Odds and ends

I'm gradually shaking off the mental fatigue from another season of RotF reports, plus my usual job, which also involves writing. Hopefully I can crank out some more posts in coming times, including slapping together a 2008 Royals post for the Legacy countdown and getting back into NPB Notes and other stuff.

For those wondering about BA's rankings of minor leaguers in the other leagues in which the Royals have affiliates, here's how they broke down. P Kelvin Herrera was 10th (nice) and P Sam Runion ranked 17th on the Appalachian League list while 3B Fernando Cruz was 20th despite another underwhelming season. But he's very young. Despite the fact Idaho Falls was, I think, better than the B-Royals this season, nary a Chukar made the Pioneer League Top 20. Hosmer probably would have made it if not for the Boras/Alvarez fiasco. Mike Moustakas took the top spot on the Midwest League Top 20 with lefty Danny Duffy 10th and righty Danny Gutierrez 18th. Can't complain there. Righty Blake Wood was 7th in the Carolina League Top 20 despite spending a chunk of this season at AA. That was it for Wilmington guys, which I think was crap. Although I guess none of the other guys took the doubt out of a top-20 listing. I think Dickerson could have made it, were it not for his injury. In the Texas League Top 20, righty Dan Cortes ranked 7th with Kila Ka'aihue 12th. Can't really argue for anyone else -- maybe Chris Hayes, but he's 25. Righty Carlos Rosa was the only organizational rep on the PCL Top 20 at 18th, not surprisingly.

It was nice to see the Royals rebound big-time in September after it looked like they put it in neutral in August. If not for that stretch, maybe they could have gotten to 80 wins? This should be a pivotal offseason for KC. I'm hoping to see good things in the first year of the new K in 2009. Personally, I'd like to see Buck, DeJesus, Teahen, Gload, Pena, German or Callaspo, Jason Smith and others shipped out, some of course via trade and others cut. If some of them are back, that's OK, but I don't want them all back -- no more than 1 or 2. We'll see how serious Dayton Moore is when he says changes will be made. The whole Guillen ordeal all season just proved the point more that KC had no business bringing him in and it was a desperation move after losing out on Hunter and Andruw Jones. Thank God for Mike Aviles, who they finally stumbled into giving a chance and he more than paid off. His numbers weren't superstar, but they were pretty damn good. Let's hope they only get better or stay level at worst in 2009. I was disappointed Ka'aihue didn't get more ABs but with the way Shealy was hitting I can understand, I guess. Pitching-wise, it was Greinke/Meche/Davies/Soria, some solid relievers and then the rest. If Greinke, Meche and Davies can replicate their late performances next year and Moore can figure out the offense along with the new hitting coach, 2009 could be interesting.

I was recently excited to get Metallica tix for their show in KC Oct. 25. If you haven't heard "Death Magnetic" you're missing out.

My fantasy baseball seasons went well -- made the playoffs in all four leagues chronicled in April, won the first Pipeline league (don't know how hard anyone else was trying), and placed top 3 in two others. Not too bad. I was off to a 3-0 start in both my pay fantasy football leagues but have dropped 2 straight in my bigger money league, but maintain a division lead. In my other league, I'm sitting pretty at 5-0 thanks to Kurt Warner, The Burner Turner, Clinton Portis and TO.

In case you're wondering, Royals farmhands are playing for the North Shore Honu in the Hawaiian "Winter" League and, as usual, the Surprise Rafters in the Arizona Fall League. Both seasons are under way.