The Kansas City Royals have talent, but to they have what it takes mentally to win?

In watching the 2012 version of the Kansas City Royals, it is hard to deny that this is the most talented team they have put on the field in quite some time. This is not the same collections of “has-been’s” and “never-will-be’s” that Royals fans have become accustomed to seeing. But the fact of the matter is, the Royals are currently sitting with the second-worst record in the major leagues at 9-19. And it is hard to ignore idea that mental toughness is a big reason for the slow start.

Not just baseball, but all sports have seen supremely talented players who were not successful because they couldn’t hack it mentally. Whether that equates to a player buckling under pressure, a player’s lack of desire to properly prepare, or a combination of the two, there is no denying that the mental side of the game is absolutely critical to success. The two most recent demonstrations of a lack of mental toughness were put on display on Sunday agains the Yankees and Monday against the Red Sox by starting pitchers Luke Hochevar and Jonathan Sanchez. Both of these players have talent. And not just enough talent to be a big league player. These guys both have the talent to excel in the big leagues. They have each demonstrated that at different points in their careers.

Luke Hochevar was a #1 overall pick in 2006. In 2009 he threw an 80 pitch complete game against the Cincinnati Reds, and later in the season struck out 13 against the Texas Rangers. This is why the Royals continue to put up with his inconsistency and made him their Opening Day starter in 2011 and de facto “ace” going into 2012.

On Sunday, Hochevar made it only 2 1/3 innings into his start, giving up 7 earned runs on 7 hits. This was the 3rd time in 6 starts this season that Hochevar had put his team in a hole early in the ballgame that they had almost no chance of digging out of. His ERA for the season is now 9.00.

Jonathan Sanchez has averaged 9.3 SO per 9 innings over his 6+ year career. He also struck out 205 batters in 193 innings for the San Francisco Giants in 2010. This is why the Royals traded Melky Cabrera for him this past off-season.

In his start on Monday, Sanchez made it only 3 innings, giving up 6 earned runs on 6 hits while throwing only 35 of his 73 pitches for strikes. His ERA for the season is now 6.75.

There are other examples. Earlier in the season, over about a week period, Alex Gordon seemed to be coming up to bat on a nightly basis in key late-game situations. Each time he came up short-handed. While Gordon has begun to catch fire at the plate after an extremely slow start, his lack of success in these pressure situations is telling. This could be explained away by saying that since Gordon got off to such a slow start, he was lacking confidence in these situations which led to his inability to produce. Let’s hope this is true and now that he has snapped out of his funk that this pattern comes to a halt.

Last October, St. Louis Cardinals fans watched one of the most magnificent displays of the other side of this. On the largest stage in the sport, David Freese, Lance Berkman, and other Cardinals players showed the world the importance of mental toughness. Until the Royals have a team full of players who are not afraid to prepare for the big situations, and not afraid of the spotlight, they will be nothing more than a talented team that won’t win anything.

Spring Training is about a month or so away for the St. Louis Cardinals, and plenty of intrigue surrounds the team as they head for Florida. Last weekend at the Winter Warm Up, much of that was discussed with Cardinal players, coaches, and members of the front office. But the fact of the matter is, much of the 2012 team promises to also have to answer questions of “living up” to predecessors. For instance, exactly how does one improve on a World Series Championship? And just for good measure, some competition for pivotal roles will be thrown into the mix as well.

Obviously, one of the major departures is Albert Pujols. And while that subject has been beaten to death from every possible angle, the Cards do have a quite capable replacement at first base in Lance Berkman. After proving he still had plenty left in the tank with a monster comeback season in 2011, Berkman is ready, willing and able to step back into the post he held for so many years in Houston. So with the on-field hole filled, what about the offensive production missing with Pujols’ bat no longer in the lineup? The Cards went out and signed Carlos Beltran, and he certainly will contribute power to the lineup. But he also brings an element of speed—albeit not what he once had in his prime—and versatility as a switch-hitter. Beltran can be dangerous and effective hitting anywhere from 2nd to 6th in the lineup.

Of course, Beltran and Berkman are not spring chickens any more, and both have a recent injury history that cannot be ignored. Such is the case with Matt Holliday, David Freese, and Allen Craig. All these players are expected to have major roles on the field for the 2012 St. Louis Cardinals, and every season’s success is dependent on the old axiom, “Well, if everyone can stay healthy…” No one can guarantee the health of any player or players. But with the lineup the Cards at least expect to run out onto the field on a daily basis, they have to stack up favorably with any team in the league.

What could be bigger than losing a Hall of Fame player? Why, losing a Hall of Fame coaching tandem, of course. And it just so happens the Cardinals lost both in the same offseason. Replacing Tony La Russa and Dave Duncan is impossible. But the Cards must find a way to move on, because they are not coming back but there are still games to be played.

Mike Matheny takes over as the team’s skipper and says he is ready to learn a lot. He has already spoken to most of the players and tinkers with potential lineups every day. He also appears to have a grasp on some of the Cards’ shortcomings from 2011 and wants to formulate a plan to remedy those issues for 2012 starting in Spring Training. “There’s going to be a lot of bunting going on,” Matheny said, when asked about his approach. “There’s going to be a lot of fundamental situational hitting. There’s going to be team fundamentals that are going to have a focus. I think it’s going to cover the whole gamut…We’re going to have some guys come in from the past who have been extremely good baserunners and are going to help us out for the first part of spring.”

Derek Lilliquist has some tough shoes to fill, too, taking over for Duncan as pitching coach. Adam Wainwright spoke of Duncan in glowing terms echoed by the rest of the staff: “Dave Duncan is the best big league pitching coach I’ve ever had. Dave’s philosophy has just been bred into us…Not that we don’t need Dave, but we understand what we want do out there now. I think Carpenter and myself, Lohse, Westbrook, Jaime…I think we’ve got five guys who have learned from the best in the business, and continue to learn from each other, too.” But he also thinks Lilliquist understands pitching really well, and believes his philosophy is a lot like that of Duncan. “When you look at what Lilly brings, we’re still really excited about our pitching coach,” Wainwright said.

Arguably the biggest unknown on the field going into Spring Training is the second base position. Both Matheny and John Mozeliak anticipate an open competition between Tyler Greene, Skip Schumaker, and Daniel Descalso for the starting job. Matheny spoke numerous times about “healthy competition” and how it would benefit the team and the players involved. Mozeliak also expects all three to challenge for the job, but feels the opportunity is Greene’s to seize. “We do want to see Tyler Greene get a strong opportunity there,” Mozeliak said. “We look at his athleticism and what he’s capable of doing and I do know we want to give Tyler a very good chance at playing and getting a lot of AB’s in Spring Training…(Greene) has never really had an opportunity at the ML level to be given that job. It’s understandable because we’ve always had competitive clubs and players that were playing better than him. So it’s just about opportunity.” But the GM stopped short of giving Greene any sort of leg up before the preseason gets underway. “It’s a different situation this year—second base is open so that’s where we’re going to try to give him a shot.”

Other positions remain unsettled until the team heads to Florida. Beltran, Craig, and Jon Jay figure to be a part of some sort of rotation or platoon in center and right. The Cards signed Koyie Hill to a minor league deal, and he figures to be the defensive dark horse for the backup catcher job. But the team already has two younger backstops in Tony Cruz and Bryan Anderson who have had a taste of the majors and are no doubt chomping at the bit to win that supporting role. And the bullpen has a lot of returning faces staring at a young corps who makes it increasingly difficult for the Cardinals to keep sending them back to the minors.

Expectations will be high for the Cards in 2012, but that is normal after a World Series win. These players have already proven they can execute. Now they have to go out and stay healthy enough to do it again. The NL Central appears weaker on paper than it did last season, aside from the overhauled Cincinnati Reds. But not many picked the Redbirds to make the playoffs last year, either. The Cardinals appear poised to make another serious run at the division title. Getting into the playoffs is tough for any team, but once you’re in…well, you know.

Chris Reed also writes for InsideSTL Mondays and Bird Brained whenever he wants. Follow him on Twitter at @birdbrained.

December is traditionally the first full month of the offseason where news of last year is over and done with and nearly all the focus of the Major League Baseball world shifts once and for all to next year. The St. Louis Cardinals may have a lot of familiar faces returning for 2012, but this franchise has, in the span of a few weeks, undergone change of epic proportions. It’s something Cards fans have not witnessed since Bill Clinton’s first term as President of the United States.

First, some accolades are in order. The Cardinals are the only team to play in three World Series in the last 10 years, and are one of two to win it all twice. Except for a couple of lean years in 2008-09, 2003, and 1997-99, the Cardinals have been in the playoffs. They dominated the National League like the Atlanta Braves did when they rattled off their 13 division titles in a row. The difference being, of course, that the Cards won one more Fall Classic.

It would be foolish over-credit Tony La Russa for this run, but it would be equally foolish to under-credit him too. The fact of the matter is La Russa instilled a brand of baseball here that his players were able to parlay into historic success. And now that brand is gone. Well, maybe not gone entirely. New manager Mike Matheny thrived under La Russa, after all, and most of the coaching staff La Russa employed is still around. But Cardinal Baseball is going to be very different for the first time in 16 seasons. That’s a really, really long time.

Next, consider the players. Colby Rasmus, who we all hung so much hope on for the five or six seasons he was property of the Cardinals, is gone forever. Last year at this time we were worried about whether or not Albert Pujols would re-sign with the team. I guess some things never change. But how much better does this team look with guys like Lance Berkman, Allen Craig, Daniel Descalso, Jason Motte, and David Freese all guaranteed to be on the 25-man roster in 2012? It’s not enough to make you say “Albert who?” but it sure doesn’t seem like the team would fold without Pujols anymore, does it?

This time last year, no one thought about what the rotation would look like without Adam Wainwright. Even if he isn’t 100% by Opening Day, the prospect isn’t all that scary anymore, is it? And it makes having him back seem like winning the lottery.

John Mozeliak did what it took to build the 2011 championship team, and he deserves a ton of credit. He knew what the Cards’ needs were, and he addressed them accordingly. Some may have had their doubts about him, and there’s always the chance that Rasmus develops into a star that the Cardinals mortgaged for one year of glory. But Mo’s shrewdness can no longer be doubted. The roster is in good hands. He will go into the Winter Meetings and pick up the players needed. Even if it doesn’t look like they’ll work, and maybe guys don’t pan out, he’ll make the adjustments. This front office is not populated by fools. The 2011 team is a testament to that.

We witnessed one of the greatest eras in St. Louis Cardinals history, and the page has officially turned. But even though some faces have changed and some may still change, the story ends the same way: a success. It’s Cardinal Baseball through and through. Sometimes patience is needed, but the payoff sure is sweet.

Chris Reed also writes for InsideSTL Mondays and Bird Brained whenever he feels like it. Follow him on Twitter at @birdbrained.

In less than a year, fans will be given another chance to see the greatest players in the world showcase their skills and national pride while competing for the WBC championship. The question the has been ringing in my head for the past two years is, “who is finally going to beat the Japanese players?” The fact of the matter is, Japan has proven themselves twice while truly playing against adversity, and suffice to say, they will be again this following year.

Ichiro isn’t getting any younger, and without him, I’m simply not convinced that they are as nearly a dangerous without him.

Regardless of who comes at the time in the final game of this classic, I’m more interested in the specific tangible as well as intangible aspects of the Japanese game that allows them to play so well as a unified team, even if majority of them struggle while individually coming to the states to play in the MLB.

Here are a few:

They start early

The players that will be representing Japan in the WBC start intense training in December. While most players for other countries are with their families, there are Japanese players working on their bunt defense, seeing live pitching, and practicing relays, hitting drills and rundowns. Not to say, for example, that the American players are not taking the classic seriously, but I don’t feel they truly feel the weight of a nation sitting on their shoulders during the off-season like the Japanese players do.

They are fundamentally sound

They are absolute gurus when it comes to the small game. Pitchers can field their positions almost as well as the middle infielders, all nine hitters can and most likely will bunt, steal, hit and run, and handle the bat to get guys over. I hate calling it small ball. It’s simply not depending on the next guy to drive in runs. They take the responsibility to make something happen by sacrificing themselves again and again and again to win.

They play with honor

If you could see how a Japanese business man goes about his business you can see the traditional influences that they have implemented in their way of life. The Bushido Code as been a mentality that has saturated itself in every labor of love from the arts, economics, science to academics.

Baseball hasn’t been any different.

The fact of the matter is, the Japanese baseball team has made a bid as being the greatest team to ever play as a whole, regardless of what their individual accomplishments have been.

Come tell us who you think will be the next WBC Here!!!!

Photo by Erika Lynn

The Kansas City Royals have not given their fans much to get excited about for the upcoming 2011 season. Their biggest, and only legitimate, superstar in Zack Greinke was traded to Milwaukee, thus leaving their rotation depleted. They’ve brought in a couple of average-at-best hitters in Jeff Francoeur and Melky Cabrera to fill the holes in their outfield created by other deals. The faith of the entire organization is in the Royals farm system that has been called the best in Major League Baseball, led by slugger Mike Moustakas.

Let loose The Moose

Royals’ fans need a boost of energy. They need something about this team to get excited about. They need a new face of the franchise. Here’s a quick solution to all three of those needs: Name Moustakas the starting third baseman for the 2011 season. He is ready. Look at this stat line from last year: .322 BA, 36 HR, 124 RBI, .999 OPS, and only 67 strikeouts in 534 plate appearances between Northwest Arkansas and Omaha. What else does he need to learn in the minor leagues?

Now, the Royals may be a little gun-shy after seeing the struggles of Alex Gordon. There was just as much excitement for the arrival of Gordon in 2007, but he had only spent one season in the minor leagues. Moustakas now has four seasons of minor league ball under his belt, and he has succeeded at every level. Also, it’s not like the Royals have anyone blocking his position. Does anyone really think that journeyman Wilson Betemit is the answer at the hot corner? It’s highly doubtful.

It’s been rumored the Royals want to bring up their most advanced prospects at the same time, in order to keep that core group together for as long as possible at any level. The fact of the matter is that Moustakas is more ready than any one else in the system, and it would be a mistake to make him wait any longer. The ideal outcome would be that he hits the ground running, possibly even putting Jason Heyward-type numbers. Even if that isn’t the case, he has to learn how to succeed at the highest level at some point. Moustakas is certain to struggle at some point when he makes it to the big club, but learning to handle those struggles both physically and mentally will be key to a successful career with Kansas City. The Royals are not going to be competitive in the near future, so this seems like an ideal time to start calling these super-prospects up to see how they can perform against the best of the best.

So, give Moustakas the call. Name him your starting third baseman for this upcoming season, attach him to hitting coach Kevin Seitzer’s hip, and watch him mold into a superstar. The Royals are staring down the barrel of another triple-digit loss season. The organization knows it, the players know it, and the fans know it. However, if Moustakas turns out to be as dominant as scouts say he is, that little light at the end of the tunnel could start to faintly appear. The future of the Royals is now, and it starts with Mike Moustakas.

The Zack Greinke saga is officially over, but Greinke may not be the only superstar that is headed out of Kansas City. The number one question that is on every Royals fan’s mind is: What will the Kansas City Royals do with their All-Star closer Joakim Soria? The Royals’ Front Office has stated multiple times that they are not willing to trade Soria, but the fact of the matter is that there may not be a better time than now.

Could Soria be the next star to go?

After the New York Yankees lost out on the Cliff Lee sweepstakes, Yankees GM Brian Cashman stated that his number one priority is to restock the Yankee bullpen. They had their sights set on resigning reliver Kerry Wood, but Wood decided to return to the team where it all started for him, the Chicago Cubs. They were able to lock up the machine that is Mariano Rivera for two more years, but they can’t expect to get much more out of Rivera beyond those two years. It would put a lot of minds at ease in New York if they knew that they had their closer of the future waiting in the wings in Soria.

Right now may be the time for the Royals to strike. Granted, they may not want to push their fan base any further away, but this would be a move much like the Greinke deal. They would be able to address both immediate needs, as well as continue to stockpile prospects for their already potent farm system. The Royals should take this opportunity to take advantage of a desperate Yankee Front Office. The Boston Red Sox landed the two biggest players not named Cliff Lee this offseason in signing Carl Crawford and trading for Adrian Gonzalez. With those moves, many people in the baseball world are saying that the Red Sox are the team to beat in the American League, which cannot be going over too well in New York. The Yankees were so sure that their huge offer to Lee would sway the southpaw to the Bronx that they did not focus on any other player. After Lee spurned the Bombers, there was little left on the board for the Yankees to throw their wads of cash at. Cashman now says that his motto for the remainder of the offseason will be patience, but do not let that fool you. There is a sense of panic in the Big Apple.

If the Yankees were to offer catcher Jesus Montero, the “lightning in a bottle” outfielder Brett Gardner, and possibly a young pitcher, it might be an offer that Royals cannot walk away from. Now, it may not seem like the Yankees would be willing to give up such a package for a reliver, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and the Yankees certainly do not want another team in the AL to swoop in and pounce on Soria before they have a chance. From the Royals’ perspective, GM Dayton Moore has said that he wants to be strong up the middle. After the return that he received for Greinke, the only spot that remains to be addressed is the catcher position. Now, the Royals did get a young catcher in Lucas May from the Scott Podsednik deal last season, but May struggled in his stint with the big club. The Royals, if they completed a deal like this hypothetical one, would have Montero catching, Alcides Escobar at shortstop, and either Gardner or Lorenzo Cain in centerfield. It would be safe to say that the Royals would be incredibly strong up the middle.

Obviously, there are many arguments for keeping Soria. He is under club control through the 2014 season for a considerably inexpensive amount, especially with how overpaid closers are in today’s game. Also, dominant closers, which Soria has been for the majority of his stint in Kansas City, are very hard to come by these days. If the Royals are committed to competing for a division championship in 2012, and they really believe that they can, it would be tough to do without Soria anchoring that bullpen.

So, now comes the time to weigh the pros and cons of dealing Soria. While the Royals’ brass has stated multiple times that Soria is not going anywhere, there is no doubt that some internal discussions have happened. If the Yankees come knocking, it would be worth it to at least hear them out.

It doesn’t happen very often in St. Louis, but on Saturday night the Cardinals were humiliated. The 12-5 loss may have been the most embarrassing defeat the team has suffered in a very, very long time. As the redbirds walked off the field following a sloppy third inning, they were booed loudly by the home fans. I have never been a fan of booing a team – especially a winning team – but the performance on Saturday was tough to watch and the fans are starting to get restless with struggling players.

While there have been several players go through a rough patch this season, none compare to Brendan Ryan. Yadier Molina has had a hard time at the plate, Holliday isn’t living up to his salary, Schumaker is batting 40 points below what is expected of him, even Albert has been scrutinized, but nearly all patience has been lost for Brendan Ryan. I believe his little act on Saturday night was the final straw.

It is one thing when you cannot hit the baseball. It is an entirely different thing to not have your head in the game. There is absolutely no excuse for that. Brendan Ryan was all over the place in that 12-5 rout by the Brewers. He was throwing to the wrong base and dropping relay throws from the outfield. Then, there is his side-arm throw he picked up somewhere along the line that has zero accuracy. On one play, Ryan threw home to get the runner (who had basically already scored) and the ball was ten feet off target.

I wouldn’t mind it as much if he just wasn’t able to hit, but when you take that into the field? That’s when the plug needs to be pulled. Defensive lapses cannot be tolerated.

It is time to “put up or shut up” for the Cardinals shortstop. The fanbase has always supported Ryan. He is an extremely likeable guy and I think everybody has been extra-patient with him this season. The fact of the matter is, Brendan is hurting the team. Unfortunately, there is not much management can do with Ryan except sit him on the bench. He has little if any trade value, and if we tried sending him to Memphis he would be picked up off of waivers. Do we really want to get rid of him all together?

This isn’t anything new either. Ryan’s stuggles go way past the Milwaukee game. He is currently riding a 4-for-40 skid. During that slump, he has scored twice. Keep in mind that he was playing nearly every day. Ryan also hasn’t batted in a run since June 19th; almost three weeks ago.

Brendan is coming off of a great defensive year, and even batted .292, but all signs of that player have disappeared. His average this season has dipped below the Mendoza-line (.198) and his on-base percentage is at .267. His BABIP (batting average of balls put in play) is 67 points lower than his career mark and he is striking out more this year than he ever has. His ground ball rate has jumped 6%, his fly ball percentage has done the exact same thing, and line drives have become scarce.

So who’s going to be our shortstop? Enter Tyler Greene.

“It’s a good time to give him (Ryan) a break and give Tyler a chance to play. Whoever plays the best, plays the most,” said Tony LaRussa following the decision to start Greene at SS on Sunday.

Greene was the Cardinals’ first round pick in 2005 and has carried the “prospect” tag with him all the way through the Minors. In two full seasons with the AAA-Memphis Redbirds, Greene has hit just below .300. This year, Greene is batting .291/.362/.465 with seven home runs, 52 runs, and ten stolen bases in only 62 games.

The 26-year-old infielder had a disappointing stint with the big league club in 2009 but has yet to disappoint so far this year. Through his first three games since the recent call-up, Greene is 3-for-9 with two runs, a triple, a home run, and four RBI. I know it is a very small sample size (35 at bats), but his .514 slugging percentage is awfully impressive as well.

The Tyler Greene experiment may go down as just that. An experiment. You never really know. The only thing certain is that Brendan Ryan hurts the team’s chances, and so far Greene does not.

Don’t look now folks, but for the first time in his MLB career, Tyler Greene has a job that is his to lose.

Justin Hulsey covers the Cardinals for i70baseball.com and his blog, Cardinals Front Office, that is also dedicated to Cardinal baseball.You may follow him on Twitter @JayHulsey by clicking here.