Royals Rumblings - News for September 28, 2015

Royals Rumblings - News for September 28, 2015

Andy McCullough has a nice long piece about the night one year ago when the Royals' fortune changed and they came back in the Wild Card game against Oakland.

The coaches recalled another scene after the top of the eighth inning ended. From the near side of the dugout, the group heard a rumbling at the far end. The voices of Hosmer and Cain and Jarrod Dyson and Mike Moustakas filled the air. We are not losing this game, the players kept saying. Not tonight. There’s no way we lose this game.

"I’m thinking to myself, ‘Well, they’re still after it, man,’ " Yost said.

Ned Yost has de-emphasized home field advantage in the last month.

"Home-field advantage is just a little perk," Yost said. "We’ve accomplished our main goal: Win the division. We’d still like to get home-field advantage, just to say you have it. It’s not life or death if you don’t."

Whenpressed,Yost acknowledged the Blue Jays present a different challenge at the Rogers Centre, where homers fly at a prodigious rate. "It’s an advantage, but once you get in the playoffs, you’ve got to win," Yost said. "It doesn’t matter where you’re at. We didn’t have home-field advantage anywhere last year, except for the World Series, and that was the only series we didn’t win."

Vahe Gregorian writes about Ned's decision to emphasize rest over the pursuit of home field advantage.

At least in the hyperbolic Twitter-sphere, this was not a popular decision to fans, plenty of whom suggested this was a combination of incompetence and treason. But, sorry, there was no outrage here, not with nine regular-season games left entering play on Saturday and scant evidence that this homefield advantage thing is some Holy Grail.You’d rather have it than not, but ...

Since the addition of the wild-card in the playoffs in 1995, six wild-card teams afflicted with homefield disadvantage in every league series went on to win the World Series. Only four teams in that span that had the best record in baseball, and home-field advantage at least until the World Series, could say the same. For recent evidence of the relative irrelevance of homefield advantage, consider that the Giants won the 2014 World Series despite playing their wild-card game at Pittsburgh and being relegated to the treachery of the road in every series thereafter. The Royals, meanwhile, beat the Angels and Orioles despite the hindrance of not having home advantage — and then lost to the Giants in the only series they held it.

Sam Mellinger writes that MLB may get in the way of a Royals watch party at Arrowhead Stadium.

Nobody from the league would speak on the record for this column, but other than basic logistical things that teams do routinely — security, parking, following sponsorship rules, etc. — the overriding concern is a hit on TV ratings. The potential effect on TV ratings is higher in a smaller market like Kansas City, where each point represents about 9,400 households....

The Royals would be interested in this, likely charging a nominal fee for admission or attendance that would cover staffing, and run between-innings entertainment and other bonuses to create a more authentic experience. People want to celebrate together, and what better place for Royals fans than Kauffman Stadium? They could come early and tailgate, then enter the stadium and watch from their favorite seat on one of the world’s biggest high-definition video boards (funded largely by public money, by the way).

Chris Young tossed five no-hit innings just after the death of his father.

"Last night my dad, Charles Young, passed away at the age of 70," Young wrote in a statement relayed by a Royals official. "Today, I had the opportunity to honor him playing a game we both love, alongside my baseball family. I felt him next to me with every pitch. I am grateful for the support of my teammates, coaches and the entire Royals organization during this difficult time. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers."

Lee Judge warns there will be narratives for sportswriters to write.

In this last month of the regular season, Ned Yost has been giving players time off and tinkering with the lineup, starting rotation and bullpen. On Friday night he virtually gave a game away by letting his starters rest. 1.) If the Royals make a deep run in the playoffs (and for a great many Kansas City fans, a deep run means winning the World Series) Ned will be hailed as a calm, mature leader who wisely rested his players when he had the chance. 2.) If the Royals go home early, Ned will be criticized for screwing around with his team’s routine and rhythm and costing them a chance at a World Series ring. I’ve got no idea which prediction will come true, but I’m completely confident that the media will construct some kind of explanation for the events we witness.

Kendrys Morales will NOT play right field tonight in Wrigley Field.

The Chiefs congratulated the Royals on their division title and want to push for their own this year.

MLB Advanced Media is cutting off its nose to spite its face by going after fans posting animated GIFs of MLB plays.

Brad Ausmus will return as Tigers manager.

Are the Cubs on the verge of a long run of success?

Are former ballplayers necessarily the ones that are most qualified to be managers?

No Royals are listed among the catchers and infielders in contention for the Fielding Bible Awards.

Here's how the 30 minor league systems rank statistically.

How do teams determine which level their draft picks start at?

Jonathan Papelbon and Bryce Harper are getting along great in Washington.

Scott Van Pelt points out the lunacy of not calling daily fantasy sites what they are - gambling.

Which of the Premiere League upstarts are here to stay?

Animated GIFs are coming to your living room.

This Virginia bank allows gambling, and it's perfectly legal.

13 films to see at the New York Film Festival.

We had a super moon lunar eclipse last night, a rare event for our beautiful Planet Moon.

Your song of the day is Sufjan Stevens with "Chicago."