Royals Rumblings - News for May 1, 2015

Royals Rumblings - News for May 1, 2015

Christina Kahrl at ESPN has an excellent in-depth piece on how we may be seeing a brand new Lorenzo Cain.

When you look at Cain's early hitting performance, he's providing plenty of evidence that he's turning into something more dangerous than the guy who didn't make a great first or second or even third impression in the majors before delivering a career-best .751 OPS in 2014. But how? Is it because he's becoming more aggressive?

Cain is offering on more first pitches and killing them, with a first-pitch OPS north of 1.300 through Monday. Perhaps predictably, he's striking out less, but he's walking more often too. He's pasting line drives with a regularity that suggests last year's .380 BABIP isn't really all that surprising from a guy with a career mark of .348, especially now that he seems to have a better sense of what he's doing at the plate than ever before.

"He became a very different player, more of a complete player [down the stretch]: defensively, on the basepaths, in the batter's box," Royals manager Ned Yost reflected.

EDIT: She also questions whether the Royals have really been the bad guy, or the victim of too many plunkings.

It's worth noting that while Ventura is on that leader board, he's also responsible for half of the Royals' six total hit batters, while the league has pegged 20 of K.C.'s men. That's a total that ties the Texas Rangers for total guys pelted at the plate and net hit batsmen suffered versus inflicted. At minus-14, the Royals have been on the receiving end of this kind of thing far more often than they've dished it out. But sure, #YordanVentura. Putting all of that on him certainly seems like a steep price to pay for one talented, emotional and perhaps immature kid. Is that about the Royals or Ventura, or is that about everyone else?

The Star lists every single instance of the Royals getting hit by a pitch.

Frank Morris at KCUR looks at how the Royals are being punished for flaunting the unwritten rules of the game.

"I think they’re being tested, honestly," says Posnanski. "Some of it is not intentionally trying to hit the players, but I think they’re pitching inside on the Royals to try to challenge them," he says.

Posnanski notes that most people thought it was a fluke last year when the Royals took the American League championship. But now the Royals are a real threat, not just other teams, these guys are challenging some of the mores of baseball.

"There’s an unwritten code in baseball," says Posnanski. "These unwritten rules, certain ways you’re supposed to act in a game."

Alcides Escobar will be re-evaluated today, after he suffered concussion-like symptoms upon being struck by a Danny Salazar pitch on Wednesday.

"When he left the game he was dizzy, had a headache, had trouble focusing, which are all concussion-like symptoms," manager Ned Yost said. But on Thursday, Yost said Escobar’s only problem was a little dizziness when he looks up quickly.

A stint on the seven-day concussion disabled list is a possibility.

Yordano Ventura dropping his appeal now was done strategically.

That means Ventura’s next start will be in the series opener at Detroit on May 8. "We only had to find one spot start instead of two," manager Ned Yost said before the Royals played the Tigers on Thursday at Kauffman Stadium.

Andy McCullough writes about how an email saved Chris Young's career.

He relies upon deception created by his height, the craftiness to discombobulate a hitter’s timing and a slider that "just disappears," pitching coach Dave Eiland said. The spray charts from his outings feature the parabolas of lazy flyballs floating into outfield gloves.

"He’s a smart dude, really, really smart," first baseman Eric Hosmer said. "He knows how to read the swings and study certain guys. There are certain guys who he realizes their swing pattern won’t allow them to hit a certain pitch. He exploits that pretty much every time."

The Royals are drawing some of the best TV ratings in baseball.

Thank you Royals fans. Games on FSKC are the highest rates of any team in the country this year

— Joel Goldberg (@goldbergkc) April 30, 2015

Royals left-handed minor leaguer Erik Skoglund had a career game for Wilmington on Wednesday.

Major League Baseball finds no tampering in the Joe Maddon-to-the-Cubs case.

Blue Jays minor leaguer Munenori Kawasaki is a fantastic dancer.

Microsoft has a new toy that tries to guess your age.

Hmmm. http://t.co/IEsFN3vwCs pic.twitter.com/8LBasPLTSs

— Royals Review (@royalsreview) April 30, 2015

The first round of the NFL draft was last night, and the Chiefs took Washington cornerback Marcus Peters. Here's your complete draft coverage.

Will #1 pick Jameis Winston's tumultuous past become a footnote?

Economists say its stupid to trade up in the draft.

Kentucky Derby picks from a cat.

There is a fight this weekend not involving the Royals. Who ya got?

David Sims at The Atlantic looks at the state of this summer's movies and Marvel's domination.

Vox.com writes the gluten-free fad is getting a bit silly.

Jon Stewart is leaving "The Daily Show" to start an animal sanctuary.

Faith No More has their first album in 18 years, and it might be pretty good.

Your song of the day is LL Cool J with "Mama Said Knock You Out."