FanHouse Tony Pena Jr

When you consider that the Kansas City Royals have scored the least amount of runs of any team in the Majors with 181, and that none of the regulars are currently hitting over .300 on the season, it's pretty easy to see that this team has trouble scoring runs. All of which makes it a lot easier to understand the team's current 8-game losing streak that's dropped them into a tie with the Detroit Tigers for last place in the AL Central.

Now, when a whole team is struggling offensively, it's tough to find that one guy that's sucking like no other. Fortunately for Royals fans, shortstop Tony Pena has made himself a very easy target, though his manager Trey Hillman has no plans on taking him out of the lineup anytime soon.

"I think it goes back to this," manager Trey Hillman said. "If the guys who are supposed to be hitting will just hit, then he's not the issue. The issue is the other guys in the lineup who are hitting one through six on any given day."

The Royals had to place Ross Gload on the disabled list with a sore quadriceps muscle, and in his place they have recalled the one, the only, Angel Berroa.

I know, you can hardly contain your excitement. Kansas City Royals baseball just hasn't seemed the same without getting to watch Berroa flail wildly at pitches, and throw balls away. You may remember how the Royals optioned Angel to Triple-A Omaha after trading for Tony Pena Jr in March.

Apparently he's performed well enough in the minors to warrant this call up. In thirty games with Omaha, Berroa is hitting .303 with 15 RBI, 17 strikeouts, and 4 walks. He's also committed five errors, which seems par for the course, but the Royals are hoping he can continue hitting.

Berroa will not be starting for the Royals, rather he'll just be backing up Pena and Alex Gordon at third base. I have to wonder if this move is nothing more than one last gasp by the Royals in hopes that Berroa will perform well enough that some other team will be dumb enough to trade for him.

Kansas City isn't exactly deep in the pockets, and paying a guy $8.5 million to play for their Triple-A team is not the kind of cost effective building Dayton Moore wants to do. If I'm Moore, I give up Berroa for just about anything and try to find a team that's willing to pay at least some of his salary.

Previously at the Fanhouse:
Bye Bye, Berroa
I Hope Angel Berroa Has A Day Job
Fallen Angel