The Legend of the 2014 Kansas City Royals

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Currently (as of 9/10/14), the Kansas City Royals are in first place within the American League Central division and project to be on their way to the 2014 postseason.  A trip to the playoffs for the Royals this season would mark an accomplishment that the organization has not attained since the 1985 season, when they eventually moved on to taking the World Series title.  To say that the Royals have been in a rut since achieving the title would be a severe understatement.  At first, last seasons record of 86-76 appeared to be an anomaly for a perennial failing organization.  However, this seasons performance seems to disprove that belief and show that the Royals may in fact have put their losing inclinations behind them.  With the acknowledgment of the Royals recent victorious ways, I sought to dedicate a post to analyzing their 2014 season.  Thus, this post will be dedicated to pursuing that exact endeavor.

As you can see in the title, I opted to use the word "legend" when describing this 2014 campaign for the Royals.  The reason I utilized this word is because of the statistical variance for this Kansas City club.  Typically, if you saw a team was in first place in their division, you would assume that the team would be superior in many statistical categories.  However, the Royals prove to be quite the statistical anomaly.  I will now explicate my reasoning, via statistics I pulled from MLB.com.

Offense

Team BA: .261 (5th in the MLB)
Team HRs: 89 (Last in the MLB)
Team OBP: .311 (20th in the MLB)
Team SLG: .376 (20th in the MLB)
Team Runs: 579 (16th in the MLB)
Team Steals: 135 (1st in the MLB)

Defense

Team Fielding Percentage: .983 (22nd in the MLB)
Team Errors:  92 (10th most in the MLB)

Pitching

Team ERA: 3.50 (8th in the MLB)
Team WHIP: 1.26 (14th in the MLB)
Team Saves: 48 (4th in the MLB)

As you can discern after a first glance of viewing these key statistics, the Royals are clearly not a superior team.  They are well below average in terms of team statistical offense.  However, they do have a commendable team batting average and are clearly dominant on the base paths.  The SB leader of the Royals is none other than Jarrod Dyson, with a total of 33 swiped bags.  Dyson, if you can recollect, is an undervalued player whom I highlighted in an earlier post (Who is Jarrod Dyson? (By: M. Lessard)).  Despite both his offensive and defensive prowess, Dyson is yet to assume the role of an everyday starter.  I believe that this is an utter outrage, but there is nothing I can do to rectify this situation.  After analyzing the team offensive statistics for the Royals, I can acknowledge that they have a superior ability to reach base via base hits and then move pretty much at their own will once they reach base.  In terms of team defense, the Royals are absolutely atrocious, despite having the presence of perennial Gold-Glover Alex Gordon on their roster.  If there is one aspect of the Royals game that has been their savior, it is their pitching.  Team pitching is the only all-around above average aspect of the Royals game.  Although, even with some of the best team pitching in the MLB, there has to be another reason as to why the Royals are able to remain persistent in their winning ways.  Thus, I decided to delve further into my offensive statistical analysis of the 2014 Royals.

Offense

Team AVG in Games Won: .290 (10th in the MLB)
Team Runs in Games Won: 443 (9th in the MLB)
Team AVG with RISP: .271 (5th in the MLB)
Team RBIs with RISP: 446 (8th in the MLB)
Team AVG for Away Games: .261 (3rd in the MLB)
Team Runs for Away Games: 319 (6th in the MLB)
Team AVG for Home Games: .252 (19th in the MLB)
Team Runs for Home Games: 263 (26th in the MLB)
Home Record: 38-33 (W%= 0.535)
Away Record: 42-32 (W%= 0.562)

Team BA Inning Breakdown:



Through analyzing the statistics above, I am able to distinguish some rationale as to why the Royals are able to accumulate so many wins, with sub par overall offensive and fielding performances.  First, typically a team likes to utilize a home field advantage in order to enhance their prospects of winning.  However, the Royals do not conform to this normalcy.  For the Royals have much better offensive statistics when playing on the road and even have amassed a better record and win percentage when playing in foreign confines.

The next statistical section of discussion is related to the Royals performance in games of which they have won.  During their winning endeavors, the Royals rank in the top third for Runs and BA.  This insinuates that the Royals score many runs in the games of which they are triumphant.  To be precise, they average 5.54 runs per win.

In previous posts, I have made implications toward a concept of clutch hitting in baseball.  I still stand by my belief that the teams who execute the most in auspicious offensive scenarios (i.e. with RISP) or when its a necessity (i.e. extra innings), will in turn be the more successful teams.   Through the evaluation of the Royals offensive production in these situations, I can make the assessment that they are able to perform well offensively when they most need it.  As you can see, the Royals are among the upper echelon in the MLB, in terms of hitting with RISP.  Team RISP is seemingly very important for a teams success.  If you can recall, in my first post, I illuminated some teams which had top tier RISP hitting.  Two of the best RISP hitting teams from the 2013 season were the World Series contenders, the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals.  Not only are the Royals able to exploit favorable offensive scenarios, but also possess the uncanny ability to hit in dire situations.  During extra innings this season, the Royals have amassed a team batting average of .301.

In recent years, the Royals front office most certainly has done a good job in terms of rebuilding their organization.  As long as the continue to justly compensate their young stars and build around them, they should have no difficulty remaining playoff contenders.

First to Worst, then Back to First? (A. Littlefield)

Rusney Castillo, and a bunch of other reasons the Sox will be at the top of the AL East next year

Call this piece a wish list, a dream, anything really. This is my list of optimistic, idealistic reasons, why the Red Sox will be in the hunt for another title next year. To address some of the questions that may arise: No, I have not been drinking. Yes, I really think some of this might happen. Castillo is awesome; we might as well go all in on some pitching and a trade for Stanton.

1.       Tampa doesn’t have David Price anymore. That’s kind of a big deal. He’s a perennial Cy Young contender and now he’s in a different division. That’s a gift from god. Boston is about the only team that can hit him regularly so it’s nice to see his 18-ish wins elsewhere.

2.       The Yankees suck. Like bad. Like name someone outside of their outfield not named Derek Jeter.  And chances are you can only name one of the three outfield starters. Right now they have Stephen Drew on second(Offense isn’t important, defense wins championships, like, duh), Chase Headley on third(one good year does not a superstar make), Teixeira on first(he’s going downhill faster than Picabo Street), and McCann is hanging out behind the plate being totally average. Let’s go BoSox, we got this next year.

3.       Jon Lester wants to come back. The letters, the leaks, as long as ownership doesn’t go all Ebenezer Scrooge on the first offer, he’ll be back here. And even more importantly, we need him. We’re about to be incredibly young, and crazy athletic. I’m going to readdress this later. Because bet on it now, he’s coming back.

4.       We can now package Jackie Bradley Jr. who still has crazy upside with possibly Mookie Betts and Alan Webster (maybe) for Giancarlo Stanton. We can also throw in Allen Craig and Will Middlebrooks (since he married Jenny Dell I’ve been hoping they send him to the North Korean League). Miami likes young guys and they aren’t even close to willing to pay Stanton what he’s worth. This prospect brings me back to #3…

5.       (Actually 3b.) Lester is coming back. He would be pitching with an outfield that has two uber-athletic Cuban defectors and Stanton. All three play defense and two out of the three have hit balls that are somewhere between Mars and Jupiter by now. We’re going to have offense. Try to figure out how you put together a lineup that includes Pedroia, Cespedes, Napoli, Ortiz, Bogaerts(If he performs as expected), and Stanton. Correct answer: Pick names out of a hat and watch the offense destroy opposing pitching. What pitcher would look forward to that line-up?

6.       Castillo, where this all began. We gave him 72.5 for 7 years. By comparison we gave Stephen Drew 10 for 1 year and we knew he didn’t have any upside. Castillo is 27, the same age Abreu was this year, and he’s already polished as a defensive and offensive player. He can play short, he’s best in center, and he’s filthy good. The hype is that he looks like Puig or Andrew McCutchen… yeah, they compared him to Cutch. We’re about to see one hell of an outfield.

7.       Boston is an Irish town, so we’ll end on lucky number seven. Cespedes’ Arm, nuff said. If you don’t know what I’m talking about you should watch this, or this, or this… or this if you need to be reminded of his 2013 Home Run Derby performance. He crushes dreams with his arm, crushes balls with his bat.

It’s Boston; we’ll sign some people, trade some people, and be back in it next year. This isn’t the mid-late 90’s, this is post-curse baseball. 2015 is going to be a great year. Worst to first to worst to first… it can and will be done.

Why We Love to Hate, or Hate to Love the Bat Flip (By: Adam W. Littlefield)

Although it is merely a simple gesture of achievement, nothing seems to incite a pitcher, or fan’s, rage more than the bat flip. Chris Archer kisses his bicep; Fernando Rodney shoots an arrow, and Jose Valverde goes generally nuts, but yet, we never get upset at pitcher’s who celebrate recording that crucial out. Strikeout or groundout, the pitcher celebration is, for some unknown reason, more socially acceptable among fans and analysts alike. They celebrate getting out of a jam, getting the last out of a monotonous inning, and pretty much anytime something goes their way, fist pump or otherwise.

Earlier this week David Ortiz, hereafter referred to as Papi, reignited a stagnate beef between the Red Sox and Rays with a throw of the bat and a nonchalant jaunt around the base paths. Slightly more inflammatory than some of his other post-hit activities, this was obviously a calculated act in the wake of David Price’s “bigger than the game comments” by one of the ultimate head gamers in today’s game. A little whiny, definitely brash, always entertaining, Papi loves his role as the big bat. Yelling at umpires, official scorers, and journalists, his opinions are rarely a cause for speculation and he obviously wanted Archer (that day’s pitcher) and the Rays to know how he felt.

But why is it such an upsetting act? Yes, over the top, but it’s a mere toss of the bat. Was it the casual stroll after the fact or the initial throw? In any case, as fans we tend to side with the pitchers. The bat-flip shows lack of respect for the game, for the opponent, and pretending something done about five thousand times a year is special seems to be a bit much to most.

I however, don’t share this opinion. If I could step to the plate against someone throwing mid to high 90’s heat and turn it into a souvenir, I’d probably toss the bat into the air while singing “God Bless America”, cartwheel around 1^st, crab walk to second, and skip to third followed by a brief tea party at home plate catered by some well-reputed steak house and mouth kiss the cute blonde sitting above the dugout, or not. Either way, that was fun to ponder.

Yasiel Puig has also become known for his own shenanigans, but his problem is that he’s too young. For the most part there isn’t a pitcher willing to throw at the average veteran player after a small show-up. Likely a colossal pain in the ass (ex: showing up late, speeding tickets, etc.), Puig has survived defection, and turned into one of the rising stars in a league that has lost a lot in the last few years. This back story, coupled with transcendent talent, says to me the dude deserves a fair amount of levity, not a shared opinion by any stretch. He’s a five-tool player that plays hard, plays flashy, and regularly wows even the most avid fan, but yet, we can’t stop hating him for something so trivial.

Like the Dodgers metaphorically tea-bagging the Diamondback’s pool, we will forget Papi’s shenanigans… kind of, if YouTube ceases to exist, but until that day, we hate. Like all great things, we need a villain. We need to hate so we can love, enjoy the venom of truly despising one’s minor transgressions, and eventually forgive. Hate is the only emotion stronger than love in the sport’s fans arsenal and nothing brings it out more clearly than a well-timed bat flip.

I’m pretty old school for the most part, I loathe that we legislated out the home plate collision and won’t allow pitchers to throw at players to protect their own, but I just don’t see why a bat flip followed by a reasonably paced trot is such a crime. A home run is a beautiful thing… unless you’re behind. Act like you’ve been there before is probably the most important statement any player can be reminded of. If you hit a game-tying, lead taking, or game winning bomb then you get to do what you want. If you hit one that tacks on an extra run or two in a 6-2 game, just toss the bat near the bat boy, waltz around the bases graciously and don’t show up your opponent, please, or else I’ll blog you to death, mostly because I can’t stand 24 hours of ESPN talking about it.

Contract Talk: Issues in Professional Sports

For the proceeding post, I am going to deviate away from my theme of statistical analysis and discuss a very controversial problem within professional sports.  A large problem, for not only Major League Baseball, but also every other professional sport is payroll and contracts.  The exponentially rising levels of contracts are encumbering teams, while precipitating rising prices for tickets and various goods within the stadium.  During a time of economic hardship, such as we are experiencing now, these rising costs deter some of the most loyal of fans.  They just can not afford these inundating price hikes.  Especially, in Major League Baseball, these teams are struggling to pay these overwhelming salaries of star players.

The main issue of these enormous contracts is that they are long-term.  Lets face it, no consummate professional, unless they are at the end of their careers, is looking to ink a short-term deal.  However, being pragmatic, a player who signs a long-term contract will not perform up to their best capabilities every year.  For example, look at the situation with Carl Crawford during his stint with the Boston Red Sox.  Crawford struggled immensely during his career with the Red Sox, however he was still paid his luxurious guaranteed salary.  I am a staunch advocate of a person being paid for their production.  Take into consideration a car salesman.  A car salesman can earn very good money through the combination of his/her base salary and commission.  However, if that car salesman does not perform well (making considerable sales), he/she does not receive the commission or great pay.  The same should be for professional athletes.  If they do not perform up to their greatest capabilities in the midst of a large, long-term contract, they should not be paid as if they are.  There is a problem of players becoming complacent once they sign these hefty contracts.  They are not so concerned about the level of their play because they know that at the end of the day, they are still receiving that enormous, guaranteed pay check.  The players might not know this, but their poor play can result in much hardship and dismay for the fans.  Sometimes, the high point of a sports fan day and what they look forward to is seeing their team play.  If the star players and the team as a whole perform poorly, it can take a significant toll on the fans.

There is a way, in which I believe that these contractual controversies and player complacencies can be avoided.  This would be through the concept of incentivized/ performance based contracts.  These type of contracts include a pay range, in which the players salary is determined by their performance.  The players resulting salary would land somewhere within their salary range. There are incentives for games played, good statistical performance, making the playoffs, and other noteworthy personal feats.  As of right now, players receive large salaries and significant additional bonuses for these personal feats.  Of course, the ranges of these performance based contracts would vary with the player and their past performances.  I thoroughly believe that these types of contracts would keep professional athletes putting forth honest efforts during games.

I know what you might be thinking, the players will more than likely disapprove of these types of contracts.  Well, I think its about time that some of these professional athletes get a taste of what the real world is like.  If you do not perform well and make many mistakes working in the real world, what happens. You get fired, fined, or not paid.  Why should the professional athletes be treated any differently with their work? Sure some professional players would get released, however, if your star player underperforms you are not going to release him.  The players can complain about these contracts and go on strike all they want, I am sure that there would still be players who would play with these terms.  I am sorry to any professional athletes that would be dissatisfied with making a high six-figure/ low seven-figure salary due to their poor performance at WORK.  Maybe they should join the real labor force, where the average person is making ends meet with a five-figure salary.