Chapter 1, In which The Dream releases Love Hate and it
becomes Hate/Love
Pop artist The Dream released an album in 2011 called LoveHate. He stated the title was short for “love me all summer, hate me all
winter.” Which got me thinking about the Royals from 1986-2013, during which
devoted fans would do the exact opposite of The Dream by loving the team all
winter and hating them as they floundered hopelessly all summer. “Our Time”
always became Their Time, which was followed by Cry In Your Cereal After A Ten-Game Losing Streak
Time.
Of course all that is behind us now that the Royals are
Defending Champions Of The World, but I couldn’t help but think about how the
reverse Love Hate also applies to several Royals players, namely Luke Hochevar
and Wade Davis, who we have had complex relationships with over the years. As starting pitchers, those two were complete buffoons on the mound but as relievers they have been lights out, which has changed Love/Hate to Hate/Love.
Chapter 2, In which Hate/Love became Hate/Hate
Take yourself back to early 2012. The Royals were in the
middle of a 90-loss season (somehow they finished in 3rd place in the AL
Central). Bruce Chen was the Opening Day
starter and led the team with 11 wins (and he only had 14 losses!). Billy
Butler had the best year of his career. Then there was Luke Hochevar, the
former 1st pick of the 2006 draft, who was coming off a career-best year in
which he won 11 games and produced a paltry (for him) 4.68 ERA. That winter, we
thought he was going to break out and become the right-handed version of
Clayton Kershaw. We loved Luke Hochevar. We admired him. Some of us even wanted
to bear his children.
Then the season started and summer came and he dropped a dud
on us. He lost 16 games which is NOT easy to do and Hate/Love really became
Hate/Hate.
Chapter 3, In which Hate/Hate becomes a complex phenomenon
Fast forward to late 2012, when GM Dayton Moore shocked the
world and traded the #1 Prospect in All The World (Wil Myers) plus some other
loose change to the Tampa Bay Rays for James Shields and Wade Davis. “Davis is
the key to the trade” they all said. It was reported that Davis, a former
Rookie of the Year candidate who was coming off a career-best year in 2012
after being demoted to the bullpen, was a decent starting pitcher who might
need some gentle tweaking from a pitching wizard like Dave Eiland. We weren’t
ready to love Davis just yet and we still hated Hochevar from his dismal 2012
season, so Hate/Hate became a complex phenomenon where Royals fans were
prepared to either Love if Davis or Hoch would pitch ok or absolutely HATE if
those imbeciles failed to not suck.
Chapter 4, in which a complex phenomenon became What The Hell
is Happening
As it happens, Hochevar was sent to the bullpen for the 2013
season and pitched terrifically. Hate/Hate became Love/Love. Davis, however,
was inconsistent and pitched like a douche which resulted in Hate/Hate. Then
Papa Hoch tore his elbow and missed 2014 and Davis was sent to the bullpen. We
did not know what to think and Love/Love Hate/Hate became What The Hell is
Happening.
Chapter 5, In which What The Hell is Happening became
Love/Love
While Papa Hoch sat out 2014, Wade Davis became the Greatest
Relief Pitcher That Has Ever Lived. He has completed pitching feats that are
completely unheard of, such as loading the bases in the bottom of the 9th inning
with 0 outs only to strike out the side. Davis
does not look at strikeouts. It is believed that if you hit a home run off
of Wade Davis you or your family will never be heard from again. And Papa Hoch,
his arm fully healed and ready to demolish opposing batters’ confidence, threw
82 strikeouts to only 17 walks issued in 2015, a ridiculous ratio that not even
Cyborg Wade Davis completed. The change from What The Hell is Happening to
Love/Love was now complete. We completely love Davis and Papa Hoch in the
winter, summer, spring and fall and every other team with their humanoid
bullpens can go suck it.
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| Wade don't look at strikeouts |
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| Papa Hoch |
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