Joe Schulman is the author of a new column in the Kansas City Star about becoming a fan of a new baseball team. He has written for ChopTalk, the Atlanta Braves' magazine. Joe is a freelance writer in Atlanta, and he and his wife, Cady, are avid Braves fans.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Dotel a RoyalI couldn't be happier with the signing of Octavio Dotel. He's not the best closer in baseball, but in 2004 he was a strong reliever that had great potential. His 2005 season was lost to injuries, but KC could be a great place to start over.
The moves by the Royals have been promising, if nothing else. Both are risky with Gil Meche getting big money in the hopes he has a breakout year and Dotel coming back from a fairly major injury.
Still, you have to be happy the team is making moves. As an Atlanta fan, I can tell you the heartbreak of watching a starter go 7 strong innings only to watch a lead disappear thanks to a horrendous bullpen. The Royals were no different last year.
Give credit to Moore for showing fans the team wants to compete. In just a few months we'll see if all the money spent pays off.
So, what do you think of the Dotel signing?
On a personal note, tomorrow(Sunday) is the one-week anniversary of this blog. It's been great so far. Thanks to everyone who has stopped in, left a comment or chatted on the message board.
Let me know if there's anything you'd like more from the site. Beginning Monday, I'll have a weekly topic up about my becoming a Royals fan. If there's anything you'd like me to cover or you want to offer a suggestion, leave it in the comments. I'm also looking into maybe doing a weekly chat if I can work out the logistics.