Kyle Davies is Key for Royals in 2009

I'm shelving the dream of Orlando Hudson-to-the-Royals for now, as it seems more and more likely that David Glass has really put a stop to Kansas City's offseason spending. I know, it's easy for me to sit here at the computer and figure out ways to spend Glass's money, but it just seems like adding Hudson, even at a "bargain" cost somewhere between $4 and 5 million, is not likely to happen. Dammit.

So, let's take a look at a player who's already in the fold for the 2009 season: right-handed starting pitcher Kyle Davies. I think the performance of Davies in Kansas City's rotation this season will go a long way toward determining whether this is a great season -- with the potential to reach the playoffs -- or simply another slight improvement for the franchise.

Davies is coming off a 2008 season in which he recorded career-best totals for wins (9), ERA (4.06), ERA+ (105), and WHIP (1.45) after being called up from Class AAA Omaha in late May. He finished with a record of 9-7, making 21 starts, and allowing 121 hits in 113 innings pitched.

In his second season working with Royals pitching coach Bob McClure, the 25-year old Davies finished with 71 strikeouts and 43 walks for a K/BB ratio of 1.65, the best of his career. And his 4.06 ERA was lower than the league average (4.27) for the first time in his four-year career at the Major League level.

Davies seemed to put things together late in the 2008 season, as he combined to go 4-1 with a 2.27 ERA in five September starts. In those games, he allowed just 22 hits in 31.2 innings, holding batters to a line of .198/.246/.270 with 24 strikeouts and just seven walks. His WHIP was a solid 0.92 during that span, and he surrendered just one home run.

I'm sure there are those who will try to attribute Davies' impressive September numbers to the fact that many teams utilize players called up from the Minor Leagues late in the season. But if he can start the 2009 season with the type of confident mindset he honed during those late-season starts, Davies could be the type of #3 starter the Royals have been hoping for.

Davies was originally drafted by the Atlanta Braves with the 29th pick (135th overall) in the 4th Round of the 2001 amateur draft.* A native of Stockbridge, Ga., Davies was acquired by Kansas City in a deal that sent closer Octavio Dotel to Atlanta at the trade deadline on July 31, 2007.

*The Royals had selected catcher John Draper with the ninth pick in that same round. In five Minor League seasons, none higher than Class AA, Draper batted .245/.311/.323 with just 12 home runs and 226 strikeouts in 1,357 at bats. With the fourth pick of the fifth round that year, just five spots before the Royals selected, the Phillies drafted a guy named Ryan Howard out of Missouri State. Thanks, Allard.

Davies always showed promise as a Minor Leaguer, combining to go 18-6 with a 2.97 ERA during 2004-07 in Atlanta's farm system prior to the trade to the Royals. Overall, in eight Minor League seasons (including time in Omaha during 2008), Davies owns a mark of 42-22 with a 2.86 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. In 595 innings pitched, he has allowed just 498 hits, while fanning 576 batters and walking just 215.

But he's had his struggles facing Major League batters. In parts of three seasons with Atlanta, Davies was 14-21 with a 6.15 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP.

Nevertheless, Kansas City general manager Dayton Moore knew what he was getting in Davies, and figured it was worth the risk -- and a little criticism from some Royals fans -- despite Davies' failure to stick around for long in the Major Leagues.

"He's a young pitcher who's trying to establish himself," Moore said after the trade. "I don't pay much attention to young pitchers' statistics. If you did, John Smoltz and Tommy Glavine never would have gotten off the ground."

Since coming to Kansas City, Davies' numbers have improved somewhat, resulting in a combined record of 12-14 over the past two years with a 4.86 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP.

That doesn't seem like much of a jump, but it's his numbers during most of the 2008 season that have Royals fans hoping for something great from the guy who spent this offseason doing construction work for his father's company.

He began last season at Class AAA Omaha, where he posted an impressive record of 6-2 with a 2.03 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP. After his recall to the Royals, Davies got off to a sizzling start by going 3-0 with a 1.46 ERA over his first four starts in Kansas City.

He then ran into a rough stretch of three starts -- versus San Francisco, St. Louis, and Baltimore -- in which he went 0-1 with an 11.57 ERA. Take away those three games last season, and Davies was 9-6 with a 3.20 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP.

Let me repeat that for everyone. Other than three straight bad outings between June 22 and July 3 last season, Kyle Davies had a 3.20 earned run average for the rest of the season, totaling 101.1 innings pitched.

That's not a bad sample size, and those are the kind of numbers that can hush the naysayers who think that Davies only pitched well in September last season. They're also the kind of numbers that could make him a very effective No. 3 starter for the Royals.

If Davies can continue to improve, and Kansas City gets the type of performances it expects from its top two starting pitchers -- Gil Meche and Zack Greinke -- then I'd argue this team can compete for the American League Central crown in 2009.

Kyle Davies Photo Credit: Gail Burton/AP

Contrary to Rumors, I'm Still Alive...

Wow, May 22 was my previous post on here, and I can't apologize enough for the lack of attention this blog has received over the past two months.

Have I given up hope in the Kansas City Royals? Nope. That's why I called this site Undying Royalty. Although some might have started to speculate about whether I was still a fan of the team, my loyalty remains in tact. I've just been keeping things to myself for awhile.

Have I still been keeping up with the team? Yes, I purchased MLB Extra Innings prior to the start of the season -- a fantastic purchase, I might add, although my one complaint is that I can't watch the pregame segments, or Royals Live after the game -- and I'd wager that I've watched at least as many, if not more, games than the average Royals fan.

Is the start of summer to blame? Partially. After I posted on May 22, I spent the next two weeks vacationing, the first at my in-laws in North Dakota, and the second fishing with my high school buddies at my parents' cabin. But that doesn't give me any reason to have failed to write a darn thing the past six weeks, and I'm sorry for that.

I will admit that I was pretty down on the team after that miserable stretch of the season in Boston and Toronto, which carried on into the 12-game losing streak. But Trey Hillman might have caught wind of my previous post, because Jimmy Gobble hasn't pitched in a game the Royals have won since he wrecked the team's chances to steal a win at Fenway Park on May 22*.

*My use of a Pozterisk here is to make everyone aware that Gobble hasn't let me down, going 0-2 with a 10.80 ERA in 14 appearances, beginning May 22. He has worked 13.1 innings, allowing 18 hits, 16 runs (all earned), while walking 11 and striking out just seven. Taking a closer look at his numbers, he has surrendered a horrendous line of .316/.435/.614, with four home runs allowed, two wild pitches, one hit batsman, and has been allowed to throw 283 pitches, only 157 of which have been for strikes. Now, could someone please remind me, why the hell is he still on the Royals' active roster?!

Whew, okay, I feel better.

So, no, I haven't fallen ill, died, or mysteriously vanished from the face of the Earth. My blood still runs Royal blue, and I have just as much disdain for the St. Louis Cardinals. Speaking of which, I have absolutely no idea why I didn't take full advantage of the Royals' dominance over that other team from the Show Me State. Who's your daddy, Redbirds? That's right, look to the other side of the state, and give Trey Hillman's boys the respect they earned.

Tonight, the second half of the season begins, and it will be interesting to see how well the Royals can work through a very tough stretch of games against teams with winning records at the All-Star break. At 10 games under the .500 mark, there are at least five games I can think of that should have fallen into the win column in the first half, and a record of 48-48 at the break would have made things much more intriguing. Not that things won't be worth following as is, though.

I'll be extremely interested to see what kind of moves Dayton Moore makes in the next two weeks, and I think those transactions will depend largely on how well the team fares to start the second half. If the Royals come out of the gates hot, and win several games against Chicago, Detroit, and Tampa Bay, then I could see Kansas City become buyers in this market. But I'd estimate the chances of winning six to eight of those 10 games is fairly minimal.

What's more likely to happen is that, because of this challenging stretch in the schedule, the Royals will be aggressively looking to make some moves to bolster the team's future. Mark Grudzielanek's days in a Kansas City uniform are likely coming to an end, and players like Ron Mahay and even guys like Zack Greinke, Billy Butler, David DeJesus, Mark Teahen, and Esteban German are likely to be involved in private trade discussions between Moore and other teams. I can only hope that Jimmy Gobble's name comes up, as well, but my prayers are rarely answered.

Yes, I'll be watching, and hopefully, I will once again be writing on a regular basis. Thanks for putting up with my extended leave of absence.

Royals Erupt for 6-Run 8th, Beat Jays 8-4

Finally, signs of life in the Royals' offense.

Kansas City averted what would have been a disappointing blown save by Leo Nunez, and scored six times in the bottom of the eighth inning to snap a seven-game losing streak with an 8-4 win against the Toronto Blue Jays Friday night at Kauffman Stadium.

The Royals led 2-1 when Nunez took the mound for the top of the eighth, with Zack Greinke in line for his fourth win of the year, but the Blue Jays scored three times -- the first runs of the year allowed by Nunez -- to take a 4-2 lead.

But Kansas City rallied with its biggest single-inning scoring output of the year by scoring six runs on five hits, two walks, and two Toronto errors in the fateful eighth frame. Catcher John Buck's second double of the night drove in the winning run.

Despite the blown save, Nunez (2-0) got credit for the victory due to Kansas City's offensive explosion in the eighth. Greinke took a no decision after limiting Toronto to five hits and one earned run in seven innings. He struck out four and walked one, and the lone run scored on a solo home run to right center by Blue Jays first baseman Lyle Overbay in the seventh.

Every Royals player with a plate appearance in the game had at least one hit, led by two hits apiece by Buck and center fielder David DeJesus. Buck and first baseman Ross Gload each scored a pair of runs, with Gload hustling for a crucial leadoff double, and then scoring the game's first run in the fifth inning.

Closer Joakim Soria came in and worked a scoreless ninth in a non-save situation to preserve the win and snap Kansas City's winless streak.

The Royals and Blue Jays play game two of the weekend series Saturday at 6:10, with Kansas City rookie right-hander Luke Hochevar (0-1, 11.57) facing Toronto right-hander Shaun Marcum (2-1, 3.42).

Ross Gload Photo Credit: Reuters Pictures

Greinke's Complete-Game Gem Tops M's

Zack Greinke limited the Seattle Mariners to five hits and one run in a complete-game 5-1 victory Monday night, helping the Kansas City Royals move back into first place in the American League Central standings with a record of 8-5.

Greinke, who improved to 3-0 with a 0.75 earned run average, needed just 107 pitches to record his third career complete game. It marked back-to-back complete games for the Royals, after Brian Bannister threw a complete-game, three-hitter in a 5-1 win against Minnesota on Sunday at Kauffman Stadium.

The Royals grabbed an early 3-0 lead for Greinke in the second inning, when first baseman Billy Butler led off with his first home run of the season, a solo shot into the bullpen in left field. Right fielder Jose Guillen followed with a double to the gap in right-center, and scored on a one-out home run to center by designated hitter Miguel Olivo, who was 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored.

Guillen and Tony Pena, who have both been mired in long hitting slumps, each went 2-for-4 in the game, hopefully showing signs of breaking out offensively.

Seattle (6-8) scored its lone run in the bottom of the third inning, after Greinke issued a leadoff walk to Brad Wilkerson. It was Greinke's only walk, but Wilkerson later scored on a fielder's choice grounder to first base by Ichiro Suzuki.

Kansas City scored a run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly to center by David DeJesus, who was playing in a game for the first time since Opening Day, and added its final run on an RBI single to center by catcher John Buck in the eighth inning.

The Mariners threatened in the bottom of the eighth, but left fielder Mark Teahen leaped at the wall to rob what would have been a two-run home run by Seattle's Yuniesky Betancourt, and end the inning.

For most of the night, though, Greinke was keeping the ball down in the zone and forcing the Mariners to ground out. Royals second baseman Mark Grudzielanek seemed to handle a majority of the ground balls, as he recorded 10 assists and two putouts in the game, finishing just two assists shy of a record-setting assist total for a second baseman.

The Royals and Mariners conclude their brief two-game series Tuesday afternoon at 5:40 p.m. The Royals will send left-hander John Bale (0-2, 5.84) to the hill, while Seattle will counter with righty Miguel Batista (0-2, 6.00).

Zack Greinke Photo Credit: Kevin P. Casey/AP

Greinke Rules in the Rain, Royals Are 6-2

Zack Greinke is picking up right where he left off in 2007. On Wednesday night at soggy Kauffman Stadium, the 24-year old right-hander held the New York Yankees to six hits in eight shutout innings to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 4-0 victory.

After spending much of last season working out of the bullpen, Greinke ended the year by making seven starts between August 24 and September 26. In those games, he was 2-2 with a 1.85 ERA, allowing 30 hits in 34 innings pitched, while striking out 31 and walking just 10.

This season, Greinke is off to a 2-0 start with a 0.60 ERA. He's held the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees -- the two highest-paid lineups in baseball, injuries or not -- to 12 hits in 15 innings, walking four and fanning five.

With the win, Kansas City improves to 6-2, its best start since opening the season 9-0 in 2003. The Yankees fell to 4-5 on the year, and lost a three-game series to the Royals for the first time since being swept in Kansas City from May 31 to June 2, 2005.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning, when catcher John Buck led off with a mammoth home run to center field, his first of the year. Buck was the only Royals player with two hits in the game, but seven KC batters collected hits in the game.

After Buck's homer made the score 1-0, second baseman Mark Grudzielanek drew a one-out walk, moved up to second on one of three walks issued to left fielder Mark Teahen, and scored on a single to right center by right fielder Jose Guillen.

Kansas City added two more runs in the sixth inning when third baseman Alex Gordon walked, and then scored on a double to left by first baseman Ross Gload. Shortstop Tony Pena then drove in the final run of the night on a fielder's choice ground ball to shortstop.

The Royals will attempt to win their fourth-straight game when they face the Yankees in the final game of the series on Thursday night at 7:10 p.m. Left-hander John Bale (0-1, 5.68) will start for Kansas City against New York's Andy Pettitte (0-1, 5.40).

Zack Greinke Photo Credit: Reuters Pictures

Blue Review: Week One

This will be something I intend to do once a week on an ongoing basis, and will usually post either Sunday night, or Monday morning, depending on my schedule.

Overall Record: 4-2
Record This Week: 4-2 (3-0 at DET, 1-2 at MIN)
Home: 0-0
Away: 4-2
Current Streak: Win 1
Upcoming Games: vs. NYY (3), vs. MIN (3)

A Good Start: I'll take a 4-2 week anytime. I guess I just didn't imagine the Royals would be 4-2 by going 3-0 in Detroit and 1-2 in Minnesota. It was a little disappointing for Kansas City to stub its toe against the Twins, but I think Sunday's 3-1 win was very important for the psyche of the team, as 4-2 just seems so much better than having to return to face the Yankees at 3-3 with a three-game losing streak.

A.L. Central Upside Down: For most people outside of Kansas City and Chicago, the American League Central looks like it's standing on its head. Preseason predictions fairly consistently had Detroit winning, with Cleveland second, and then a three-way scramble between Kansas City, Chicago, and Minnesota. But, after the first week of play, the Royals (4-2) and White Sox (4-2) are tied for first, with Cleveland (3-3) third, Minnesota (3-4) fourth, and Detroit (0-6) in dead last, and wondering how the heck this horrid start to the 2008 season is happening after it raised its payroll to $138 million during the offseason. Think the Tigers are wishing they hadn't traded Jair Jurrjens and Andrew Miller yet.

Gordon Gets Aggressive: During the Detroit series, the Kansas City Star's Bob Dutton pointed out that Alex Gordon was taking a more aggressive approach at the plate. Gordon, who struck out five times in the first two games against the Tigers, hasn't struck out since. His aggressiveness at the plate hasn't helped his OBP (.269) or his OPS (.807), as his line for the week reads .269/.269/.538, but he's making more contact. It'd be great to see him take more walks, and I think he will, but a six-RBI week with a double and a pair of two-run home runs should be fine with any Royals fan.

More OBP, Please: For having stressed the importance of OBP prior to this season, as pointed out in another piece written by Bob Dutton, I'm sure Trey Hillman would like to see a drastic improvement in Kansas City's team OBP of .284 during the opening week. The Royals rank last in the American League in that category, as well as ranking last after drawing just eight bases on balls last week.

This Butler Can Rake: As they say, Billy Butler can flat-out rake. Butler went 10-for-25 at the plate during the first week with three doubles, three runs batted in, and a line of .400/.400/.520. Butler's OPS+ was 153, matching that of second baseman Mark Grudzielanek, who had a .400/.455/.450 week with a double and a team-best five runs scored in 20 at bats. But infielder Alberto Callaspo's OPS+ was 169 after he ripped a double and a triple in nine at bats over the weekend in Minnesota.

Defense, or Offense?: Tony Pena was the hero on Opening Day, after he blooped an RBI single into center field to help the Royals beat the Tigers, 5-4, in 11 innings. But Pena hasn't reached base since, and owns pathetically dismal averages of .056/.056/.056 with six strikouts. With Callaspo's offensive abilities, and the fact that he's much more selective at the plate than Pena, it makes you wonder how long the Royals' front office and coaches are going to put up with Pena's lack of offense in order to get a bit more defense. Callaspo looked more than able defensively against the Twins, by the way.

Mound Presence: Kansas City's pitching was outstanding, as the Royals lead the A.L. in team ERA (2.67), wins (4), saves (3), shutouts (1), and runs allowed (16).

Soria Slams the Door: Joakim Soria would be hard-pressed to have many weeks more successful than his first of 2008. The second-year closer made four appearances, and registered three saves. He struck out the side in the ninth in two games this week and totaled seven, while allowing just two hits in 4.0 innings pitched.

Stat Twins?: Despite the fact that right-hander Brett Tomko made a relief appearance in Detroit, in addition to his start on Sunday in Minnesota, he and fellow righty Zack Greinke have almost identical stat lines. Both pitchers are 1-0, with a 1.29 ERA, have made one start, worked 7.0 innings, surrendered a solo home run for their lone earned run, and have walked two batters. The only differences are that Tomko has allowed seven hits to Greinke's six, and that Tomko has struck out five versus Greinke's three, plus Greinke has one wild pitch.

We Know He's Studying: It's so fun to watch Brian Bannister pitch. He's so smart, and I sit and wonder what he's thinking as he faces each batter. He completely baffled Detroit in his first start of the season, yielding just two hits over seven innings and striking out four. His next assignment will be just as challenging, as he faces the New York Yankees' potent lineup during Tuesday afternoon's Home Opener. I'm sure Bannister has worn out the DVD of New York's hitters in preparing for tomorrow's game.

How Sweep It Is! KC Cleans Up in Detroit

When the Detroit Tigers signed Miguel Cabrera to come to the Motor City during the offseason, I'd imagine there were some Tigers fans who glanced at the 2008 schedule and made a mental note to remember to bring a broom to today's game against the Kansas City Royals.

Well, brooms were needed today, but they were in the hands of Royals fans, as Kansas City completed an improbable three-game sweep of the mighty Tigers with a 4-1 victory at Comerica Park.

It marks just the fourth time in franchise history (1972, 1977, 1979, 2003) that the Royals have been 3-0 to start a season, and it is the first season-opening road sweep since Kansas City swept the Tigers in Detroit to kick off the 1977 campaign.

Pitching was once again the key for the Royals. One day after Brian Bannister's dominating effort against Detroit, right-hander Zack Greinke (1-0) turned in another outstanding pitching performance by going seven innings and allowing just six hits and one earned run, while striking out three and walking two. The Tigers' lone run came on a solo home run by third baseman Brandon Inge in the seventh inning.

Offensively, Kansas City received a two-run home run to left center by third baseman Alex Gordon in the fourth inning, and a solo home run to right by left fielder Mark Teahen. Right fielder Jose Guillen drove in the Royals' other run with a single to left in the seventh to score center fielder Joey Gathright. Gordon, Teahen, Mark Grudzielanek, and Ross Gload all finished with two hits.

For the series, Gordon had three hits, but two of them were two-run home runs that played big roles in the Royals' first and third wins against the Tigers. Grudzielanek also had a great series, going 6-for-12 with four runs scored. Facing one of the top lineups in all of baseball, Royals pitchers combined for a 1.55 ERA with 24 strikeouts and just nine walks in 29 innings pitched.

Ramon Ramirez pitched the eighth for the Royals, allowing two hits, but striking out two batters -- 2007 American League batting champion Magglio Ordonez with one out, and Tigers catcher Ivan Rodriguez with a runner on third base to end the frame. Royals closer Joakim Soria recorded his second save of the season by working a hitless ninth inning.

Kansas City now travels to Minnesota for the three-game series against the Twins this weekend. Lefty John Bale will make his first start of the season for the Royals, and will face Twins right-hander Scott Baker (0-0). First pitch at the Metrodome is set for Friday at 7:10 p.m. CT.

Alex Gordon Photo Credit: Duane Burleson/AP

Introducing, Trey's Triggermen

Most of you would have a hard time believing this, but your's truly is about to embark on my very first season -- yes, I said first -- of fantasy baseball. There. I said it, and it feels good. I admitted the fact that I am a complete fantasy baseball virgin. Not even an almost, as in, "I started to play a season, but withdrew before the season ended." No, this is my first-ever foray as a baseball GM.

I'm going to be taking part in a Yahoo! Sports league called Reversible Nines, with 19 other die-hard Kansas City Royals fanatics like myself. My team? Trey's Triggermen, of course, named after the Royals' fearless new manager, Trey Hillman. My team came into being last Thursday night, in a draft that I was so psyched and ready for. I was incredibly anxious to take part in the draft, and to be able to select my players, round-by-round, and put together an unbelievable lineup. My team would be unstoppable.

Then, Java ruined my night.

About 45 minutes before the draft, I started trying to click on the draft application button in order to open the window that would allow me to make my selections, and watch as all the other managers made theirs. I clicked. Nothing appeared but a window with the Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball '08 banner, and a few question marks. Click again. Nothing.

So I ran a test to see if my computer needed updated software in order to have the draft application work. The test said I needed the most recent Java Plug-In, and directed me to the Java website. Once there, however, it ran a test to see if I had the correct version, and informed me that I was all set. Great!

So I restarted my computer, and went back to the Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball site. I tried again. It failed again. Same blank window. Same message telling me that I need the latest Java Plug-In. Ugh!

I deduced that it must be something with my Firewall and security software, so I temporarily shut off the firewall. Still nothing. This was really starting to irk me. And it's about 10 minutes until the draft is slated to start. The pressure was mounting by the second, and I was stressed out and ready to hurl something at my computer screen.

I shot off a couple frantic messages to Antonio, the league's commissioner, but he really couldn't be expected to help me 10 minutes before the draft, with all the other things he had going on that night. I can't blame him. It was my fault for not having checked out the Yahoo! draft site well before the night of the event.

The only thing that made me feel even remotely comfortable was that I had taken the time to pre-rank my player list, using ESPN.com's fantasy expert recommendations. But I had only done a little over 200 players, and this is a 20-team league with 25-man rosters, meaning the draft would involve 500 players. So, after those initial 200 players were exhausted, who knows what I'd end up with.

To his credit, Antonio updated me through the first few rounds to let me know who I was getting with my selections, but I was just so angry at this snafu, and the fact that I wasn't clever enough to figure it out and join the rest of my new league online for my first-ever fantasy baseball draft.

Well, I bet you're wondering, how did Trey's Triggermen fare? All in all, not too bad for having been on autodraft all night long. I had the second pick, and it was a snake format, so I'd have to wait for it to go all the way down to the 20th pick, and then all the way back to me. But that meant that, every other round, I'd get two picks within four spots of each other. Here is the initial draft for the 2008 Triggermen:

Round 1: (2nd Pick) Hanley Ramirez (FLA), SS; Round 2: (39) C.C. Sabathia (CLE), SP; Round 3: (42) Aramis Ramirez (CHC), 3B; Round 4: (79) Aaron Harang (CIN), SP; Round 5: (82) John Smoltz (ATL), SP; Round 6: (119) Fausto Carmona (CLE), SP; Round 7: (122) Adrian Beltre (SEA), 3B; Round 8: (159) Ryan Garko (CLE), 1B; Round 9: (162) Ian Snell (PIT), SP; Round 10: (199) Jeff Kent (LAD), 2B; Round 11: (202) Zack Greinke (KC), SP, RP; Round 12: (239) Michael Bourn (HOU), CF; Round 13: (242) Ramon Hernandez (BAL), C; Round 14: (279) Greg Maddux (SD), SP; Round 15: (282) Joey Votto (CIN), 1B, OF; Round 16: (319) Moises Alou (NYM), OF; Round 17: (322) Jon Rauch (WAS), RP; Round 18: (359) Juan Cruz (ARI), RP; Round 19: (362) Edinson Volquez (CIN), SP; Round 20: (399) Ryan Doumit (PIT), C, OF; Round 21: (402) Jacque Jones (DET), CF; Round 22: (439) Philip Humber (MIN), P; Round 23: (442) Juan Lara (CLE), RP; Round 24: (479) Brandon Backe (HOU), SP; and Round 25: (482) Marlon Byrd (TEX), CF

I've already made some changes to my roster, which was top-heavy with pitchers. Three players -- Humber, Lara, and Byrd -- are no longer members of the Triggermen, while Carlos Gomez, Marco Scutaro, and Cla Meredith have been added.

I'm also in the process of adding Skip Schumaker, even though he's a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, and that goes against every fundamental bone in my body. However, I was desperate for a corner outfielder with a bit of power, and it came down to Schumaker or Carlos Quentin, and Schumaker's spring numbers -- 21 G, 24-for-64, .375/.412/.563, 15 R, 10 RBI, four doubles, one triple, two home runs, and three stolen bases -- made the decision easy. I'm also working like crazy to swing a trade or two.

I want to be the Dayton Moore of Reversible Nines, scouring the waiver wires and free agent market for undervalued or unnoticed talent that can be a surprise help to my lineup. Scutaro is likely going to have to start the year for me at second base, since Jeff Kent has a bad hamstring that has kept him from playing at all this spring. But Scutaro was a great choice, because he'll start the season in the Blue Jays' starting lineup after Scott Rolen broke his finger.

Yes, this is my first venture into the world of fantasy baseball, but I plan to learn the intricacies of the game quickly, and try to beat other team's managers to the punch. The fact that I'm coming off my first fantasy football championship (in my third year in my league) gives me hope, and confidence. But, just like I'll do with the 2008 Royals, I think I'll try to keep my confidence in check for awhile and see how the start of the season goes.

But come 2010, in my third year in the league (at least, I hope so), I'll be expecting a championship, baby! As long as Java doesn't mess with my draft again.