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.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Winter MeetingsThe one thing I love about baseball is the fact that the offseason tends to fly because there is always something going on. November has the awards, December is the winter meetings, January is filled with talk of the future, and spring training kicks off in February when pitchers and catchers report. There's never a dull moment, even when the season is still months away.
The Winter Meetings are always tense if your team is looking to upgrade to a big name guy or downgrade to cut costs. The Royals definitely have an uphill battle this year with the Central filled to the brim with talented teams capable of making it to the Fall Classic.
Pitching is right now the big need of the Royals, especially in a division with teams like the Twins and Tigers who have killer staffs packed with aces. A pitching staff with only one starter with double digit wins is going to have a hard time fighting for a wild card spot.
KC also needs some big hitters. Everyone knows what Yogi Berra said about good hitting and good pitching. The winner of the Central is going to have both. To even stay in the race, the Royals are going to have to upgrade their lineup to get out of the cellar in team home runs and runs scored.
It's clear this is a team that definitely needs some work to compete in that division. Tomorrow I'll take a closer look at the Royals by position and compare them to the rest of the division.
So, with this being the holiday season, anyone on your wishlist for the team?
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