There are a million facts and figures one could use to describe the Royals' ineptitude this season.

They have Sidney Ponson in their starting rotation
Since coming over in trade, their new starting shortstop has an OPS of -25
The "big bat" they acquired this off-season is hitting .214 with a .291 OBP

With all that said, they do have a few half-decent players, plus a few guys who are useful in the right spots. Yet the Royals' manager, a brilliant tactician who's cost his team at least five games solely based on his inability to run a bullpen, finds ways to muck that up too.

To wit: Who do the Royals go to in the #2 slot in their order today, vs. big righty Jeff Niemann?

Wilie Bloomquist, he of the .293 OBP vs. righties this year, and career line of.256/.308/.313 vs. right-handers.

Batting order, in the grand scheme of things, doesn't make that big a difference. In general, you want your best hitters batting as high in the order as possible, to garner the most at-bats.

It's just reassuring to know that the Royals aren't just messing up the big decisions when it comes to winning baseball games. They get the little things wrong too.