Royals Rumblings - Royals news for May 23, 2014

Royals Rumblings for May 23, 2014

Sam Mellinger at the Star writes that Mike Moustakas' trip to Omaha can be a demotion or an opportunity, and his career could depend on which way he sees it.

Because the Royals waited longer than they should’ve to make this move, a lot of the focus and criticism has been on the organization’s awkward handling of the problem. That’s all fair and justified. But it has also overshadowed the fact that Moustakas is a grown man in pro baseball, and grown men in pro ball succeed or fail on their own merits.

This is a critical point for Moustakas, both personally and professionally. The Royals should’ve done this sooner, and he could’ve handled his most recent struggles better.

But that’s all over now. What happens from here is up to Moustakas. This is a demotion, but it’s also an opportunity.

Dalaoth points out the Omaha Stormchasers are already promoting Moose's arrival. Look for a tie-in with Nebraska area Olive Gardens.

Lee Judge writes that walking hitters can be good sometimes and gives an excerpt of the book he wrote with Jason Kendall (now available at bookstores everywhere!).

One thing I can't stand is a guy who gets hit by a pitch and stands there huffing and puffing. If a guy gets hit by a pitch—if he wears one—and then stands at the plate pointing at the pitcher and yelling, he's weak. The hitter just wants to look tough while he waits for his teammates to arrive. Guys who actually are tough? They don't wait around; charging the mound is a split-second decision, and they're just gone.

Here's the way I see it: if you get hit by a pitch and you think it was something personal, go get the pitcher. If it wasn't personal, walk your ass to first base.

Brian Henry at Kings of Kauffman compares the Royals offensive stats this year to a year ago and finds underperformance, although he thinks the team is trending in the right direction in more recent games.

Rany Jazayerli recently wrote a terrific piece at Grantland about submarine pitchers. The Royals have a rich tradition of submariners from Ted Abernathy to Terry Leach to the great Dan Quisenberry and more recently in the minors, the internet sensation Chris "Disco" Hayes.

If what submarine pitchers do isn’t that special, why is there only one in the majors right now? And if what they do is that special, then why has the game repeatedly overlooked and underrated them for the past 50 years? Why isn’t every team in baseball looking for a submariner to call its own?

Maybe one day the game will solve this paradox, and when managers signal to the bullpen, they’ll point not only to which arm they want, but also to which motion.

Texas first baseman Prince Fielder will need spinal fusion surgery and is out for the year. Fielder had struggled to hit for power this year due to a herniated disk in his neck. Perhaps there is another poor-fielding portly first baseman with no power they would be interested in trading for?

Rangers infielder Jurickson Profar is also out a few months and possibly the season as well. The Wild Card is as good as ours!

Famed American player Landon Donovan was left off the Team USA World Cup Soccer team. Doesn't Jurgen Klinsman value veteran leadership in the clubhouse?

Here is the mayoral candidate for the "Internet Party" in the city of Kiev, Ukraine. Not sure I see a deadbeat dad like him getting elected.

The trailer for the documentary about the life of Roger Ebert looks pretty compelling, even if you're not a film buff, but simply a fan of people who were passionate about the things they cared about.

The song of the day is "Houdini" by Foster the People: