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Royals Rumblings - News for May 15, 2015
Despite leveling off after their hot start, the Royals are pretty upbeat these days.
"This was a big win for us, to come in here and split with these guys," Yost said. Energy was not an issue on Thursday. Hours before the game, salsa music boomed from a set of speakers inside Kendrys Morales’ locker. Morales had somehow acquired a bullhorn that featured an air-raid signal. The whoops pierced through the room, and first-base coach Rusty Kuntz pointed to the coaches’ locker room, where Guthrie huddled behind a closed door with catcher Drew Butera and pitching coach Dave Eiland.
"That’s why that door shuts," Kuntz said.
Clark Fosler at Royals Authority looks at how the Royals might upgrade their rotation.
I don’t believe trading a reliever for a starter, no matter how good the reliever might be, straight up happens in baseball: not if you are looking for a real upgrade in a starter. The Royals also don’t have THAT prospect to center a trade around. There is no Wil Myers in the system or Yordano Ventura (rumored to be the asking price for Howie Kendrick at one point) or Zack Greinke (rumored to have been asked for in exchange for David Wright before Zack made his major league debut). I am not even sure there is a Jake Odorizzi to offer.
There are those who love and covet prospects, I’ve lost that attachment to most or at least to the current group in a good, not great, Royals’ system. If Hunter Dozier and Raul Mondesi (currently hurt) greases the wheels of a trade for a starter, I am not sure I lose sleep over it.
New York Times writer Tyler Kepner writes how the Royals want to get back to the World Series.
"It hurts a lot when you come that close," Manager Ned Yost said. "I just kept thinking, well, in a week or 10 days I'll realize what we accomplished and it'll feel better. Then a week or 10 days came and it didn't feel better, and I thought, well, maybe it'll take a month. And it didn't feel better after a month.
And finally after two months I figured, O.K., it's never going to feel better."
Lee Judge explains how pitchers cheat.
Royals ticket prices have gone up on the secondary market, although the opponent matters.
By and large, the price of Royals tickets sold by independent vendors is trending up because of the team’s success — a World Series appearance last year and a strong start this year. One analysis shows that well-heeled ticket buyers this season are paying an average of $279 a game for the very best seat in the house, compared to $230 for the same seat in 2012. For lesser seats, ticket brokers are selling at prices 10 to 30 percent higher than last year.
And Royals fans don’t seem to mind, with attendance up more than 10,600 per game from a year ago.
Catcher Zane Evans and shortstop Rafael Furcal are being promoted to AA Northwest Arkansas.
Bubba Starling officially goes on the 15-day disabled list with a hamstring injury, and is out 3-4 weeks.
The Royals may have a decision to make with minor league pitcher Joe Blanton.
#Royals officials do not want to lose Joe Blanton, whose opt-out clause is Friday.They believe he will be patient with their decision-making
— Jeffrey Flanagan (@FlannyMLB) May 14, 2015
Sunday is "Dressed to the Nines Day" with a tribute to the Negro Leagues with the Royals wearing these lovely Monarchs jerseys.
Rex is on the bus, but who is driving the bus?
Wow! That's me standing in front of me! Honored to have my mug on the @Royals Fan Express bus. Too cool! pic.twitter.com/BwDtmhc3za
— negroleaguesmuseum (@nlbmprez) May 14, 2015
The Rays attendance problem is getting worse.
The Cleveland Indians may already be sunk.
Leo Mazzone went from the most respected pitching coach in the game to being out of baseball.
Camden Yards workers are getting screwed.
MLB and NHL fans can proceed with their class action suit against those leagues to contest blackout restrictions.
The Patriots are digging a deeper hole with their own truther blog.
The top 30 NBA prospects for the draft.
The Discovery Channel burns the Pittsburgh Penguins on Twitter.
Beware the "Color 5 Mile run" scam.
Local news story censored classic artwork.
Reddit introduces a new anti-harrassment policy.
David Foster Wallace pens a tribute to David Letterman. Letterman's final guest will be Bill Murray, of course.
Your song of the day is The Supremes with "You Keep Me Hangin' On."