Weekend Rumblings - News for September 3, 2016

Weekend Rumblings - News for September 3, 2016

August Fagerstrom at Fangraphs writes about how Eric Hosmer has had another major slump.

See, Hosmer’s never consistently produced like a first baseman, because Hosmer’s never consistently swung like a first baseman. He’s got the swing plane of a middle infielder in a big man’s body, and this year, the ground ball rate that’s always felt too high has reached a new extreme; Hosmer’s 59.3% ground ball rate is topped only by David Freese and five-man infield candidate Howie Kendrick. It’s the highest rate among first baseman, alongside Freese, that we’ve ever seen in the batted ball era, dating back to 2002.

Mark Simon at ESPN writes about the electric Danny Duffy.

“I feel like I’m in more control of my body now,” Duffy said. “Less moving body parts. Less room for error.

His is a story not just of physical changes, but of mental ones, too. Duffy said his success in a couple of tough spots out of the bullpen earlier this season gave him increased confidence. He’s also taken the old pitching adage -- trust your stuff -- to heart.

“From time to time, I used to try to come out of my own shoes and throw 105 mph when I only had 98 in the tank,” Duffy said. "I didn’t realize that 98 was enough, 96 was enough, 94 was enough and, shoot, 92 was enough.

Rustin Dodd explains the insurance on Jason Vargas’ contract.

Here is how the Vargas insurance situation was explained to me. The Royals’ insurance policy covered all but the first 60 days of the season and was based on the number of days that Vargas missed. If he would have missed the whole season, the policy would have covered about $6 million of his $8.5 million salary. But Vargas returning in September won’t affect the policy at all. The insurance payouts will simply stop if and when he returns to the active roster.

Royals officials have been consistent that financial considerations would not play a factor in his return.

No surprise on the August honors.

Tigers manager Brad Ausmus is wary of the resurgent Royals.

Mike Moustakas welcomes his new daughter Mila into the world.

Rex Hudler talks about all the managers he has played for.

A family wins a backyard cookout with Eric Hosmer.

The Royals raise awareness for childhood cancer.

The MLB storylines to look forward to in September.

Pitcher Jacob deGrom may be hurt, which spells doom for the Mets.

Is Triple-A a critical step for development?

The second Wild Card has been a great addition.

How managers were fooled by the home run spike.

An usher at the Cardinals game goes out of his way for a young fan.

Here are all your NFL cuts as teams trim their rosters.

What Kansas State fans learned from the season-opening loss to Stanford.

An earthquake shakes up the Midwest, including Kansas City.

What happens when a city replaces its buses with Uber?

Is the thought of living forever a terrifying idea?

What a TV writer learned from his failed pilot.

Your song of the day is Bud Powell with “Cleopatra’s Dream.”