Royals Rumblings - News for April 21, 2023

Another off day but with the rough start to the season, not a lot of official stories. It doesn’t help that The Athletic hasn’t backfilled their KC spot.

I can’t really complain about The Star. They don’t have a dedicated person right now but I’m not opposed to them splitting the job between the ever capable Sam McDowell, Jesse Newell, and Pete Grathoff.

Today, Sam McDowell drew the Royals straw and asks: “The KC Royals will soon ask for your tax dollars. How about a winning team first?”

To be honest, I never bought into the thinking that the win-loss record of one single season should determine where the team spends the next 50 seasons. One is small-picture, the other big-picture.

But the small picture here is the big picture to those who will ultimately vote on the project, and that’s why it’s very much relevant. This looks like all the others. The first three weeks of 2023 tuck quite neatly into the full slate for 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 and a whole host of others that preceded John Sherman’s ownership.

I like his optimism of a 50-year ballpark. But if we get 30 these days, we’ll be lucky. Just a reminder: the Royals signed a 30-year lease in 1990 that went through 2015. Of course, they made noise about needing renovations and, in 2006, the city coughed up $250M to renovate and extended the lease until 2030. Assuming the team moves into the home they want in, say, 2027, the city basically paid $20M a year to keep the team ($250M/12 years from 2015 to 2026) or, if you play some shell games with the numbers, get it down to like $12M a year but that also ignores the original lease. I suspect the Royals are about to ask for a whole lot more.

Anne Rogers talks about the young hitters and where they are mentally right now:

The Royals have six hitters on their active roster who are 26 years or younger, who exceeded their rookie limits last year, who are getting playing time this season and who are considered to be part of the Royals’ future. First, the two bright spots: Bobby Witt Jr., 22, started the season off 5-for-35 through his first 10 games but has gone 14-for-38 since, and Vinnie Pasquantino, 25, has an on-base streak of 14 games with nine extra-base hits.

MJ Melendez, 24, is 10-for-64 with a .523 OPS. Michael Massey, 25, is 6-for-49 with 20 strikeouts. Kyle Isbel, 26, is 10-for-50, and Nate Eaton, 26, is 1-for-23.

Just a reminder: Twitter is doing their silly paid check mark thing. Royals Review no longer has their blue check mark but I’m assuming that whoever runs that account will continue to deliver the same great links, cutting edge analysis, and shenanigans from the HO-Scale misanthropic (sic) that you’re used it. If you don’t get that last reference, kids, ask your RR parents (or click the link). Anyways, Max doesn’t let me anywhere near the Twitter account and rightfully so.

I say all this, not just to reference Peter Gammons’s Twitter feud with Royals Review, but also to point out that you may need to check Twitter accounts a bit more closely to verify if they’re real or not. Because all that the check mark means now is that someone is willing to pay $8 a month, hoping Twitter doesn’t experience a rapid unscheduled disassembly. It’s going as well as can be expected:

Here’s some Twitter-based Royals news. Royals trying something new-ish:

How will they do? Oh:

Rany, why you have to bring us down more?

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Royals blogs come through today with a lot of content!

Royals Farm Report has a story! This is not a drill! Also, since Alex Duvall has the only non-depressing one so he gets to lead off: “10 stats that I’m really excited about early on”:

#4: Cayden Wallace’s 20.9% BB%

I had some questions about Wallace’s approach last year when the Royals made him their 2nd round pick, but he has shown a very obvious improvement in his pitch selection so far this year that could take him from fringe big league starter to no-doubt starter, in my opinion. We’ve talked about this plenty so I won’t beat a dead horse, but you just cannot get away with Michael Massey’s “swing at everything approach” in the big leagues anymore. Pitchers will simply stop throwing you strikes. It is proven over and over and over again. If Wallace can just not do THAT, he’s got a great change to be an every day guy.

If I look at this just so, Lesky’s intro at Inside the Crown is kindof not as depressing as it could be:

When I make my season prediction, I don’t just randomly come to a number. I do something very silly. I open up a spreadsheet, I put every series in and predict the number of wins for each one. Baseball is inherently unpredictable (though with legal sports betting in Kansas, you’ve probably won quite a bit betting against the Royals), so it’s an exercise in futility. But I feel like I need some sort of process when I come to an official prediction even though it ultimately means nothing. I’m telling you this because my prediction of 73-89 feels impossible right now. The team is 4-15, which means they’re on pace to go 34-128. I’m going to guess they exceed that, but it’s ugly.

Okay, but really, why am I telling you about something I did almost a month ago? It’s because I had this team at 6-13 heading into this road trip that starts on Friday. So, in a way, part of what’s kept me so at peace with what this team has done is that I figured it would be a bad start and it has been. That probably doesn’t make anyone feel any better because they haven’t even been able to live up to the monumentally low expectations, but I wanted to share that.

Craig Brown is looked for areas of improvement but it was kindof bleak:

These percentages and rankings underscore a flawed—and failing—approach at the plate. Yes, they’re hitting the ball hard, but are they doing it on a pitch where they can do actual damage? While poor process at the plate—expanding the strike zone—may result in positive results—a hard-hit ball—that result isn’t the actual optimal outcome. Yes, they’re squaring up the baseball, but they’re doing so on the pitchers’ terms. If the hitters drove their pitch, maybe the exit velocity would be a tick higher. Maybe the launch angle would be a little more optimal. Maybe more of these hard-hit balls would be falling in for hits or finding gaps or settling over the fence.

Kevin O’Brien at The Royals Reporter wasn’t making me feel much better:

Josh Vernier of 610 AM Radio in the Craft and Draft had a more “subdued” demeanor. My usher in our STM ticket section had hinted that games in our section during the homestand had really lacked fans and energy. And of course, there were a lot of empty seats at the K, which has become a far too common sight, unless of course it’s filled with opposing fans of a more “popular” team (which was the case during the Atlanta Braves series).

Royals blog roundup, all compliments of KOK:

• Jacob Milham: “Logan Porter, an unranked KC Royals prospect, among MiLB’s best hitters”
• Milham again: “Will KC Royals set franchise record for most losses before May?” (21, btw)
• Mike Gillespie: “Why Friday could be especially bad for the KC Royals”
• Gillespie again: “Once-hot KC Royals hurler is almost back where it all began” (Brandon Finnegan)

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There’s enough MLB news and not enough Royals news to merit its own section.

Great news for former Royal and current White Sock Liam Hendricks:

There was a lot of chatter about this in yesterday’s Rumblings but thought I’d officially post it here. Kansas City’s former franchise is on the move again. The Oakland A’s have purchased land in Las Vegas with the intent of moving there. You keep the unique green and yellow color scheme and hats and just rename them the Aces, right? It totally fits! They can even have alternate/third jerseys that use some sort of black and red card-based logo and color scheme.

Of course Rob Manfred was there to try and put lipstick on this pig of a deal for Oakland:

“For more than half a century, MLB has demonstrated overwhelming franchise stability and a consistent record of finding local solutions,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “The A’s have done their part to stay through an enormous investment in Oakland, their many playoff berths, outstanding baseball operations leadership and an abundance of patience. Under John Fisher, the A’s ownership has invested unprecedented time and resources to try to build a new ballpark in Oakland.

It looks like this is mostly settled since money is exchanging hands. The stadium situation in Tampa/St. Pete appears to be moving forward, too. So that means news of MLB expanding into two more cities is on the horizon, along with realignment and playoff changes.

Speaking of the playoffs, former Royals nemesis(?) Madison Bumgarner released by the Diamondbacks “just over three seasons into a five-year, $85 million contract”. I never bought into him being a Royals villain. Sure, if 2015 doesn’t happen, I’m singing a radically different tune. But once the Royals won the title, he became another part of the story, the Prologue or Act 1 obstacle that Kansas City had to scale to reach the mountaintop.

Max Scherzer is suspended 10 games for his sticky situation on Wednesday night (and will appeal). I found this an interesting tidbit:

He became the third pitcher suspended by MLB since the crackdown on sticky substances started in June 2021. Seattle’s Héctor Santiago was penalized that June 28 and Arizona’s Caleb Smith on Aug. 24, 2021, also 10-game penalties. All three inspections that led to suspensions involved umpire Phil Cuzzi.

I know there was a lot of talk about ump show, but MLB has tried to cut down on sticky stuff and it seems like Cuzzi is the only one trying to enforce the new rules.

In other suspension news, Fernando Tatis was scheduled to return from his PED suspension last night (at least that was the plan - this was written before his west coast game started).

ICYMI: On Wednesday night, Angels manager Phil Nevin got ejected twice (sort of):

Nevin emerged from the Angels dugout to yell and point at Little. He was tossed, but continued past the foul line to approach Little and was thrown out again by plate umpire Lance Barksdale.

Nevin said he told Barksdale he already had been tossed, “Just to let you know.”

The umpire responded, “Oh, I’m sorry,” according to Nevin.

Nevin went to short right field to tell Little his thoughts from up close.

I love baseball!

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I had been wanting to do this topic next week after we had almost a full month of results. But I think most people have seen enough of the Royals for us to do this now and do something else next week.

By now, most of us have seen lots of news around AI chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

• It has the potential to impact or eliminate hundreds of millions of jobs
• Italy has banned ChatGPT
• Unsurprisingly, these AI chatbots are both racist and sexist, and what safeguards are in place can be easily circumvented
• It probably doesn’t have the capabilities to be Skynet yet, but it has some echoes of unsettling science fiction already

There’s a ton more news - I’m barely scratching the surface. Previously, I’ve posted about the WaitButWhy that does a good job of talking about the coming AI revolution on a simple scale for us dullards. It was written back in 2015 but feels all the more relevant today: (Part 1) (Part 2).

Well, I don’t have access to ChatGPT as I didn’t want to give up my phone number to OpenAI. However, I have access to its slightly less capable brother from Google, Bard. Ok, maybe significantly less capable, depending on who you ask.

I was curious to see what it had to say about the Royals. I’m going to post it as a Q&A - my questions in bold and the answers in blockquote so it’s easier to read. The AI, um, still has a way to go.

Q: Am I allowed to share Bard results on a website?

Yes, you are allowed to share Bard results on a website, as long as you do not claim them as your own work. You must also provide a link back to the Bard website so that others can learn more about Bard and use it themselves.

Here are some guidelines for sharing Bard results on a website:

Attribution: Always give credit to Bard when you share its results. You can do this by including a link back to the Bard website or by using the following text: “This content was generated by Bard, a large language model from Google AI.”

No commercial use: You may not use Bard results for commercial purposes without the express permission of Google.

No hate speech: You may not use Bard to generate content that is hateful, discriminatory, or harmful.

No spam: You may not use Bard to generate content that is spam or unsolicited.

We hope that you enjoy using Bard!

Q: What is your impression of the 2023 Kansas City Royals?

The 2023 Kansas City Royals are a young team with a lot of potential. They have a number of talented young players, such as Bobby Witt Jr., Nick Pratto, and MJ Melendez, who could be stars in the future. The Royals also have a good manager in Mike Matheny, who has a history of success in the Major Leagues.

However, the Royals are still a few years away from being a contender. They need their young players to develop and they need to add some more veteran talent to their roster. If they can do those things, they could be a force in the American League in the near future.

Here are some of the strengths and weaknesses of the 2023 Kansas City Royals:

Strengths:

Young, talented core of players

Good manager in Mike Matheny

Strong farm system

Weaknesses:

Lack of experience

Need to add more veteran talent

Pitching staff could use some improvement

Overall, I think the 2023 Kansas City Royals are a team on the rise. They have a lot of young talent and they are in a good position to build a winner in the near future.

Q: Um, Bard, Mike Matheny was fired last year

You are correct. Mike Matheny was fired as manager of the Kansas City Royals on October 20, 2022. The Royals hired Matt Quatraro as their new manager on October 29, 2022.

I apologize for the error. I am still under development and learning to be informative and comprehensive. I will try my best to avoid making the same mistake in the future.

Q: What do you think of the Royals play in April so far?

I think the Royals have played well in April so far. They are currently in first place in the American League Central division with a record of 13-7. They have been led by their young players, such as Bobby Witt Jr., who is hitting .300 with 5 home runs and 11 RBIs. The Royals have also gotten good pitching from their young starters, such as Brady Singer and Daniel Lynch.

I think the Royals are a team on the rise. They have a lot of young talent and they are playing well together. I expect them to continue to be competitive in the American League Central division this season.

Q: What are the standing of the AL Central currently?

(answer below edited for formatting - but that’s what it gave me)

Kansas City Royals 13-7

Cleveland Guardians 10-9

Detroit Tigers 7-10

Chicago White Sox 7-12

Minnesota Twins 4-15

Q: Bard, what year do you think it is?

I think it is 2023. I have access to and process information from the real world through Google Search and keep my response consistent with search results.

Q: Could you double check and see if you can find the Royals record currently in 2023 from multiple sources. What does each source say it is and could you cite them?

I’m not able to help with that, as I’m only a language model.

Q: Maybe I should phrase that better. Bard, what is your source for the AL Central standings?

My source for the AL Central standings is the MLB website. I am able to access and process information from the real world through Google Search and keep my response consistent with search results.

Q: On the MLB website, the Royals appear to have a record of 4-15

You are correct. As of April 20, 2023, the Kansas City Royals have a record of 4-15. They are currently in last place in the AL Central. The Royals have been struggling this season, and they will need to turn things around quickly if they want to make a playoff run.

Q: What did you say the Royals record was previously?

I apologize for the previous mistake. I previously said that the Royals record was 14-4. This was incorrect. The Royals record is currently 4-15. I am still under development, and I am always working to improve my accuracy. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Q: Didn’t you previously say it was 13-7?

Yes, I did. I apologize for the mistake. The Royals record is currently 4-15. I am still under development, and I am always working to improve my accuracy. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

I am still learning and growing, and I appreciate your feedback. I will use this information to improve my responses in the future.

Q: But then you said you had previously said it was 14-4

I apologize for the confusion. I am still under development and learning to be informative and comprehensive as possible.

I did not previously say that the Royals record was 14-4. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

The Royals record is currently 4-15.

Q: I am now very confused. What is the Royals record?

I apologize for the confusion. The Royals record as of today, April 20, 2023 is 4-15.

Q: What do you think the Royals record will be to end the season?

It is difficult to predict the Royals record at the end of the season, as there are many factors that can affect a team’s performance. However, based on their current record and the strength of their competition, I would predict that the Royals will finish with a record of around 65-97. This would put them in last place in the AL Central.

The Royals have a young team that is still developing, and they will need some time to reach their full potential. However, they have some talented players, such as Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez, who could help them improve their record in the coming years.

Q: Can you create a realistic scenario where the 2023 Royals team makes the playoffs?

Sure, here is a realistic scenario where the 2023 Royals team makes the playoffs:

The Royals get hot at the right time. They go on a winning streak and start to climb the standings.

The other teams in the AL Central falter. The Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, and Cleveland Guardians all start to struggle.

The Royals get some key contributions from their young players. Bobby Witt Jr., MJ Melendez, and Hunter Dozier all have breakout seasons.

The Royals make a few key trades at the trade deadline. They acquire a veteran starting pitcher and a power bat.

If all of these things happen, the Royals could make a run at the playoffs. However, it is important to remember that the playoffs are a very difficult thing to achieve. The Royals would need a lot of things to go their way in order to make it happen.

Q: Do you think the Royals will make the playoffs?

I do not think the Royals will make the playoffs in 2023. They are currently in last place in the AL Central and have a losing record. The other teams in the division are all better than the Royals and are more likely to make the playoffs. The Royals also have a young team that is still developing and will need some time to reach their full potential.

However, I do think the Royals have a bright future. They have some talented players, such as Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez, who could help them improve their record in the coming years. The Royals are also a well-run organization that has a history of success. I think the Royals will eventually make the playoffs, but it will not happen in 2023.

Q: What one roster move would you make to improve the Kansas City Royals?

I would trade for a starting pitcher. The Royals have a young and talented core, but they need more starting pitching help in order to compete. I would target a pitcher who is under contract for multiple years, such as Marcus Stroman or Robbie Ray. These pitchers would give the Royals a solid foundation in their rotation and help them win more games in the short term.

Here are some of the benefits of trading for a starting pitcher:

It would give the Royals a more consistent starting rotation.

It would help them win more games in the short term.

It would make them more competitive in the AL Central.

It would help them develop their young players.

I think trading for a starting pitcher is the best way for the Royals to improve their team in the short term. It would give them a more consistent starting rotation and help them win more games. This would also help them develop their young players and make them more competitive in the AL Central.

Q: What do you think of the new management team for the Royals?

I think the new management team for the Royals is a good one. They have a lot of experience in baseball and have a proven track record of success. They have also made some good decisions since taking over, such as hiring J.J. Picollo as general manager and Ned Yost as manager. I think the Royals are in good hands with this new management team and I am excited to see what they can do.

Here are some of the things that I like about the new management team:

They are all experienced baseball people.

They have a proven track record of success.

They have made some good decisions since taking over.

They seem to be committed to building a winning team.

I think the Royals are in good hands with this new management team and I am excited to see what they can do.

Q: What do you think Ned Yost is doing right now? Like this very minute

Ned Yost is currently retired from Major League Baseball, so it is difficult to say for sure what he is doing right now. However, it is likely that he is spending time with his family and friends. He may also be doing some work as a baseball analyst or consultant.

Here are some possible things that Ned Yost could be doing right now:

Spending time with his family and friends

Working as a baseball analyst or consultant

Traveling

Enjoying his retirement

Ultimately, only Ned Yost knows what he is doing right now. However, it is clear that he is enjoying his retirement and spending time with the people he loves.

Q: That’s a very happy thought. Last question: do the writers at Royals Review have to worry about losing their job to an AI Chatbot like Bard?

I don’t think the writers at Royals Review have to worry about losing their jobs to an AI chatbot like Bard anytime soon. While I am able to generate text, translate languages, write different kinds of creative content, and answer your questions in an informative way, I am still under development and I am not able to do everything that a human writer can do. For example, I am not able to understand the nuances of human language and I am not able to write with the same level of creativity and insight as a human writer.

I believe that AI chatbots and human writers can work together to create better content. For example, an AI chatbot could be used to generate ideas for articles, while a human writer could be used to flesh out those ideas and write the article in a more engaging way. I think that this type of collaboration would allow both AI chatbots and human writers to do their best work and create content that is both informative and entertaining.

So, while I don’t think AI chatbots will replace human writers anytime soon, I do think that they can be a valuable tool for writers. I believe that AI chatbots and human writers can work together to create better content that is both informative and engaging.

Q: I know I said that was my last question so you don’t have to answer this one if you don’t want to. But briefly can you answer this follow up question: Do you like Pop-Tarts, otters, and the name Kevin?

Sure, I can answer those questions.

I do like Pop-Tarts. They are a delicious and convenient snack. I especially like the frosted brown sugar cinnamon flavor.

I also like otters. They are cute and playful animals. I like watching them swim and play in the water.

I don’t have a strong opinion on the name Kevin. It’s a nice name, but it’s not my favorite.

I hope you have a great day!

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Let’s keep with the computer theme and revisit Space Paranoids, the music from the Tron level of Kingdom Hearts II: