It’s been an interesting major league career for Alex Gordon. The player proclaimed as the next George Brett, a can’t miss prospect, almost became the next Clint Hurdle, the Royals late 70′s can’t miss prospect who did miss.

It started out so well. After a stellar collegiate career at the University of Nebraska, the Royals selected Gordon as the second overall pick of the 2005 draft, part of a class that included Justin Upton, Ryan Braun and Troy Tulowitzki. In 2006, Gordon debuted in AA Wichita, with a .325/.427/.588 line with 23 home runs and 101 RBI. With no real third base options at the major league level, the Royals proclaimed Alex Gordon as their starting third baseman in 2007.

And what a debut it was! Opening day at Kauffman Stadium against the Boston Red Sox with Curt Schilling on the mound. Bottom of the first inning, bases loaded and Alex Gordon, the Kansas City Royals savior, the next George Brett, was at bat. Wouldn’t it be great if he hit a grand slam, or at least got a hit? Instead, he struck out swinging after seven pitches.

After a while, the rumblings began. Gordon strikes out a lot. He has poor plate discipline. There’s holes in his swing. He has trouble against left-handed pitching. He doesn’t look comfortable at third. While Gordon had a solid 2007 and 2008, He didn’t look like the superstar player the Royals and their fans expected.

In 2009, a hip injury limited Gordon to 49 games on the majors and 30 games in the minors. Gordon hit .232/.324/.378 in the majors, while averaging .327/.427/.588 in the minors.

Then in 2010, it became worse. Gordon broke his thumb in spring training, which started a disastrous season. Gordon played in 74 games in the majors, with a career low .215/.315/.355 line. Another hot third base prospect was on his way, Mike Moustakas. Billy Butler was firmly at DH and Eric Hosmer was on his way as the future first baseman. It appeared Gordon’s career was fading away, with nowhere to go.

So the Royals did what a baseball manager does when a kid can’t play: send him to the outfield. After recovering from his thumb injury and playing 12 major league games, the Royals sent Gordon to AAA Omaha to learn how to play the outfield. He eventually came back to KC, playing 55 games in left and three games in right. It was a last ditch effort to salvage what was a disappointing career. Maybe Gordon wouldn’t be a superstar, but maybe he could be a solid, if not spectacular outfielder.

Everything clicked in 2011. Gordon played in 151 games, 148 of them in left field. He didn’t get hurt and batted .303/.376/.502, hit 23 home runs and lead the American League in outfield assists with 20. He also led the league in fielding percentage with .911, winning an AL Gold Glove his first year as an outfielder. The improvements were dramatic.

So what happened to make 2011 Gordon’s breakout season? Gordon worked with hitting coach Kevin Seitzer after the 2010 season to rebuild his swing, changing his batting stance, his swing path and his approach to the plate. These adjustments improved his average against left-handed pitchers to .278/.358/.471 in 2011 compared to his previous high of .234/.312/.317 in 2008. Gordon hit well and got on base enough for manager Ned Yost to make him the lead-off hitter. Gordon also worked on his outfield skills, like fielding balls hit to the outfield during batting practice. This led to Gordon being more comfortable in left field, having more time for the ball to come to him and make plays.

But will Gordon’s performance carry over to 2012? Seitzer worked with Gordon during the off-season and wants him to cut down on strikeouts. Gordon’s 2012 spring training numbers are .426/.476/.685, which are good, but it’s the regular season that matters. It does appear Gordon has found his stride and if he stays healthy, 2012 could be like 2011.

Another question is will he stay with the Royals? Gordon recently signed a one-year deal for $4.775 million, avoiding arbitration. The Royals made a long-term offer to Gordon’s agent, Casey Close, but the discussions are on hold. Gordon becomes a free agent in 2014 and with Gordon’s breakout 2011 season, the Royals would like to sign Gordon to a long-term deal. But if Gordon continues to play well, will the lure of free agency be too much? If the Royals can’t sign Gordon to a long-term contract in 2013, he’s likely to become a free agent.

Alex Gordon has become the player the Royals and their fans expected him to be. It just took a few years, a position change and hard work by Gordon and the coaches to get there. Gordon will not be the next George Brett. He’s going to be the next Alex Gordon.

This weekend at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, the Cards kick off a 3-game set with the Pirates, who are currently tied for first place in the National League Central Division standings. If you’re like most baseball fans, and there’s no reason to believe you aren’t, then you’re probably surprised to see the Bucs in this position on this day. Blah, blah, blah about X number of years since this, or last time they were this high in the standings on such-and-such day, it was that.

The reality of the world we live in today is that the President of the United States in an African-American, individuals can book a flight to space, and the Pittsburgh Pirates are playing meaningful games as the trade deadline approaches. Ask yourself if fifteen years ago you’d have thought any of those would be true statements today.

Death, Taxes, and Albert Pujols at PNC Park

In his last 8 games, Albert Pujols has 10 RBI to go with 9 hits, 4 bombs, and 6 runs scored. Said another way: He seems to be heating up, just as the redbirds head into Albert’s “Home away from home”. His numbers at PNC are so positively sick, it makes me wonder if Clint Hurdle or Ray Searage slept at all last night. The legendary slugger has played 80 games at PNC Park throughout his career to this point, and all he has to show for it is a .387 AVG, a 1.197 OPS, 26 HR, to go with his matching totals of 77 runs & RBI. He’s also been given 14 intentional passes to this point, while in the steel city.

The pitching matchups will be the key to this entire series. On Friday night, Carpenter (5-7) will square off against lefty Paul Maholm (6-9), who has been a workhorse for the Pirates this year, having logged over 126 innings going into the weekend. Saturday, the Cards only left-handed starter, Jamie Garcia (9-4) will face Kevin Correia (11-7). Correia is having a breakout season, and the Cards lineup will have their work cut out for them on Saturday night. Sunday’s matinee [probably] features Kyle Lohse (8-7) vs. Charlie Morton (8-5). This could be the Cardinals’ chance to put an exlcamation point on this series, as Morton hasn’t even reached the 6IP mark in his last 7 outings, dating back to the 4th of June. Though, Lohse’s finger remains a question in the minds of Tony LaRussa and others. Kyle left the team in New York to return to St. Louis for an evaluation on the middle finger of his pitching hand. Doctors cleared him to rejoin the team in Pittsburgh, but it could become an issue that resurfaces after he takes the mound on Sunday.

It’s a big series for both clubs, and you can be sure that the Brewers (and even Reds) will be watching closely from San Fransisco & Cincinnati, respectively. The Brewers can’t seem to buy a win on the road this year, even if they hadn’t tied up all that money in Braun. Meanwhile the Reds are hosting a Braves team that could possibly see a roster change or two during the series, as the Atlanta club has been mentioned in numerous trade rumors in the past several days.

So, the battles rage on for first place in the NL Central, among three or four teams., albeit not exactly the teams we all originally thought. The standings may change a few times per day this weekend, as the Cards/Pirates and Braves/Reds hook up in the Eastern time zone, while the Brewers/Giants play out West this weekend.

The Pirates are for real, and until the standings say otherwise, they are a team to be reckoned with, and not taken lightly. If the Cardinals are to win this series, they’ll need solid pitching performances from their starters, who will also need to go deep into games. The St. Louis bullpen has been suspect all season, so any leads earned will hopefully be protected in the late innings. If not, St. Louis could easily find themselves in 3rd place by Sunday evening, and while only a couple of games back, that could be a huge, (insurmountable even) problem in another month or so. But, we’ll worry about that, if & when the time comes.

We are halfway through the 2011 season, and the Pittsburgh Pirates are tied for 2nd place, with a record of 41-39 going into Friday. The last time they had fewer losses on this date was 1999 (when, on July 1st they were 40-37), and that year, they finished 3rd in the division…AHEAD of the 4th place Cardinals. (Strange: You can’t see it in this published version, but I got a green squiggly line under that sentence when I wrote it…I guess even software programs have to do a double-take when the Pirates are having a good season.) Granted, “tied for 2nd place” in the division is a little misleading when there’s also a two-way tie for 1st. One game from now, they could theoretically be the 4th place Pirates.

Clint Hurdle’s Pirates enjoy their best July 1st record since 1999

Now, I’m not suggesting that we all rush out and buy up tickets for that sure-to-be-epic September 12th, 13th, & 14th series when the Cards & Bucks square off. But, I’d be lying if I told you that I’d never said “they won’t be around come late August” about a team who would later prove me wrong by doing just that. (A Tampa Bay “Devil Rays” team or two come to mind) I don’t know how much longer they can hold on and stay in this NLC race, but I will say this: Andrew McCutchen barely makes more than the league minimum, and is arbitration eligible next year, and the largest salary the Pirates are currently committed to for 2012 is Kevin Correia’s $4MM (his 2nd yr of a 2-year, $8MM deal). There are two players who are each owed roughly $2MM in 2012, and that’s it. Everyone else is $750K or lower next year, in terms of salary. Basically I’m telling you that I don’t expect the Pirates to be making headlines at the trade deadline with huge, blockbuster deals.

The 2011 MLB season is already half over

With the recent releases of Batista & Franklin, and the activation of Freese & McClellan, the Cardinals seem to be taking steps in a positive direction. Add to that the sweep over Baltimore this week, and things just might be looking up. Granted, the Orioles are not an A++ team, but when you look at that lineup and see Markakis, Lee, Guerrero, Reynolds…these are guys can mash the ball. Consider that the Cardinals pitching kept their bats quiet enough to take all 3 games, that’s encouraging. But, while I am encouraged by what the redbirds have done recently, to sustain it will impress and encourage me further. The Cardinals are fortunate to miss a red hot James Shields on this visit to Tampa, and with Milwaukee playing on the road right now, the series that starts Monday could play an even bigger role in terms of momentum. [Insert overused anecdotal statement about “fireworks”, referencing the Cards & Reds, and Carpenter/Cueto here]

Up until now, this has looked an awful lot like some of the National League Central Divisions we’ve seen in the past. The teams at the top doing everything they can night-in, night-out to try and give the division to another team, and the other team(s) simply will not take it. It’s like playing hot potato or musical chairs–I only wonder who will be sitting atop the division when the music stops.

Anyone who knows me knows I am very vocal with my opinions. It makes no difference if I am right or wrong, my opinion is my opinion and I am going to share it with the world. Well sometimes when you are wrong you have to apologize for your mistakes. The Royals are only six games in to the season but there are people who are making me wrong. So let’s get to the apologies.

Alex Gordon courtesy of Minda Haas

I’m sorry Alex Gordon. I am sorry I doubted you could “dominate.” I am sorry I doubted you were anything more than a AAA player or even a AAAA hall of famer. I am sorry that I discounted your preseason stats and said they won’t carry over to the regular season. Gordon is now batting over .370. He is the first Royalman Player of the Week on pinetarpress.com and is absolutely dominating so far this year. He’s playing well in the field and has really earned his spot on the team. Many others are probably apologizing privately for thinking he’d be out by June and Lorenzo Cain, Jarrod Dyson or Mitch Maier would have his spot. If (and that is a naughty word around these parts) Gordon can continue to do what he’s doing so far, he’d belt 20 plus home runs, bat over .325 and slug over .600. Now what I won’t apologize for and what I am watching very closely is Gordon is still too much of a free swinger. He’s have a 7/2 K to walk rate right now and he was at a 1/1 for a good part of spring training. His eye is better this year but he still needs to strike out less because this team needs to move runners. So, to you Alex Gordon, I am sorry, for now.

I’m sorry to you Ned Yost. I doubted you could be a real manager. I placed much emphasis on the fact that you were choking so bad in Milwaukee they fired you while you were still the wild card leader. I’m sorry I wanted Clint Hurdle more than you because he took a no name Colorado team to the World Series. Ned Yost had this team firing during the “honeymoon period” after his hiring last year then they seemed to go back to the same ole’ Royals but this year they seem a little different. This team is playing much more as a team. They seem fired up and playing good baseball. The teams the Royals have defeated so far were picked to be 1st or 2nd in their division by many. The early records of the teams played are 6-5 but if you take out the games against the Royals those two teams are 4-1. The teams the royals played are not bad, they are winning against other opponents but neither could take a series from KC and much of the credit for that has to be given to Ned Yost. The team is stealing bases and playing light. They are showing heart and never giving up when they get behind. All of those qualities have to be in some way related to Yost’s leadership. For all these reasons, Ned Yost, I am sorry, for now.

Kila Kaaihue courtesy of Minda Haas

There is one person I am not sorry to, at least not yet. I would love for him to make me wrong and have to pay up on a bet of Jamison to a twitter buddy but Kila Ka’aihue I am not sorry for being hard on you. I don’t believe you can have an OPS of .815 or better. I don’t think you can hit .275/.375/.475 with 30 plus jacks like some seem to think. Heck I am doubting you can hit .225/.325/.425 with 20 jacks. I think Eric Hosmer time is going to come very soon and you will just be another Royals prospect who didn’t quite make it. I hope I am wrong. I want so bad to have to apologize for this but I am a realist and don’t see it happening.

I am sorry to the Kansas City Royals for only picking you to win 70. When I first made that prediction Greinke had just been traded and many were picking us to lose 100. I never wavered from my stance in either direction. I picked up a bet from my buddy Husker that if the Royals when more than 63, he owes me a case of beer. Meanwhile many were picking the Royals to win 75 or even go .500 after spring training. I wish I would have jumped on that wagon because after this solid start 70 wins looks very pessimistic. Now granted its early and the Royals may absolutely fall to part but right now they are 4-2 winning more than 66% of their games so to think they will only win 40% the rest of the way is very pessimistic and I don’t believe they will be that bad. 75 wins is very plausible and .500 is possible. I believe and for that reason I am sorry Kansas City Royals, for now.

Troy can be found on Twitter as KCRoyalman. He also can be heard Sundays from 7-8p at royalmanreport.com and here on i70baseball.com with Bill Ivie, Mondays 10p-11p

Every month, the United Cardinal Bloggers (UCB) band together for a mutual project that allows the sites to find a central theme, if for only one day. Kicking off 2011, they have asked that we predict the top five headlines we expect to see in 2011. Some writers are having fun with this one. Some are playing it serious. Some are mixing it up.

You can find the master list of all the posts by clicking here.

So what are my predictions? I’m glad you asked:

The Chicago Cubs Are Officially Eliminated From The Playoffs
The first prediction is taking the easy way out. Predict something that happens every year, right? The Cubbies don’t play in October and go back into hibernation. Why is this prediction so special? Because this headline will run on April 1, 2011.

The Pirates Trade Their Entire Roster For Prince Fielder
The Brewers, knowing their superstar first baseman will not return, trade him to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for their entire major league roster. The Pirates immediately call up half of their farm system and go on a winning streak that leads manager Clint Hurdle’s bunch to their first season record over .500 in years.

I-70 World Series Redux
In the shocker of the MLB Season, the Kansas City Royals win the AL Central and then upset the Yankees in the ALCS to move on to meet the Cardinals in the World Series. The teams battle to a game 7 that is decided by a horrible call by Jim Joyce at first base, proving that Bob Netherton is right and history does, in fact, repeat itself.

Suppan Outduels Lohse
In the surprise game of the year, Jeff Suppan no hits the Redbirds and Kyle Lohse, who throws a one hitter of his own. The one hit Lohse surrenders is a grand slam after walking the bases loaded, however, and the Cardinals lose 4-0.

Bill Ivie Does An Entire Radio Show Without One Self Promoting Comment
Ah, who am I kidding? THAT would never happen.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Follow him on Twitter here.