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Weekend Rumblings - News for February 28, 2015
Billy Butler still misses Kansas City and is trying to find his way in a new organization for the first time.
“Obviously, the biggest memories are the one we just had,” Butler said. “I don’t care what people say. That stuff is still processing. That stuff is still very fresh in your mind. I feel like that was a week ago.”
Butler feels pangs for Kansas City like a phantom limb. He has said he would like to return to the organization in some capacity. Down in Arizona he has dined with closer Greg Holland. He still thinks about the rhythms of the clubhouse, his place in the organization’s history and the front office’s plans for the next few seasons.
Success hasn't gotten to the Royals heads, Sam Mellinger says--instead, it's helped motivate them and mature them, especially manager Ned Yost.
“So in a sense, it’s like, I’m trying to keep these guys positive. I’m trying to keep these guys going forward. But these guys do read the paper, and they do listen to that stuff, and they do take it to heart. So while we’re trying to build them up, in the paper and press they’re getting knocked down. So you’re always fighting that battle, to get them over the hump.”
Here he pauses, and, was that a smile?
“Now they’re over that hump. They know they don’t have to deal with it anymore.”
Same can be said for the manager. Like we say, success has its perks.
Over at Royals Authority, former Royals Review writer Clark Fosler discusses the tale of prospect John Lamb and offers some reason for optimism.
John Lamb is still just 24 years old.
There is still time for Lamb to get back, or at least get to the majors. Maybe he won’t be at the front of a major league rotation anymore, but maybe he could fit in a rotation somewhere. Maybe.
While it is all part of the game and hardly rare, I hate it when young guys with promise get hurt. Lamb not only struggled to return from Tommy John, but fought other injuries as well on the way back. He lost most of 2011 and 2012. The 2013 campaign was pretty much just a debacle of ‘well, he’s got to pitch somewhere’. Maybe 2014, average as it was, is just enough success to get Lamb back on track.
Remember Cheslor Cuthbert? Perhaps Cuthbert will crack the majors as a second baseman, Hunter Samuels of Kings of Kauffman muses.
The Royals aren’t giving up on the idea of Cuthbert moving around. He’ll be getting extensive work at second base this spring, where the coaching staff and veteran players can give him much more instruction. If he hopes to make it to the big leagues quickly, that position is likely his best bet. He doesn’t really have the bat for first base, and his arm may not play well at third. Plus, Hunter Dozier should be pushing his way up, if things go as planned.
The organization has dangled Omar Infante on the trade block, and only Christian Colon seems big league-ready to take over, giving Cuthbert the path of least resistance. I don’t know how his glove would look at second on a regular basis, but his offensive profile could play. And I realize I keep saying this, but he’s still so young. It’s tough to write off a guy who just turned 22 years old and already has experience at Triple-A. He’s still learning, and he’s still developing.
Also, as you can see from the picture of this Rumblings, pictures have been taken in Surprise. Like, pages and pages and pages of them. I think we're all looking forward to new pictures, so their appearance is a good thing.
Other Articles of Interest
Leonard Nimoy, famed Star Trek actor and Spock himself, died at 83. He lived long and prospered.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP</p>— Leonard Nimoy (@TheRealNimoy) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealNimoy/status/569762773204217857">February 23, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Tired of planes, trains, and automobiles? You're in luck; Elon Musk's hyperloop company will start construction in 2016.
It seems like the Republicans failed to pass their own bill to fund Homeland Security. Maybe it's time to replace the elephant with an awkward turtle.
Meanwhile, the GOP presidential candidate field is historically crowded at the moment
Ok, so, either The Dress is Joseph's actual technicolor dreamcoat or it's because of science
Weekend Classic
Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings was performed for the first time in 1938 and is one of the great pieces of American classical music. This particular performance occurred on September 15, 2001 in memory of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
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