| | The Kansas City Royals bandwagon is getting full. Although he's already a Royals fan, ESPN.com's Rob Neyer says you might want to wait a few more weeks before climbing aboard.
During his weekly chat with users, Neyer talked about the Royals' quick start and advised caution. He also talked about the Mariners pitching staff, J.D. Drew's playing time and the Mets' outfield dilemma.
If you missed Neyer's April 13 chat, an edited transcript follows:
|  | | Neyer says hold the Hall of Fame votes for the Royals manager. |
LS: Was 123 pitches too many for Jaret Wright (Wednesday) night? His confidence level has to be pretty high
after a shutout like that.
Rob Neyer: Well, if I were running the club, I would have pulled him after the eighth, when he'd thrown 110
pitches, and entrusted the 5-0 lead to my bullpen. But managers will quite often let a young
pitcher finish a shutout, especially if he's been struggling.
Hughie: How could SI predict the BoSox this year? Their pitching after Pedro Martinez is terrible. What do you
think Boston has to do this year to make the postseason?
Rob Neyer:
Frankly, they need to get a little lucky. While I don't think the rotation after Pedro is truly
terrible, it's probably not championship quality. They've got a chance, but a lot of things have to
go right.
Peter Huisking: What is wrong with Mike Hampton's delivery and why the struggle to start the season? Has the
trip to Japan affected him or is it the new team he is with this year causing him to feel the
pressure to be the ace of the staff?
Rob Neyer:
Well, it's only three games. I expect Hampton to bounce back and enjoy a pretty good season.
But it was unrealistic for anyone -- are you listening, Mets fans? -- to think Hampton would
come close to what he did last year. Pitchers who walk that many hitters simply don't win 22
games every year.
Doug in NY: What's the deal with the term "walk-off"? I never noticed it until a year or two ago. I know it
wasn't used when Joe Carter hit the series ending homer in 1993. So where is this coming
from? I would think game ending or winning homer would sound better. Walk-off win sounds
absolutely atrocious, by the way.
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NEYER'S FILE
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ESPN.com's Rob Neyer writes a daily baseball column from March through October. His book "Baseball Dynasties," co-authored with Eddie Epstein, has just been published, and can be ordered from Amazon.com. |
Rob Neyer:
I think "walk-off homer" is pretty cool. It's both accurate and evocative. This term is a
derivation of "walk-off piece," a term supposedly invented by Dennis Eckersley back in the
1980s. It's just now becoming widely used, and I think it's fun to watch the language change
like this.
FenwayFaithful: Rob, you're spending the season in Boston, and I'm sure you know a new Fenway seems
inevitable. Many want the new park to replicate the old in outfield dimensions. Do you think
tailoring teams to Fenway's unique configuration has contributed to the Sox's postseason
failures?
Rob Neyer:
I think this is less of an issue than it once was, because while Fenway Park is still a great hitter's
park, if you're a pitcher, it's no longer a great hitter's park relative to the rest of the league. Dan
Duquette, correctly I think, has focused on simply getting good ballplayers. Everything else will
take care of itself.
Tatiana: Are the Royals going to keep or trade Johnny Damon (and if they do, what
should they try to get for him), and, how do you pronounce your last name?
Rob Neyer:
I think they'll keep him, at least until/unless they fall far from Wild Card contention. There's a
chance, I suppose, that new owner David Glass will find the money to re-sign Damon to a
long-term deal, but then the Royals wouldn't have a spot for phenom Dee Brown
My last name rhymes with town crier, American Flyer, and Mike Cuddyer.
Art: I know it's only been a few at bats, but what does J.D. Drew need to do to get on the field every
day?
Rob Neyer:
Well, it would help if he aged 10 or 12 years overnight. Barring that, he needs to stop doing things
off the field that Tony La Russa doesn't like. For details, just check any issue of the St. Louis
Post-Dispatch from the last few weeks.
M's Fan: Why did you choose to leave Seattle the year that they have put a great team on the field?
Rob Neyer:
I think it's a little early to consider the M's "great," don't you? I did pick them to win the A.L.
West by a nose, but it's certainly no sure thing. Anyway, I still have my season tickets and I'll be
back a few times this summer. Hoping for an M's-Red Sox ALCS.
CardinalDD: Do you think there is any way that Tony La Russa will realize that he can sub for another
position than right field to get Drew in the lineup? Ray Lankford can't possibly play every day.
Rob Neyer:
Yes, another J.D. Drew question. I should have answered this when I answered the earlier one.
Yes, it's obvious (at least to me) that La Russa's mishandling Drew. If he insists on playing
Eric Davis, then he should certainly work Drew into the lineup in RF and CF, too. Why not give
all four top outfielders regular playing time? And leave Thomas Howard on the bench where he
belongs?
Joe Budd: What do you think of the Mets' outfield situation? Should they play young guys like Jay Payton and
Jon Nunnally, or stick with Rickey Henderson, Derek Bell, and Darryl Hamilton?
Rob Neyer:
Given the age and fragility of Henderson, Bell and Hamilton, Nunnally and Payton will get their
chances to play. It's just a question of when, so I think they should at least play semi-regularly
right now, so they're ready when needed.
Andrew: Rico Brogna and Ron Gant are both off to dismal starts. At what point do you think the Phils
will pull the plug on one of those two and call up Pat Burrell?
Rob Neyer:
It's a tough situation. Gant would be easier to bench because nobody really likes him all that
much. But from what I understand, Burrell is still pretty brutal in the outfield and really should
return to first base. And of course, if the Phillies have serious postseason aspirations it's hard to
justify leaving Burrell in Scranton all summer.
MookieFan: One week into the season and we already have a new ML record for home runs in a week. Do
you see any end to the "WWF-ization" of baseball, e.g., flash over substance?
Rob Neyer:
Nothing lasts forever, but there's no reason to think WWF-ization (love the term) will end any
time soon. Given the size of most ballparks and most ballplayers, it would take something truly
radical -- I suggest a new baseball -- to turn this trend around.
Mike: Suddenly, it seems that Tony Muser is gaining a lot of respect in the media. Is he gaining your
respect as well?
Rob Neyer:
Nothing the media loves more than a bandwagon. Ask yourself this: If the Royals hadn't hit
three game-winning home runs in the last three nights, would anyone be writing about them, or
singing the praises of Tony Muser? No way. Let's wait a month or two before putting Muser in
the Hall of Fame or the Royals in the postseason.
StatRat: I have nothing but respect for your opinion of all things baseball. Feel free to display this if only
as a testament to your greatness.
Rob Neyer:
Thanks a lot, man. I would post your message, but if I did everyone would completely lose
respect for me. And they might not buy my new book, "Baseball Dynasties."
AztecAlum: Now that it looks like he'll get a start or two a week, what kind of season do you expect from
Rafael Furcal?
Rob Neyer:
A popular question. I think Furcal's going to be a fantastic player, but it's practically impossible
to say what he'll do this year, especially if he only gets 250-odd at-bats. That sample size
simply isn't big enough on which to base any kind of meaningful prediction. Sorry.
Madison: It's great that the players are no longer allowed to put numbers and initials on their caps. I agree
with you that it is very distracting. Any chance the owners will follow that up my taking the
World Series logo off the hats the players wear in the World Series? I hate those. I never quite
understood that anyway. I know that I am watching the World Series and don't have to be
reminded.
Rob Neyer:
Madison, Madison, Madison ... Haven't you learned that in the Selig Era, revenues rule? As
hideous, as ugly, as distracting as they are, the World Series patches are here to stay because it
means yet another chance to make a little more dough for the Lords of Baseball.
True Box: What is the deal with Ken Caminiti? Is he ever going to rid himself of the injury bug and become a
productive player again? Is it Mark McGwire's year to spend on the disabled list?
Rob Neyer:
Given Caminiti's age and his history of injuries, I certainly don't think he's suddenly going to start
playing 150 games per year. The Astros are fortunate to have a number of players who can
perform third-base duties decently enough. As for McGwire, he's always been a sore back
waiting to happen, and it wouldn't surprise me if his current malady was a factor all season.
Eric Parsley: What do you think of the Tiger's new home?
Rob Neyer:
All I've seen is what they show on Baseball Tonight, but it's certainly refreshing to see a new
ballpark with a big outfield. Don't be shocked if they move the fences in, both to please the fans
and free-agent hitters.
Kazahiro-Mania: I believe I heard that Ryan Anderson pitched another excellent game (Wednesday) -- 10-plus strikeouts -- at Triple A Tacoma. Should the Mariners move a pitcher for a lefty bat and bring Anderson up, or
should we fear Lou Piniella and his track-record with young pitchers?
Rob Neyer:
Yeah, I believe that Anderson has now pitched 12 innings in Class AAA, and struck out 20
hitters while allowing something like four hits (sorry I don't have specifics, but I will (Friday) in
my column). A year ago, I would have been worried about Lou, but the Mariners' new pitching
coach has done wonders with the young pitchers, and what's more I believe he pays close
attention to pitch counts. So Anderson should be in Seattle soon, and I think he'll be OK there.
Tina: Boys think that I don't know what I'm talking about just because I am a girl. Will you respect my
femininity and answer this question? Can the Reds win the NL Central if they get a good starter?
Any good ones available that the Reds can actually make an offer for?
Rob Neyer:
Is it all right if I answer your question without respecting your femininity? Because that's an
awfully heavy burden for a "guy" like me. Sure, the Reds can win the Central. But they do
probably need another starter, and they're going to have to give up at least one of their Grade A
prospects if they want a quality pitcher. We probably won't see anything happen until the
middle of the summer, unless the Reds fall way behind early, in which case they might get
desperate to keep Junior happy.
Sports junkee: Is there still a bias in some clubhouses and organizations against players teams found as
replacement players and kept in the organization after the lockout ended?
Rob Neyer:
Yeah, there is. Ron Mahay was a replacement player, and I believe there are a few more out
there. The other players are nice enough on the field, but there is still some resentment,
especially among the more rabid union members.
Alex Vila: Is it just me, or do you find the Bull Durham/Baseball Tonight commercial disturbing? I mean,
Peter Gammons in a wig is SCARY!
Rob Neyer:
When that one comes on, I avert my eyes from the screen, just as I do when SportsCenter
shows tape of a guy's femur snapping ... I do think Peter makes a great young Roy Hobbs,
though.
Matt: Okay, I just had to chime in. You're the king of denouncing small sample sizes, but claim that
"the Mariner's new pitching coach has done wonders with the young pitchers" after a week and
a half? Lou may listen to his pitching coach now when they are 5-3 and sitting on top of the
division, but what about when they hit a losing streak and big Lou puts Freddy Garcia out there for 140
pitches?
Rob Neyer:
Good point, Matt, I should have been more clear about this. The new pitching coach, Bryan
Price, was actually with the Mariners for much of last season in an advisory capacity. A lot of
people in the Seattle organization credit Price for the success of Freddy Garcia and Gil Meche,
among others.
Pedro: Do you think that Carl Pavano and Rick Ankiel can become excellent pitchers this season?
Rob Neyer:
Sure. Ankiel's got more physical tools, but Pavano's got more experience. I wouldn't be
shocked if both posted sub-4.00 ERAs, but Ankiel should win more games because the
Cardinals will score (a lot!) more runs.
Thanks for all the great questions, I'll be back sometime next week. | |
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Rob Neyer chat archive
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