Royals Rumblings - News for July 6, 2015

Royals Rumblings - News for July 6, 2015

Sam Mellinger writes that the All-Star voting process ultimately worked well.

Cabrera is injured and will need to be replaced, and we can have an intelligent debate about a spot or two — Jose Iglesias is having a better year than Escobar, for instance — but these are good picks. This is not the disaster people worried about. Infante will watch the game on TV, just like the 700 or so other big-leaguers not good enough to be an All-Star.

Baseball can claim victory here, a good starting lineup selected with — by far — the biggest voter "turnout" in history and the biggest voting discussion in at least 58 years. For a sport in need of buzz and creating younger fans, this is a terrific outcome.

Rob Neyer disagrees, saying the results are fine, but the whole process is still messed up.

You know what? I think Gordon and Cain actually make my team, perhaps even as starters! With Perez backing up Russell Martin. So, yes—with the exception of Escobar, the Royals’ starters are pretty well-deserving. By this standard that I’ve just invented, anyway. Well done! Good job, Major League Baseball and All-Star voters! Still, I can’t quite get rid of this nagging little thought in the back of my mind that whatever the results might suggest, THE PROCESS IS ROYALLY FAKAKTA.

What else, after all, are we to make of a system that might have given us seven Kansas City Royals in the starting lineup, including Omar Infante?

David Hill at Kings of Kauffman thinks the Royals could use a boost from playing Jarrod Dyson.

Now, with Rios himself struggling and Dyson having become red hot with the bat, it may be time to give the Royals speedster another chance at more consistent playing time. Even though it is virtually impossible for Dyson to continue to perform at the level he has over the past few weeks, his overall .275/.313/.418 batting line has led to a league average OPS. Rios, meanwhile, has an OPS+ of 44 on the year.

Dyson has also provided the Royals with more value defensively, as he has been an above average defensive right fielder in his chances. Rios, meanwhile, does not seem to be the same player he was during Spring Training and into the first week of the season. The Royals, obviously, need to make a change.

Mike Moustakas left in the middle of Sunday's game due to a family emergency. Cheslor Cuthbert did not play for Omaha last night and could be a roster replacement if Moustakas needs to go on the bereavement list (h/t kcstengel). Cuthbert has been called up according to this Nicaraguan paper (h/t bhindep)

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe insists the Royals are looking at White Sox pitcher Jeff Samardzija.

Yordano Ventura has had his rehab start tonight scratched and may instead pitch Thursdays game in Kansas City.

Raul Mondesi is the only Royals player on Baseball Prospectus' Top 50 midseason prospect list, coming in at #12.

The Royals have pushed Mondesi up the system in an aggressive fashion, but the wiry shortstop has held his own at all stops. While the numbers are not flashy, peel back the curtain to see that Mondesi is playing a premium position with plus defense and has the makings of a hitter with an above-average hit tool and surprising pop. He's an unfinished product at this stage of development, but Mondesi is one of the youngest players in Double-A and could see the majors in the next year. He is a strong example of numbers failing to tell the entire story, and his tools are too bright to overlook.

Royals coach Don Wakamatsu learned a lot from his grandparents' experience in an internment camp during World War II.

"I just feel fortunate for the fact that I’m here today because of what transpired there and the way they raised me, without the bitterness or the racism that goes along with everything," said Wakamatsu, who in 2009 with Seattle became the first Asian-American manager in the major leagues. "I like telling this story a lot just for the fact that people aren’t aware of it: Let’s not forget what happened."

Mindful of all the strife in the world now and the potential for sweeping backlash based on just such stereotypes, Wakamatsu added, "Was this a learning lesson?"

Lee Judge says the key to winning is scoring more runs than your opponent.

So the key to winning is keeping the best relievers on the other team from ever leaving the bullpen. And one of the ways you do that is by making sure your team has a lead when the other team’s starter leaves the game. When the starting pitcher leaves, the manager has to make a decision; is this game winnable and should I throw my best relievers?

If his team doesn’t have a lead when the starter leaves, the manager is more likely to use someone less than his best and then hope it works out. Maybe a mediocre reliever will somehow hold the fort and the offense will grab a lead. If that happens he manager can alter course and bring in the better relievers.

Joel Sherman gives Ned Yost mention as a Manager of the Year candidate and Jeremy Guthrie as an "Anti-Cy Young" candidate in his mid-season awards.

Mike Moustakas and Edinson Volquez were named Royals Player and Pitcher of the Month for June.

Balbino is promoted to AAA Omaha, while friend of Royals Review Matt Fields is given his walking papers.

Who is not a friend of Royals Review? Why former Royals outfielder Chuck Knoblauch, who did not take kindly to this comment.

@royalsreview and you're a World Series loser.

— Chuck Knoblauch (@chuckknoblauch) July 5, 2015

We're not the only ones he lashed out against, though,

The Star has a photo gallery of Dave Webster, the old-timey baseball player and "W" guy at Kauffman Stadium.

One Royals fan admits to fudging All-Star voting rules and voting hundreds of times per day with multiple email addresses. I'm shocked!

Detroit's Miguel Cabrera lands on the disabled list and will be out six weeks.

The Mets are reportedly willing to overpay for A's infielder Ben Zobrist in a trade.

The White Sox front office may not be getting along.

Grant Brisbee chooses his All-Star teams. No Alex Gordon?

Trevor Bauer imitates three teammates' batting stances in one at-bat.

Vice Sports remembers Eugene Civic Stadium, once the home of a Royals affiliate and now in ashes due to a fire.

A soldier returns from overseas to surprise his son at a minor league baseball game.

U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!

Maybe don't start celebrating til you cross the finish line.

New York Giants lineman Jason Pierre-Paul may lose his hand over a fireworks accident.

SPF ratings just don't matter much in sunscreen.

Whole Foods is very sorry they were ripping you off.

Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner thinks Goldie Hawn is a rarity because funny, beautiful women are impossible to find.

The best in music for 2015 so far and what to look for the rest of the year.

Your song of the day is Alicia Keys with "Girl on Fire."