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Royals Rumblings - News for October 10, 2014

Let's do this.

By Max Rieper
Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Royals Rumblings - News for October 10, 2014

Jerry Crasnick of ESPN looks at how the Royals and Orioles are brothers in arms in having terrible plate discipline.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this is the first meeting in an LCS or World Series between two teams that finished in the bottom five in the majors in walks since divisional play began in 1969.

The Orioles led MLB with 211 home runs this season and the Royals were last with 95 long balls -- and the Royals were first with 153 stolen bases while the Orioles were last with 44 -- but the teams are similar in several respects. They both rely on unheralded starting rotations, lockdown bullpens and defenses that pass the eye test and are hailed by the game's new statistical metrics.

They're also not much for taking a casual stroll to first base. The Orioles ranked 26th in the majors with 401 walks, and the Royals were last with 380.

Dave Cameron at Fangraphs explains why their playoff odds love the Royals so much.

The Royals believed themselves to be contenders this year based in part on their faith in Moustakas and Butler, and both underachieved relative to what the team and the forecasts believed they were capable of. The same could be true, to a lesser extent, of Eric Hosmer, Salvador Perez, and Omar Infante. The Royals expected to have a productive infield, and the forecasts thought this group should be pretty solid as well, but in reality, they were pretty lousy, especially if you consider Butler part of the infield group. But just as the Royals haven’t given up on their young core, neither have the projections, and their optimism about these young players performing better than their 2014 numbers has the forecasts buying into Kansas City as a legitimate contender.

Andy McCullough writes about how some tweaks to Eric Hosmer's swing have helped him become the post-season hero.

"I think he is a superstar in the making," veteran outfielder Raul Ibañez said, adding, "The ball he hit the other day, at night, at Kauffman Stadium, a missile, on a line, a no-doubter, off a left-handed pitcher — that’s the stuff that special players do."

McCullough also has a nice profile of Royals pinch-running specialist Terrance Gore.

"I wouldn’t say I’m cocky, but I know I’m really fast," Gore said. "And it’s going to take a perfect throw."

Shocking! Omar Infante has been playing with a sore shoulder.

justaguyfromkansascity asks if we should be concerned about Danny Duffy.

I don't know what to make of it, but I can tell you my greatest fear on this subject: Duffy is hiding an injury and is not expected to recover anytime soon, so he is being used sparingly in these playoff games before he misses another year recovering from surgery or retires due to injury.

Ned Yost has to remind himself to have fun during this run.

"You can get overwhelmed because of the importance of it, the excitement of it, and you have to stop yourself every day and remind yourself this is fun, this is a blast, this is what you worked hard for your whole life and what the players have worked for their whole lives. So enjoy it."

Lorenzo Cain's wife gave birth to a son - Cameron Loe Cain, I guess named after former Omaha Stormchaser pitcher Kameron Loe?

LET'S GO ROAYALS!

ALCS umpires have been named.

Rob Neyer points out Joe West is....THE.....WORST....

The Orioles signed shortstop J.J. Hardy to a contract extension yesterday and want to extend outfielders Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis as well. DISTRACTIONS!

The Royals lead the Majors in post-season merchandise sales, with Eric Hosmer being the third most popular player merchandise behind Yadier Molina and Derek Jeter, who isn't even playing. RE2PECT.

Rapper Archie Eversole is supporting the Royals.

Mayor Sly James has renamed Baltimore Avenue in Kansas City "Royals Avenue."

Ben Lindbergh of Grantland has his ALCS preview.

Sam Miller of Baseball Prospectus has his ALCS preview.

SB Nation's Ryan Nanni explains why the Royals can win it all in video form.

The Royals are the underdog team America has fallen in love with.

Royals legends are tired of talking about 1985, and are glad the current team is finally worth talking about.

Whatifsports projects a Royals ALCS victory.

The most ridiculous times Dr. Sam Beckett influenced the future on "Quantum Leap."

Key and Peele reveal how powerful and unsettling Steve Urkel really was.

RIP "Saturday Night Live" actress Jan Hooks. Always thought she was pretty underrated, and that era was my favorite era in that show's history.

Your song of the day is Archie Eversole with "We Ready" (NSFW)

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