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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PAGE 7
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2014
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
"But this group is different. This group is really talented. I'm telling you, these guys are more talented than we were in 1985."
Kansas City Star
THE MORNING BREW
Kaufman Stadium formerly known as Royals Stadium), had red seats until 1994
Royals.com
TRIVIA OF THE DAY
Q: When was the last time the Kansas City Royals won 90 games?
A. 1989 (92-70)
(92-70)
The 2014 Kansas City Royals defy logic, yet follow a pattern
With five games remaining on the schedule, the Kansas City Royals sit at 86-71 following a 7-1 win against the Cleveland Indians and are three games ahead of the Seattle Mariners for the second wild-card spot.
The Royals had quite the inconsistent season, but a successful one nonetheless. One of the best bullpens in baseball and stout fielding play has carried them through 2014. When a team is called inconsistent, it's certainly not viewed as a strong suit. But for the Royals, inconsistency may be what leads them deep into October.
Let's be clear. I'm not saying the fact that Kansas City's unpredictability is a good thing, but if you look at it, it may not be the worst thing either. They're a streakty team, one that will go on a 10-game tear, then
lose six of its next seven, like it did in lune.
Before Monday, the last time the Royals won two games in a row was Sept. 3 and Sept. 5. In that 16-game stretch, they dropped 10 games, five coming to nonplayoff caliber teams in the Yankees, White Sox and Red Sox. The other four losses come to division-rival Detroit.
So we can agree that from Sept. 5 to Sept. 22, the Royals were exhibiting
the inconsistencies that drove their fans mad. One major cause of this inconsistency has been the hitting of two key players. Billy Butler and Alex Gordon hit for a combined .150 batting average during that stretch (15 hits in 100 at bats), as compared to a .290 batting average in August (63 hits in 217 at bats). Yet, after carrying a 7-9 record through that mid-September slump, Kansas City still sits at 86-71 with five games remaining.
When Kansas City's batters do wake up and begin hitting, this team is one of the most formidable, balanced teams in all of baseball. And the pattern of the season has been for the hitters to do so after a faulty few weeks, which is where the team sits today.
The 2014 Kansas City Royals have defied logic throughout the year, not having great (or even good) hitting at various points in the season and being lifted by pitching and fielding. Then seemingly out of nowhere, Royals' batters began hitting, and the pitching and fielding remained the same as it has the entire season.
If the Royals do end up making it to the postseason, and are able to make it past a one-game playoff, if need be, there's no telling how far a good hitting streak could carry them. Kansas City's bullpen is almost impeccable, and its defense is close to that category as well. If the offense picks up its slack, specifically Gordon and Butler, these Royals are going to be a huge pain in the you-know-what for any team in October.
This week in athletics
- Edited by Jordan Fox
Wednesday
No events
Thursday
No events
Friday
Women's soccer
Baylor
7 p.m.
Waco, Texas
Saturday
Football
Texas
3 p.m.
Lawrence
Women's volleyball Oklahoma 7 p.m. Norman, Okla.
Sunday
Men's golf Badger Invitational All Day Madison, Wis.
Women's soccer
TCU
1 p.m.
Fort Worth, Texas
Monday
Men's golf Badger Invitational All Day Madison, Wis.
Tuesday No events
THE DAILY DEBATE
Which Kansas football player has been the most disappointing so far?
By Griffin Hughes
@GriffinJHughes
"JIMMAY MUNDINE"
Three games in, it seems harsh to say there's been a disappointment for Kansas football this season. However, there are several players, several leaders, who need to step up their game if Kansas stands any of making a bowl game. Jimmy Mundine, the senior tight end, is one such leader.
Mundine has caught nine receptions for just 84 yards. He has not seen the end zone yet. On their face, his stats seem to exceed where they were this time last year — he has more yards, more receptions and accounts for a bigger percentage of Kansas' offense than he did through three games last year. However, six of his nine receptions and 67 of his 84 yards came against Central Michigan, the worst pass defense of the three teams the Jayhawks have faced in the nonconference season. Also, at this time last year, Mundine had found the end zone once, the first of his team-leading five downs. His average per catch through three games was over three yards higher last year than it is this year.
hinder a season that needs to be Mundine's best.
He did not catch a ball in the Southeast Missouri State game and he missed two games late last season. If injuries are a concern, it would further
This is Montell Cozart's first year as the full-time quarterback, and he'll be counting on seniors like Mundine, who is on the Mackey Watch List for the best tight end in college football, to help him when the team hits conference play. The Big 12 has three of the top-10 pass defenses in the country, and Cozart has no experience in big time situations — when he took over the Jayhawk offense full time last year, they were no longer bowl eligible.
Mundine will have to step up to help Cozart and the Kansas offense against some of the toughest defenses in the country, but you have to wonder if the chemistry between Mundine and Cozart is lacking. None of Mundine's touchdowns last year came from Cozart, and his total yardage dropped off a cliff with Cozart at quarterback. Less than a quarter of Mundine's total yardage last year came from balls thrown by Cozart.
Cozart's struggles to find the same page with Mundine are concerning. It's especially concerning if you're offensive coordinator John Reagan, who is tasked with coming up with a game plan against some of the top defenses in the country If you're going to beat the likes of Texas or Baylor, you have to utilize your biggest redzone threat, and make sure he and your quarterback are so in sync that Cozart doesn't have to give a signal for Mundine to know where to go.
Tight ends are so valuable now at every level of football. If I'm Charlie Weis,I'm desperate to get Mundine's numbers up for conference play. He will make the difference in Big 12 games,and he may be the key to making Kansas' first bowl game since 2008.
Edited by Jacob Clemen
By Ben Carroll
@BCarroll91
"NICK HARWELL"
Ever since the first quarter of the first game of the season
game of the season against Southeast Missouri State, senior wide receiver Nick Harwell has been nearly invisible in the Kansas offense.
Harwell, who caught four passes for 46 yards and two touchdowns in the SEMO game, has a combined five receptions for a total of 20 yards in the two games that followed.
The senior came into this season after sitting out all of last year after transferring from Miami (Ohio) University. Following his three seasons playing for the Redhawks under coach Don Treadwell, Harwell set the single-game team record for receptions and receiving
yards, and has the most 100-yard receiving games in Miami football program history.
In 2011, he was college football's second-leading receiver averaging 129.6 yards per game on 97 receptions for 1,425 yards and nine touchdowns. Those marks were good for an honorable mention All-American selection by Sports Illustrated.
The Jayhawks had high hopes for the receiver after posting stand-out numbers in Oxford, Ohio, especially since they haven't had a 1,000-yard receiver in a season since 2009 in Dezmon Briscoe, who did it twice and still holds the team record for most career receiving yards by a KU receiver.
in the nation. Although he is still mentioned on the watch list, Harwell will need to step it up to even be considered in the final running to win the award on Dec. 11.
Not all of Harwell's slow start can be attributed to himself, though. The man throwing him the ball, sophomore quarterback Montell Cozart, has been far from impressive so far. The talent Harwell brought with him to Kansas hasn't gone unnoticed by opposing sidelines as he has drawn tight coverage. Then again, part of a wide receiver's job is to find ways to get open and Harwell's five receptions the last two weeks hasn't proved that he's done that effectively.
DAILY DEBATE RESULTS: SEPT. 23, 2014 Who is the nonconference MVP for Kansas football?
TONY PIERSON: 67%
DEXTER MCDONALD: 33%
VOTE FOR THE WRITER WITH THE MOST CONVINCING ARGUMENT AT KANSAN.COM
If Charlie Weis and his Jayhawks want to keep a winning record moving forward into Big 12 play, Harwell has to get more receptions and find the end zone more often just like he did 23 different times as a Miami Redhawk.
Cabrera lifts Tigers to 4-3 White Sox win
For most of the night, it looked like Price was going to show exactly why the Tigers had traded for him at the deadline, taking a three-hit shutout into the ninth. Adam Eaton singled and moved to third on Alexei Ramirez's double. That got Joe Nathan
Kansas expected Harwell to standout and shine in the newly introduced spread offense, but has been anything but productive following his two-touchdown performance in week one. The 6-foot-1, Missouri City, Texas, native was put on the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, which goes to the best wide receiver
The win kept Detroit a game ahead of Kansas City atop the American League Central and dropped their magic numbers to five for the division and two for the postseason.
DETROIT — Miguel Cabrera's RBI single in the bottom of the ninth lifted the Detroit Tigers to a key 4-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.
Nathan (5-4) came in to get the final out, and picked
After David Price blew a 3-0 lead in the top of the ninth, Ian Kinsler started the bottom of the inning by bouncing a single over Conor Gillaspie's head at third, and Jake Petricka (1-6) walked Torii Hunter. Cabrera then lined a single to left, with Kinsler scoring from second without a throw.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Brad Ausmus visited the mound, drawing boos from the crowd, but he left Price in. Dayan Viciedo flew out to right for the second out, and Paul Konerko, who was honored by the Tigers before the game, singled to move Garcia to third. Marcus Semien then blooped a single to center, tying the game.
up the victory after Petricka couldn't get an out in the bottom of the inning.
White Sox rookie Scott Carroll allowed two runs — one earned — in six-plus innings. He gave up five hits and two walks while striking out four.
up in the pen, and after Jose Abreu struck out, Avisail Garcia lined a two-run single to center.
Detroit used more speed to get a run in the seventh, as pinch-runner Andrew Romine was able to go from first to third on Semien's error, and score on Kinsler's single. Hunter followed with a ground-rule double to make it 3-0.
Edited by Logan Schlossberg
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