The Royals

[Uli2001]

1 minute ago, glenn__davis said:

They aren't.  I'm confident in that.  I think that's why this one stings so much for me.  Sometimes you just run into hot teams in the playoffs, and it is what it is, but that wasn't the case here.

Again no sour grapes.  In 2014 I tipped my cap to the Royals.  Last year to the Rangers.

eddie83 said it perfectly, this series was all about us, not them.

We don't know that yet. The Royals have had an up and down season, but they are no slouches. I think NYY might be in for a surprise.

[Three Run Homer]

I hate the Royals, ever since they swept us in 2014 and Jeremy Effing Guthrie dissed us.  

They have great starting pitching and they have Bobby Witt.  The rest of the team is mediocre at best.  I think the Yankees will slaughter them.  

[Baseball fandom]

5 hours ago, glenn__davis said:

They're not good.  No sour grapes or me being a bitter Betty, the Royals aren't a good baseball team.   As disappointing as last year was at least TEX was a talented team on a heater.

I'm happy whenever the Yankees lose but I kind of want them to sweep KC, not that I really have much against the Royals, I just want our guys to truly understand what apitiful performance that was. 

I think I'm rooting for the Yankees too. I know I shouldn't but I had it up to here with KC teams beating Baltimore teams. KC have become Baltimore's daddy in sports. 

[Gofannon]

7 minutes ago, Baseball fandom said:

I think I'm rooting for the Yankees too. I know I shouldn't but I had it up to here with KC teams beating Baltimore teams. KC have become Baltimore's daddy in sports. 

I am definitely NOT suddenly rooting for the Yankees because John Harbaugh can't come up big in the playoffs.

[Baseball fandom]

13 minutes ago, Three Run Homer said:

I hate the Royals, ever since they swept us in 2014 and Jeremy Effing Guthrie dissed us.  

They have great starting pitching and they have Bobby Witt.  The rest of the team is mediocre at best.  I think the Yankees will slaughter them.  

Don't forget Perez. We can only hope Adley has a career as good as his but I'm doubting that at this point 

[Allan Bryant]

3 minutes ago, Gofannon said:

I am definitely NOT suddenly rooting for the Yankees because John Harbaugh can't come up big in the playoffs.

I can’t help but wonder if John Harbaugh and Brandon Hyde are related lol 

[Baseball fandom]

4 minutes ago, Gofannon said:

I am definitely NOT suddenly rooting for the Yankees because John Harbaugh can't come up big in the playoffs.

Well not just the Ravens but the Royals also now seems to have the Orioles number. 

[Baseball fandom]

Analytics would argue against it I'm sure but right now watching these hackers swing for the fences and flailing away give me some Willie Wilson's and Omar Moreno's for this damn lineup. 

[HowAboutThat]

56 minutes ago, MacAdoo said:

Because little things like advancing runners and simply making contact with the baseball are way more often than not the difference between winning and losing in playoff baseball. So little separates the teams when you typically have elite and TOR starters on the mound along with high-leverage relievers for all 27 outs. There typically are few chances to score runs. The 2024 Orioles were simply abysmal at this. 

55 minutes ago, MacAdoo said:

Because little things like advancing runners and simply making contact with the baseball are way more often than not the difference between winning and losing in playoff baseball. So little separates the teams when you typically have elite and TOR starters on the mound along with high-leverage relievers for all 27 outs. There typically are few chances to score runs. The 2024 Orioles were simply abysmal at this. 

Small ball. The orioles don’t.

[MacAdoo]

53 minutes ago, Emory Eagle said:

I'm not sure that a high contact rate / low K rate offense is necessarily a recipe for success in the playoffs.  It can be I guess if you come out on the fortunate end of the BABIP random walk.  

It’s not so much about changing your offensive philosophy as it is being willing and able to change your approach when the opportunity presents itself—particularly in playoff baseball. 

[Spy Fox]

The Royals success this year, after 100 L’s and a modest FA investment around a rising but unproven young core, is an example of how the Orioles could have invested in contention sooner.

A couple similar signings and the 2022 Orioles could have bought the Adley/Gunnar O’s an additional roll of the playoff dice.