verdugo starts tonight for omaha, so he wouldn't be included on a list of guys who have started the past 3 days.

also, when is the last time that mazarro pitched? seems like he would've been a better choice if it were about the prospects of the team being hochevared tonight.

i guess i'm just hopeful that will smith isn't being added to the 40 man and promoted to the bigs on the basis of tonight's game, and/or the possibility of needing long relief in the coming days.

we'll just have to wait and see what role they have in mind for smith. the rotation is down to 1 lefty, and that could factor in.

Mazarro pitched Sunday in the first game of a double header. Sound like Smith might get the start tomorrow if Hoch melts down early in the game tonight...

"Lets be honest...if he can break the Hiram Line, he'll be an improvement. Thats an ERA under 6.50."

I believe he can do that.

I like Will...as a person and as a pitcher.

I hope he has success here. He is an easy guy to root for.

First off, Smith is a down-south guy who's favorite team is the Braves... Why is that a trend with KC? Oh right....

But anyway, here's a pretty indie interview of Smith from the 2010 season. Might be interesting for some of ya.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRM1Vm__1G8

Smith is starting Wednesday night.

Good luck Will. Remember we talked about this very possibility one day in Surprise.........now it is here..............:)

Where better to make your debut than Yankee Stadium????

I'll be here pulling for you. You can do it Will!!!!

Just announced on Royals postgame that he'll be the starter tomorrow night instead of Mendoza. I like that decision, would rather see what Smith can do up here than watch Mendoza again.

Innings...nice, you beat me by a few seconds :)

I really like this kid.

He stopped and talked to me almost every time we passed. I really enjoyed visiting with him. He is a fine young man. One of the nicest young men that I have seen in the last two years in camp. He and Lamb and Odorizzi. Easy guys to root for.

I hope he has a solid start tomorrow.

Maybe the reason they left Verdugo in Omaha is because they have more faith that he will develop so make sure he stays on a regular schedule rather than the iffy situation up here.

I also wish the guy well, so why am I having flashbacks to Eduardo Villacis?

I hope it doesn't turn out like that.

I think Will is much more talented than Villacis.

But your first start of your career being in Yankee Stadium is not for the feint hearted.

Will is a great kid and one of my favorite players to talk to at Spring Training. As I said earlier..........he and Lamb and Odorizzi. They always stop and talk when they pass by. And they are always yes sir and no sir guys. Always a smile and a handshake. And after the first few days they recognize you and go out of their way to talk to you.

Now I don't know how that relates to starting in Yankee Stadium........but I sure have to root for him.

Well, Old Pro, it turned out exactly like Villacis. Three and a third innings, five earned runs.

Why would they do that? Mendoza had four days' rest. Why not throw him out there, instead of this kid who is still struggling to adjust to AAA?

The only thing I can think of is that they are not too high on this kid and threw him out there to get his bee-hind kicked instead of having some kid they do like take a bee-hind kicking.

That's the only explanation I can think of.

Smith was also long gone by then, but the Royals have played only a few innings uglier than the bottom of the fifth.

best part of that being Mijares coming in to face a lefty with multiple righties after him, he hits the first righty and then Yost goes to the pen.

Collins hadn't pitched since Monday, Mijares pitched on Tuesday. Collins is far better v. RHB. So naturally Mijares gets the call.

WHY DIDN'T THEY THROW MENDOZA???

THE ONE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION THAT YOSTY CANT ANSWER!

SNOOZE ON THIS WHOLE THREAD>>> WHO CARES???

IT WAS ORDERED BY MLB THAT THE ROYALS HAVE AN UNKNOWN PITCHER BECAUSE THE YANKEES ARE FRUSTRATED!!!

LOL!!!

"Well, Old Pro, it turned out exactly like Villacis. Three and a third innings, five earned runs."

Unfortunately..............yes it did. I had hoped that it wouldn't. But it did.

"Why would they do that? Mendoza had four days' rest. Why not throw him out there, instead of this kid who is still struggling to adjust to AAA?"

I don't know why they didn't start Mendoza. Better question still is why has Moore given up on Mendoza when he just couldn't do without him at seasons opening? Granted he has had some very bad starts at times. But so has Hochevar. So did Duffy. So did Sean O'Sullivan and Kyle Davies, for multiple years. And we kept running or still keep running those guys out there. But he gave up on Mendoza after only a very few starts for some reason. Don't get me wrong. I don't in my wildest dreams think that Mendoza is the answer. But he was one of the guys that Dayton just couldn't "block". And before a month and a half are over...............he has given up on him as a starter.

"The only thing I can think of is that they are not too high on this kid and threw him out there to get his bee-hind kicked instead of having some kid they do like take a bee-hind kicking."

Well........that could be. But...........if that is the case.......then I certainly don't know who they are high on or why they would be high on them. Smith has been a better pitcher than Montgomery in my opinion. And much better than Dwyer. If you go back through the Spring Training threads I think you will find that I have said since the start that Smith would probably end up in the pen in either long or middle relief. I don't even think Dwyer will do that. Nor Montgomery. Verdugo is a middle reliever. All of that in my opinion of course.

Odorizzi and Lamb.............maybe that Jason Adam kid way down the road. They are the best we have. They MIGHT have a pretty good chance. That is it. That I see.

I had hoped for better for Will. I still do. As I have said..............he is an easy kid to root for. But Will and the rest of those guys I mentioned are not the problem. The problem with the lack of starting pitching in this organization lies squarely in the GM's office and the Owners suite. Dayton Moore is in denial about the state of pitching in this system. And he is hoping for a miracle. A miracle that ain't coming.

And as I have said many times. Denial and hope are not a plan. He and David Glass are going to have to take some drastic actions..........in my opinion. And they are going to have to do so very quickly. If not................like all others before it for the last 25 years............this "process" is doomed. And for all the EXACT same reasons. The inability to draft and develop Major League Quality starting pitching. And that means trading top "prospects". And that means trading "cornerstones" in order to get adequate pitching in here. And it means spending David Glass money on free Agent pitchers.

Hope I am wrong. But I think it is becoming clearer by the day. If it was ever in doubt to begin with.

Now having said all of that........I still pull hard for Will Smith.

I hope he learns and can adjust. And that he gets some more starts.

His turn comes up again against the Indians. I hope he is in there.

And has better results.

We've brought him up. We need to give him a chance to prove conclusively whether he is ready to pitch here or not.

Didn't get to see the game, was Smith that bad or just a couple of bad pitches that went out?