K-State will win the Big 12

Wednesday’s ramblings...

• MAGICAL YEAR FOR WILDCATS? — The more I think about it, the more I believe the stars are aligning perfectly for the Kansas State football team to win the Big 12.

Given Bill Snyder’s recent health scare and the fact he’s approaching 80, KSU fans have to believe that this year could be his last.

While Snyder never seems to age, at some point he’s going to step aside for a second time.

Snyder was his usual guarded self Tuesday during the Big 12 Media Day, an event I’m sure he detests. All he wants to do is coach football and dealing with we media types takes away from his meticulous preparation.

Kansas State, for one of the rare times, is not being overlooked by the media that covers it  the most. The Wildcats were recently tabbed No. 3 behind Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in the preseason poll.

But why not K-State for No. 1? 

No matter what anybody says, Oklahoma is bound to slip a bit after the retirement of Bob Stoops. While the Sooners aren’t quite the power they were in Stoops’ earlier years, you always had the feeling his team was favored in about every game it played.

Lincoln Riley is the youngest coach in the country and while he has keen offensive acumen, there’s a difference in being the captain of your own ship.

K-State plays OU at The Bill on Oct. 21. KSU also gets West Virginia at home as well as TCU, Baylor and Iowa State. The toughest road game will be at Oklahoma State, but KSU also plays lesser lights Texas, Texas Tech and Kansas on the road, teams that all finished in the second division last year.

I truly believe K-State will be one of the most explosive teams in the country. Quarterback Jesse Ertz is a running dynamo and when he does throw it, he has some breathtaking talents. And remember the name Alex Barnes. He’s going to be a monster this year and will gain 1,000 yards if he gets the carries. The offensive line is the best in the Big 12 except for Oklahoma.

KSU also has quality back on defense and Snyder always unearths some diamonds in the rough on that side of the ball.

I, for one, think the Wildcats will win the Big 12 and Snyder can ride off into the sunset at the top of his game.

• ROYALS IN FREE FALL — It’s official. The April version of the Royals are back.

Kansas City made it six losses in the last seven games on Tuesday as Detroit battered the Royals for a second straight night, this time 9-3. Just like Monday’s game, the starting pitching was awful and you could just see Kansas City’s players swinging for the fences once they got behind.

It’s amazing how quickly things can change. The Royals were 18-6 right before their 1-6 slide. They were scoring runs at a pinball clip, now they can barely score. Everybody was hot during their 24-game sizz, now everyone is carrying around ice sticks. And the starting pitching is showing its lack of depth, which is taxing the bullpen.

The f-word (firesale) is starting to rear its ugly head again

• THANKS TO LGC — I had the pleasure of being a guest Tuesday night at the Lindsborg Golf Club’s Men’s Night.

Thanks to Don and Brian Bengtson for inviting me. I had not played Lindsborg in about 25 years and the course has come a long way since then. The folks in Little Sweden should be proud of their course.

A whopping 49 players turned out (and many of them I knew) and we played a five-man scramble in less than 2 hours. I only wish I could have helped my team more. I felt like I was an albatross around their neck as I couldn’t get a putt to the hole and while I hit the tee ball well, we didn’t need it because I had a couple of bombers on my team. Oh well, I was a good cheerleader.

Legend of Bol Bol chronicled in SI

Tuesday’s thoughts...

• BOL’S LEGEND GROWING — The last time McPherson High basketball fans saw Bol Bol in person, he was a rail-thin 6-11 center masquerading as a shooting guard.

Bol was a sophomore at Bishop Miege and in the fourth quarter of the tense Class 4A Division I championship game in 2016 against McPherson High at Salina’s Bicentennial Center, Bol stood about 25 feet away from the basket and slung a 3-pointer that was nothing but net to tie the game at 54-54.

That dagger provided the impetus for the Stags to go on a run and defeat the Bullpups 69-59 for the championship despite a combined 45 points from the brothers Pyle, Ben (23) and Drew (22). MHS was going for its third state title in a row.

Bol, son of the late Manute Bol who was a longtime NBA player known mostly for being 7-7, would never lace up his sneakers again for the Stags. For whatever reason, he left Miege and headed to California, playing last year for highly acclaimed Mater Dei High School, which has produced some NBA players.

The Bol story is fascinating and in the most recent issue of Sport Illustrated, his saga was detailed.

Since playing against the Bullpups, Bol has continued to heighten as he now tops out at 7-3.

Normally 7-3 guys (with a 7-8 to 7-10 wingspan) hover around the basket, but Bol is comfortable avoiding contact. His father’s career evolved that way, as he became known more for his 3-point shooting than scoring around the basket.

Bol Square has risen to the No. 2 senior recruit in the country by one reputable scouting service and reportedly has been offered a scholarship already by KU, Kentucky, Arizona, UCLA and USC.

Who knows how Bol’s game will transition at the next level. When he was at Miege, there were instances where he didn’t even make it across halfcourt, content with staying on the defensive end where he’s a menacing presence.

Even without Bol, Miege won the state championship this past season, again defeating McPherson in the championship game. Given what both teams have coming back, don’t be surprised if another meeting is in the offing. Miege lost some great players, but I’m sure there will be an influx of “newcomers.”

• ROYALS REELING — After a stretch where they won 18 of 24 to be at the center of postseason playoff talk, you knew the Kansas City Royals would come back to earth.

And they’ve landed with a thud.

The Royals of the last seven games are strikingly similar to the Royals of April when they went 7-16 and put themselves behind the playoff 8-ball.

To their credit, that hot stretch vaulted them back into the race. But just as all their hitters got hot at the same time to lead the big push, they’ve all gone cold at the same time.

KC has scored 16 runs in the last seven games, all losses except for one when the blinding sun saved them. To boot, top pitchers Danny Duffy and Jason Vargas pitched four of those games.

The bloom is coming off the Vargas rose. His control has gone haywire and now his soft stuff is little more than batting practice. Duffy has pitched well, but gets no support.

The Royals are in the midst of an important 10-game homestand, but just 1-3 so far. Maybe the players are feeling the pressure of the upcoming trade deadline, but to me it looks like they’ve gone back to swinging for the fences instead of their “frenzied hitting” that is their trademark.

KC still has two automatic outs in its lineup as Alex Gordon and Brandon Moss show no signs of getting to the .200 mark. Gordon’s contract is going to wind up being an albatross around this team’s neck. KC’s not getting much return on its 4-year, $72 million deal that has two more years to go after this one.

MHS football could be something special

Monday’s musings...

• EXCITED FOR BULLPUP FOOTBALL — It’s apparent from the summer McPherson High’s football team has enjoyed that this has the makings of being a special season this fall.

The Bullpups went to Overland Park over the weekend and took second place in a 7-on-7 competition hosted by Blue Valley and attended mostly by 6A and 5A teams and some Missouri schools. Earlier this summer they went toe-to-toe with Garden City in a scrimmage, a team coming off a 9-1 season and stocked with talented returnees.

This is the year I think a lot of MHS fans have been pointing to for a while. This year’s senior class has been wildly successful not just in football, but other sports. MHS coach Jace Pavlovich has a large group that knows how to win and it’s highly motivated after being ousted by Maize South in the second round of the Class 4A Division I playoffs after winning an emotional first-round game against Andale on a final-minute field goal by Drew Labertew, still one of the most exciting finishes in all my years of covering MHS athletics.

All that’s missing from this year’s team will be size. This will be a team built on quickness and skill. Pavlovich must replace his all-senior offensive line, but he has some candidates who are worthy and eager to step up and meet the challenge.

Of course the hype surrounding the season is going to be off the charts as MHS opens at Buhler Sept. 1 in what could very well be the best game in Kansas on Opening Night. The Crusaders are going to be as loaded, perhaps even more, than the Bullpups. It will probably come down to Buhler’s explosive offense against the veteran McPherson defense. 

Last year the Crusaders took advantage of MHS’ early miscues to sprint to a 20-0 first-quarter lead, but to MHS’ credit it battled back and lost only 26-13.

I know Pavlovich and his staff have worked overtime in preparing for the season and the young men who play for them have worked diligently in the weight room, as some of the kids will have a new, more-sculpted look when they take the field. I, for one, can’t wait.

• KCAC MEDIA DAY SET AUG. 3 — You know we’re getting close to the start of the KCAC football season when the announcement is made that Media Day is scheduled for Aug. 3 in Wichita.

I’m not sure when the first one was, but I still have a trophy for winning the Media Golf Tournament in 1981 that used to be held in conjunction with the event. Whatever happened to that tournament anyway? It was a nice perk by the KCAC. All those years we held the Media Day at Salina Country Club and we never got to play the course once. Criminal!

Anyhow, it’s not going to be the same this year without Friends’ Monty Lewis, who was ousted after last season despite having a tremendous 14-year run as head coach. We media types enjoyed Monty, whose passion for the KCAC and its success was second to none. His Falcon teams were always among the best in the conference, but apparently the school decided to go in a different direction. His speeches at Media Day are legendary as he shot from the hip and was as honest as he could be.

Dion Meneley is the new Falcon coach and comes from Hutchinson Community College, where he served as defensive coordinator. My guess is the Falcons will be chockfull of junior college transfers this season given the contacts Meneley probably has around the Kansas JCs, which is known for producing big-time players, though maybe not to the degree it used to.

• SORIA’S FUTURE? — How much longer can Kansas City manager Ned Yost keep running Joakim Soria out to protect leads and the end result is a tie game or the Royals being behind?

Soria blew his second save in the last week and sixth overall on Sunday against Texas, but the Royals bailed him out by scoring in the ninth inning for a 4-3 victory.

Soria is clearly not the Soria of old when he was “Automatic Jack.” He doesn’t have the velocity he once did and too many pitches are left up to be mangled. 

The Royals once had their “HDH” bullpen of Kelvin Herrera in the seventh, Wade Davis in the eighth and Greg Holland in the ninth. All that’s left is Herrera, who has been shaky at times, while Holland and Davis are All-Stars for Colorado and Chicago, respectively. It was assuring back then for Royals pitchers to know all they had to do was have the lead after six innings and the game was virtually over.

Now the Royals have Mike Minor in the seventh, Soria in the eighth and Herrera in the ninth. If Soria continues to have missteps, Minor could end up being the eighth-inning guy.

Prep sports start a month from today

Friday’s favorites...

• COUNTDOWN IS ON — One month from today.

That would be Aug. 14 and it’s the first day high school sports teams can begin practices as authorized by the Kansas State High School Activities Association.

It’s also a signal that summer is going way too fast and needs to slow down.

There’s probably more excitement surrounding fall sports than anytime of the year.

That’s because the athletes have had the summer preparing for the school year by working out, and getting bigger, faster and stronger. It’s the sports season that sets the tone for the rest of the year.

This upcoming sports season will be my 39th of covering the local scene, which is really hard to believe. It seems like only yesterday I walked into the high school office for the first time on Aug. 13, 1979, and the late Jay Frazier said to me, “so you’re the new sports guy?”

I can tell you that the embers still burn and there’s nothing better than covering high school sports. And from the McPherson High coaches I’ve talked with, they’re looking forward to exciting seasons.

• WILDCATS PICKED THIRD — Finally, somebody who may have gotten it right.

The media who regularly cover the Big 12 voted for their preseason football poll and picked the Kansas State Wildcats third.

I posted on Thursday how the national prognosticators annually get it wrong when it concerns the Wildcats. One leading publication tabbed the Wildcats sixth even though they probably have the most top returnees of any team in the Big 12.

Oklahoma was picked first, followed by Oklahoma State. But don’t be surprised if this is the Cowboys’ year. Oklahoma has to adapt to the loss of Bob Stoops, who surprisingly retired early this summer. I’ve been surprised how little has been made of why he stepped down as it still seems to me there has to be more to the story.

As expected, Kansas was a runaway winner (or loser) as the last-place team. The Jayhawks just hope to beat somebody and not go O-fer. Texas was their victim last year and maybe they can get a couple this year. But I wouldn’t count on it.

• ROYALS RETURN TONIGHT — Tonight could be the beginning of one final run for the core group of the Kansas City Royals as a breakup is a very real possibility.

Kansas City arrived at the All-Star break with a 44-43 record, but with baseball’s parity (other than the 60-29 Houston Astros) the Royals find themselves only 3 games back of Central-leading Cleveland and 1 1/2 out of the wild-card spots.

From all indications, the Royals are going to ride it out with their core group, which includes five-free-agents-to-be — all of them vital players.

The Royals return with 10 straight home games. They haven’t been nearly as dominant at home as previous years, but they need to come out with guns blazing. They open with three against Texas, which always seems to give them trouble. Then it’s four with fading Detroit and three against the Chicago White Sox, who just traded top pitcher Jose Quintana as they’re raising the white flag on this season and dealing off their top assets for prospects.

If KC goes 3-7 or 2-8 on this homestand, the entire complexion of its season changes. And the firesale talk could start again.

KU football taking baby steps

Ever since Mark Mangino guided the Kansas Jayhawks to an Orange Bowl victory over Virginia Tech in January of 2008, the KU program has fallen on hard times to the point where the case could be made it’s among the five worst in the country.

It’s pretty much a given of the Big 5 Power Conference teams, it’s the worst.

Mangino’s teams filled the 50,000-seat Memorial Stadium during those halcyon days, spearheaded by dazzling quarterback Todd Reesing and a terrific, attacking defense led by Aqib Talib.

But Mangino’s alleged old-school way of treating his players got him in trouble and eventually he was shown the door.

Turner Gill, the one-time Nebraska star quarterback, was hired and it was the beginning of the downfall. Gill, while being an exemplary person, was overwhelmed by the job and his tenure didn’t last long. Then came the ill-fated hiring of Charlie Weis, a big name with an even bigger ego who plummeted the program into the abyss as he thought he knew it all when in fact his reputation was built mainly on being Tom Brady’s quarterback coach at New England. Brady has done just fine without old Charlie.

David Beaty is now in his third year of rubble restoring. He went winless his first year and won only twice last year, though one of the wins was over Texas, which has as many resources as any school in the country (and that loss led to the firing of coach Charlie Strong). You would have thought the Jayhawks had defeated Alabama as the victory is still being celebrated, even if it was against an inferior Longhorn team that couldn’t get out of its own way.

Being an alum of KU, I still have my doubts about Beaty. A 2-22 record will do that. I love his half-glass full, positive outlook even when things look bleak. I like the fact that he appears to be recruiting a higher level of player, due in part to the addition of energetic assistant coach Tony Hull, who has opened up a Louisiana pipeline.

But Beaty made several questionable in-game coaching decisions in the last two years. He was not only the head coach, but offensive coordinator and even took over special teams at one point, none of them being very successful since he spread himself so thin.

Beaty, to his credit, hired away Doug Meacham from TCU to take over as offensive coordinator. That may have been his top recruit since last season. TCU regularly put up big numbers and Meachem is regarded as a spread offense guru. At least if the offense spins its wheels this year, it won’t be totally on Beaty.

The Kansas defense has been its biggest drawback, especially the secondary. When KU played teams like Oklahoma, Baylor and Oklahoma State, it was as though the defense put up little resistance and looked terribly out-athleted.

But maybe the times are changing. Junior defensive end Dorrance Armstrong Jr. is the Big 12’s preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Lineman Daniel Wise is the envy of a lot of teams. Mike Lee has gained the reputation of being a savage hitter in the secondary.

But KU fans shouldn’t get too excited. The program still doesn’t have a full allotment of scholarship players. The offensive line is slow and small by today’s college standards. It’s going to be baby steps and KU fans need to understand that. Beaty will be the Big 12’s Coach of the Year if he can win four games.

For now, I’d just take the Jayhawks being competitive week in and week out. Especially against Kansas State, which has cast a huge shadow over KU.

NBA, NFL need to take tips from MLB

Wednesday’s ramblings...

• BASEBALL ALL-STAR GAME THE BEST – Perhaps the NBA and NFL can take a page out of Major League Baseball’s book when it comes to their midseason All-Star games.

Baseball has the other two beat, hands down. While a 2-1 game may not sound exciting, it did go extra innings with Robinson Cano smashing a game-winning homer off former Kansas City Royal Wade Davis.

The baseball players also go full speed, unlike the other two sports that play their All-Star games in slow motion.

When you add in Monday’s exciting Home Run Derby that introduced the world to Aaron Judge, the All-Star Week from Miami rated about an 8 or 9 on a scale of 10.

Then you have the NBA All-Star Game. It’s no game at all as the players don’t hide the fact that they’re putting out little effort. This year’s game was a sham and made a mockery of what an All-Star Game should be. The Slam Dunk contest is old and tired, as it’s like watching reruns of shows from the 90s. The 3-point contest is somewhat appealing as I always like watching lights-out shooting.

The NFL Pro Bowl is an exercise in not getting hurt. My feeling is with such a fear of injury, the NFL would be better off by just canceling the game. The players don’t want to be there and it has turned into little more than a game of touch.

The only way the NBA and NFL can have decent All-Star games is by waving the almighty dollar in front of the players’ faces. Money does indeed talk.

• BAKER SIGNS WITH KNICKS — Ron Baker is now a millionaire.

Nearly nine times over.

Baker is going to be paid $8.9 million over the next two years by the New York Knicks. The former Wichita State walk-on has come a long way as he was doubted first as a college player, then as a pro.

But the aw-shucks Baker has proven where hard work will take you. He has the good fortune of playing for the Knicks, one of the most awful teams in an NBA that has become the Golden State Warriors, the Cleveland Cavaliers and then everybody else. 

Baker has the drive and fundamentals to be an NBA player for years to come. I wonder how many people thought that when he came out of Scott City.

 • AS USUAL, WILDCATS UNDERRATED — When will sports publications ever learn?

I saw my first college football magazine the other day, the well-respected Lindy’s. Of course the first pages I turn to have to do with the Big 12.

The never-respected Kansas State Wildcats are rated No. 6 in the 10-team Big 12. I’m here to say right now bet the farm on them finishing higher.

Kansas State is going to be a Top 3 team. With Baylor’s program mangled by off-the-field issues, Oklahoma reeling from Bob Stoops’ retirement and the other teams with obvious holes, this might be the year the Wildcats make a run at the top.

My advice is always never, ever fall asleep on Bill Snyder’s Wildcats.

Judge could be baseball's savior

It’s no secret Major League Baseball lags far behind the NFL and NBA in terms of popularity.

And soccer fans will scream at the top of their lungs it’s a no-contest, that their sport dwarfs what commonly has been referred to as our National Pastime, although I think soccer is more appealing across the pond than it is here at home.

But I always have and always will be a baseball guy first because it was the No. 1 sport without question when I was a kid and by a wide margin. 

I don’t mind the tedious, crawling pace that has turned off a legion of sports fans who want non-stop action to keep their attention spans. I grew up as a baseball worshipper and I’m now in the minority. The violence of the NFL has vaulted it into the stratosphere, while the NBA, because of its fast pace and outrageous athleticism, is right behind.

Baseball needs a shot in the arm. Monday night it might have received the booster rocket it needed.

I’m generally not a big fan of MLB’s Home Run Derby, much like I don’t watch the NBA’s Slam Dunk competition or even the NFL’s Skills competition. Baseball has become a slugger’s game, with stolen bases and bunting having gone the way of the dinosaur, though those are aspects I find pleasing. As they say, chicks dig the long ball.

But Monday, I tuned in to see what all the fuss has been about New York’s rookie sensation Aaron Judge. I’m not a Yankees fan, but every time I look at the box scores it seems like he’s hitting a home run. Thirty of them in fact, on pace for the high 50s. And this from a guy who couldn’t even hit .200 last year in his brief call-up.

What Judge did Monday was revolutionary for the sport. He blasted several majestic moonshots, some of them more than 500 feet. Once he survived his first round, he steamrolled the opposition. The difference was he’s 6-8 and nearly 280 pounds and even his miss-hits were flying out of the park, to the opposite field in fact.

Judge has a chance to be to the game what Tiger Woods was to golf. He’s Bunyanesqe, almost larger than life. He also has a humility about him as he’s careful not to get caught up in “Judgemania.” After his humbling last year, he knows it can be here today, gone tomorrow. He’s guarded against pitchers dissecting his swing and figuring him out.

It doesn’t hurt Judge that he plays for the Yankees and in the media capital of the world. If he was hammering 30 homers for the bland San Diego Padres, only a smattering would be noticing. But he’s doing it under the most intense microscope and scrutiny there is.

Baseball needs an Aaron Judge type of star. It needs that marquee name that will draw 40,000 to a meaningless game in Tampa Bay. It needs a player to appeal to the masses, not just those diehards like me who grew up on Mays, Mantle, Aaron and Clemente.

Aaron Judge could be that player.

Royals have ridden roller coaster

Through all the ups and downs, from the wretched 7-16 start to the blistering 18-6 stretch that got them back into contention, the Kansas City Royals find themselves just a game over .500 at 44-43 going into the All-Star break.

Yes siree, it’s been quite the roller-coaster ride. The Royals were baseball’s worst team in April, winning just 7 of 23 games. Their offense couldn’t approach 4 runs, their starting pitchers couldn’t last into the sixth inning and when they did get a lead, Joakim Soria and Kelvin Herrera were there to give it right back.

The Royals were still meandering until they went on a West Coast trip against San Diego, San Francisco and the Los Angeles Angels. A 7-2 excursion put KC back in it and then it followed that up by winning two of three against both Boston and Toronto.

The Royals were finally cooled off just before the break when a team even hotter than them, the Los Angeles Dodgers, sent them into the All-Star week with three straight losses.

Still, being 3 games back of AL Central leader Cleveland and just 1 1/2 games out of the second wild-card spot give the Boys in Blue some hope.

When you consider all that went wrong, it’s a miracle.

Alex Gordon, perhaps feeling the weight of his oversized contract, simply looks like he’s forgotten how to hit. Jorge Soler, for whom KC gave up prized reliever Wade Davis, is an unmitigated bust. That 2/3 of your starting outfield and when they’re both hitting under .200, that puts so much pressure on the rest of the lineup.

Brandon Moss has failed miserably as the DH in place of the reliable Kendrys Morales. He’s also under .200 and has just 16 RBIs, though he has hit 10 homers. I’m sure there’s no other team in baseball that has three regulars under the Mendoza Line.

But Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Salvador Perez have been warriors. Whit Merrifield has been a revelation. Jorge Bonifacio has been a surprise though he’s cooled a bit. Alcides Esocbar is finally starting to heat up, but he was in the Mendoza Club for more than two months.

The starting pitching has been forgettable, but gets a pass for all the injuries. Take away Jason Vargas and it would be nightmarish. But Vargas’ 12-3 record has propped up the rotation where Jason Hammel, Ian Kennedy and Nathan Karns have struggled and Karns is now out for the year. Danny Duffy missed significant time, but should be strong since he hasn’t pitched many innings.

Through it all, the team has treaded water. It’s beat-up bullpen finally got its act together and has managed to hold most leads, except for Soria. It’s still a team that is wildly sporadic offensively and I hope that the 7 runs scored against the Dodgers wasn’t a signal that everybody is getting cold at the same time again like they were in April.

Then of course you have the stigma of July 31 staring them right between the eyes. KC has a 10-game homestand right after the break and if it swoons to 2-8 or 3-7, you’ll hear cries of “sell, sell, sell” again. The Royals have five high-profile players who can walk after this year. I think as long as there’s any semblance of chance on the 31st, they have to hang on to their assets.

The way I see it, the Royals’ fate will be decided by that first homestand. If they go 5-5 or better, they’re in it to win it.

NBA salaries have become obscene

Friday’s favorites...

• NBA SALARIES ARE WACK — I can’t take it anymore.

The NBA has just seen enough money given out to inferior players to bankroll an entire country. The latest staggering deal that takes my breath away involved Tim Hardaway Jr. (who I didn’t know was still in the league) as the Knicks are lavishing $71 million over the next four years for the former Michigan star. And what did he do to earn his more than id="mce_marker"7 million a year? Average 14.5 points for a lifeless Atlanta team that is going nowhere.

One that really blew my mind is Otto Porter Jr. going from Washington to Brooklyn for a staggering id="mce_marker"06 million over the next four years. That’s $26 million a YEAR for a player who has never made an All-Star team and initially was a bust after being a high draft pick. He averaged 13.4 points and he’s going to receive money that approaches what LeBron James makes? Yikes.

Are these teams mad at their money? Surely the Nets couldn’t have been run up by another team for Porter’s services. He’s a nickel and dimer, a ham and egger. 

Of course the elite players are being paid well. The Boston Celtics are about to pay former Utah star Gordon Heyward id="mce_marker"28 million over the next four years. That’s, gulp, $32 million a year. 

It’s enough to make me turn off the NBA forever. I certainly hope these big-money players do something positive with their windfalls — donate to cancer research or other charitable causes — other than spend it on five houses or 10 cars.

For those of us who will have to work to age 66 just to make ends meet, all this NBA monopoly money spending makes me ill.

• MOOSE IS IN — Thanks to the loyal Royals fans, Mike Moustakas is heading to the MLB All-Star Game.

Moose was voted in by the fans, who were given a list of players who were snubbed and a wrong was righted.

Moustakas was certainly All-Star worthy. His timing couldn’t be more perfect as he’s heading into his walk year and has blasted 25 homers on his way out the door. Had Moustakas suffered through an off year, the Royals’ chances of signing him would have been much better.

Don’t be surprised if the Los Angeles Angels make a huge run at Moustakas during the offseason. They need a third baseman and Moustakas as everyone knows is a Cali guy. With Mike Trout and Albert Pujols their only offensive weapons, Moose would certainly be an upgrade.

The Royals won’t let him go without a fight. They should concentrate on re-signing him since Eric Hosmer’s demands will probably be out of sight and Lorenzo Cain is too old to throw big bucks at. The Royals have a replacement for Alcides Escobar if he leaves and Jason Vargas’ history would suggest the Royals shouldn’t back up the truck to the bank as he’s been pedestrian most of his career.

• BIG SERIES — Speaking of the Royals, they open a three-game series tonight at the Los Angeles Dodgers, which matches perhaps the two hottest teams in baseball.

Who would have said that at the start of the season?

The Royals have won 18 of their last 24 and you just have to wonder how long they can play at this pace. They are back in the AL Central race, just a game back of Cleveland.

Unless the Royals deal for a veteran starting pitcher, I can’t see them at the finish line for the playoffs. Hopefully Nate Karns will come back at some point and that Jason Hammel will find his form. Hammel has been a huge disappointment, not only from a wins standpoint but the fact he doesn’t go deep into games.

The Royals’ bullpen, which has come light-years since its disastrous April, has been picking up the slack for the starters, but at some point it’s going to wear out.

Royals need to go all-in for this season

The Kansas City Royals have no choice. They've come too far now. They have to push in all their chips for that one last big pot.

The Royals have been the best team in the American League over the last 30 games and now find themselves in the middle of the AL Central Division race. They are also the second wild-card team at this point, a half-game behind the plunging New York Yankees.

Not bad for a team that was 10-20 after 30 games as flashbacks to those 100-loss days were starting to pop up.

Of course there’s a lot of talk about the Royals’ five pending free agents and how many they’re going to deal before the July 31 trade deadline.

All five have been immense in the surge.

• Mike Moustakas — Moose appears to be a lock to break the Royals' longstanding team home run record of 36 by Steve Balboni. He has been simply torrid and now has 25 bombs on the year.

• Jason Vargas — Vargas simply didn't have it last night, but his teammates picked him up for a no-decision. Everybody has to have a clunker now and then. He's 12-3 with a shot to win 20.

• Alcides Escobar — He was in the .180s about a month ago, but is finally up to .225 and has finally quit trying to hit everything out of the park. His glove work is never in question.

• Lorenzo Cain — Another solid year for Cain. He's at .276 with 11 homers. He's generally in the middle of the Royals' big innings. 

• Eric Hosmer — Few have been hotter. His average has climbed to .313 after being in the low .200s in May. He's even hitting more homers, on pace for about 20.

Given where they are now, I look for General Manager Dayton Moore to hang on to his stars and hope to sign them in the offseason, though I'd bet the farm all won't be back. Kansas City simply doesn't have enough money to make them all happy.

Why wouldn’t most of them want to come back? They have been a part of two World Series teams and now have their sights on getting back for a third time. Even if they stay with Kansas City, they’re going to be make millions. I’d like to think being comfortable sometimes overrides the almighty dollar.

At the start of the year, I thought Moustakas was the most likely to come back. But now that he's turned into Babe Ruth, his price is skyrocketing. He's also more than adequate defensively. But he's a California guy and those West Coast teams will certainly make a run at him.

As for the others, I've been practically sure that Hosmer and Cain will be gone. Hosmer has Scott Boras for an agent and nobody holds owners hostage more than the notorious Boras. Hosmer has done nothing to hurt his value with a huge bounceback after two slow months to start the year.

Cain is getting up in years and has suffered numerous injuries. He's looking for one big payday to ride off into the sunset.

Escobar is the easiest to replace, but never devalue his contributions. He's not an All-Star, just a solid player.

Vargas is having a career year, likely to never be duplicated. His age and coming off Tommy John surgery make him risky.

Just imagine the Royals without these five players. Or four. Maybe even three. That's why they need to stick to their guns and go for one last run and let the chips fall where they may.