It looks like De La Rosa is going to get the nod to start the first Spring Training game of this 2008 Season, switching with Tomko, who will now pitch the game Thursday. The Royals skipper, Trey Hillman, said that it just worked out better this way. In my humble opinion, this just shows that De La Rosa is getting first chance at winning the 5th slot in the rotation. This also tells me that the 4th slot is Tomkos to lose. If De La Rosa pitches well in the 2 innings they have slotted for him on Wednesday, he would take giant steps toward completing the 5 man rotation behind 1. Gil Meche, 2. Zack Greinke, 3. Brian Bannister and assuming 4. Brett Tomko. This is an exciting list to see. There is a lot of quiet talent here, with at least 3 of these guys ready to make a mark in the majors.
Plenty of other pitchers are now left to compete for spot #5, in the rotation, and most likely a spot in the bullpen, middle relief, and situational set-up men. Any way you look at it, the number of spots available is much less than the number of men looking to fill them, so there will be some ball players getting cut this spring training (as happens every year). This is where we, as fans, put our faith and trust in the front office, coaching staff, and scouts to make the right decisions to make “us” more competitive this season.
Remember…this could be the year that the Royals shock the world! At this time of the season anything is possible. Anything can happen. The last few years, alone, prove that every team (provided they are not a Yankee or a Red Sock, who seem to be automatic) is just as likely to be there in late September through October as the next.
We can only trust, hope, and dream. That’s all we’ve got folks. Put on your Royals caps, shirts, warm-ups, jerseys, and the “we’re #1” finger and prepare for the 2008 season. Leave the tough decisions to the worthy professionals, and enjoy the season for what it is…the year the Royals turned it all around.
Who’s with me? “One…Two…Three…GO ROYALS!”