Royals Rumblings - News For April 9, 2020

Royals Rumblings - News For April 9, 2020

Jeffrey Flanagan looks at who will be the next Royals player to have their number retired.

Yost, being already retired, would seem to be next man up.

“If it were up to me, I wouldn’t be against it,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. “It seems to me having Dick Howser’s number retired certainly sets the precedent.”

Alec Lewis talks to Mike Matheny about the possibility of returning to play all games in Arizona.

“I’m excited that Major League Baseball and the commissioner’s office are in contact with the powers that be, with politicians and health officials to try to figure out how could we possibly do this?” Matheny said. “How could we be safe and make sure we’re safeguarding everybody, but also try to figure out a way to get the game going? That’s exciting for me. That’s exciting for our players to hear. Now whether it’s how it’s outlined (currently) or not, the fact we see and hear there are people trying to make this happen, I think our nation needs it right now.”

Lewis also has an update on Stephen Woods, Jr, who was nursing an injury in camp.

Royals pitcher Braden Shipley talks about how Mike Sweeney pumped him up in camp.

Sweeney told him the staff talked about him in the coaches’ room the night before. Talked about his numbers. His mph on his fastball. Baseball people get giddy over velocity.

“He goes, ‘Dude, you were like 94 to 96,’” said Shipley. “‘It was the easiest 96 mph I’ve ever seen.’ And to hear it from a guy like that, who was a hell of a baseball player, was pretty special.

“After I heard that, it wasn’t like a pump-me-up thing for me because I knew I threw well. It was more of a motivator for me. It was like, hey, you can make this team. But you’ve gotta keep working. I took that into games.”

Yusseff Diaz at Call to the Pen catches up with Royals prospect Dairon Blanco.

David Scharff at Kings of Kauffman looks back at the first game in Royals history.

Quinn Allen at Baseball Essential looks at the best and worst Royals trades in the last decade.

Players react to the idea floated to begin baseball with all teams playing in Arizona.

The Padres may have an interesting starting rotation.

How video games are bringing players and fans together.

A lineup of the most underrated Hall of Famers.

Korean baseball is looking to resume play in mid-May.

Lou Gehrig’s bat sells for $1 million at auction.

MLB players deal with being a stay-at-home dad.

A Taiwanese baseball team is replacing fans with robot mannequins to begin the year.

How sports radio hosts became America’s grief counselors.

Chris Paul and Trae Young are among the NBA players expected to participate in a game of H-O-R-S-E.

What is the best hope for a coronavirus drug?

When their shoot was canceled, a music band decided to film their music video via Zoom.

How Schitt’s Creek became one of TV’s most beloved comedies,

Your song of the day is Lenny Kravitz with Fly Away.