When Did MLB Go to a 23-Man Roster, or is it Just the Kansas City Royals?

Where should we begin after my somewhat extended hiatus. The best place to start is the Royals starting pitching. I am not ready to sound the alarm and scream panic, (not yet anyway). It is safe to assume that any unfortunate Royals fan that has happened to catch the first four starts of the Royals’ second-half knows how bad it has been. Zack Greinke, again was slaughtered by the Chicago White Sox, an all-to-familiar occurrence when Zack faces the sox from the North side of Chicago. That was the first horror awaiting the Royals as they came off the All-Star break. Then there is Brian Bannister.

Brian Bannister looks lost out on the mound. This is what happens when a pitcher has average to below-average stuff. If he is not right on, he is going to get pounded. Bannister looks like he is lost once he gets into trouble. It is not even so much the frequency of hits that teams are getting against him; the bigger concern is how once batters reach they score. Gil Meche has been the loan bright spot for the Royals since the return from the break. He had a solid outing against a team that was just feasting on the Royals. Then there is (let’s hope) the finale, Luke Hochevar on Monday night. He wobbled, he stumbled and then he flat fell down. He has not shown the ability to get out of a jam, once he gets into it. There was a bobble by Alex Gordon on a routine double-play and then there was a rocket (bonehead) throw from right fielder Jose Guillen, which Hochevar did not properly backup. Here is where pitchers make their money. His team is in a tough spot, two runners on and two runs in. Luke needs to buckle down, get out of the inning and give his team a chance to come back and score in the bottom of the inning. This did not happen, instead, Hochevar gave up a three-run homerun and just like that it was five nothing. By the time Hochevar left, the Tigers (whom the Royals had won six straight from mind you) would have seven runs.

You can then add two runs off of Tejada and then Jimmy (demote me or cut me) Gobble came into the game. Have any of you seen the original Bad News Bears not the sub-par remake of a couple years ago, but the one with Walter Matthau? There is a fat un-athletic kid on the team and in the championship game; Matthau has him get hit by the pitch each time he comes up. Did anyone else feel like they were watching that movie again with Gobble on the mound? Take one for the team, he did, 10, let me repeat that, 10 runs later the Royals were down 19 to nothing. Gobble’s ERA jumped to an unbelievable (not so much that he has been that bad, but simply because how can he still be on the team) 11.31. If Jimmy Gobble is still on the roster by the time the Royals open the gates on Tuesday, all fans should boycott the team. Can someone please explain to me what he is doing on this team? I feel bad for Gobble, he seems like a great guy and he had a solid season last year as the lefty specialist. But this is not the Bad News Bears, you cut the kid that takes one for the team in MLB.

While I am on this subject, as far as I am concerned Trey Hillman and Bob McClure should be ashamed of themselves. To put a player through that is an embarrassment. I am not sure how many pitches he threw, but when someone is getting hit around like Gobble was you take him out. I think I am more upset with McClure than I am with Hillman. McClure should have demanded that Hillman take Gobble out. It was a disgusting display. I don’t know, maybe people smarter than me will disagree and say he did the exact right thing, but I will vehemently disagree. I understand why you bring in Gobble to start the eighth. But I will never understand why you wait for Gobble to give up 10 runs before you bring in Nunez. He is just off the DL, after a long stay. What a perfect chance for him to come in with no stress and get an inning under his belt. Instead, we got to see batting practice served up by Jimmy Gobble. To me the whole mess was unprofessional and embarrassing even more than the final score.

A quick review of the start of the second half: A starting staff that thinks the All-Star break is this week, sans Gil Meche, a prized first round draft pick getting pinch hit for due to his lack of production, another first round draft pick that more and more is looking like a four-A player, who has no position, no skills, and no baseball instincts. Is it just me or does Butler’s bat look slow? Maybe if he lost 20 pounds he would swing a little faster. And the coup-de-tat a 19-4 loss that featured a pitcher being left out on the mound to give up 10 runs, and a player (a shortstop) that should not be on a roster mopping up in the 9th. I will admit that it looks the Royals found a good role for Pena. Because the way the second half has started, they may need him to pitch the 9th inning of several more, embarrassing double-digit losses before this season is over….

Or, the Royals could demand better from Butler and Teahen, dump Pena, demote Gobble, bring in two new players and field a legitimate 25 man roster. (Can anyone tell me why, Pena plays and German does not, German is a better batter, an ok second basemen, and is much more versatile than Pena, I will say it again “what does the Pena family have on the Royals organization”?) I am not going to hold my breath though, my bet is Gobble will be gone and Pena will be here until I die, so if I were you and I certainly know I will, look for Pena in the center of a diamond and on the mound, coming soon to an “ahem” MLB game near you!