Royals Rumblings - News for August 17, 2018

I know OMD linked to this yesterday, but it just got a little line mention so I’m put it here for an encore. The Players Tribune does the “Letter to My Younger Self” thing and one of the recent ones featured Willie Aiken. Not growing up in KC, I didn’t know a lot him and the article really captured his story.

Dear 24-year-old Willie,

Get out of there. As fast as you can.

Turn back around and walk out of the hotel room.

I know it’s more cocaine than you’ve ever seen in your entire life. And I get that it is 1979 after all, and pretty much everyone seems to be snortin’ coke … and you’re a little curious about how it might make you feel if you try some. But trust me on this one.

Just leave.

Now...

This is harder than I ever thought it would be … sitting down and writing you this letter today. Because as much as I try to convince you, and pour my heart out, I know full well that….

You’re not going to do what I’m asking. You are going to walk in and sit down and hang out in that hotel room for a while. You’re gonna do some lines and have some fun and … set yourself on a certain path. And it kills me because I know what that means — what’s going to happen next. So I’m starting to get an idea of what it’s going to be like for me to write the rest of this letter.

I’m basically sitting here, heartbroken, wishing I could go back in time.

Mike Axisa of CBS Sports appreciates the Cubs trading for Terrance Gore and draws a line to Dave Roberts and Theo Epstein’s tensure in Boston.

During their 2014-15 postseasons runs, Kansas City used Gore as a pinch-runner extraordinaire. He has appeared in 57 career MLB games, postseason included, and 45 times he entered the game as a pinch-runner. Most notably, Gore stole second base and later came around to score in the eighth inning of Kansas City’s comeback win in the 2014 AL Wild Card Game.

Maria Torres of the KC Star described Jorge Lopez’s first day on the job in Kansas City:

He met his new trainers and coaches, introduced himself to a manager who had inside knowledge about him and began to ingratiate himself to new teammates. Then he made himself comfortable in the home clubhouse, the one with the blue carpet and the Player of the Game sign that hasn’t lit up frequently this season. He liked what he saw and what he felt. There was camaraderie; there was a sense of purpose, even in dwindling months of a season with a team on pace for 113 losses.

Also in the Star, Pete Grathoff talked to Brett Phillips about his walkup music.

Below is your daily story from Rustin Dodd at The Athletic. For each subscription, I get a gallon of Gorilla glue, presumably for gluing gloves and galoshes on gorillas.

At Royals Farm Report, royalscollector predicts September roster moves.

From around the Fansided network:

• KCK’s Leigh Oleszczak asserts the “Rivalry with Blue Jays short-lived”.
• She also asks “What was the point of trading for Billy Burns?”
• KCK’s John McCarthy implores “Kansas City Royals have to be patient during rebuild”.
• KOK’s Morgan Vogels claims “Adalberto Mondesi making waves in MLB”.

The Royals make two national listicles:

Sarah Langs of ESPN has a “100s tracker”. YOU WON’T BELIEVE WHO IS ON PACE FOR 100 LOSSES!?!

Kansas City Royals (35-82); On pace for 113 losses

• The Royals won the 2015 World Series and now appear headed for a 100-loss season. The last team to win the World Series, then suffer a 100-plus-loss season within the next four years was the Diamondbacks. They won the 2001 World Series, then went 51-111 in 2004.

• Royals’ 100-loss seasons: four (2006, 2005, 2004, 2002)

This week’s MLB.com AL Central listicle is from Scott Merkin and highlights “game changing skills”.

Royals: Brett Phillips’ arm

Why it matters: As the Royals launch this rebuild, they are trying to do it the “Royal Way” once more, with tremendous speed and defense in the outfield as they had with Lorenzo Cain and Jarrod Dyson. Phillips, acquired from the Brewers in the Mike Moustakas trade, has blazing speed and perhaps the strongest outfield arm since Jermaine Dye -- and that says a lot considering left fielder Alex Gordon is a five-time AL Gold Glove Award winner and has more outfield assists than anyone in baseball since 2010. Phillips has a 80-grade arm that he has shown off since joining the Royals.

Signature moment this season: Against the White Sox, Phillips displayed that arm by throwing a dart from center field to home to nail Leury Garcia, who was trying to tag and score. The throw was measured at 100.1 mph, the hardest throw by any Royals outfielder since Statcast™ was launched in 2015.

There were also a trio of oddball articles on Yahoo that were not Royals related but were still fun:

• Kyle Schwarber shatters the glass on a Wrigley Field concession stand during batting practice.
• Twitter makes fun of Joe West after he moves up to #2 on the “games umpired” list.
• Elon Musk wants to use the hyperloop to get to Dodger Stadium. I’m behind this idea.

At the request of some in Rumblings yesterday, we’ll forego the usual Friday video game theme, which will return in two weeks.

My words certainly won’t do the woman or her legacy justice so I’ll just the music do the talking. Godspeed, Queen of Soul.