I've been on this wrapping up the decade kick recently, so here goes another one, since everyone seemed to enjoy the All-Decade team thread. Here's my question. Who was the worst franchise of the decade? The best franchise is much easier to decide- The Yankees win that. They played in four World Series, winning two. Eight division titles and nine post-season berths. No other team belongs in the conversation.
Now for the intresting part, who was MLB's worst franchise? I have limited it down to five franchises: Baltimore, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Washington/Montreal and Cincinatti. I will list some reasons why each should be considered the worst and why each should not (more than just overall record is considered). I will let you decide who wins.
First off is Baltimore
Why they are the worst
- losing record every season
- finished last place twice and next to last seven times
- As of 1999, the O's were second in MLB in attendence at 3.4 mil. 10 years later, they drew 1.9 mil last season
Why they aren't the worst
-The O's won 26 more games than bothe the Bucs and Royals
-O's fans got to watch Cal Ripken the first two seasons of the deacde.
Next is Cincinatti
Why they are the worst
-Nine losing seasons
-Five different managers
Why they aren't the worst
- Never finished in last place (thanks to being in same division as Buccos)
- Had one winning season
- Only three 90 loss seasons
Next is Pittsburgh
Why they are the worst
- Losing season every year
- Seven seasons of 90 plus losses
- Four managers
- Constant turnover in personnel to save money
- Complete lack of talent. They wouldn't have won even if they hadn't traded away their best players (Kendall, Ramirez, Bay, Benson,McLouth, Schmidt, Wilson, Sanchez etc.)
- Most famous hit during the decade came on a sausage (thank you Randall Simon)
-Only team to literally steal a base (Llyod McClendon)
- Incompeteant Management that made questionable moves
-They employed Dave Littlefield, enough said
Why they aren't
- Moved into best ballpark in America (Can't believe I went there. So sad)
- In this particular discussion, they don't get credit for their previous seven losing seasons entering the decade
-Surprisingly, they don't have the majors worst record of the decade, but they are very close
-New management seems to have begun to add talent to the system
Kansas City Royals
Why they are the worst
- MLB worst 672-948, 12 games worse than the Bucs
- Averaged 95 losses per season
- A whopping four 100 loss seasons
- Finished in last 5 times.
- Lost 19 in a row at one point
- Also has incompetant management that makes questionable moves. For instance dealing a top prospect for Yuniesky Betancourt and his awful contract. Yuniesky Freakin Betancourt?
Why the aren't
- Had one winning season in 2003. They were in first place at the end of August.
-They have actually had some real talent. Carlos Beltran, Johnny Damon, Jermaine Dye, etc.
- Cy Young Award winner Zach Grienke speaks for himself.
Finally, Washington/ Montreal/Puerto Rico
Why they are the worst
-Finished last place 6 times, more than anyone else.
-Finished with the worst record in baseball the last 2 seasons
-Began the deacde in Montreal
-Super marketing strategy by their former owner Jeffery Loria who wouldn't broadcast radio games in English and wouldn't broadcast any games on television, while they were the Expos.
- Only franchise that Bud Selig threatened to contract
- Had to be taken over and run by the league
- While still in Montreal, they played 21 home games in Puerto Rico, over 2000 miles away from their home, equalling over 100 road games
- Moved to Washington
- While there, finished last 4 out of 5 seasons
- GM Jim Bowden had to resign due to a federal investigation about skimming signing bonuses from Latin Players.
- Cut loose guys like Grady Sizemore, Brandon Phillips,Vlad Guerrero, etc. Even their mascot was dismissed
- The one that seals the deal though could be that they misspelled their names wrong on their jerseys. No excuse
Why they aren't
-Had three winning seasons
- Avereaged only 91 losses, which compared to the others is good
- 39.5 games better than Kansas City
- Drafted the most coveted pitcher in recent memory- Steven Strausburg
So who's the worst? In my opinion, I'm taking Baltimore and Cincinatti out of the conversation. The other 3 could all be good choices. The choice should be the Pirates, but I'm actually putting stock into what they've done in acquiring talent.
That leaves the team with the worst record in Kansas City and hands down the most disfunctional franchise in Washington. The Royals and Pirates has lost and lost badly, but they don't have the disfunctionality that Washington has. Also being threatened with contraction is a selling point. Also when I watch the Royals and Pirates lose, their names are spelled correctly on their uniforms.
Therefore, the worst franchise of the decade is the Washington/Montreal/Puerto Rico- Nationals/Expos. Congrats to them. Let me know your opinions.
Showing posts with label Kansas City Royals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kansas City Royals. Show all posts
Monday, December 21, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
AL CENTRAL Preview
It's time to continue to breakdown this years divisions and that brings me to the AL Central. This is the one division in baseball that can be won by anyone.
Predicted Order of Finish
1. Minnesota Twins- The Twins will win this division, because as usual, they have the most talent. They never rebuild, they just reload. They have great young talent at every position, but what will separate them from the rest is pitching.
A healthy Francisco Liriano will lead a rotation of great young arms. Expect Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey and Nick Blackburn to get even better as well. The Twins have a solid bullpen as well and have one of the most reliable closers in the game in Joe Nathan. If anyone should stumble, there are arms in the minors that are ready as well.
The M&M boys in Mauer and Morneau will lead the offense again, but they have a good young outfield that will produce. They are weak on the left side of the infield, but Ron Gardenhire always gets the most from his teams. this year will be no different
2. Cleveland Indians- I really planned on picking them to win it, but what separates the Twins from the Tribe is pitching. I just don't like the Indians rotation. Assuming Cliff Lee has the same kind of season and Fausto Carmona bounces back, the rest of the rotation isn't that good. Anthony Reyes? Carl Pavano? You just don't know what to expect. The Tribe's bullpen cost them last year, but should be better this season with the addition of Kerry Wood, assuming he can stay healthy.
Offensively, I believe they will be real good. Grady Sizemore will win the MVP and they have a good mix of young players. mark Derosa will help out. The C.C. Sabathia trade netted them Matt Laporta who will get the call this year and have an impact.
One thing that may help the tribe is a supply of bats. Ryan Garko is the kind of player that the Tribe might be able to package for another starter.
3. Kansas City Royals- I expect these guys to be better, possibly over .500. They have some good young arms and if they can figure it out this year, then they could surprise. Zack Grienke has ace stuff and they have good young players at many positions. Don't sleep on these guys, but next year is more realistic.
4. Detroit Tigers- Jim Leyland's lineup is once again loaded, but they are aging fast. I just think the pitching will kill them again. Justin Verlander needs a bounce back season and if Rick Porcello gets the call this year then Detroit has two power arms to work with. The rest of the rotation just isn't that good. Expect the Tigers to score a ton of runs, but give up just as much.
5. Chicago White Sox- I love Ozzie Guillen as a manager, but expect last seasons division champs to take a turn the wrong way. They are aging at certain positions and expect them to shop Jermaine Dye and maybe Paul Konerko. The White Sox are starting to really accumulate great young players. Alexi Ramirez is a stud. As with the rest of the division though, I don't like their rotation. Mark Buehrle could also get dealt this season. John Danks is solid but it's shaky after that.
This could very well be just the opposite, it really can be had by anyone. I still like the Twins though.
Predicted Order of Finish
1. Minnesota Twins- The Twins will win this division, because as usual, they have the most talent. They never rebuild, they just reload. They have great young talent at every position, but what will separate them from the rest is pitching.
A healthy Francisco Liriano will lead a rotation of great young arms. Expect Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey and Nick Blackburn to get even better as well. The Twins have a solid bullpen as well and have one of the most reliable closers in the game in Joe Nathan. If anyone should stumble, there are arms in the minors that are ready as well.
The M&M boys in Mauer and Morneau will lead the offense again, but they have a good young outfield that will produce. They are weak on the left side of the infield, but Ron Gardenhire always gets the most from his teams. this year will be no different
2. Cleveland Indians- I really planned on picking them to win it, but what separates the Twins from the Tribe is pitching. I just don't like the Indians rotation. Assuming Cliff Lee has the same kind of season and Fausto Carmona bounces back, the rest of the rotation isn't that good. Anthony Reyes? Carl Pavano? You just don't know what to expect. The Tribe's bullpen cost them last year, but should be better this season with the addition of Kerry Wood, assuming he can stay healthy.
Offensively, I believe they will be real good. Grady Sizemore will win the MVP and they have a good mix of young players. mark Derosa will help out. The C.C. Sabathia trade netted them Matt Laporta who will get the call this year and have an impact.
One thing that may help the tribe is a supply of bats. Ryan Garko is the kind of player that the Tribe might be able to package for another starter.
3. Kansas City Royals- I expect these guys to be better, possibly over .500. They have some good young arms and if they can figure it out this year, then they could surprise. Zack Grienke has ace stuff and they have good young players at many positions. Don't sleep on these guys, but next year is more realistic.
4. Detroit Tigers- Jim Leyland's lineup is once again loaded, but they are aging fast. I just think the pitching will kill them again. Justin Verlander needs a bounce back season and if Rick Porcello gets the call this year then Detroit has two power arms to work with. The rest of the rotation just isn't that good. Expect the Tigers to score a ton of runs, but give up just as much.
5. Chicago White Sox- I love Ozzie Guillen as a manager, but expect last seasons division champs to take a turn the wrong way. They are aging at certain positions and expect them to shop Jermaine Dye and maybe Paul Konerko. The White Sox are starting to really accumulate great young players. Alexi Ramirez is a stud. As with the rest of the division though, I don't like their rotation. Mark Buehrle could also get dealt this season. John Danks is solid but it's shaky after that.
This could very well be just the opposite, it really can be had by anyone. I still like the Twins though.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Who is this years Tampa Rays?
It's getting real close to my favorite time of the year- baseball season. Watching the WBC has gotten me very excited for opening day and got me thinking of some stuff to write. The first topic that came to mind is- Who is the 2009 version of the Tampa Rays?
Everyone knows the story of the 2008 Rays by now. The same Tampa franchise that was the perennial last place team in the toughest division in all sports, the AL East. The same Tampa team that often picked in the top 3 of the MLB draft for the last decade. That's right, the same Tampa team that stockpiled so much young talent that it was able to overtake the Yankees and Red Sox to win the division. The same Tampa Rays that made an improbable run to the World Series. What team can duplicate that feat in 2009?
The answer is simple. No one will do it. No one will sneak up on anyone and win their division. There are some good young teams that can compete and probably win their division; most notably: Tampa, Arizona, Cleveland and maybe Florida. If either of these teams made it to the playoffs, I wouldn't be shocked. Though I don't feel there will be another team like Tampa this year, I do have two in mind that can make great strides and possibly contend.
First of all i really like the Cincinnati Reds in the NL. They were my sleeper last season and really disappointed. I love the young talent on this team and they continue to draft well. They have some pitching. If Edison Volquez and Jonnie Cueto continue to progress and Aaron Harang has a bounce back year, then the Reds suddenly can have a decent staff. Harang is they key for this team. He has to be the innings eater he was two seasons ago. He can still be a 15 game winner and will need to be for the Reds to contend.
Offensively, I like this team alot. They can be explosive. A combination of young studs and a few veterans. The Reds have as much good young talent as anyone. Joey Votto and Jay Bruce are future all stars. If Edwin Encarnacion and Brandon Phillips have good season, then Cincinatti will score some runs. They are a young and very athletic team. They added Ramon Hernandez, a good hitting catcher, but the key to this years Reds might be Willy Taveres. Taveres will be at the top of the order and could swipe over 60 bags, but he needs to get on base more often then he did in Colorado.
With more young talent coming up through the Reds system, they could potentially hang in the Wild Card race for a while this season. Ultimately I think their bullpen is weak and could use a right hand power bat, but I like the direction the Reds are headed.
In the AL, I actually like the Royals. Ok, I will wait for you to stop laughing, but this is a team that has some talent as well. I don't see them winning anything, but I think they can be in the hunt for a while this season. The AL Central can be had by anyone and while ultimately I think it will come down to Cleveland, Minnesota and Detroit; I look at Kansas City and think why can't these guys win that division. The other teams aren't that much better than them.
Kansas City has some good young pitching. Zack Grienke is a future all -star and has the stuff of a staff ace. Luke Hocheaver and Brian Bannister also have great stuff, they just have to learn to win more consistently. In the back end of the bullpen, Joakim Soria converts almost every save opportunity, so they have a strength there as well. Filling the spots in between the third starter and the closer is a challenge however.
The Royals also have some good young hitters, including Alex Gordan. They have added some good pieces as well. While they don't have the household names, guys like Mike Aviles, Mike Jacobs and Coco Crisp make the Royals a better team. They will need holdovers Billy Butler, Davis DeJesus and Jose Guillen to have solid years though and I don't know if it's possible.
Much of the Royals talent lies in it's minor league system. They need to find a way to get guys like Kila Ka'aihue, Carlos Rosa and Daniel Cortes into the mix. Again, while I don't think it's going to happen, if everything goes right, then they could surprise.
Look it's easy to go out and predict the obvious teams will contend, I'm trying to find a struggling team here and these guys fit the bill. I guess we will find out in October
Everyone knows the story of the 2008 Rays by now. The same Tampa franchise that was the perennial last place team in the toughest division in all sports, the AL East. The same Tampa team that often picked in the top 3 of the MLB draft for the last decade. That's right, the same Tampa team that stockpiled so much young talent that it was able to overtake the Yankees and Red Sox to win the division. The same Tampa Rays that made an improbable run to the World Series. What team can duplicate that feat in 2009?
The answer is simple. No one will do it. No one will sneak up on anyone and win their division. There are some good young teams that can compete and probably win their division; most notably: Tampa, Arizona, Cleveland and maybe Florida. If either of these teams made it to the playoffs, I wouldn't be shocked. Though I don't feel there will be another team like Tampa this year, I do have two in mind that can make great strides and possibly contend.
First of all i really like the Cincinnati Reds in the NL. They were my sleeper last season and really disappointed. I love the young talent on this team and they continue to draft well. They have some pitching. If Edison Volquez and Jonnie Cueto continue to progress and Aaron Harang has a bounce back year, then the Reds suddenly can have a decent staff. Harang is they key for this team. He has to be the innings eater he was two seasons ago. He can still be a 15 game winner and will need to be for the Reds to contend.
Offensively, I like this team alot. They can be explosive. A combination of young studs and a few veterans. The Reds have as much good young talent as anyone. Joey Votto and Jay Bruce are future all stars. If Edwin Encarnacion and Brandon Phillips have good season, then Cincinatti will score some runs. They are a young and very athletic team. They added Ramon Hernandez, a good hitting catcher, but the key to this years Reds might be Willy Taveres. Taveres will be at the top of the order and could swipe over 60 bags, but he needs to get on base more often then he did in Colorado.
With more young talent coming up through the Reds system, they could potentially hang in the Wild Card race for a while this season. Ultimately I think their bullpen is weak and could use a right hand power bat, but I like the direction the Reds are headed.
In the AL, I actually like the Royals. Ok, I will wait for you to stop laughing, but this is a team that has some talent as well. I don't see them winning anything, but I think they can be in the hunt for a while this season. The AL Central can be had by anyone and while ultimately I think it will come down to Cleveland, Minnesota and Detroit; I look at Kansas City and think why can't these guys win that division. The other teams aren't that much better than them.
Kansas City has some good young pitching. Zack Grienke is a future all -star and has the stuff of a staff ace. Luke Hocheaver and Brian Bannister also have great stuff, they just have to learn to win more consistently. In the back end of the bullpen, Joakim Soria converts almost every save opportunity, so they have a strength there as well. Filling the spots in between the third starter and the closer is a challenge however.
The Royals also have some good young hitters, including Alex Gordan. They have added some good pieces as well. While they don't have the household names, guys like Mike Aviles, Mike Jacobs and Coco Crisp make the Royals a better team. They will need holdovers Billy Butler, Davis DeJesus and Jose Guillen to have solid years though and I don't know if it's possible.
Much of the Royals talent lies in it's minor league system. They need to find a way to get guys like Kila Ka'aihue, Carlos Rosa and Daniel Cortes into the mix. Again, while I don't think it's going to happen, if everything goes right, then they could surprise.
Look it's easy to go out and predict the obvious teams will contend, I'm trying to find a struggling team here and these guys fit the bill. I guess we will find out in October
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