OTC: George Brett Likes Royals Trade / Name Your Favorite Xmas Movie & Scene

“The Royals want to win now. The only way we have to keep a Moustakas, to keep a Hosmer on this ball club is for us to start winning now. … If we can start winning now, hopefully, Moustakas and Hosmer will tell their agents, ‘Get me the best deal you can in Kansas City because I like this team. I don’t want to go anywhere else.’ Believe me, if we continue to lose 90 to 95 games every year, that conversation will never take place. So for that, I’m very thankful for the trade.”
George Brett, talking with Bob Fescoe, on why the Royals traded Wil Myers for two of Tampa Bays’ starting pitchers, 610 AM
GH: Winning is a variable that the Royals and Chiefs have not been able to factor into re-signing free agents for far too long. We hear about our Midwestern quality of life, our fervent fan bases and even the quality of our restaurants – but no one dares refer to the Royals and Chiefs chances of being champions. Would that rare carrot be enough to keep our homegrown talent home? It would sure be nice to find out.

“James Shields just told us he would be open right now to talk about an extension with the Royals if they are interested ‘no doubt about it.’ ”
Jim Bowden, @JimBowdenESPNxm, Twitter

“Takes an act of congress for me to not fire back when ppl talk bad about [the] Royals in kc… We’ll prove them wrong.”
Danny Duffy, @dduffkc23, Twitter
GH: Danny Duffy might be the most Joe Six Pack professional athlete on Twitter in the history of social media. He trades tweets with anybody and everybody who is a fan – and not on the typical pro-to-fan level, but more like he’s friends with these faceless folks in cyberland. It also doesn’t hurt that he is the author of the famous quote – “Bury me a Royal.” This Royals team is hard to hate despite their losing ways.

“You’re probably looking at August or September to be safe. That’s like acquiring two quality pitchers at the trade deadline when those two guys come back.”
Dave Eiland, on when he expects Danny Duffy and Felipe Paulino returning from Tommy John surgery rehab, 610 AM
GH: Duffy has been telling us June is a realistic due date for his return. I wouldn’t mind the two of them sitting out until the Royals’ postseason roster needs to be declared. Yeah, I said it. So now I’m sounding like JoPo circa 2000.

“If I’m the Royals I’m asking what are we doing at the minor league level with these young arms that they are going backward. Montgomery should have been in the big leagues two years ago.”
Mitch Williams, ESPN MLB analyst, on the Royals being unable to depend on their farm system for starting pitching, 610 AM

“This changes everything. Everything gets better if you can pitch.”
Todd Leabo, 810 AM

“Last thing [for now]: Call me a Debbie Downer if you want. Just know I’ve never hoped I was wrong about a Royals move more than this one.”
Rany Jazayerli, @jazayerli, who has spent much of the week blasting the Myers/Shields trade as a bad deal for the Royals, Twitter
GH: On that point Rany, all Royals fans  can all agree.

“You can peck away on your blog…”
Soren Petro, deriding those bloggers who dare question the Royals’ trade, 810 AM
GH: I don’t have a problem with those who have criticized this trade. A great city has a media and culture that invites conflicting opinions. One of this websites strongest points in my opinion is the difference of opinions that is shared on a daily basis in the fertile Comments section. One thing that has always been lacking from Soren Petro’s and Kevin Kietzman’s sports talk shows is balance. Differing opinions on these two popular formats are rarer than Royals’ postseason appearances.

“You just know this is a baseball town. I just felt like Dayton felt – now is the time. I think we’ve put ourselves in a really good position to go out and compete every single day.”
Ned Yost, 610 AM
GH: This is not a unique feeling for Royals fans in December. We often feel optimistic months before spring training. Dare we think this spring will be different? That this summer will bear fruit? It is the life we chose as baseball fans. It is a maddening, beautiful existence.

“OH CRAP. It is December 12 already and I have not yet watched Love, Actually. ‘If you reallylove Christmas…’ ”
Melinda Haas, Omaha Stormchasers photographer and fan, @minda33, Twitter
GH: Love Actually is my all-time favorite movie no matter the season. It is an unabashed chick flick that scores on so many levels for me that even the deleted scenes in this one are perfection. My wife and I make it a date to watch this DVD every December. Sounds like Melinda has a similar date in her household. I am going to guess we are far from alone. Do you think Miss Dunkin’ Donut 2003 watches every December? Of all the romantic stories in this movie [and there are many], Jamie’s and his Portuguese housekeeper’s is my favorite. The films’ theme song, Portuguese Love Theme is simply a perfect, perfect instrumental. When it swells during Jamie’s proposal at the restaurant, you cannot help but to me moved. I envy those of you who have yet to enjoy this exquisite film.

“My two favorite Christmas movies – Love Actually and Die Hard.”
Steven St. John, 810 AM
GH: Nailed my one and two holiday movies as well. I remember introducing our two boys to John McClane and Sargent Al Powell a couple of Christmases ago. Nothing like watching somebody experience a great movie for the first time. “Yippee-ki-yay mother…

“What about Home Alone?”
Nate Bukaty, 810 AM
GH: We love watching Home Alone with our kids – even now that they are in college and high school. My bride is a Christmas movie freak. Last week she cracked out the DVDs of Burger Meister Meister Burger, Burl Ives’ Rudolph and Mickey Mouse’s Christmas [the one starring Scrooge McDuck – “What are they cooking, a canary?”]. She has been playing them each night during dinner and we’ll continue to do so until the week before Christmas when she goes A Christmas Story crazy and we get nonstop Ralphie, Randy, Flick, Schwartz, Scut Farkus and The Old Man. “Oh Fuuuuuuudge…”

GregHall24@yahoo.com and Twitter / greghall24