and Danny Duffy aren't doing much better. Everyone else is injured. Brad Keller has been trying some starting innings, and it has been working well for him, but the bullpen is now lacking a bit, as usual standout Brandon Maurer is tanking, and the bullpen ERA is feeling a bit bloated.

Still, the veterans are saving the day, or at least trying to. After an atrocious season at the plate, Alex Gordon is finally hitting above average, and still is a pretty good defensive outfielder as well. This has always been his team to lead, and even this dire moment is no exception. He's still a standout, and is working on boosting the youth by example, knowing that he may not have much time left as a Royal. Meanwhile, I'm guessing Whit Merrifield will be the new anchor of the team, if he stays around that long.

The sad part is that just 5 or so years ago we were talking about this Royals team as the next great young team, and we were expecting a dynasty to last a number of years. Who knew it'd be from World Champions to last place in the span of 3 years?

Coming Tonight: Versatile veteran hitter for a team I do not enjoy posting about.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2016: Royals

Good year for the AL Central, not so good year for the Royals.

I'll give them credit for trying, but without Zobrist and Cueto, without a healthy core, without most of the pitching staff and without a real definitive squad focus for the year...the Royals couldn't get it done, and wound up in third, missing out on the playoffs...right where they were three years ago.

Alex Gordon had a down season, which...he has from time to time. He'll probably be back in 2017 when the pressure's off.

Ian Kennedy's first, and only, season in Kansas City went...relatively well. Not his best season, obviously, but he did a considerably better job than the rest of the staff, so well that he's got a contract to help revive the grieving Marlins rotation.

Paulo Orlando had a much bigger 2016 season, after a few partial-season gigs in the championship teams. He was one of the few positive offensive performers, and turned in some nice moments towards the end of the season.

Mike Moustakas was on the way to another really nice season...and then the injury hit and ruined everything. It's sad, because Moose has become a treasure to that squad, and he thankfully didn't miss out on a wonderful season like Kyle Schwarber (almost) did. He'll be back in full force next year.

Coming Tomorrow- The Tigers team that NEARLY cracked the playoffs.

How Alex Gordon Saved a Franchise

Flash back with me, if you will, to 2006. The White Sox were the defending World Series champions, Johan Santana was still a legitimate threat, and Upper Deck still had an MLB license.

The Kansas City Royals were also a completely different team. First and foremost, with the exception of Zack Greinke, they had no pitching. They were emphasizing on younger stars like Angel Berroa and Mark Teahen who wouldn't really pan out, while still holding onto aging stars like Mike Sweeney and Mark Grudzielanek. The Royals' priorities were in all the wrong places in 2006, and they were getting into their rut of landing at the bottom of the AL Central (or near the bottom thanks to the Tigers).

However, the only good thing that happened to the Royals in 2006 was documented on a baseball card that barely anybody got to see.

I don't know if a lot of current bloggers/collectors remember the infamous Alex Gordon incident of 2006, but Topps took Alex Gordon's rookie card, which was a pretty big deal, and gimmicked the hell out of it so that the odds of finding one were lower than the odds of the 2015 Phillies winning a game (without Aaron Nola on the mound). So Alex Gordon's REAL Topps rookie from 2006 was lost to time, and stupidity.

Yet at least Topps was right in basically nudging collectors and going "HEY! THIS GUY COULD BE PRETTY BIG!" Because once the Royals were able to build a team around Gordon, which happened a little after Mike Sweeney left in 2007, the team got so much better. I mean, yeah, they still had some years in last, which was bound to happen, but after a while they became a third place team, and then a wild card standout, and now...the #1 team in the AL.

It helps that Alex Gordon didn't make the mistake that Bryce Harper is making, which is that he's coming off way too strong at the beginning, so that once Harper has, you know, normal seasons, the fans are going to turn on him (wait for it, I guarantee it's comin'). Alex Gordon had a slow build, having some good seasons before eventually having great seasons, and spreading them out. Plus, even though he was really the centerpiece of the team, Gordon hasn't done all the work, letting Eric Hosmer, Kendrys Morales and Mike Moustakas do some major hitting this year.

Bottom line is that Alex Gordon is capable of carrying a team, even if he's not always the team's standout. He's more like an authority figure, or a role model, for everyone else. He's had some great seasons, and will have a few more, but he's gonna be known for turning this team into a huge-time success story, and that's a pretty big thing to be known for.

Coming Tomorrow- The Reds cleaned most of their pitching staff this July. which means they had room in the rotation for this fireballer, who's become the toast of their pitching.

Well Done, Gardy.

Always nice when the All-Star Ballot rectifies itself.

I mean, I'm really sad for Alex Gordon, because he's FINALLY come into his own in Kansas City. But, the silver lining is now Brett Gardner, who's having a phenomenal season, gets to be on the All-Star Ballot, bypassing the Final Man Vote that he was going to lose anyway.

Happy it happened. Happier that at least they got somebody like Adam Jones to replace Gordon. I'm not happy about *why* it happened, but that's baseball for you.

Game Seven: Full Prediction

Well...tonight, the last game of the 2014 season will take place. Both sides are ready for a victory, and either one could easily take this one.

However, as is custom, I will detail the viewpoints and perspectives of the game, and see who I think will win in the end.

Who the audience wants to win:

Kansas City Royals.

Kind of goes without saying. Nobody thought that the Royals would make it this far, especially seeing as the Tigers came out strong at the beginning of the season. So it's making everybody so happy that they're in the World Series, and they're playing beautifully.

Plus, this is a fun team that has allowed itself to be rooted for by basically everybody. There are great players like Lorenzo Cain, Jarrod Dyson, Omar Infante, Alex Gordon and Yordano Ventura populating the roster.

If the fans had their way, the Royals would take it.

Who has the better team:

San Francisco Giants.

Yeah, it's kind of a fact that the Giants have more meat on them. They have better hitting, more durable pitching, a roster that has been through this before. They have a number of players (Bumgarner, Posey, Sandoval, and a few others) that have already won two rings. They've been through all of this already.

The Giants came close to taking their division title a few times. The Royals, with the exception of a midsummer boost, didn't really. The Giants have more overall strength, have hit more home runs, and are the stronger team.

Who Should Win:

Kansas City Royals.

Going into this game, the odds are with the Royals. They're playing a Game 7 at home, and the odds say that they'll be the ones to take it. But not only that--this is a team that has been playing like winners for the past few matches. Game 6 was a blowout because they allowed it to be, because they decided to play really, really well.

If they could take Game 6, and force the Giants to play one more game, I guess they'll be the favorite going in.

Who Will Win:

Kansas City Royals.

Not sure if this will happen, but I sincerely hope it does.

Custom Card of the Day: Gordon Edition

Back in 2006, there was an entire blogosphere frenzy on Alex Gordon. Remember that? If not, Gordon was the original Strasburg Harper Yasiel Puig. Topps hyped him up like crazy, even to the point where they gimmicked his rookie card, sending set collectors and mojo collectors alike into a maddening tailspin.

Why was this card gimmicked? Why did Topps infuriate so many people by making a card more rare?

Topps tried this again with Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg, gimmicking their rookies and hyping them up from here to Tuesday. But the difference between them and Gordon is that they are still going through the whole 'high class phenom' thing. Alex Gordon is different. There was a moment where Alex Gordon stopped being the ultra mega rookie, and started being just plain Alex Gordon.

Does that mean his cards are worth less than Harper's and Strasburg's. Slightly, but Gordon never did any of the huge things people thought he would when he was coming up, similar to Jeff Francoeur. Gordon's had a few All Star seasons, and for the most part, he's been a generally okay player. Nothing absolutely huge, but he's good, and he's a nice star.

I liken this back to when everyone thought Fred Lynn would be the next Yaz, and he ended up being...Fred Lynn, just a normal, okay player. The hype was all there, but the player didn't earn the hype.

Does that mean I don't think Alex Gordon is a good player? No, I think he's great. It's just odd that Topps and everyone in 2006 thought he would be huge come today. Maybe it'll be similar when Bryce Harper mellows out, and everyone will wonder what the hell garnered all that hype.

Coming Tomorrow- This Sunday I'll be seeing the Braves play the Phillies. For the sake of my team, I hope that this guy isn't pitching. 

Year by Year Customs: 1966

 

This set was probably the first pre-70's set I ever saw. My grandfather had a bunch of these lying around, and I saw them. While they weren't spectacular, they were cool. I remember having a Bill Mazeroski, which was nice.

Anyway, back to the customs. Scott Rolen, while he may not be a hall of famer, is still a hell of a player.

 

What happened to this guy? I feel like he's been overshadowed by the rest of his team.

 

 

Coming Tomorrow- A much better set, with some much worse players. One of them played for one of my teams and took steroids. 

Custom Card of the Day: Gordon Edition

I've made quite a few Royals customs this year, especially of their up-and-comers, who all somehow decided to premiere this year. But the one guy who was somehow untouched by me was Alex Gordon, and I find that odd. That is considering the fact that he's slowly transformed into the best player on the team, and a great hitter. And I've been getting a few gripes as to why he hasn't been here, which is not the first time that collectors have begged for just one Alex Gordon card (See what I did there?). The only reason I didn't make one prior to this is that I couldn't find a good enough photo. Hosmer, Moustakas and Butler all had great photos that I just had to customize. For a while I couldn't find one for Alex Gordon, but a few days ago, I finally did. And now, we finally have a 2010 Alex Gordon custom...fittingly.

Coming Tomorrow- Two years ago he debuted with Baltimore. Two weeks ago he debuted with Texas.

Year by Year Customs: 1984

I've always been fond of the 84 design, and it's always been cool to customize. No real other news here.

Tomorrow- Skipping 1985 and going straight into 1986.