Kansas City Royals

A month ago, on May 8th, the Kansas City Royals were 18-11 and in first place in the AL Central.  They proceeded to lose the next six games and go into a month-long tailspin.  Goinginto Friday's game against the Reds, they had lost 23 of 30 games.  They have won the first two games of this series with effective pitching, hitting, and defense, all of which had been lacking over the previous month.

The Kansas City Royals are struggling big time. The pitching has been inconsistent, and the hitting has been horrible.

The Royals need help, but they're running out of answers. It's time for the team to make a move. Could it be to bring up a player from Triple-A? Or possibly make a trade to get a hitter?

My guess, at least for the short term, is they will call up first baseman Kila Ka'aihue.

On May 21, former major league baseball star Willie Mays Aikens testified at a U.S. House Judiciary Hearing about the harsh drug sentencing laws that put him behind bars for 14 years.

In 1994, Aikens was sentenced to nearly 21 years for crack cocaine distribution, bribery and gun charges. He was released last June after his sentence was reduced because of the U.S. Sentencing Commission's recent adjustment to the crack cocaine sentencing guidelines.

The Kansas City Royals are an up-and-coming team in the American League. It all starts with Zack Greinke, and the rest of their pitching.

Zack Greinke has turned himself into one of the premier pitchers in the game with his hot start this season.

He was Rookie of the Year in 2004, and could add a Cy Young award this season. Plus, he could be MVP, or Comeback Player of the Year.

I analyze Gil Meche starts as much, maybe more than starts by Zack Greinke.  Gil Meche is my favorite Royal right now and let me tell you, whoever that was wearing his jersey yesterday was NOT Gil Meche.

Actually, it was Gil Meche, but not the Gil Meche we have known for the past two seasons.  It strikes me that Meche is simply out of sync: kind of like you get on a bad day on the golf course.  You know your swing is wrong, but you can't get it fixed. 

As I grow a little bit older, I've begun to realize what most people my age start to.

There are now people in our past that have gone on to a better place and we are left with just the memories of them.

Memorial Day can start to really take meaning on all levels of personal importance.

I reflect on memories of my grandmothers, aunt, and my grandfather.

"Gramps" I called him and he was my main man.

I named my son after him and he wears the name proudly.

I'll admit, sports captivate my soul.

The big turn around for the Royals this year has been built on pitching. Typically, that sentence finishes with "...and defense", but the Royals have demonstrated a level of defensive competency equivalent to their cross-town Independent League buddies the Kansas City T-Bones. Add in the fact that the offense has been spotty all season, and what you get is a razor thin margin for error available for pitchers.

Zack Greinke has been nothing short of amazing. He is 7-1, 0.82 through the first quarter of the season; however, the rest of the staff has had it's issues at times.

Well, that was fun, Luke. We'll see you again in a month or so?...

The Royals sent Luke Hochevar back down to Omaha after a fairly rocky stretch of three starts. In his three-start run, Hoch threw more than 3.1 innings exactly once. His ERA sat at 10.80.

His FIP, while better, was still 6.92. His K:BB ratio was 3:7. Clearly his success in the PCL did not translate over these three games.