Finally, it’s over…

The Royals finally concluded their worst ever season Sunday with a 7-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

After the game, they fired pitching coach Guy Hansen and bench coach Bob Schaefer, both moves that I agree with.

The pitching has been awful this year under Hansen. When he arrived, he tried to change the delivery of almost every pitcher on the staff. Brian Anderson ended up hurt and missed half the season. Scott Sullivan never pitched this year. He tried to change Zack Greinke’s delivery and Greinke had a terrible season. I remember early in the season when former Royals pitcher Mike Boddicker was doing the Royals pre game show on the radio. Boddicker was not shy about expressing his feelings about Hansen. He made it clear that he felt Hansen was not the right guy for this staff. He said that Hansen always feels like he has to change things, even if things are going alright. I was also annoyed by Hansen’s frequent trips to the mound.

Schaefer, to me, represented the Royals of the past five years: a bumbling, losing team that batted out of order and made a mockery of Major League Baseball. Maybe it’s unfair to characterize Schaefer that way, but… Well, we certainly do wish the best for Schaefer and Hansen.

The Royals also announced their intentions to release Terrence Long. Where’s the Lima announcement???

The Kansas City Star featured an article over the weekend that discussed Buddy Bell’s plan for starting over in 2006. Believe me, players, management and fans alike are all hoping for a fresh start this season. Only 126 days until pitchers and catchers report.