Royals Rumblings - News for May 28, 2015

Royals Rumblings - News for May 28, 2015

The Royals have hit a bump in the road, but they don't seem concerned.

We just didn’t come and play our game," third baseman Mike Moustakas said. "But tomorrow’s a new day. We’re not going to look back on this. We’re going to look forward."

"Just a bump in the road, man," first baseman Eric Hosmer added. "We didn’t really do anything this entire series. That’s part of the game — 162 games, you’re obviously not going to be firing on all cylinders all year."

Jesse Spector of "The Sporting News" writes that the Royals are still a pretty loose bunch.

Three or four times, center fielder Lorenzo Cain starts singing, for no discernible reason and at a volume level usually reserved for the fifth margarita at the karaoke portion of the five-year sorority reunion, "PEOPLE FALL IN LOVE IN MYSTEEEEEEEERIOUS WAYS!" Ed Sheeran will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day....

"It’s a fun and exciting team," Butera says. "We come to play and come to win, every day. We want to win every single game, and that’s what I admired when I played against them. I’m really enjoying it now, being a part of it. We want to win every game. We don’t go out there like, ‘OK, let’s win the series.’ We really come to win every game."

ICYMI, Lee Judge reads Royals Review, but takes a dim view of us internet nerds.

Recently I did a piece about Kendrys Morales and went back to see what people were saying at the time the Royals signed him. I looked at several websites and while doing so, I learned two things:

1.) Generally speaking, people did not like the Morales signing.

2.) Reading 700 internet comments will give you a dim view of humanity.

For a while people stayed on topic, but then things would veer out of control: Insults were hurled, people left comments that made no sense whatsoever, guys who thought Ned Yost is a dummy said so with misspelled words, personal long-standing feuds were conducted, one guy called Dayton Moore a "retard" and then there was a long debate about whether that was OK (it’s not), obscure stats were defended or attacked with obscure arguments, and one guy said RBIs were a worthless statistic because all they did was measure the ability of the people in front of you to get on base.

When I read that comment I thought: "Now there’s a guy who hasn’t played much baseball."

Baseball? Is that the game with the kicking?

John Viril at Kings of Kauffman notes that Mike Moustakas is even hitting left-handers now.

Before this season, Mike Moustakas had been pretty-much helpless against left-handed pitchers. The lefty-hitting Moustakas’ career line against lefties is an anemic .220/.276/.341 for an unacceptable OPS (on base plus slugging) of .617. That simply doesn’t work for a corner infielder. Heck, that’s terrible for a Gold Glove shortstop. Moose’s inability to hit left-handed pitching suggested that he was no better than a platoon player, at best, before this season.

In 41 games played of the 2015 season, Mike Moustakas is hitting .281/.338/.438 with 4 doubles and 2 home runs in 64 at bats against lefties. His .776 OPS would be good enough to make him an above-average hitter on its own, much less against same-side pitching.

Aaron Stilley at Royals Authority reviewed Dayton Moore's book "More than a Season."

Too much of the book reads like cliché motivational poster headlines, but Moore’s recent success lends at least a hint of substance behind the buzzwords. I personally bristle at pat aphorisms such as "stay calm in the eye of the storm," which is one of Moore’s seven points for "organizational harmony," but, hey, if it works for him and the team is winning, I’m all for it. Moore also repeatedly brings up his Christianity and quotes the Bible to the point of proselytizing, which I could do with less of, but I’m glad if it works for him—so long as non-Christian Royals employees are welcomed and respected under his watch.

Haha, just kidding, the entire book is just "Trust the Process" written 10,000 times.

Danny Duffy will throw a bullpen session tomorrow.

The Royals are the hottest ticket in town on the road as well.

John Sickels looks at BLOODLINES in the upcoming June draft.

The Indians are shaving their head in support of the daughter of former Royals infielder Mike Aviles, who is battling leukemia.

The Cardinals lead their respective positions in All-Star balloting. An-all Missouri All-Star game!

The Phillies aren't pleased that the Nationals play "soft music" during visitor's batting practice. Starland Vocal Band? Aw, they suck!

Buster Olney thinks A-Rod should manage the Marlins. Oh the heads that would explode!

Honor Bud Selig with the "Selig Experience" in Milwaukee. See the actual hairpiece he wore when he cancelled the 1994 World Series!

ABC once suggested to MLB to shorten the season to 60 games.

Jonah Keri at Grantland gives out his quarter-season awards and still thinks Cleveland has a chance to compete.

The Houston Texans will be on this year's "Hard Knocks" on HBO.

A Slate.com writer thinks its time to get rid of Little League because of the parents.

What you need to know about the FIFA arrests.

Former KU basketball player Scot Pollard will compete on the reality show "Survivor."

Author Chuck Palahniuk thinks its time to re-open "Fight Club."

Royals Review has purchased the technology site Re/code. Kinda.

All the ridiculous dialogue from the new trailer of the "Point Break" re-boot.

Your song of the day is Starland Vocal Band with "Afternoon Delight."