The Royals have since gone 9-9, and we all realize this rotation isn't going to be confused for a top unit in baseball in any shape. However, the Royals defense and bullpen are still among the best in baseball and continues to make a pretty average starting five look better than they should, and is a huge reason the Royals are off to this start.
The season started with a sweep of the White Sox at home, and that's where the season of tension started. There was a multitude of bean balls in that series. It started with Jeff Samarzdija going all Shark on us and hitting Lo Cain on purpose (probably) because he was getting shelled. The next two games had a lot of hit batters and stare downs, but nothing really came of it. Then Oakland came to town 10 days later and Kansas City now has their new most hated player since AJ Pierzynski left Chicago, and it's a tattooed Canadian who has yet to reach his lofty promise as a Major League player.. BRETT LAWRIE!
The entire Lawrie deal has been over-analyzed, but I am going to throw in my two cents anyway. The slide was bad, I appreciate a guy playing hard, and I keep hearing all the "There was no way they were turning two" stuff, and as a fan it's easy to say that, but in the moment a player most likely isn't processing that. The slide was a bit excessive and retaliation was well deserved. So when Ventura buried a pitch into Lawrie the next day and he put his head down and headed to 1st that should have been it.
But, that's just not how Yordano is rolling in 2015. First he had that whole thing with Mike Trout where he took exception to the best hitter in baseball hitting a liner in the same area code of the mound. That was not a good look for Ventura, but I think he could have really redeemed himself if he just plunked Lawrie and acted like nothing had happened and walked off the field. Instead he walks towards Lawrie, who is not even acknowledging him and staring him down. In this video Salvador Perez is basically saying "Dude what are you doing?" Then just when we thought, ok that's gotta be it, he quick pitches Adam Eaton in his next start in Chicago, then swears at him after Eaton got all mad because he was about to be replaced by JB Shuck in the starting lineup, and we had an old fashioned brew-ha-ha, which wasn't the Royals fault at all. The problem with Ventura is that he's basically Scrappy Doo, he doesn't care, he'll fight everyone and I guess that makes Salvador Perez Scooby Doo? Ventura was handed down a 7 game (1 start) suspension, maybe he should spend that time drinking water so he doesn't leave a 3rd game due to of cramping.
Let me get back to the A's situation. The whole thing should have ended after Lawrie was hit on Saturday, but Kazmir had to hit Cain in the leg on Sunday, and this apparently got Kelvin Herrera into a murderous rampage. He missed Lawrie twice with 100 mph fastballs, the 2nd pitch going behind his back. Even I thought that was a little much. What I find crazy is the pure vitriol Royals fans have for Lawrie, he is such a hot button among Royals fans that he has the most- bleeding heart save the trees, and kittens, and love each other - types wishing a horrible fate upon him. I don't blame Lawrie for being pissed. He took one upper 90s pitch already, now you got a guy throwing 100 above the letters behind you. I would have to run to the locker-room and change my pants before finishing that game. There were ample opportunities to end this saga and no one did, so I fully expect a Royal to get hit in June. Maybe it will be Alex Gordon, and he'll just write it off as a normal at bat.
Other than that whole fiasco the season has started off better than anyone could have imagined. After splitting this weekend series with Detroit, KC is at 16-9. The offense has slowed a little bit from the torrid start they were on, but there are a lot of positives. The team is leading the Majors in AVG at .296, which is 18 points North of Detroit. The have the least amount of strikeouts in the league (not surprisingly) and they even have 19 HRs way ahead of the pace that resulted in 95 whole HRs last year. Mike Moustakas apparently read my spring training blog and took my advice on trying to hit the ball to the opposite field (yeah I know he didn't but let me have this). He hasn't quite eliminated the shift against him, because Detroit is stubborn, but he is no longer pulling outside pitches into weak ground outs. His BABIP is going way up as a result and just looks more confident at the plate, and makes it next to impossible for Ned Yost to sit him regardless of pitcher. Lorenzo Cain has become a producer in the middle of the lineup, Sal Perez is absolutely crushing lefties, and still isn't getting any time off, which isn't surprising as KC is definitely in win now mode. Eric Hosmer is quietly off to the best start of his career and Alex Gordon has begun to hit in the last couple of weeks. Kendrys Morales has been an RBI machine as of late in the middle of that Royals order from either side of the plate.
The thing that is most impressive is the Royals almost seemingly defiant attitude about losing. It's as if they are still in playoff mode thus far this season, never saying die and fighting to win every game, it was on display just yesterday as they were getting "perfect gamed" by Sanchez and were down 6-0, still had a legit shot to tie the game in the 9th inning. As a Royals fan, this is something I can't recall witnessing in Aprils of the past. The 2015 Royals are playing like a team with something to prove. The previous two seasons the team had disappointing 1st halves, but played with their hair on fire in the 2nd half to finish with winning records. This new attitude of "protecting our pennant" is going to do wonders in the 2nd half of 2015 if they get to July 10+ games over .500. The Royals are flashing the middle finger at all the preseason prognosticators and even the opposing teams, or in Yordano's case, just directly yelling "Fuck you" to everyone.
