Royals Rumblings - News for May 24, 2018

At FanGraphs, David Laurila asks Ned Yost about recent managerial turnover:

“I got fired in Milwaukee in [September] 2008. At that point we were [16] games over .500. In 2009, they were under .500 with a different manager. I’m not saying… it’s just different. It tends to disrupt the flow that goes on.

“Sometimes it’s fan-driven. The fans just can’t take it anymore, even though it doesn’t really… there’s no difference in the way that I manage right now than in 2015 when we won the World Championship. We just had players who were performing better. A lot of it, I think, is just getting a different face in there and a different voice.

“The ability to stay calm in crisis situations, and when things get really, really rough, helps players get through it. If you get emotional and scream and yell, get demanding — I think that’s a recipe for a short tenure as a manager. But yeah, I think a different voice helps at times.

Rustin Dodd stuff you need a sub to read:

The Star’s Maria Torres tells how Jake Junis just wanted to hit and go to college:

“You looked at (two-time Cy Young Award winner and Indians pitcher Corey Kluber), and he wasn’t a household name,” Royals manager Ned Yost said earlier this month in Cleveland. “But every time he pitches, he pitches really well. He’s got good stuff but not stuff that pops your eyes out like (Astros starter Dallas) Keuchel. These guys win Cy Young awards not only because they got good stuff but they command good stuff.

“What did (Kluber) have to do? Nothing. Just had to continue to be consistent and go out and compete. Junis just has to go out and compete.”

At KC Kingdom, Leigh Oleszczak speculates that the Royals could trade just about anyone at the deadline.

For those who had to work yesterday, Alex Gordon made a great diving grab.

Speaking of grabs:

At 20-80 Baseball, Adam McInturff spotlights Royals prospect Carlos Hernandez.

Also at FanGraphs:

• In light of his designation for assignment by the Twins, Jay Jaffe looks at Phil Hughes and the history of thoracic outlet syndrome, a subject with which Royals fans should be quite familiar.
• Travis Sawchik marvels at the oddity of Padres reliever Adam Cimber.
• Jeff Sullivan returns to familiar ground and sizes up what the Mariners need to do to stay in the playoff race after their hot start.
• At the Hardball Times imprint, Shane Tourtellotte looks at a second batch of unbreakable records.

At Baseball Prospectus:

• Matthew Trueblood gasps at the resounding early success of the Atlanta Braves (subscription required).
• Rob Mains wonders what makes a bad baserunner? (sub req’d)

The Bucks had some strong words for Milwaukee P.D., who brutally arrested guard Sterling Brown earlier this season.

Come on down and check out the original Show-Biz Pizza band.

Why not read an occasionally tense interview with a bunch of the cast of Arrested Development?

Somewhat surprisingly, Florence + the Machine and Ryan Adams performed on the season finale of The Voice, the latter performing a duet with 18-year-old finalist Britton Buchanan. (Full disclosure: I worked on this season of the show.)

Life-saving lesbian pulp fiction is brought to the fore at Atlas Obscura.

The song of the day is “Kim” by Ryan Adams: