Royals Rumblings - News for February 3, 2015

Royals Rumblings - News for February 3, 2015

Ned Yost is trying to figure out a way to rest catcher Salvador Perez more often.

The plan crafted by Royals manager Ned Yost to limit the playing time of catcher Salvador Perez is simple and time-tested. Yost intends to pair the club’s backup catcher, most likely either Erik Kratz or rookie Francisco Peña, with one member of the starting rotation. By dubbing the reserve the proverbial "personal catcher" of the pitcher, Yost will force himself to rest Perez, a 24-year-old two-time All-Star....

The trouble is, Perez is energetic and insistent each and every day.

If only the Royals had someone to manage the situation.

Luke Hochevar is ready to come back from Tommy John surgery.

"Hopefully, I’m ready in two weeks," Hochevar said. "But you never know and I’m not going to put a timetable on it. I’m going to listen to my body. I need to look long term, not just career-wise but season-wise. Me on the shelf is no good. If it takes me an extra two weeks, a month, whatever it is, I need to be mindful of that."

Craig Brown at Royals Authority gives his review of Ned Yost's baseball app.

I downloaded the app and gave it a spin. My impressions are less than favorable at this point. It’s too easy to accidentally sign yourself out. The point, as far as I can tell, is you pick a defensive position and the game gives you a situation. Your goal is to throw to the proper base. At least, that’s what I think is happening. There aren’t any instructions.

At the end of the drill, you get a screen that gives you a score based on "accuracy," "average response," and "correct percentage." I have no idea what accuracy is all about. You’re tapping a screen in the general area where you are making the throw. Then the correct percentage thing is confounding. I was dinged for a wrong answer because with a runner on second and one out, as a first baseman I was supposed to throw to… second? Good thing this app is free.

I’d hate to think anyone would pay money for this.

Brandon Finnegan should be doing ads for Bud Light, because he's up for whatever.

"I would not mind being in the ’pen at all," he said. "It’s fun. I like hanging out with those guys down there. But also, starting’s fun, too. I like starting. I’ve done it my entire life."

Dave Cameron at Fangraphs tries to look for the baseball equivalent of the Seahawks play-calling to end their Super Bowl chances. And it includes some Royals baserunning hijinks!

Zack Greinke isn't too enamored with the Dodgers off-season.

Former Royals infielder Wilson Betimet was suspended 50 games for testing positive for amphetamines.

Outfielder Andruw Jones, who the Royals once targeted as a free agent, is returning to MLB after two years in Japan.

Steve Treder at Hardball Times looks at what can be done about rising strikeout numbers in baseball.

Grantland runs down all the Super Bowl commercials, or they would have, if they didn't die.

The case against childhood vaccination is even flimsier than you thought.

Net neutrality is coming.

Sorry, you have to find your radio-controlled cars somewhere else, Radio Shack is going out of business.

If you've been looking to invest in a company dedicated to searching for Bigfoot, the big IPO is coming.

Your song of the day is Big Data with "Dangerous." (cool video version here, but it has 2 seconds of NSFW material)