Free Agent Signings:
Carlos Santana
Mike Minor
Michael Taylor
Ervin Santana
Top 10 Prospects:
1 Bobby Witt Jr., SS
2 Asa Lacy, LHP
3 Daniel Lynch, LHP
4 Jackson Kowar, RHP
5 Erick Pena, OF
6 Nick Loftin, SS
7 Kyle Isbel, OF
8 Khali Lee, OF
9 Jonathan Bowlan, RHP
10 Carlos Hernedez, RHP [Reply]
Staumont has to be closer going forward. He looks good.
Dare I say Matheny is managing well. Bullpen use has been great. Late game base running substitutions and defensive substitutions have been on point. [Reply]
Originally Posted by lewdog:
Staumont has to be closer going forward. He looks good.
Dare I say Matheny is managing well. Bullpen use has been great. Late game base running substitutions and defensive substitutions have been on point.
I’m reserving judgement as I was one of his biggest critics when the Royals hired him. Didn’t like the decision at the time, and still not 100% convinced, but cautiously optimistic that maybe he really did learn to make some changes from his first time as a manager.
Still going into this with both eyes wide open but feeling a little better based on what I saw last year and this year so far . . . . . [Reply]
Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin:
I’m reserving judgement as I was one of his biggest critics when the Royals hired him. Didn’t like the decision at the time, and still not 100% convinced, but cautiously optimistic that maybe he really did learn to make some changes from his first time as a manager.
Still going into this with both eyes wide open but feeling a little better based on what I saw last year and this year so far . . . . .
LULZ
Nice job covering your bases there. If he fails, you were right. If he succeeds, you were *still* right, it’s just Matheny made the changes you advocated he make.
Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin:
I’m reserving judgement as I was one of his biggest critics when the Royals hired him. Didn’t like the decision at the time, and still not 100% convinced, but cautiously optimistic that maybe he really did learn to make some changes from his first time as a manager.
Still going into this with both eyes wide open but feeling a little better based on what I saw last year and this year so far . . . . .
I’m told that managers don’t matter much in baseball. Yet fans love to bitch about Matheny.
Nice job covering your bases there. If he fails, you were right. If he succeeds, you were *still* right, it’s just Matheny made the changes you advocated he make.
Pathetic post.
I know, right?
It’s almost like being against or supporting someone for president, having high hopes but being cautiously optimistic, and later re-assessing based on job performance and then going on a non-stop rant about how they were the worst president ever.
You look good in the beginning and then at the end too.
But enough of condescending posts, back to baseball now:
Offense HAS been a big disappointment, but there are finally some signs of life from Beni and Soler, two guys that were expected to produce from the get go. And Santana has been red hot for a while, seeing the ball really well. But unfortunately Whit started slumping about the time he got hot.
They need more than just 3 guys hitting at a time, and so far this year that’s basically all they’ve had. Different stretches, different hitters, obviously.
Bullpen has been better than I thought they would be and the starting pitching is really starting to come around. Little worried about Keller, though. Not inducing the weak ground ball contact like he has in the past.
Mathney was actually not that bad in St. Louis. He just had a World Series team that got old and weren't as good as the BFIB thought they were. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry:
Mathney was actually not that bad in St. Louis. He just had a World Series team that got old and weren't as good as the BFIB thought they were.
Generally speaking this is true. Your team determines your record not your manager. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry:
Mathney was actually not that bad in St. Louis. He just had a World Series team that got old and weren't as good as the BFIB thought they were.
He completely mismanaged and ruined some of their young arms back when they had a plethora of talented throwers. Guys whose career trajectory changed based on his misuse/overuse. That was the single biggest reason I was against his hire. Was worried what he might do to all of our young talented arms (Singer/Lynch/Kowar/Bubic/etc.) as they came up.
So far my concerns have been unwarranted. I thought he managed Bubic, Singer and the bullpen really well last year in the short season and so far he’s done fine with Singer and the bullpen this year (St. Louis Matheny would have sent Singer back out for the 8th today, which would have been a mistake).
I’m glad he is proving me wrong and hope he will continue to do so . . . . . . [Reply]
Originally Posted by ChiefsCountry:
Mathney was actually not that bad in St. Louis. He just had a World Series team that got old and weren't as good as the BFIB thought they were.
His bad bullpen management and disdain for analytics were well documented with the Cardinals. The bullpen management was paired with a mismanagement of young arms/players. Cards fans also reported a lack of discipline on defense and the basepaths.
Matheny was upfront about the first two when hired by the Royals and said he’d learned from his mistakes. After his first week in 2020 I pretty much was won over and believed him about the first two. Jury’s still out on the discipline piece, but I see no reason to think he’s not at Yost’s level or better. [Reply]