Royals Rumblings - News for July 29, 2015

Royals Rumblings - News for July 29, 2015

Jonah Keri expects better results from Yordano Ventura going forward.

On Sunday, though, Ventura looked like his 2014 self. He fired seven innings of one-run, six-hit ball and struck out five batters while walking none. The fastball was back — it averaged 97.5 mph on the day — and his curveball, which generated 16 whiffs on 29 pitches, might’ve been even more impressive.

Of course, one start doesn’t guarantee future results. But it’s possible that Ventura is simply due for some better luck, too: While his ERA has ballooned from 3.20 last year to 4.86 this year, his fielding-independent numbers are essentially identical, his strikeout rate’s held firm, and his walk rate has actually improved. If the lingering elbow concerns don’t bother Cueto, and if Ventura’s bounceback is nigh, the original ace’s struggles might end up being a blessing in disguise.

Craig Brown doubts Jeremy Guthrie gets booted from the rotation this week.

The other matter of Cueto business is who will leave the rotation? Chris Young starts on Tuesday and Jeremy Guthrie takes the bump on Wednesday. Both could be pitching for their rotation spot. If I had to guess, unless Young throws a no-hitter, the spot goes to Guthrie. I can hear the outcry from here, but like the back end of the bullpen don’t forget, we’re discussing a fifth starter here. The Royals are at something like a 95 percent chance to make the postseason. I’m not going to sweat whoever the last guy in the rotation is going to be since he’s going to the bullpen when the stakes elevate anyway. The thinking here is it will be Guthrie because he’s been a good Royal soldier (don’t forget he restructured his contract to free up some money a couple of years ago) and because he was a member of the team last year. Those kind of things count to this organization. Young was signed to be a long man out of the bullpen and to fill a starting role if the need should arise. He’s done both and done both admirably well. Yet his peripherals have long suggested his success was unsustainable.

David Lesky at Pine Tar Press likes this new feeling that comes with success.

This is simply the next step in the Royals’ evolution as a competent, winning franchise. First they got good, then they had success, now they are actively trying to enhance their chances for greater success this season, at the possible expense of future success. General manager Dayton Moore deserves accolades for this move, and owner David Glass deserves credit for being willing to add to the payroll in pursuit of a title....

So whatever you call this feeling, it’s pretty awesome. In fact, the only thing more awesome would be winning the Whole. Darn. Thing. And the Royals have made that more of a possibility today.

Jonathan Mayo has his mid-season Top 100 prospect list out with Raul Mondesi at #40 and Royals 2015 first-round pick Ashe Russell sneaking in at #97. His Top 30 Royals prospects list is here.

Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez are listed as two of the "top 25 players under the age of 25."

24. Salvador Perez, Royals, C (age 25) Born: Valencia, Venezuela Abandoned by his father and raised by his mother and grandmother, Perez was enrolled in a baseball school in his native Venezuela at age six. By age 8, he was convinced his future was at catcher. By 16, the Royals had taken notice and signed him to a $65,000 bonus, and now he's one of the faces of their franchise and one of the best all-around catchers in the game. Perez caught 150 games in the regular season last year, followed that up by catching every game of the Royals' run to the World Series and then participated in the Japan All-Star Series. He simply loves to play, and Kansas City fans love him.

This is a thing now. I don't know why.

KC players are fining each other if they don't use "1738" in postgame interviews. I have no idea what it means. Success has driven them mad.

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) July 29, 2015

The fan adoration for Johnny Cueto is here. Check out this video - "Johnny Cueto: Kansas City Hero."

Bubba Starling hit for the cycle last night for AA Northwest Arkansas. The Royals say he was never in play for the Cueto trade.

The Phillies ship closer Jonathan Papelbon to the Nationals.

The Angels acquire David Murphy and old friend David DeJesus to bolster their outfield.

Could James Shields join Nori Aoki as a TRAITOR?

Mets reliever Jennry Mejia gets slapped with a 162-game suspension for PEDs.

Grant Brisbee tries to figure out why on earth the Rockies made the Troy Tulowitzki trade.

Inactive baseball writerswill no longer be allowed to vote for the Hall of Fame.

Is the beloved sports film "Hoosiers" actually a terrible movie?

Tom Brady's four-game suspension for "Deflate-gate" is upheld.

Chiefs defensive lineman Dontari Poe had back surgery and will miss all of training camp.

The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed the errors that led to the crash of Virgin Galactic's deadly spaceplane crash last fall.

Get ready for Amazon's drone superhighway in the sky.

Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer could be extradited and face charges for killing a lion in Zimbabwe.

How Netflix is poised for its original programming to outpace the cable networks.

Your song of the day is Blue Oyster Cult with "Godzilla."