Do the Royals have a hot corner curse?
by Eli Greenspan on Apr 26, 2010 2:19 PM EDT
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PrintThe 2000s have been a bumpy road at the hot corner for the Royals. From Joe Randa to Jose Bautista all the way down the line to Mark Teahen. One mediocre, low producing middle of the order bat after the other, right? When the Royals drafted Alex Gordon in 2005, there was a sense of optimism that the Royals would not have to worry about the hot corner for some time.
After hitting .352 in college at Nebraska, Gordon was sent to Double-A where in 130 games, he hit .325 with 29 home runs and a .427 on-base percentage. The Royals decided to bring Gordon up to the majors in 2007, despite having Mark Teahen, who hit .290 in 109 games with 18 home runs the year before. In hindsight, the team would've been smart to leave Teahen at third and give Gordon another year, or even half year, to ready himself for a major league regimen.
Gordon is a career .250 hitter and has seen his numbers decline as each season progresses. He only appeared in 49 games last season, and missed the start of the season dealing with an injury. The team went out and acquired Josh Fields to compete and share time at third with Gordon, but he is now sidelined with a hip injury and may miss the rest of the season.
Are they cursed? Until Alex Gordon speaks up (with his bat, that is), I'd say third base has been a lost cause for the team for nearly a decade.
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Yes we do
Gordon has done nothing to prove to any Royals fan that he is the answer.
Are we the team to beat in 2010? I sure think so! Go Chiefs.
But Alberto Callaspo! He can play third while Getz plays second, right?
Still, I’d love it if the Phillies traded for him and sent him to AAA – except they don’t really need him with Polanco signed.
Man-crushin' on Boucher since 1999
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
by Geoff Detweiler on Apr 26, 2010 5:10 PM EDT reply actions
Joe Randa
How dare you diss Joe Randa! He was, IMO, the second best Royals third basemen, over the course of his career, in the team’s history. Look at his averages, man! He was a crucial part of the talented hitting line-ups of the late 90s and early 2000s. Career .288 average with the Royals, solid OBP So what if he wasn’t a power hitter? (It’s not like he could NEVER hit homers, either. ) It’s not like a third baseman ALWAYS has to be a 3-5 hole guy… and Joe was more of a 2 or 6 hole guy based on who he was. He also drove in 80 or more 4 years in a row, with 106 in 2000. He was a solid player on solid offensive teams. How is that a curse?
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