RC opens up the Mailbag...

Editor's Note: From time to time, RC likes to take questions from our legions of loyal fans. Here are a few of the better questions we received, along with our responses. If your question wasn't answered, that's probably because it wasn't good enough.

Q: Bill Edwards asks:
RC, I love the picture of Butler at bat and Gordon on deck. That's something to look forward to. I do have a question about Butlers stance though. In the picture, it looks like he is getting ready to have a high leg kick. Being that you watched him bat, does he actually have a high leg kick? If so, he's going to have to cut that down; Major league pitchers can throw a fastball by power hitters with a high leg kick.

A: RC: When we saw Butler in person, he was competing in a home-run derby, so he was loading up on his swing with a high leg kick, which you can see in the photo below. However, even with the high leg kick, his hands remained back and went straight to the ball, which is ideal. Hitters with high leg kicks get into trouble when they drop their hands as part of their timing mechanism, because the hands must then go up and back before coming forward. Unless you have the hand speed of Gary Sheffield, it's hard to get away with that, because you have to start your swing that much earlier, and your hands have less time to react to the pitch. If you keep your hands back, it doesn't matter when you start your leg kick, so a high leg kick on its own is not necessarily a problem.



However, that's somewhat irrelevant, because the latest video we've seen of Butler shows us that in game situations, his leg kick is considerably smaller than what we saw in Frederick. You can check out Butler's swing by going to this page and scrolling to the bottom of the page. It's pretty clear that he's not going to have any problems hitting fastballs.

Q: D. Kaegel from Kansas City, MO, asks:
Hey RC, I really like Ken Harvey. Alot. How come you don't ever mention Big Harv on RC? He doesn't appear anywhere on your future roster, and it seems like you haven't even considered for a spot on the team next season. If I were you, I'd consider writing several columns about him over the span of a couple days...and maybe even plaster his photo all over your website, because it's clear he hasn't gotten the attention he deserves with his superior performance.

A: RC: You silly little man. Ken Harvey is terrible, and he has absolutely no future with this team. Nobody wants to hear about him. Maybe next year, when RC sees him at a minor league game (probably manning 1B for the Toledo Mud Hens), we'll do a "Remember this guy?" feature. Will that make you happy? In the meantime, quit bothering us with these stupid Ken Harvey questions.

Q: Jim B. from Overland Park, KS, asks:
I was looking through your site and came across your projected 2006 roster, and I was wondering if you still think guys like Mike Aviles will make next year's roster?

A: RC: Thanks for the question, Jim. The answer is no. Our 2006 projected roster was written back in August, and a lot of things were sorted out in September that cause us to question our projection. Specifically, Andres Blanco's emergence as a favorite for the 2B job next year really shakes things up. If we had to guess right now, we'd be willing to wager that Donnie Murphy, Mike Aviles, and Justin Huber (all of whom were on our projected roster) will all begin the 2006 season in Omaha. RC now expects the Royals to sign a free agent utility man.

Q: RC's Official Roommate from down the hall asks:
Why do the Royals suck so bad?

A: RC: So, how do you think your Cards will do in the World Series this year? Oh wait...sorry, they choked again, didn't they? Just like 1985. Now go make me a sandwich.

Q: Allard B. from Surprise, AZ, asks:
Do I like this site? You bet I do. Do I think you know what you're talking about? I think you've got some solid leads. Does Ken Harvey have a shot at making next year's team? Hahahahaha! By the way, RC, your check is in the mail.

A: RC (munching on a turkey sandwich): It better be. It better be...

Well, that's it for tonight. If you'd like to submit a question to RC for a future mailbag segment, just click on that obnoxiously large "RC Mailbag" located underneath the main logo in our right sidebar.