Remember when an original Nintendo game would jam and the flash of the reset button would drive you mad? Often there was just a little lint to blow off, nothing major, an easy fix.

That’s how I’ve grown to relate the last decade of Kansas City Royals baseball … at least until the “easy fix” part. A winning (near playoff) season in 2003 threw another wrench through the windshield. A blindly enthused fanbase was duped to “BELIEVE” that Juan Gonzalez and Benito Santiago were ingredients enough to confidently think playoffs. Ugh. The 2000s were rough, miserable, really. 948 losses bad, four 100-loss campaigns, thousands of hearts that needed to be defribulated. Before we look ahead to a new decade of baseball, let’s blow the lint off one of the worst decades for any franchise in any sport (Joe Posnanski did this in long form – a fantastic “9000 word opus”).

Five worst(s) of the 2000s
no particular order

- Ken Harvey got hit in the back by a throw (he was the cutoff man)
In June of last year, Harvey was cut from the Northern League’s KC T-Bones

- Desi Relaford fell off first base and got picked off
Relaford is a baseball free agent, but is the founder of 6 Hole Records (artists include the likes of Ninth Wonder and Big Pooh)

- Kerry Robinson climbed the wall on a ground-rule double
Part of a stint in KC which netted 18 appearances.

- Albie Lopez was released during a game (6/19/03)
His last Major League appearance was 6/19/03

- The Royals even made the franchise’s first-ever No. 1 draft pick without a general manager
Allard Baird had been fired and Dayton Moore was conducting his final draft in Atlanta (I believe the Braves picked Jason Heyward, who’s going to be a beast.) It was Luke Hochevar, and it has been said that he could have a huge 2010.

It’s over. It’s the 2010s.
How will this decade begin?

hochevar 250x213 Fresh decade, fresh start for Royals fans

An undying belief in former No. 1 overall pick Luke Hochevar is why the Royals didn't tinker with the starting rotation.

It’s not the big league additions which are very exciting, but the development below the surface. In essence, that means that I’m not as excited about 2010 for KC Royals success, but more so thrilled about 2012/2013 (yes, I know that we, as Royals fans, push that date back every season). To the system the Royals added a couple guns to the future rotation (Noel Arguelles, the Cuban defector lost in the Aroldis Chapman excitement; Aaron Crow, almost MLB ready – easily the fourth best starter for the Royals right now) but lost a top prospect when Danny Duffy retired a few weeks ago. The Kansas City Star’s Sam Mellinger told TAGsgf.com’s Allen Vaughan we’ll see Arguelles and Crow in Double A ball, plus the likes of hitting prospects Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer.

Oops, I digress. What I meant to say is: “The Royals defense is much improved. Yay …….” Yes, there’s some sarcasm, but they have three outfielders roaming the massive outfield at Kauffman. There has to be an improvement for a team which gave up more unearned runs than any other team and was outscored by 156 total runs a year ago. But, really – WHY DOESN’T THE ROTATION HAVE ANY FRESH BLOOD? Nobody? Not a flier on any of those could-have been cheap veteran inning eater free agents?

More digression, my apologies. Let’s take the wind out of the sails. No more paragraphs. Promise.

Additions: Scott Podsednik OF; Rick Ankiel OF; Brian Anderson (initially inked as an OF, but will instead take to pitching … no, really); Josh Fields 3B/OF (likely to start year on DL); Chris Getz 2B; Jason Kendall C; Wilson Betemit IF (likely at Omaha)

Projecting Trey Hillman’s opening day lineup

RF – David DeJesus
LF – Scott Podsednik
3B – Alberto Callaspo
1B – Billy Butler
DH – Jose Guillen
CF – Rick Ankiel
2B – Chris Getz
C – Jason Kendall
SS – Yuniesky Betancourt

Bench – Mike Aviles, Mitch Maier, Willie Bloomquist, Brayan Pena

Rotation – Zack Greinke, Gil Meche, Luke Hochevar, Brian Bannister, Kyle Davies

Bullpen – Joakim Soria (CL), Kyle Farnsworth, Juan Cruz, Roman Colon, Dusty Hughes, Robinson Tejeda, Anthony Lerew

My opening day nine

LF – Scott Podsednik
RF – David DeJesus
1B – Billy Butler
CF – Rick Ankiel
DH – Jose Guillen
3B – Alberto Callaspo
SS – Mike Aviles
C – Jason Kendall
2B – Chris Getz