[Vladman]

It is so difficult to build a winning team with the number of power-houses that exist in baseball right now. I think that the Royals have done everything they could in the off-season to turn the corner, and start re-building what was an admirable franchise a few decades ago.

They had the youth, and in all the right places:

1 - behind the plate: John Buck: great baseball name! and some stats to back it up knocking 12 out of the yard in 401 AB's.

2 - Emil Brown: ok ... so he's 32 years old, but did anyone watch this guy play ball last year! 86 RBi's, 31 doubles, 17 bombs, this guy found the fountain of youth last year.

3 - Ambiorix Burgos: the 22 year old tough guy fanned 65 in 63 innings of work. at 6-3 235, this guys a good slider away from makin a splash.

You add a pesky Grudz, a gold glove Mientkiewicz, and good luck charm Reggie Sanders to a pitching staff that has Mark Redman ( who we all know is better than his 5-15 record on the bucks last year), Scott Elarton, and Jose "freak show" Lima, all of the sudden you got some personality to what was a complete lost cause!

a trade or two during the season, putting non-roster invittees McEwing and Kerry Robinson on the team, you have a ... well ... something worth watching... I love a good underdog.

[Joshua Kaufman]

Ugh. Talk about a dismal franchise. The Royals will lose at least 90 games.

Maybe more. They cannot win!!!