Joey Gath(wrong)right

Joey Gath(wrong)wright

The Royals are playing the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, for the first time since their name change. Their name change coincides with not only the Rays being the leader in the financial nightmare that is the American League East, but they are also the keepers of the best record in baseball. This is a startling change from the Devil Rays we knew just last year. This is the first time in history a team has had the best record in baseball and had the first pick in the amateur draft. The turn around for the Rays is remarkable. Of course, the Rays are a team that the Kansas City Royals and their fans should watch with great interest.

This is also an interesting series, because the Rays have been a trading partner of the Royals for years, during the current regime and in the previous regime as well. When Dayton Moore arrived here, he said he wanted to improve three key areas, which would facilitate the Royals improving in the win/loss column without spending beyond their means. Firstly, he said he wanted to improve pitching-both on the big league club and in the farm system. Secondly, he wanted to improve defense. Finally, he wanted to add speed to the team.

His first acquisition, once he took over the Royals was to acquire Joey Gathwright from the then, Devil Rays. The cost of the acquisition was one of the Royals highly touted (at least in the previous regime’s mind) pitchers J.P. Howell. He was a soft throwing lefty from the University of Texas. He had solid numbers in the minors, but apparently Dayton Moore and his staff were less than enamored with Howell. Before you could say 88-91 MPH fastball, Howell was living it up in sunny Tampa and Gathwright was a member of the Royals. I will admit, I was a fan of the move when it was made. I was not impressed with Howell and from what I had seen of Gathwright he was lightening quick and with his speed had the potential to be a great leadoff hitter and centerfielder.

I was a victim of something every Royals fan has to guard against, judging players (because that is when I see them) by how they play against the Royals. I guess if that was the case, every player in MLB-over the past few years-would be an All-Star and they would run out of Cy Youngs. Shortly after Gathwright arrived it was clear that while yes, he was fast, the old adage remains true “you can’t steal first”. After seeing many an average fastball nearly knock the bat out of Gathwrights hand, the truth of the adage hit home-much harder than Gathwright hits the baseball. Once the hope of having a Carl Crawford-notice a current Ray-passed, I hoped that Gathwright would be at least a good fourth outfielder. I regret to say that after watching him, misread, ball after ball after ball, in the outfield, he is an average center fielder at best. If he did not have blazing speed, he would be a below average fielder.

Whenever I think of outfielders, I consider what Andrew Jones used to be and the magician that is Torii Hunter. When one watches a game on tv, one has to be careful not to judge outfielders by the diving plays they make. Torrii Hunter gets a great read on the ball and then with his speed, gets to balls he has no business even having a shot at, while Gathwright uses his speed to correct the numerous mistakes he makes reading the ball. I am of the opinion that if Gathwright had read the ball correctly, in the early innings on Saturday, which drove in the first two runs for the Rays, it would have been, if not a routine play, certainly a catchable ball with his speed. Only one more run was scored in the game, by the Rays and Zack Greinke, was saddled with yet another loss, backed up by no run support.

Now to the other side of the equation, how did J. P. Howell do? Well, he is only a sub 3.00 era lefty out of the pen for the Rays. In the game on Saturday night, he came into it in the 8th inning. What did this cast off from the Royals do? He struck out the side and the Royals never looked like they had a chance.

Obviously, J.P. Howell is not going to be the deciding factor as to whether the Royals start winning. However, it is prudent to look at the trades of Dayton Moore; in order to judge his mistakes along with his successes. Dayton Moore has made some great trades, but certainly, his first trade was not one. He literally stole Brian Bannister from the Mets. I am not down on Dayton Moore, but I am certainly down on Joey Gathwright. Let’s hope in the future there will be many more Bannisters and few Gathwrights, and every Royals fan has to hope, there will be very few J.P. Howells. If Howell is the first in a long list of players the Royals gave up on, Dayton Moore will just be another name, on a long list of General Managers that could not bring Kansas City a winner.