Call The Cops: Despite Questionable Lineups, Kansas City Royals Crawling Back

Call the Cops, Rex Hudler doesn't care.

After chuckling mightily at Rex's latest cliche, we are now 30 games into the 2012 season, and the Kansas City Royals are 11-19. It feels like the fans have been gone through as many roller coasters of emotions as games played.

I still wouldn't classify the Royals as a good team, maybe not even an average team, but obviously they aren't as bad as their early 3-14 record and early 12-game losing streak indicated.

Kansas City lost their first six one-run baseball games they played in during the first few weeks, but has since battled back to win the next four one-run games.

Currently the Royals are just six games back in what has proven to be a bad American League Central thus far, and the theme seems to be road sweet road for just about everyone. Currently Cleveland is the only team with a .500 or better record at home, and even they are just 9-9. As a whole, as of this writing, the division is 30-51 at home, while they are 36-34 on the road. It doesn't make sense, much like the swinging pendulum that has been the early part of the Royals season.

Going further, Eric Hosmer is batting just .181/.252/.353 while Chris Getz is hitting a respectable .288/.338/.424 and has more RBI than Jeff Francoeur. Just like we all thought.

In the end it doesn't make sense, but in spite of everything, Kansas City is crawling out of the huge hole they set for themselves early in the season. Despite a starting rotation that averages just 4 2/3 innings an outing, and only has eight quality starts in 30 games, the Royals somehow find themselves three games ahead of the Minnesota Twins, and just six games back of the Detroit Tigers with nearly five months of baseball to play. Oh and the Royals have four middle infielders and three long-relievers currently on the 25-man roster.

The Boston Red Sox are just 12-18 and the New York Yankees are 16-14, but having a winning homestand against those two is always a good thing. It's like beating the Dallas Cowboys, or taking out the Los Angeles Lakers. No matter the year, or their record, people will take notice because of who they are.

I'm not drinking the royal blue kool-aid just as of yet, but with hope that Hosmer and Francoeur turn it around offensively, the Royals can continue to climb back towards .500. What should worry you most is obviously the starting pitching, but as the latest homestand has proved, the Royals are winning despite a void of any quality starting pitching.

Next up the Royals head to Chicago, where the White Sox are just 5-9 at home, before (thankfully) just a two-game series in Arlington against the Rangers. If the club can come home 2-3, I'd be tolerant. However if the Royals can win two of three in Chicago and somehow split the two games in Texas, I'd be ecstatic.

We'll have more time to sit back and digest throughout the day on Thursday as it's an off day for the club.