End of the second act

I just did what I do best. I took your little plan and I turned it on itself. Look what I did to this city with a few drums of gas and a couple of bullets. Hmmm? You know... You know what I've noticed? Nobody panics when things go "according to plan." Even if the plan is horrifying! If, tomorrow, I tell the press that, like, a gang banger will get shot, or a truckload of soldiers will be blown up, nobody panics, because it's all "part of the plan." But when I say that one little old mayor will die, well then everyone loses their minds!

--Dayton Moore talking to himself in a mirror

The mission statement for this blog should be rather obvious. However, it should be made perfectly clear that this isn't a mere knee-jerk reaction to one trade. Oh no. This has been building slowly since Dayton Moore assumed the role of making all personnel decisions for the Kansas City Royals in June 2006. Moore's decision to jettison top outfield prospect Wil Myers and three other prospects of significance for a wing (James Shields) and a prayer (Wade Davis) simply sent us and fans with the same convictions boiling over.

So I have two goals for this blog. The first is to personally break down the trade — the key players involved and why the timing, price, and return made no sense, yet Moore pulled the trigger anyway. My second goal is to analyze Moore's tenure with the Royals and bring perspective to the ill-advised moves he has made. I also suspect my partner will bring an in-depth look at the statistical side to prove Moore's folly.

Since coming to Kansas City, Moore has fed fans his "plan" for the franchise. The front office has preached patience and offered a promising window for which the Royals could realistically compete. Fans came to peace with those forecasts. Fans had hope — perhaps more hope than ever before — and Moore dashed those hopes to keep his job. Change the words "mayor" to "Myers" and "die" to "get traded" above and you have a fairly accurate rendition of what went down Sunday night instead of a quote from The Dark Knight.

Things were going "according to plan" but Moore got needlessly elaborate in his direction for the team. A friend of mine who does not follow the Royals (the Mariners, in fact) did his best to justify the trade late Sunday night. He said there should be far more outrage over Jeremy Guthrie's three-year, $25 million contract. My response: "Guthrie was just money. This was hope."

Moore sacrificed hope for sustained success and a perennial All-Star outfielder in royal blue in exchange for a better chance at a contract extension and a possible playoff appearance over the next two years. This blog is for fans who don't believe that's how a franchise should be run.

Here's one more good read to add to the reactions my partner posted earlier:

• Big League Stew's eight reasons why the Royals lost the trade

Fire Dayton Moore