The Royals needed a starter for today, despite Gil Meche being on full rest.  They play in Cleveland, who has Cliff Lee taking the mound.  Now, Bob Dutton writes about the question, why not Luke Hochever- is it a question of keeping his service time down to avoid arbitration?  To which Dayton Moore says no. Dayton says its the guy who his scouts believe gives him the best chance of winning.  Wouldn’t that be Meche though? Here is my take, without having spoken to anybody about this.  Meche is unlikely to beat Lee, especially the way Lee has been pitching so far.  Save Meche for a day when he does have a chance to win, through someone out to eat the innings who won’t be scarred by the event.  Brian Bannister will eat innings, and has taken enough losses in his early years that he will battle the whole time, give the Royals a chance to win and will still be able to walk away without being mentally hurt.  Meche can come out for the next game and do his thing, and maybe come away with a win.

Hochever may not be able to A. stay foccused enough when the team is down to eat innings while giving the Royals a chance to winn and/or B. may not be able to stay mentally tough after a loss that no one expects him to win anyway.  Why put the more fragile choice in the no-win situation?

Joe Posnanski had a brief post about this situation, and he is such a Bannister fan he seems to love the choice.  I think you may have noticed that I am trending toward linking to Posnanski a ton this season.  Each year that seems to happen. A couple of years ago, I wrote a ton about the A’s because I loved what Susan Slusser had to say. Two years ago it was John Harper of the New York Daily News, who for a stretch seemed to write exactly what I had been thinking.  This year it seems to be Joe P, at least in the early going.  As the season progresses, and the teams really in it become clearer, I may move on.  But for witty and to the point pieces Posnanski is getting the nod these days.