An Open Letter to Dayton Moore

Dear Mr. Moore:

I wish I knew what emotion I felt about this current iteration of the worst run franchise of the past twenty years. I do my best to be optimistic, and generally I am, but I am slowly losing faith. This team is falling apart, and with Chiefs football starting, you’re losing most of your audience. In August. That’s sad, but not surprising.

On one hand, this team is for the most part fun to watch. All the young players seem like good guys, they all seems like buddies, and they’re easy to root for. I love that they all played minor league ball together and are friends. (The best example of this is during a game in Toronto the day the All-Star rosters were announced. During the pre-game show on FSKC, Joel Goldberg asked Eric Hosmer who should be the Royals’ All-Star. His replay: “I would have to say Moose, because he’s my buddy.”)

Top to bottom, this is the most fun Royals team I can remember. There is more young talent than I have ever seen and everyone seems to genuinely be enjoying the games.

Enough of the positives. I am tired of being positive about this crap that consistently gets thrown at us Royals fans. This year was supposed to be Our Time. Then a twelve game losing streak. Now this week you say this team will be good by 2014. 2014?! What?!

If Royals fans are anything, we’re patient. I am twenty years old, and I have been waiting my entire life for a winning team. But this is just too much. I hate to break it to you, Dayton, but you shouldn’t be around by 2014. This team has a great bullpen, and an offense that should be set for the next five years.

What this organization doesn’t have however, is any sort of competent leadership. I just don’t know what is more incompetent, you signing Yuniesky Betancourt twice or Ned Yost batting Jeff Francoeur fifth everyday.

If it was up to me, everyone would be fired. Yost and his coaches are all doing more harm than good and need to be gone yesterday. (Hint: Someone tell the players they don’t need to swing at the first pitch every time or steal every time they get on first. You’re not eight anymore, guys.)

You have managed to screw up this team through your man-crush on Francoeur and your inability to develop a single starting pitcher. I understand there have been a lot of injuries and that’s unlucky, but I have never bought your eight years to build a contender plan.

Cleveland didn’t take that long. Tampa Bay didn’t take that long. All I hear from you is excuses. That time is over. It’s time to do something bold. Go out and trade for a big starting pitcher, Stop feeling sorry for yourself and do something. I’m fed up with it. It’s time to nut up or shut up.

I’m going to make this very simple, as a Royals fan, my expectations are ridiculously low. (The highlight of my Royals life was a third place finish. Oh, that sumer of 2003.) And you still fail to meet them! I was all for giving the team room to grow this year, but this is terrible. Most fans would have been happy with 75 wins, and the more optimistic fans predicted .500, but they can’t even handle that!

Kansas City is a baseball town ready to explode. The All-Star game and Home Run Derby proved that. The more this season goes on, the more I think that explosion won’t happen with you at the helm unless you change the way this organization is run.

Sincerely,

Angry Royals Fan