Royals Rumblings - News for September 22, 2022

So you may have missed it, but there was some important news in Royalsland yesterday. Here’s a bunch of stuff related to that.

From Anne Rogers:

Even though the two have worked together and operated under the same values, Picollo is different from Moore in leadership style and how he views the game.

Now is his chance to put his stamp on a Royals organization that fell short of expectations in 2022.

“They are both talented baseball people,” Sherman said. “Dayton was the right guy at the right time in 2006, but I believe J.J. is the right person this time. They’re different leaders. Let’s let J.J. go to work, but I think he’s ready. They have two different styles.

“I anticipate that he will do some things differently than what would have been done had we not made the change. Just a fresh lens.”

From Rustin Dodd ($):

In short, Sherman is looking for a top executive who will make tough decisions in reshaping the organization’s player development system — particularly on the pitching side — who will lean more heavily on the club’s growing analytics department, and who will be more proactive in the trade market and transactional in assembling a roster. Sherman, who was previously a minority owner in Cleveland, pointed to a number of small-market franchises whose methods and styles he hoped to model.

“I do have some admiration for what the group has been able to do in Cleveland, particularly in pitching development,” Sherman said. “But it’s not just that. You think about Tampa. Oakland was there; they’re going through some other issues (now). Milwaukee has been a team that I think has been innovative.

“But it’s not just about player development. It’s also about your willingness to change your players. I don’t want to use the word ‘churn,’ because these are athletes. But I mean building an organization where you have excess talent that would allow you to go get more talent to fill needs.”

From Joe Posnanski:

But Dayton Moore never stopped following his heart. His goal was never to build a winning baseball team, not exactly. Instead, it was to build a family, to build a team of people who inspired each other and, in a larger sense, inspired Kansas City. He wanted to build a team that motivated kids to play baseball. He wanted a team that celebrated and advanced this game that he loves very much.

That’s a tough task … particularly because most people don’t really care about all that other stuff and would be plenty happy with a simple winning baseball team.

Through the years, Dayton and I have argued a lot, busted each other’s chops a lot and found ourselves on the opposite side of plenty of issues, on the field and off. But through it all, I always understood what a special person he is, how much he cares about people, how much he adores baseball and, mostly, how hard he will fight for what he believes is right but also how readily he will admit it when he is wrong. He’s truly one of the best people I know.

From Bradford Doolittle ($):

Eventually, though, he evolved. While the Royals would never be confused with the Rays, Astros or Dodgers in terms of a numbers-based approach, Kansas City did modernize their processes. Maybe not to the extent some would like, but there was a concerted effort to adapt. As recently as the past couple of years, the Royals overhauled their development methods with young hitters, and it helped to accelerate the development of young hitters like Bobby Witt Jr., Nick Pratto, Vinnie Pasquantino and MJ Melendez, all of whom reached the majors this season.

Still, Moore is not and never will be a numbers guy. He is about people and values and integrity and traditional methods — and he instilled his beliefs all through the organization he leaves behind. A native of the Midwest who rooted for the Royals as a young man, Moore was an ideal fit in the Kansas City community, as well as the baseball franchise. I admire him as much as I admire anyone in baseball.

Alex Duvall writes that Vinnie Pasquantino has been one of the best developments for the Royals this year.

Aaron Judge did not hit home run #61 last night, so that watch is still on. In the meantime, Dan Szymborski breaks down his upcoming free agency.

Also in Fangraphs free agency related articles, Michael Baumann breaks down Willy Adames’s upcoming free agency.

The Regensburg Qualifiers for the 2023 World Baseball Classic took place over the last week. Great Britain and the Czech Republic prevailed in the six team bracket, marking each squad’s first WBC appearance.

The Broncos are off to a rocky start, is their 2022 season already doomed?

New Mexico State takes the top (bottom?) spot on the College Football Bottom 10.

Premier asshole Robert Sarver is looking to sell the Phoenix Suns and Mercury.

The Presidents Cup starts today at Quail Hollow, with the US team heavily favored.

This week’s rental opportunity is a studio with a shower in a cupboard.

Twitch is banning gambling streams due to scams, but will their new policy be enough?

Your song of the day is Now or Never by Tritonal.