Eleven days have passed since I established this log. While I knew that I would not likely post a daily update, especially at first, it surprises me that it has taken me this long to get started. The problem lies in the duality of my writing endeavors. The primary vessel for my ideas is fiction, primarily short fiction at this juncture of my genesis. The secondary vessel is of course sports in general, baseball in particular and the Royals if you want to get micro-particular (new word!). The problem is that when my brain is working one way, it is not working the other. While I love sports literature and have to confess to being susceptible to the romantic mythology that surrounds baseball, my primary interest is analytical. I want to crack the hidden code of baseball in the way that Arthur Anderson's nefarious successors should have broken open the Enron accounting system. So even when taking in a game leisurely, sitting on the front porch with Denny Matthews' voice keeping me company, I tend to think in terms of ratios, averages, correaltion coefficients and standard deviation. That's not the way I think when I am creating a story or writing an essay on the fictional process. When immersed in literature, I think in words, abstract ideas and images - not numbers. Lately I've been working hard on a story called "Juniper Circle". Thus, I haven't been able to pay more than superficial attention to the Royals (after the Detroit/Chicago trip, that was probably a good thing) and haven't had anything to write here. But here I am, ready to make that first log entry. Ooops- I guess I alread did that.
I am distracted today. The trade deadline is only 4-1/2 hours away and to this point, nothing has happened. In my ESPN correspondence a couple of weeks back (check out my column archive), I suggested that the days leading up to the deadline together comprised a sort of extended moment of truth for the embattled Royals GM. This may not be fair. Like it or not, the current player movement environment is a poor one in which to make a final judgement on any GM, though even in this instance the smartest GM's will find a way to move their organizations forward. Baird's situation is tough because his first imperative is to make amends on his prior mistakes.
Look, Baird hasn't really been on the job that long. He cares - he lives, eat and breathes his job. Such could not be said of his predecessor, Herk Robinson, who NEVER NOT ONCE attended a minor league baseball game during his tenure. Being a charitable sort, I'm willing to grant Baird the benefit of the doubt and give him the chance to prove that he has learned from his mistakes. There has been some evidence that me may have: cutting bait with Doug Henry and Corey Bailey. Taking a chance on free talents like Darrell May & Brian Shouse, not to mention Raul Ibanez (who likely ranks as the biggest feather in his cap to date) was pretty solid. Also, he adopted an organizational mantra: "Throw strikes, swing at strikes." This mantra has not translated into wins just yet, mostly because it hasn't been ammended to "Throw strikes, swing at strikes. Hit the ball out of the ballpark, prevent the ball from leaving the ballpark." But, hey, one step at a time. Also, I give him major kudos for insisting that Angel Berroa be kept in AAA until he develops more patience. Berroa has struggled lately as he tries to learn to not only swing at better pitches but be able to handle the good pitches when he gets them. In long run, he'll be better for it.
Inaction is not an acceptable outcome of Baird's trade efforts. Today is not the final bell on trades this season because word is that there will be a flurry of waiver deals in August, assuming that we are still playing. August 16 hangs like the Sword of Damocles over the great game right now. Ugh. Anyway, the only player whom we will likely be able to judge Baird on is Paul Byrd. Byrd could not be moved in a waiver deal - he's too good and too cheap to make it through unclaimed. Byrd is the team's most marketable quantity and his value will never, ever be as high as it is right now, at this moment. Baird has to turn Byrd into a useful young talent. The rumoured Byrd-for-Marcus Giles deal was apparently just gossip. The newest one is Byrd-for-Antonio Perez. Perez is 22 and is hitting .301/.362/.390 for the San Antonio Missions, for whom my uncle works, by the way. He has only played 43 games because of an injury and in those games, he has committed 11 errors at 2B. Is this enough for Byrd? I really don't know. Perez is a highly ranked prospect (#3 in the Seattle organzation by Baseball America) but I thought the whole idea was to get a ready-to-play guy. I realize that those sorts are hard to come by. I'm just concerned that Perez doesn't have quite enough upside. The Mets are said to be interested in Byrd. If Baird could pry Jose Reyes from the Mets, I might have him canonized.
This is a day fraught with trepidation for yours truly. I'll follow up tomorrow when we know more.
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I am distracted today. The trade deadline is only 4-1/2 hours away and to this point, nothing has happened. In my ESPN correspondence a couple of weeks back (check out my column archive), I suggested that the days leading up to the deadline together comprised a sort of extended moment of truth for the embattled Royals GM. This may not be fair. Like it or not, the current player movement environment is a poor one in which to make a final judgement on any GM, though even in this instance the smartest GM's will find a way to move their organizations forward. Baird's situation is tough because his first imperative is to make amends on his prior mistakes.
Look, Baird hasn't really been on the job that long. He cares - he lives, eat and breathes his job. Such could not be said of his predecessor, Herk Robinson, who NEVER NOT ONCE attended a minor league baseball game during his tenure. Being a charitable sort, I'm willing to grant Baird the benefit of the doubt and give him the chance to prove that he has learned from his mistakes. There has been some evidence that me may have: cutting bait with Doug Henry and Corey Bailey. Taking a chance on free talents like Darrell May & Brian Shouse, not to mention Raul Ibanez (who likely ranks as the biggest feather in his cap to date) was pretty solid. Also, he adopted an organizational mantra: "Throw strikes, swing at strikes." This mantra has not translated into wins just yet, mostly because it hasn't been ammended to "Throw strikes, swing at strikes. Hit the ball out of the ballpark, prevent the ball from leaving the ballpark." But, hey, one step at a time. Also, I give him major kudos for insisting that Angel Berroa be kept in AAA until he develops more patience. Berroa has struggled lately as he tries to learn to not only swing at better pitches but be able to handle the good pitches when he gets them. In long run, he'll be better for it.
Inaction is not an acceptable outcome of Baird's trade efforts. Today is not the final bell on trades this season because word is that there will be a flurry of waiver deals in August, assuming that we are still playing. August 16 hangs like the Sword of Damocles over the great game right now. Ugh. Anyway, the only player whom we will likely be able to judge Baird on is Paul Byrd. Byrd could not be moved in a waiver deal - he's too good and too cheap to make it through unclaimed. Byrd is the team's most marketable quantity and his value will never, ever be as high as it is right now, at this moment. Baird has to turn Byrd into a useful young talent. The rumoured Byrd-for-Marcus Giles deal was apparently just gossip. The newest one is Byrd-for-Antonio Perez. Perez is 22 and is hitting .301/.362/.390 for the San Antonio Missions, for whom my uncle works, by the way. He has only played 43 games because of an injury and in those games, he has committed 11 errors at 2B. Is this enough for Byrd? I really don't know. Perez is a highly ranked prospect (#3 in the Seattle organzation by Baseball America) but I thought the whole idea was to get a ready-to-play guy. I realize that those sorts are hard to come by. I'm just concerned that Perez doesn't have quite enough upside. The Mets are said to be interested in Byrd. If Baird could pry Jose Reyes from the Mets, I might have him canonized.
This is a day fraught with trepidation for yours truly. I'll follow up tomorrow when we know more.
Homepage/EMail