Royals Rumblings - News for July 23, 2014
The Royals had another meeting last night, this time a players-only meeting.
Moose said everyone got chance to talk in team meeting but the veterans did the most talking. "They reminded us we are a good team" #royals
— Jeffrey Flanagan (@jflanagankc) July 22, 2014
You are?
Manager Ned Yost thinks the Royals are just "one hit" away from another surge.
Asked what it will take to break the Royals out of the funk, Yost said: "One big hit in a crucial situation. That's what usually gets us going when we struggle."
Yea, remember when the Salvador Perez home run in Tampa Bay sparked a long winning streak? Yea, me neither. Ned concedes the team needs more power, but he also wants to manufacture more runs.
"How do you do it? We have not been in hit-and-run counts and we have not been in hit-and-run situations," Yost said. "It'd be nice to get in those situations so we could try something. "There's no little push-button pad in the dugout that I can push and put us in a situation. (The players) have to get us in that situation, then we can try some things."
There's no third baseman tree and there is no hit-and-run push-button pad, okay?
Joe Posnanski is pretty troubled by the Royals apparent hitting philosophy.
The Royals hire and fire hitting coaches, they move players in and out, they switch lineups – but this is the constant: Put the ball in play. Since 2012, the Royals have walked 100 or so fewer times than any team in the American League. And since 2012, the Royals have struck out about 200 fewer times than any team in the American League. For three years running, they have struck out the fewest times in the league. And, not coincidentally, they have been at or near the bottom in walks too. This is not an accident. The Royals are an anti-strikeout baseball team. Period...
But in practice, as you probably know, chasing batting average is not an effective strategy ESPECIALLY when you are chasing empty batting averages filled with lots of singles. And that’s exactly what the Royals batting average is: Empty. Since 2012, they have hit more singles than any team in the American League except Detroit (which, at last check, had one more single than the Royals). But they are dead last in extra base hits. Even more telling, they have hit 50 fewer home runs than the punchless Minnesota Twins and 100 fewer homers than any other team in the American League over those three seasons. And, like they have been the last three years, the Royals are near the bottom in runs scored.
Royals first round pick Brandon Finnegan is off to a terrific start for Wilmington, allowing just one hit over his first seven professional innings.
Jake Odorizzi could be the key to the James Shields trade.
Is it time for an "illegal defense" rules to prevent all these extreme defensive shifts in baseball?
We just had a baby, so of course I think this animated gif of a drowsy baby falling asleep at a Blue Jays game is THE MOST ADORABLE THING EVER.
A brief history of pro-wrestlers dressing like dorks (clickbait to attract Andy McCullough).
How will Zack Greinke deal with reports that Jay-Z and Beyonce are done?
Is a burrito a sandwich? It is according to New York state law.
Your song of the day is inspired by that dynamic duo, Dayton Moore and Ned Yost, who are in this process together, til the end, buddies for life, friends forever - Captain and Tennille's "Love Will Keep us Together".