Thoughts on '03

The latest post made me think of something that I just have to get out of my system, it doesn't really pertain to the Royals of today, but someone's gotta hear my thoughts... I will make it quick , though.

Of all the things that went wrong following 2003, the most wonderful year of my life (that I can remember... I was turning 4 in 1985), the thing that hurt the Royals more than any other was the loss of Brent Mayne. That's right, Brent Mayne, folks. Now I know you're all thinking that I'm crazy, surely he means Raul Ibanez, or the fact that Sweeney couldn't stay healthy, or that Pena lost his magic touch (by magically touching his neighbor's wife), or any number of other things, but no my friends, it was Mayne.

To answer the dumbfounded looks on your faces and the mumbled, incoherent stammering I'll pose a question: What wins games in the major leagues? The answer is pitching.

But Mayne is a catcher... he doesn't pitch!

That's right, he doesn't pitch... but he does help coach the pitchers along through the game, and he helps call the game: fastball up and in, changeup down and away, etc. And he was good at it.

Now look at who we got to replace him: Benito Santiago, supposedly better offensively (although I can't seem to recall any boost in offense due to the intimidating presence of Benito in the batter's box), but not too stout at calling the game. Which lead to the need to get a catcher for the future - John Buck. I love Buck and he's going to be great, but he is still learning the game and is riddled with the inconsistencies of youth behind the plate and at the plate.

Next, take a look at our pitching staff of '04 and '05... hmmm... we got a lot, I mean a LOT of inexperience. So if our catcher can't call a game and our pitchers are still learning the dynamics of pitching at the Major League level, what's gonna happen? You guesed it folks, or young pitchers are going to get shelled and lose their confidence, setting them back a few years in development. All the while we get creamed and lose fan interest. Had we kept that great defensive catcher, the guy that could guide these young guns on the mound by providing steady game calling, who knows where we'd be now?

Just imagine... Gobble would be showing us what he has been starting to show lately back in '04, Hernandez would not have a weight problem because he'd be pitching every fifth game and intimidating hitters, Affeldt would be throwing a curveball that would make Zito jealous, Snyder would be holding his own and making hitters look foolish, and Greinke would have lost his mind because he just barely missed a 20 win season or fell to second in the Cy Young vote. All because we lost Brent Mayne.

brandx