RoyalsPodcast

The Royals were busy trimming the roster and the latest Kansas City Baseball Vault discussed any surprises or disappointments in the cuts as well as what it means for the roster and any position battles going on. Along with that, we talked about the demotion of Luke Hochevar to the bullpen and its impact on the fifth starter race. Eric Hosmer came up and inspired a discussion about concern, worry, and panic. His early spring numbers were strong, but his World Baseball Classic performance was not. He's still the biggest question mark for the 2013 season. Also, look for a friendly wager should Donnie Joseph make the opening day roster. While both Michael and Troy like his potential, Troy likes it a bit more. Don't be a surprised to see a Kelvin Herrera vs. Donnie Joseph board bet...

Dayton Moore has talked about “the Process” of building a contender. It’s taken a rebuild of the farm system but now it’s time to get results. After trading Wil Myers for James Shields, the Royals are closer than they’ve been in a long time, but what’s the actual window for contention? With most of their lineup made up of young players, what can we expect for the franchise in 2013 and ahead? To answer those questions, we talked with Jason Martinez of MLB Depth Charts, Baseball Prospectus and ESPN.com about his article discussing all of those ideas. He went through his process of determining a team’s best year for being a World Series contender and the factors he had in mind while lining up the next few seasons. We also talked about the Royals spring performance, the second base job and adding versatility, and the World Baseball Classic. http://kingsofkauffman.com/2013/03/12/whats-the-royals-window-to-contend-jason-martinez-discusses-on-the-vault/

David Lesky discusses his trip to spring training. Lee Polikov discusses the Bob Gibson Heritage Project along with Bob's impact in pro sports as well as the Omaha metro area. Aaron Bentley of Baseball Instinct goes over the Cleveland Indians Farm system

The Royals start out undefeated in Cactus League play and we decided to figure out if it meant anything. Or even a little bit of anything. Does it improve the team's confidence? Is it a sign of good things in 2013? How did we think the rotation did the first time through? We covered all of those topics and marveled at the Chris Getz homer and what it means for the second base battle. We also talked a bit about what the World Baseball Classic means for the rest of spring training. Paul McCartney even showed up*. *Paul McCartney did not show up. It was just a poor impersonation. The best part of the week, though, was our discussion with Anthony Seratelli of the Omaha Storm Chasers. He shared his story of how he got to be a part of professional baseball and the twists and turns that landed him in the Royals organization. He's an easy guy to root for.

Its season preview season which means we have to get the opinion of our main man Greg Schaum on the Royals 2013 season. Also on this episode Aaron Bentley of Baseballinstincts.com gives us his evaluation of the Detroit Tigers system.

While snow fell in Kansas City, the Royals were busy getting spring training underway and taking the field against the rest of the Cactus League. We did our best not to overreact to the action so far, but did discuss Luis Mendoza's potential as a starter, John Lamb's comeback and velocity (as well as that of Noel Arguelles) and Alex Gordon's day off. Then we welcomed the voice of Kauffman Stadium to the show. Mike McCartney's a name you might not know but if you get to see the Royals at home, you'll know his voice. We caught up with him to talk about the All Star break, his philosophy behind how to work within the game and the crowd in calling up a player, what he does with the weird names (and we tested a few with him), and what it's like to work at the ballpark all summer. After a brief interlude to talk about the Chiefs and their search for a quarterback (we try not to go there unless it's a big story), we talked with Elliot Johnson, the newest Royal in camp. Johnson shared a lot about his climb towards the big leagues, including the disappointments of being kept in the minors, bad timing, and his dustup with Francisco Cervelli (and he had a nice take on the overreaction to that 2008 collision). He also talked about the leadership the Royals should expect from former-and-once-again teammates James Shields and Wade Davis as well as his adjustment to a new clubhouse and coaching staff and playing every position on the diamond.

The Royals are gathering in Surprise, Arizona right now for spring training and taking stock of their talent as the 2013 season starts. Who better to discuss that talent than one of the men who's helped acquire it? Royals Assistant GM JJ Picollo talked with the Vault about a number of prospects and their expected paths to the big leagues, including John Lamb, Kyle Zimmer, Jason Adam and Yordano Ventura. He explained the organization's approach to advancing Bubba Starling and talked about the input he gave Dayton Moore prior to the Wil Myers/James Shields trade. He also gave us an idea of how things shift from a scouting and development standpoint and adjusting to the circumstances and skills of each player. Prior to talking with Picollo, Troy, Jeff and Mike talked about some of the early news out of spring training including Jeff Francoeur's reaction to criticism, the middle infield and utility player battles, and what to take away from Tuesday's intrasquad game.

Royals RHP Kyle Smith joined the show to talk about his expectations in 2013, results in 2012 and who and what drives him to succeed. Also Keith Elkins, announcer for the Lexington Legends gave Clint info on what Royals fans should expect from their new Single A affiliate.

Kevin Seitzer, former Royals hitting coach, discusses hitting philosophy, Eric Hosmer's struggles in 2013 and more with David and Clint. Aaron Bentley of Baseballinstinct.com talks about the Chicago White Sox minor league system. www.baseballinsider.com @Aaron_Bentley @baseballinstinc David and Clint also discuss the Michael Bourn acquisition for the Cleveland Indians

You either love him or hate him. He's either an annoying cheerleader or wrapped up in passion for the game. There's not always a lot of gray area when it involves Royals television analyst Rex Hudler. Hudler took time to talk with us at the Kansas City Baseball Vault about his passion for baseball, his attitude as a player and how it has framed his daily approach as well as how he responds to criticism. We discussed optimism, getting over losses, and what he's said to players since joining the Royals. The Wonderdog also shared some of his personal stories of raising a child with disabilities and the ways his family has embraced the challenges and blessings involved. This was a very forthright Hudler and a different side from what you'll see on the Fox Sports Kansas City broadcast. Love him or hate him, he's got something to say.

Bob Dutton has been covering the Royals to some extent since 1987 and became the primary beat writer covering them for the Kansas City Star in 2003. He's seen his share of bad Royals baseball and, on occasion, some good as well. Dutton took some time out of his schedule to talk with us at the Kansas City Baseball Vault about the Royals in 2013. We made sure to nail down who's going to play right field, asked about the fifth starter spot and sought insight into the 2012 struggles of Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas. We also checked on the status of some prospects who might make it to Kansas City in 2013 including Yordano Ventura and Kyle Zimmer. We also talked about the second base battle and factors in the search for a utility infielder. We finished off with some hypotheticals about what might happen if Kansas City is near the playoff hunt later in the year.

Royals Pre and Post Game Host Joel Goldberg talks about the upcoming Royals season, Sal Perez comparison to Yadier Molina and much more.

Royals 2012 30th Round Pick and Idaho Falls Player of the Year talks with Clint about adjustments in college, pro ball and bettering his game.

Robert Ford @raford3 of 610 sports discusses his views of the Royals offseason, Eric Hosmer, Seinfeld and more. Also we have audio from the Royals Caravan stop in Omaha. Email the Show - Podcast@pinetarpress.com

A pair of Royals prospects featured on this weeks Player Podcast as 2010 draftees Brett Eibner @Brett_Eibner and Murray Watts @murraywatts join @Greg_Schaum and myself. Brett Eibner 0 - 32:50 Murray Watts 33:00 to End