The Royals are still a Little League team
by Matthew Pouliot @ Hardball Talk
Things will be different one of these years, I imagine. It just won’t be this one.
The Royals fell to 3-12 by losing 5-3 to the Blue Jays on Sunday. Toronto got its fifth run on a double-steal with two outs in the top of the eighth. Here’s the video. Humberto Quintero opted to throw to second base with Brett Lawrie on third. Second baseman Yuniesky Betancourt came in a bit to cut the throw off, but he didn’t even come close to nailing the runner at home.
I’m not sure which of the duo deserves more blame.
Quintero could have held on to the ball, but J.P. Arencibia would have been a dead duck had the throw gone through. The only question is whether he could have stayed in a rundown long enough for the run to score. Betancourt, for his part, committed too late to have a chance to cut down the speedy Lawrie. He needed to be more aggressive in trying to cut the ball off or in grabbing it and trying to chase down Arencibia.
Regardless, it was bad execution on the part of a team that’s famous for it. And it still wasn’t the ugliest play for the team today. That came a half-inning later, when Jason Bourgeois was picked off and caught stealing… in the bottom of the eighth with the Royals down three runs and the team’s No. 3 batter and hottest hitter (Billy Butler) at the plate.
I mean, duh.
You're Killin' Me, Smalls! 
The hitting seems acceptable for a contender, but the rotation could use some help. Definitely at the least a year from being legitimate contenders.
Hitting needs to be more consistent obviously. Gordon needs to regain his 2011 form and Hosmer can (and will) hit the cover off the ball in due time.
But you hit the nail on the head. Until they find starters who can be at least better than league average it won’t do much for them.