Dear Dayton Moore,Thank you so much for answering the call of everythingroyals and signing my new main man Anthony Lerew! As you may have read on this blog last week, I have been calling for you to ink the young man who was once the top pitching prospect in your old system - the Atlanta Braves. I'm sure J.J. Picollo called you up as soon as Lerew became available - being the scout that signed him to his first professional contract and everything.
I just wanted to say thanks for getting him. As you know there was little risk in this signing and much to gain. Wouldn't it be nice if he could someday soon earn a spot in our rotation with Kyle Davies? That would be quite a story to write about!
Anyways, I also wanted to point out that I completely understand you cutting ties with Jimmy Gobble - the last significant piece of the Allard Baird debacle. (No, I don't consider John Buck a significant piece of that anymore.) While we Royals fans love and respect Gobble for his great attitude toward the organization and its fans, his departure had been expected for several years now.
Look, it would have been interesting to see if he could have morphed back to the dominant force against lefties that he was in 2007, but if this team is to move on and make the playoffs it can no longer take the old habit 8+ERA's we have come to expect each and every year. I have no doubt Gobble is a major league pitcher, but I do have doubts that he will ever be consistent enough for managers to rely on him in crunch time. He has the makings of a journeyman. When he's good, he's real good. When he's bad, he's worse than Brett Tomko. Yeah, that makes you throw up, right?
In conclusion, these are the right moves for this vastly improved organization Mr. Moore. Have you fished in Atlanta's pond too many times? I don't think so. As long as you're willing to throw the bad ones away (Tony Pena Jr. ??) then I say, why not? You're doing a fine job.
Sincerely,
Tug
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1 comment:
Nice. Loved Gobble the guy, not so crazy about Jimmy Gobble the pitcher. Too many bad dreams with his face scattered throughout. Same with Yasuhiko Yabuta. Lord, how I'd like to see the Royals trade Yabuta for a motorcycle or something. I go into convulsions every time he steps onto the field.
I'll take your word that this Lerew character has potential. First time he gets called in and blows a five run lead, I'm coming over to pee in your pool, though.
As for Pena, at spring training, he was hitting everything in sight. Not much of it escaped the opponent's glove, but he was hitting. Nothing like last year when he would actually go out into the parking lot to swing at balls sent over the plate. Plus, he hung out and chatted with my wife while signing an autograph for me. Butler, too. And Crisp. Hochevar was sort of shy, but hey. I DID ask him to kiss me on the lips.
I'm raving now. Nice post.
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