Royals Rumblings - News for August 8, 2019

Royals Rumblings - News for August 8, 2019

Ned Yost keeps chugging along despite a tough season, writes Jessica Camerato at MLB.com.

“It’s my job, that’s what keeps me going,” Yost said. “I signed a contract to give my best effort every single day, that’s what keeps [me] going. And I like these kids. They work hard, they play hard. These kids have never dogged it one time. They continue to work, and they’re striving to get better. I want to help them. I want to help them get better. I signed a contract. Just because we’re struggling, doesn’t mean I quit.”

Alex Speier at the Boston Globe looks at the Royals as a cautionary tale for a championship team’s demise.

Yet the consequences of the keep-the-band-together strategy — both during the slide to mediocrity in 2016-17, and a descent into 100-loss territory both in 2018 and now 2019 — offer something of a warning for a Red Sox team that faces growing questions about its future identity....

“I don’t live in retrospect. I don’t have regrets. We made a decision and we live by our decisions,” Yost said. “It was a group that came up together, did something special together, and we wanted to give them one more opportunity to do it together again and it just didn’t work out.”

In his Mellinger Minutes, Sam writes that the Royals aren’t as behind the curve as you might think, citing Driveline founder Kyle Boddy.

But, it’s worth noting that his experience with Zimmer changed how he sees the Royals. He found them to be open minded, trusting, and willing to go outside the box.

Boddy talks to a lot of young prospects, and has taken to dividing organizations into three categories: those to avoid, those to join, and the rest in the middle.

The Royals had long been one of the organizations he told young pitchers to avoid, but he now puts them in the middle.

Minor league news:

The Royals re-acquire catcher Adam Moore from the Rangers.

Alec Lewis at The Athletic explains why the Fenway Park scoreboard identifies the Royals as “K-CITY.”

Prospects 1500 ranks the top 50 prospects in the Royals organization.

The Diamondbacks designate Greg Holland for assignment.

Tempers flared in the Orioles dugout last night.

The Cubs sign Jonathan Lucroy.

The ten series that will determine 2019 pennant races.

Mariners infielder Tim Beckham is suspended 80 games for a PED violation.

A new ball has made the Triple-A season unlike any other.

A profile of the man who supplies mud for MLB baseballs.

The transfer portal and rule changes are shaking up the transfer market in college baseball.

Rangers infielder Roughned Odor pays for the visas for the Venezuelan team to play in the Little League World Series.

The Orioles will play the Red Sox in Williamsport next year for the Little League World Series.

Can a team of 25 Ichiros win the World Series?

The nine big storylines to follow in the NFL this year.

Why people are mad about the NCAA “Rich Paul” rule for agents.

Disney’s new streaming service should have Netflix worried.

Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony commit to disclose drop rates for loot boxes.

Actor Danny Trejo is a real-life hero.

Your song of the day is Noah and the Whale with Five Years Time.