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2007 If nothing else, he`s consistent--take a look at his major league EqAs. If you squint, though, you can see Buck making some slight progress. His walks went up, his strikeouts went down, and . . . okay, that`s about all the progress he`s made. He`s a decent defensive catcher, and he turns 27 this summer, so there`s some reason for a modest brand of optimism, even if he`s disappointed thus far. Still, it`s telling that the Royals spent $2.5 million to bring Jason LaRue in to challenge Buck the starter`s job. 2006 He`s got pop, and he threw out 34% of opposing base stealers last year, but he`s also got a lifetime OBP of .284. It`s possible to make up for a .284 OBP in other ways, but it generally requires acts described in books of Scripture. The Royals point to his .321/.341/.568 line from September 1st on as proof that he`s ready to turn the corner. There are some similarities between Buck and Brandon Inge, whose career-high in OBP stood at .266 after three seasons and didn`t break out until he was 27. This is one instance where the Royals` lack of talent may be a blessing; they`ve got nothing to lose by giving Buck another season as the full-time catcher. 2005 Consider Buck a lesson in not getting too worked up over first impressions. In his first six weeks in the major leagues, Buck looked about as bad as any player has, ever, hitting .149/.222/.203 in his first 74 AB, and his bat speed showed all the blazing quickness of continental drift. It turns out hitting coach Jeff Pentland was tinkering with his swing; from July 31 on, Buck hit .274/.308/.524. His K/BB ratio was troubling, especially since that ratio did not improve in concert with his power numbers. But his power is legit, and it's nearly impossible for a catcher to hit 20 homers and not have value. He's a solid second player from the Beltran trade.
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