By CHRIS RASMUSSEN
The song played in the stadium during the first inning last night said it all: "We're Not Going To
Guillen the role model?
The Royals lost their 11th in a row last night, with Twins manager Rod Gardenhire damning us in the worst imaginable way: accepting victory by offering pity and condolences.
During the losing streak, Jose Guillen erupted. He described his teammates as "babies" accustomed to failure. He blasted the culture of failure that permeates the Royals organization -- the soft bigotry of low expectations that exists after decades of losing. He used the word "fuck" more than 40 times -- a word uttered more times by Royals fans in the last two weeks.
Like Scott McClellan in the political realm, Guillen is an imperfect truth teller. McClellan should have been forthright earlier; Guillen could have showed up for spring training ready to play and in shape. Whatever our complaints, Guillen, like Scott McClellan, is telling the truth.
Especially the "f-u-c-k" part.
I'm fucking tired of this. Royals fans like me were too fucking listless for too fucking long, too fucking used to the soft bigotry of low expectations of living in a small market. We tolerated failure and the Glass family's indifference for too fucking long -- it wasn't Allard Baird or Buddy Bell's fault then, much as it isn't Trey Hillman or Dayton Moore's fault now. We used to excuse them for not spending more of their money -- but, since we subsidized their stadium, it is really our fucking money they should be spending on payroll and the Royals farm system. Most of all, we tolerated their emphasis of over promoting a shabby product -- to the point where thousands of fans tonight wore a powder blue jersey featuring a player sent down to the minors hours before the game.
Nothing changed tonight, despite sending the underachieving Billy Butler to Omaha. The Glasses may or may not spend money during June's amateur draft. We lost our 11th game in our row. Jose Guillen made the last out.
The song played before the ninth inning as the Royals trailed 5-0?
"I Wanna Be Sedated" by the Ramones.
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Forget Butler -- can't the MLB just send the Royals down to AAA? There has to be some PCL franchise better suited to compete in the Majors right now. Salt Lake City Bees? Sacramento River Cats? Why not?
Today the theme song is Death Cab's "Army Corp of Architects", because this team needs to be completely blown up and rebuilt from the ground up. I actually agree with Guillen. Was he referring to Mark Teahen as a baby for having to move back to right field? Was he referring to a lineup full of replacement level players thinking they are stars?
Look, KC media has to have a Royals player on their radio shows. 610 has to treat them like stars because they hold the radio rights. But John Freaking Buck a radio show? Who on earth are we kidding? No, Dayton, John Buck does not have "All-Star potential". He has some tools, but hasn't he proven that he is content with being a Kansas City media star (i.e., a backup on every other team in the league)? Mark Teahen is a fourth outfielder. He is 26, has three full years of playing time, and is still making adjustments just to be mediocre? DeJesus does not possess a single above-average tool and he's the face of the franchise? Two words: MOVE ON.
This team doesn't need to just send Butler down and make minor adjustments. Start releasing guys like Pena and Peralta, see what you can get for DeJesus and Teahen, (I'm talking projectable A-ball pitchers and low minors power hitting first basemen and corner outfielders), put out the word to all 4A guys on minor league deals that you'll give them 100 at-bats to get out of Albuquerque or Tulsa, last chance to prove yourself. So most of them will wind up as replacement level. BUT THAT'S WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE! Maybe one of them turns out to be Raul Ibanez, who actually cared and would have been a legitimate KC media star had they invested a relatively paltry sum to keep him.
Whew, I feel much better now.
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