Since we're waiting on the end of the 2016 season, we found a chat that we hadn't shared with you before. In this episode, we're sharing some insight from Curt Nelson, Director of the Royals Hall of Fame. Nelson talked with us about Alex Gordon's impact on the franchise, on the greatest Royals playoff moments, retiring numbers of Royals greats, and a comparison of the 1985 and 2015 World Series Championship teams. Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @TheJeffReport, co-...
Oct 27, 2016•25 min
This week, we wanted to take a look at the upcoming offseason and started by checking out potential departures after 2016. This lead to the potential approach to some mutual options in player contracts, the strategy about issuing the qualifying offer, and the fate of a few players after this season and after 2017. We also addressed some of the chatter about payroll. The Royals always say payroll will drop, but with most of a contending team returning, can they add to the roster without adding on...
Oct 20, 2016•1 hr 11 min
The Cubs' win over the Giants in Game 4 felt...familiar. So on the one year anniversary of the Royals' comeback win over the Astros, Jeff and Mike reminisced a bit about Royals comebacks, added a little about bullpen usage, and really just shot the breeze about interesting playoff matchups. Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @TheJeffReport, co-host Michael Engel at @michaelengel. You can also email feedback to KansasCityBaseballVault@gmail.com . Email us a question an...
Oct 13, 2016•53 min
The Royals season is officially, for real, definitely over, and we now enter playoff baseball withdrawal. This week, we talked about the weird AL Wild Card game briefly and then discussed some of the surprised and bright spots for the Royals this year. In the second segment, we reviewed our preseason Over/Under predictions as well as our Bold Predictions. We did...so-so, kind of like the Royals year. Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @TheJeffReport, co-host Michael E...
Oct 06, 2016•1 hr 27 min
The Royals were officially eliminated from playoff contention this week, so we tried to put the 2016 season in perspective as it approaches its end. In the second segment, Jeff and Mike shared their memories of the first Royals game they attended (or, at least, the game they were old enough to remember going to.) Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @TheJeffReport, co-host Michael Engel at @michaelengel. You can also email feedback to KansasCityBaseballVault@gmail.com ....
Sep 30, 2016•1 hr 4 min
So the Royals are going to miss the playoffs, but the Royals are still giving fans some things to watch out for. Eric Hosmer and Kendrys Morales are aiming to become the second set of teammates in Royals history to each hit 25 homers and drive in 100 runs in the same year, Danny Duffy is nearing 200 strikeouts, and these accomplishments led us to discuss the chances that Duffy and Morales may sign up to stay in Kansas City well beyond 2016. Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff ...
Sep 22, 2016•1 hr 10 min
Have a seat. I don't want to break this news to you but the Royals are probably not going to make the playoffs again in 2016. In this episode, we look at why that is. Yes, some of that is Joakim Soria, who, of late, has been bad in key situations. Some of that is a bad July, and some of that is just a combination of multiple factors. Above all, the Royals have been inconsistent. We'll see how the season ends and what the Royals do for 2017, but for now, buck up. August was fun, right? Follow the...
Sep 15, 2016•48 min
The Royals ran into a rough patch at home with some awkward bullpen situations and some painful one-run losses. That put them on the outside of the wild card chase, but with the way schedules finish up, one big hot streak might get them back to the playoffs. We explain how it might work out better if the wild card teams end up around 91 wins rather than, say, 87. It seems weird, but work with us here. In the second segment, we went over how the Royals have struck out more in 2016 and what impact...
Sep 08, 2016•1 hr 15 min
The Royals had one of their best months ever in August and it put them back in the hunt for a playoff spot. They still need a lot to go their way, though, and we looked at the scenarios, from a crowded wild card picture to a still-possible division title. September might be epic or it might just be stressful, but it's probably going to be interesting if August is any indicator. And yes, we talked - briefly - about the Rally Mantis. Jeff loves the Rally Mantis. Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVaul...
Sep 01, 2016•1 hr 7 min
Just when it seemed the Royals were settling into a disappointing finish, they woke up. Behind strong pitching and some offensive performers starting to warm up, the Royals are possibly, maybe, kind of back in the playoff picture. It's still a tall hill to climb up, and they'll need some help, but we looked at what got them back in it, what lies ahead, and what the reasonable best-case scenarios might be. We also ended up on a tangent talking about baseball movies. Follow the Vault at @KCBasebal...
Aug 18, 2016•1 hr 4 min
So the Royals aren't doing well this year for various reasons. What to do as a fan? The intensity is down, the games matter less, and while a Mantis-fueled hot streak might be out there, it's unlikely. We talked about the disappointing season to this point and offered some perspectives on what this season means in relation to the previous three and going forward and pointed out a few bright spots. Also, there were a couple of praying mantis stories. Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow h...
Aug 11, 2016•59 min
Two weeks ago, we talked about who the Royals might acquire at the trade deadline. Last week, we talked about who they might sell at the deadline. Turns out, after injuries to Luke Hochevar and Wade Davis, the Royals ended up with a pretty quiet deadline. We talked about the factors that lead to the lack of activity and what might happen next. After the break, we talked about Danny Duffy's incredible start against Tampa and what it may mean for him going forward. He's had a rocky road, but his w...
Aug 04, 2016•1 hr 13 min
The Royals have not started the second half well. While the 2014 season saw them make a comeback with a similar record, the odds are against another trip to the playoffs. The sensible thing is to explore some trades and try to bolster the farm system. But we aren't talking about trading anyone just to dump them off. We go over the most likely trade candidates and why 2017 can still be another successful year if they play the market right. Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff He...
Jul 28, 2016•1 hr 7 min
The Royals have opened the second half with a stumble, losing two winnable games in Detroit, then getting hammered in two losses back home against Cleveland. They sit at .500 as of this recording and are nine games out of first. There's still time, but the Royals are going to have to find some pitching help. Their regulars are inconsistent, and the fifth spot is a nightmare. Will it come from the minors? Will it come via trade? We argue that the help is more likely to come from a trade and go ov...
Jul 21, 2016•1 hr
The Royals managed to limp to the end of the first half and then dominated the All Star Game. We covered a lot this week, including: Dayton Moore's resume, Hosmer and Salvy in San Diego, the state of the AL Central, and general impressions about the first half. In our second segment, we revisited the over/under calls and some of our bold predictions from back in spring training. Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @TheJeffReport, co-host Michael Engel at @michaelengel....
Jul 14, 2016•1 hr 21 min
Right now the Royals are fighting through injuries and inconsistency and it's got everything feeling pretty fragile. The Royals title defense isn't going as planned but what is there to be done about it? Who will the Royals turn to in close games while Wade Davis is on the DL? Will they go make a trade? And what state does that leave the organization in after 2017? These are the questions we asked and answered this week. Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @TheJeffRepo...
Jul 07, 2016•1 hr 15 min
This week, we talked about the injury to Lorenzo Cain and what it means if he's out for longer than expected. The Royals have faced some injuries, and Cain is another big name to get hurt this year. We also looked at how the Indians are shaping up against the Royals this year and asked if they're going to start running away with the division. After the break, we posed a question about a Danny Duffy contract and compared the rookie performances of Cheslor Cuthbert, Whit Merrifield, and Brett Eibn...
Jun 30, 2016•1 hr 1 min
We caught up with BP Kansas City's Clint Scoles to talk about the Royals draft and the players selected and how they reflect a shift in the Royals draft approach. Clint's writeups are available here and here. Follow Clint at @ClintScoles. We also discussed how Alex Gordon may fit back into the lineup when he returns from the disabled list, who may get sent down, and how the AL Central may shape up the rest of the way. Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @TheJeffReport,...
Jun 23, 2016•1 hr 3 min
After a tumultuous week and an awful losing skid during the road trip, the Royals bounced back with some strong pitching and a couple wins heading into a homestand. On top of that, they made a big change to the roster, committing to Whit Merrifield full time and designating Omar Infante for assignment. We discussed the pitching of Danny Duffy and Yordano Ventura, plus the approaches of Merrifield and Cheslor Cuthbert. Finally, we looked at the implications of the Royals stark home and road split...
Jun 16, 2016•1 hr 24 min
After a week of Royal dominance and frenzy hitting, it all went cold. It all went dark. The best of times have turned into the worst of times and the Royals have lost every game on the road trip so far, scoring just barely over a run per game and giving up way too many. Then Yordano Ventura went out and beaned Manny Machado and restarted all of the fretting about his antics from last season. We tried to come up with some answers - for the offense, for Ventura, and what the Royals might do to han...
Jun 09, 2016•1 hr 11 min
The Royals were getting the magic back and then - boom - went on a tear. Eric Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain started hitting like we think they can. The Royals made three improbably comebacks against Chicago, then ran over Tampa Bay. Now they're in first place. But the performances of some of the guys called up to fill in for injured players has been the biggest boost. Alex Gordon, Mike Moustakas, and Salvador Perez out? No problem. Whit Merrifield, Brett Eibner, and Drew Butera - Drew Butera! - are he...
Jun 03, 2016•1 hr 27 min
BP Kansas City's Clint Scoles caught up with some Omaha Storm Chasers this week to get some additional insight into their season. He tracked down: Mike Minor to talk about his rehab assignment's progressHunter Dozier to find out about any adjustments leading to his success in Triple-A so farChristian Binford to see what he's working on on the moundRonnie Richardson, Director of Minor League Operations, to learn more about some outfield work from Dozier and Double-A prospect Ryan O'Hearn, Jake Ju...
Jun 01, 2016•16 min
We were pleased to be joined by Jonah Keri, author of two great baseball books (The Extra 2% and Up, Up, and Away) and baseball writer for SI.com and CBSSports.com. Keri compared his preseason evaluation of the Royals to the team we watch today and discussed how clustering and regression have the Royals falling back a bit after a World Series title in 2015. He also added his impressions of the AL Central race and where the Royals sit in relation to the other teams the rest of the way. He also ta...
May 27, 2016•30 min
A few weeks ago, the pattern was that most of the Royals lineup struggled and one or two players would be productive at a time. Now, though, some of those early struggling players are heating up in a big way and others have stepped up as well. As a result, the starting rotation has stabilized, the bullpen is back to its old tricks, and the lineup is doing better. Jeff and Mike discussed the struggles of Kendrys Morales and (more recently) Eric Hosmer, the hot streaks of Lorenzo Cain and Salvador...
May 26, 2016•1 hr 2 min
After a frustrating road trip to Cleveland and New York, the Royals got some wins against Atlanta and Boston and started to hit the ball a bit. The starting rotation changed a bit but it was an effective change, as Danny Duffy and Dillon Gee threw good innings. So when the bats wake up and the pitching improves, it makes things more fun. This week, we talked about all of these things: the hitting, the pitching, the future for Cheslor Cuthbert, the surprising move calling up Whit Merrifield and d...
May 19, 2016•1 hr 13 min
The Royals have not played well. The hitting is only starting to wake up, the defense has lagged at times, but mostly, the starting rotation has been a problem. The bad things were our focus this week, including the Raul Mondesi PED suspension. Lorenzo Cain and Alex Gordon are heating up and Eric Hosmer's been great all season. Even Alcides Escobar is hitting a bit more now, and while Mike Moustakas went on the DL, Cheslor Cuthbert is filling in fine so far. Things are (hopefully) starting to tu...
May 12, 2016•1 hr 30 min
This week, we were thrilled to have the opportunity to catch up with Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Bob shared information about some of the upcoming events at the museum over the next month or so, including a celebration of Jackie Robinson's love of Kansas City and Jazz (May 6), Dressed to the Nines Day at Kauffman Stadium and the Salute to the Negro Leagues (May 15), and the Hall of Game inductions on June 11. Bob talked about personality in baseball, Bryce Harpe...
May 05, 2016•50 min
This week, we kept it brief (for us) and discussed the Royals' series against Detroit and Baltimore (and recalling their road series win in Houston) as a way to show how the Royals are not showing complacency early in the 2016 season as they defend their World Series crown. While half the offense is still finding their footing, a lot of the success has been due to a pitching staff that's been better than expected, with Yordano Ventura playing a central role. We discussed his adjustments and earl...
Apr 27, 2016•44 min
This week, our first segment covered some of the ways the Royals aren't performing quite like we've grown accustomed to seeing and how it's making the fanbase slightly cranky. Or apoplectic. Depends on who you ask. And that's for a 9-4 (at the time of recording) team! What a country! Our second segment veered a bit differently, as Jeff pitched a hypothetical player with a very special gift from the baseball gods, and Mike had to decide how best to use that player in a lineup. Follow the Vault at...
Apr 21, 2016•1 hr 6 min
This week, we discussed the Royals going right back to their comeback-winning ways. We also discussed such hot-button topics like: A Creative Bullpen Approach! The First Turn Through the Rotation! Alex Gordon's Defense! Alex Gordon's Strikeouts! Eric Hosmer's Similarities to Brandon Belt! What Teams Do We Dislike??! And much, much more... Tune in next week. Same BP time, same BP channel. Follow the Vault at @KCBaseballVault. Follow host Jeff Herr at @TheJeffReport, co-host Michael Engel at @mich...
Apr 14, 2016•1 hr 8 min
