Posted by basebal5 on Friday, January 19, 2007 at 10:12 pm

 

To be optimistic in the spring is every fan’s right.  It turns out, that optimism isn’t limited to fans.  Players and management can feel that way, too. 

 

This year, Luke Hudson, John Buck and general manager Dayton Moore were the headliners at the luncheon.  I got a chance to mingle with the guys before the event kicked off…

 

Hudson has been working on developing a straight change up this winter.  He already throws a change, but it didn’t fool many batters last season.  I asked him if he set any goals this winter, and he told me that he didn’t have anything specific in terms of numbers.  His focus has been on building his strength (specifically in his legs) and developing a regiment to help him stay healthy.  He figures if he works on those things, the numbers will be there at the end of the season.

 

Since the bullpen let him down more often than not, I asked Hudson about the new arms in the relief corps.  I didn’t expect him to throw any of his old teammates under the bus, and he didn’t disappoint.  But he gave an interesting answer where he feels that there is now a good mix of both starters and relievers on the staff.  Stronger starting pitching means less stress on the bullpen, and Hudson believes everyone will benefit.

 

As for his place in the rotation, Hudson isn’t concerned about the Royals stockpiling arms for their rotation.  He’s excited about the “quality arms” the Royals have acquired since he arrived and feels that it will create enough competition in camp that it will be good for the staff.  Many have Hudson penciled in for the back of the rotation, but he doesn’t care where he’s slotted.  He just wants a turn every fifth day.

 

Heading into this season, he’s excited by all the moves the Royals have made.  Hudson senses a new feeling around the team – determination.  He describes the 2007 version of the Royals as “determined to win.”  He’s thinking he’s going to be a part of the team that turns the fortunes of the Royals around, and gets them back on the winning track.

 

I’m not one to get into fashion, but I’ll have to give kudos to Luke Hudson who was wearing a Royals tie. 

 

For Buck, the topic of the day was his new teammate Jason LaRue.  Buck said that Moore called him before the deal went down to keep him informed, and that he was a little surprised that the Royals chose to deal for another starting catcher.  The LaRue acquisition has motivated Buck to, “prove that I can do it.”

 

Although the Royals are not going to contend for any titles in 2007, Buck says he can feel that expectations are higher now than any other time since he’s been with the club.  He attributes that to Dayton Moore and his aggressiveness in the free agent market this winter. 

 

Offensively, Buck is looking for more consistency from himself.  Last season, Buck hit .205/.280/.318 in April, .300/.364/.480 in September and pretty much everywhere else in between.  In fact, inconsistency has been a John Buck trait ever since he arrived from Houston in 2004.  It’s nice that he realizes a key step in his improvement as a ballplayer is to minimize the lows.  Besides, the writing is on the wall.  If he gets too low, he’s going to lose more and more playing time to LaRue.  If Buck doesn’t want to split time behind the plate, he’s going to need a solid start and avoid any kind of a prolonged cold streak.

 

Both Buck and Hudson alluded to the Royals finish last season, and how important that was for the team.  Hudson called their play the second half of the season “important.  Our strong finish spoke to the character of our team.”  Separately, they both said that their finish will be a huge stepping stone for more success in 2007.

 

See?  Optimism isn’t limited to fans.