Weekend Rumblings - News for May 30, 2020

Weekend Rumblings - News for May 30, 2020

Jeff Montgomery talks to Jeffrey Flanagan about velocity vs. pitchability.

“The first time I had a radar gun on me was when I was 16 years old, and it showed 86 [mph],” Montgomery said. “When I was 26, it showed 86. When I was 36, it showed 86.”

Montgomery then added with a laugh, “If I had stayed in pitching shape at 46, it probably would have showed 86, too.”

The latest from Keith Law has the Royals in on prep outfielder Zac Veen and cool on Nick Gonzalez for the draft.

I had them taking Veen on an under-slot deal last time and I’ve heard that rumor again since then — although there’s always the risk I’m hearing my own projections repeated back to me after some kind of rumor-mill laundering process — in part because of the belief the Royals would prefer a bat after they’ve restocked the system with arms in the last two drafts. I’ve heard they’re cool on Gonzales.

The pandemic has left some Venezuelan players stranded at Dominican academies.

“The Royals academy in the DR is still housing 12 Venezuelan players that could not be sent home since the Venezuelan government closed their borders very early and are not allowing any flights into the country, except for humanitarian flights,” Fabio Herrera, Kansas City’s manager of international operations, told Deadspin in an email. “Per MLB guidelines, players are not playing games nor having staff go to the facility for workouts. They are working out every day on their own per team guidelines. They are pretty much shelled from the outside world which has kept them safe from the virus as only essential personnel is allowed into the academy at the moment.”

Clint Scoles at Royals Academy looks at the owners’ proposal and whether fans will attend games.

Mike Gillespie at Kings of Kauffman thinks the Royals should consider a catcher early in the draft.

The MLBPA is preparing a counterproposal to owners that will include a longer schedule.

The Royals move their legal incorporation to Delaware.

The A’s will stop paying minor leaguers, but that doesn’t make them free agents.

David Price will pay each Dodgers minor leaguer $1,000 out of his own pocket.

Kiley McDaniel looks at team tendencies and needs in the draft.

The son of tennis stars Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf is a legit baseball prospect.

A look back a the chaos of the strike-interrupted 1981 season.

Who are some late bloomer hitters for 2020?

How South Korea brought baseball back.

What to expect from the Premier League restart.

The Power 5 college conference commissioners want a national athlete compensation law.

Will the pandemic change fitness forever?

The Simpsons are back to a 4:3 aspect ratio on Disney Plus.

Disney World will have Stormtroopers enforcing social distancing.

Your song of the day is Frank Rosolino with Doxy.