Royals Rumblings - News for June 20, 2014

Royals Rumblings - News for June 20, 2014

Yesterday we had reports the Royals had shown interest in Rays infielder/outfielder Ben Zobrist. Now we have reports the Rays aren't looking to move players, particularly not Ben Zobrist, who is still under team control for 2015. From Jayson Stark:

if [the Rays] think they have the pieces in place to win next year and beyond, with most of those pieces under team control for years, they'd be a lot less inclined to hit the implode button than the outside world seems to be theorizing. And that appears to be exactly how they're looking at this group. So here's our advice: Ignore all the talk you hear about fire sales or major housecleaning. Teams that have spoken with the Rays believe that's extremely unlikely.

He does point out the Rays may listen on David DeJesus, although David's recent injury that will keep him out a month greatly reduces the chances of him getting dealt by the July deadline. What is it with that guy getting hurt as his name pops up in trade rumors?

Stark also reports the Royals will not assess whether they should make a move until mid-July, but they have asked teams about right-fielders and bullpen arms. Rob Neyer doesn't understand why the Royals have identified that as the area of team need:

Which seems very strange! Because their bullpen has been tremendous. Their top five guys, anyway. I do realize that today’s managers want eight or nine tremendous pitchers in the bullpen, but that seems quite the luxury. As for right field, they have a pretty good right fielder already in Nori Aoki. Well, he was supposed to be pretty good. Instead he’s performed well under his projection . . . but exactly the same is true of Eric Hosmer, Billy Butler, and Mike Moustakas.

My guess is the team is looking for left-handed specialists, since they have yet to really settle on a solid option there so far. Also, you can never have too much bullpen depth.

Haven't gotten enough of Star beat writer Andy McCullough on video? Here he is talking about the Royals hot streak.

Royals closer extraordinaire Greg Holland was on Buster Olney's Baseball Tonight podcast, getting dirty.

We should get some good crowds at the K this weekend for the Mariners series, but KCUR reports that the Royals new "dynamic pricing" model may be keeping fans away.

The St. Louis Cardinals last week drew less than 30,000 in each of their games at Kauffman Stadium. That hasn’t happened since 2007. For Tuesday’s game against the Cleveland Indians, the 25,000-plus attendees exceeded two of the three games against the Yankees.

Royals Director of Ticket Sales Steve Shiffman closely tracks those numbers. "Attendance is a big factor," says Shiffman. "In Major League Baseball, they judge you by attendance and they also judge you by revenues." And more revenues are created by variable ticket pricing or, as the Royals call it, "dynamic pricing," which is underway for the second year....

Twenty-seven of the 30 teams in Major League Baseball have transitioned to variable ticket pricing for single game tickets. The Kansas City Chiefs announced last month they’re heading in that direction, too.

Comedian and Kansas City native Rob Riggle, in town for the Big Slick Celebrity Weekend to raise money for Children's Mercy Hospital, talks about life as a Royals fan.

So with the Royals atop the American League Central Division as late as June for just the second time since 1993, Riggle has something to say.

"I’ve been eating it from a lot of people for a long time," he said. "That’s all right. I know who I am. I know where I came from. I’m still very proud. "And they can suck it."

POW! Speaking of Big Slick, here is their website with a list of events. This year's hosts are Kansas City natives Rob Riggle, Paul Rudd, Jason Sudeikis, Eric Stonestreet, and David Koechner. This year's guests include Adam Scott, Aisha Tyler, Andy Daly, Angela Kinsey, Curt Menefee, Dallas Roberts, David Zayas, Dianna Agron, George Wendt, Jake Tapper, James Marsden, Joe Lo Truglio, John Hodgman, Johnny Knoxville, Josh Hopkins, Ken Marino, Kevin Pollack, Martin Starr, Michael Ian Black, Neil Flynn, Olivia Wilde, Rich Eisen, Sam Levine, Sarah Chalke, "Weird Al" Yankovic, and Will Forte. The Celebrity Classic will be tonight at the Little K. C'MON CHEN!!!!

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We know where Royals third round draft pick pitcher Eric Skoglund will begin his career.

It's been real Arizona! Idaho Falls bound! ✈️

— Eric Skoglund (@EricSkoglund25) June 19, 2014

Sports on Earth runs down which pitcher dominated each team. What a surprise, Roger Clemens dominated the Royals!

The Rocket struck out 276 Royals in 301.1 career innings against them. He was 25-7 in his career versus Kansas City. Clemens dominated a lot of teams, but it makes sense that he dominated the Royals more than anyone, because he was very good during his career, and the Royals were very, very not.

Oh England. Will you ever win? A gallery of some of England's saddest fans following their World Cup match to Uruguay putting their chances of advancing to the knockout round in serious jeopardy.

Kansas center Joel Embiid hurt his foot which has put the upcoming NBA draft in a tizzy.

Man wearing a suit made of Mentos falling into a dunk tank filled with Diet Coke? Man wearing a suit made of Mentos falling into a dunk tank filled with Diet Coke.

Celebrate Garfield's 36th birthday with some of his classic strips. I bet they have something to do with Mondays, lasagna, and Jon's inability to be attractive to women.

Have you been dying to know about the drama behind-the-scenes of the hit teen 90's comedy "Saved by the Bell"? Wait no more.

Is the Royals hot streak an illusion? Your song of the day is the new OK Go video full of illusions for their song "The Writing's on the Wall."