All-Star game coming to Kansas City, and other KC takeaways from the week

Back home now from All-Star weekend, and note to self: do NOT fly to St. Louis again.

I did this because the flight was stupidly cheap, way less than renting a car and paying for gas, so I figured I could be a good soldier and save the company a few bucks and also not have to worry about dodging potholes and semi trucks for four hours each way on I-70.

I did not, however, take into account flight delays and the security line at the St. Louis airport this morning, which took a good 15 minutes...just to get to the part of the line that was actually inside the terminal.

But enough about all that. It really was a great weekend, and not just because the All-Star game is always fun, not just because it's always cool to be around that kind of excitement, and not even just because I found myself in downtown St. Louis on Monday night drinking a couple free beers and watching Nelly perform all the hits that made up the soundtrack of my college years.

Bud Selig all but publicly confirmed what we've all speculated widely for a while now, and what we write about at some length on Tuesday: that Kansas City will host the 2012 All-Star game.

Orlando Hudson explained that his decision to sign with the Dodgers instead of the Royals had everything to do with the Dodgers being a better team with Joe Torre as the manager, and nothing against the Royals or Kansas City barbecue, both of which Hudson says he's a big fan of.

And Zack Greinke was positively on fire, not just in a 10-pitch, three-batters-faced, nobody-puts-the-ball-into-fair-play fourth inning on the mound, but it was nice to see Zack rise to the ocassion with the quotes, too.

Among the takeaway gems:

"I was hoping (President Obama) didn't like me, because none of the White Sox guys like me. So I was hoping that he'd be like, 'You punk, I hate you.' But he didn't do that."

"I told (Obama) that Jermaine Dye should've been on the All-Star team. And he agreed, I think."

"(His outing) happened too easy, you didn't really get to enjoy it as much being out there. I'll take it, but I was looking forward to working a little bit, trying some pitches out. But it didn't work out like that."

"The neatest part to me was the kind that was in that wheelchair. I was just saying congratulations and everything and he was just normal. Then Derek Jeter came over and he seriously almost jumped out of his chair for Jeter."

"I didn't listen to the whole question. Sorry."

"I don't know why fans think (giveaways are) so neat, but they do. I guess the Royals do the best giveaways of any place I've seen."

Submitted by Sam Mellinger on July 15, 2009 - 11:11am.
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Why Banny?

Submitted by plivvy on July 16, 2009 - 4:29pm.

I like Banny, but why is he starting the opener on Friday? Surely Greinke doesn't need full rest after pitching one inning and throwing only 10 pitches. It's not a huge deal, I'm more just curious. Any thoughts?
Paul L.

Re: Airport

Submitted by Mr.X on July 15, 2009 - 3:44pm.

"note to self: do NOT fly to St. Louis again."

You should've taken the train. $39 roundtrip, and you can actually get work done on there...and visit the bartender in the snack car. That's what I did.

questions for the 2nd half

Submitted by dsmith84 on July 15, 2009 - 3:00pm.

1. Who comes off the roster to make room for Betancourt and Gordon? (Subquestion: Is it understandable for us to give up on Dayton Moore if TPJ is still on the 25 man roster?)

2. How long does Bruce Chen stay in the rotation? (subquestion: If/when he is replaced, is it Ponson or Davies?)

3. How much playing time does Bloomquist get? (and where?)

4. Does Teahen play everyday? (it appears that Hillman has given up on Jacobs as an everyday player... so I say yes)

5. By years end, will we put together a 2nd half that we "can build on"? (or do we even want to after that sneaky september last year that gave us false hope for this season?)

My answers...

Submitted by plivvy on July 15, 2009 - 3:54pm.

1. TPJ and Maier, and the answer to your subquestion I would say is yes.

2. I'd leave Bruce Chen in for one more start, go briefly to a 4 man rotation (with the day off next Thursday) and then call up Davies. I really have no precedent for Davies other than I like him more and has better stuff when he can control it.

3. With Maier gone (if that does happen), he probably plays 4 or 5 games a week, mostly in the outfield. Gordon obviously won't play everyday at third right off the bat, so when Teahen is there instead of in right (which I hope happens) Bloomquist will be there and he'll probably play short once or twice.

4. I'd say yes. Teahen will get time at third and right, and if I remember correctly maybe even time at first. He will probably rarely play the same position two days in a row (which I think will effect his hitting, but that's another story).

5. I actually think so. As much as I might have to eat my words on this, I think Gordon's readdition to the lineup will be more significant than we know. Davies and Hocheaver have shown flashes and Meche has had time to rest a little bit. And Greinke looked as sick as ever in his brief all-star appearance. I think they will end in fourth place and make a brief run at finishing third.

Obviously I'm no expert, but that's kind of how would see things shaking out.
Paul L.

Answers Answers

Submitted by dsmith84 on July 16, 2009 - 2:13pm.

1. TPJ is the "obvious" choice. If Maier has options left, then he is the other choice, although then you have a bad team carrying 3 mediocre catchers. I'll be honest: I like Brayan Pena better as a DH than Jacobs at this point... (Subquestion was rhetorical, but your answer was good too)

2. I like your idea. I hadn't even paid attention to the off day. That will give Davies probably 2 more starts to make sure he's got that whole "throw strikes" idea straight. If Chen could just stop giving up timely homeruns to the other team I'd be fine with him.

3/4. Against Right Handed Pitching I think you see DeJesus in Center, Teahen in Left, Guillen in Right, Butler at 1st, and Jacobs as DH. Against Lefties I think you see DeJesus in Center, Teachen in Left, Bloomquist in Right, Butler at First, and Guillen as DH. I think that instead of moving Teachen around they should let him stay in one place, and fill Freel or Bloomquist (B. Pena can play corner positions in a bind?) in at 3rd when Gordo needs an off day. Sounds crazy but Teahen is one of the top 3 hitters on the team (Callaspo and Butler have been the other two) so those 3 should be in the line-up 9 out of 10 games.

5. I'll go ahead and say yes as well. I agree that Gordon will be a boost to the lineup, and we are acting like having trouble figuring out where to put people is a bad thing (as long as the decision isn't "we've got to play Tug Hulett, but WHERE?!?!?"). I was about to describe Hochevar being over .500 as "flukey" but then I just saw that Jamie Moyer is 8-6 with a 5.66 ERA, so I won't quite go there. Plus Hoch's numbers are still super elevated by his first two starts.

Here's a new funny from Zack

Submitted by cpass on July 15, 2009 - 2:23pm.

From Jayson Stark, quizzing AL players about when the NL last won the game:

"But in that American League clubhouse, it turned out to be such a stumper, we might have been better off asking these men: What's the exact population of Azerbaijan?

On and on it went, nobody quite recalling, until Royals pitcher Zack Greinke decided to get sneaky -- and turn the tables on us by asking US a question.

"The last time they won one," he wondered, "who played in it?"

Hmmm. We hadn't actually done the research on THAT question yet. So we guessed -- incorrectly, by the way -- that it was at least possible that Derek Jeter had.

"Yeah," Greinke laughed. "And probably Stan Musial, too."

OK, it hasn't been THAT long. But it has been 13 years now since the NL won a game -- the longest unbeaten string in All-Star history."

Classic. Here's the link: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/allstar09/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=4328438

STL

Submitted by jcblue36 on July 15, 2009 - 2:09pm.

The STL airport reminds me of a BIG bus station.

Someone needs to write a book of 'Grienke-isms'. I think he's the next Yogi Berra of sports quotes.

Fun to read, funner to listen to....Thnks.

I can only imagine

Submitted by cpass on July 15, 2009 - 11:54am.

The national reporters who aren't used to Zack probably came away from talking to him wondering what had just hit them.

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Interviews

Gil Meche: The older brother of the Royals' rotation talks bowling, collecting baseball cards, and sliders

Very good first-day turnout on Twitter. Thank you. If you're on and haven't found me, I'm at "mellinger." Let's join up, we'll have fun.

You may have noticed we didn't have an MGD update after the weekend, and that's because of a bonus weekend post on SI coverboy/comedian Zack Greinke, and that Davies' start on Thursday means we won't miss a week with an MGD update.

Zack Greinke: Ball Star's most requested interview subject talks trucks, fighting, and trash

Zack Greinke, for a lot of reasons, might be the most interesting player on the Royals roster, and this is a team that includes an outfielder who owns lions and ostriches and likes to be slapped in the face, a pitcher who was knighted by his native Aruba, another who works construction in the offseason, and a reliever who body slams opposing players and prides himself on his baking.

Greinke is the most-requested interview for this blog, and if you act now, you can read a bonus interview where Kyle Davies defends himself against what he alleges is Greinke's slander. All in good fun.

Army Maj. Michael Lalor: Rooting on the Royals from Iraq

Confession time. That "contest" we ran here
was officially won by Tom Barkwell from Madagascar, and I loved both his words and the fact that he sent them from an island nation in the Indian Ocean, but I gotta tell you, it wasn't my favorite letter.

Nope, my favorite came from Army Maj. Michael Lalor, whose words came from Iraq.

I didn't mention this in the original contest because I wanted to give Michael his own post. He was kind enough to answer some questions over e-mail, which we're turning into the latest interview. His letter is below our e-mail exchange.

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