Royals Rumblings - News for September 22, 2023

Jaylon Thompson talks to hitting coach Alec Zumwalt about Nelson Velázquez’s improvement.

“We were in Seattle and he first mentioned to us about his hands, where he wanted his hands to be at, and it was based off of what he was watching (from) Bobby,” Zumwalt said. “How Bobby anchors his hands so well. And then literally even yesterday in BP he was talking about his posture and how he wants to make sure he maintains his posture.

“In the past he would try to go get a ball with his upper body versus using his lower half. So ... I mean little things, but they’re big things.”

The Royals officially announce the hiring of Brian Bridges as scouting director, among other front office moves.

Other moves announced included:

• Promoting current scouting director Danny Ontiveros to vice president of scouting

• Promoting advance scout Jim Cuthbert to director of pro personnel and strategy

• Promoting Daniel Guerrero to director of international scouting

Royals vice president of player personnel Lonnie Goldberg, who oversaw Draft efforts from 2011-22 and continued to help in ‘23, will remain in the front office to help with scouting.

Public officials respond to the Royals delaying their stadium site selection.

“I was sort of expecting that,” Jackson County Democratic Legislator Charlie Franklin told FOX4 Wednesday. “I really would have been surprised if they would have made an announcement in September, a very complicated transaction.”

Barbara Shelly at The Pitch slams the stadium process.

Get ready for tax-increment financing demands and who knows what else. Clay County, which has fewer residents and a smaller sales tax base than Jackson County, should expect to have to make up the difference through other subsidies.

Also, beware of claims that a ballpark entertainment complex would eventually pay for itself, drink by drink, T-shirt by T-shirt. Those same promises were made when Kansas City issued bonds in 2006 to pay for the downtown Power & Light District. They have never panned out.

Scott White at CBS Sports makes some bold 2024 fantasy baseball predictions, such as Cole Ragans leading the league in strikeouts.

I’m not bold enough to say he’ll beat out Spencer Strider for the MLB lead, but Ragans has emerged as a bat-missing forced since adding a slider to his arsenal with the Royals. His changeup was already a wipeout pitch, one that has long been compared to Cole Hamels’, and he pairs it with a fastball that occasionally reaches triple digits. The big question is if his arm will hold up for a full season.

Anne Rogers writes about Anthony Veneziano, up in the big leagues nine years after his father’s death.

MLB Network will have a documentary about George Brett to air in December.

Joe Doyle at the Over-Slot podcast talks to new Royals director of scouting Brian Bridges.

There is a new survey going around asking voters how they feel about a new stadium for the Royals.

The Kansas City Monarchs win their third title in five years with a walk-off win.

Corbin Carroll becomes the first rookie to enjoy a 20 home run, 50 stolen base season.

The Tigers name former hockey executive Jeff Greenburg as general manager.

This year’s Qualifying Offer amount will be $20.5 million.

Brewers pitcher J.C. Mejia is suspended for 162 games for a positive Stanozolol test.

The status quo for the Yankees led to disaster.

How the $445 million Mets crashed and burned.

Lefty hitters are facing lefty pitchers less and less.

A Netflix documentary shows how a stint in the indy leagues saved Darryl Strawberry.

Baseball owners want their new stadiums to be tentpoles for real estate development.

Boise State’s athletic director has proposed a relegation plan for college football.

Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigns amid bizarre circumstances.

How America maintains its aging nuclear weapons arsenal.

Nearly all NFTs are now pretty much worthless.

Did Hasan Minhaj cross a line by lying in his stand up comedy?

Your song of the day is Jay-Z with Jigga What, Jigga Who.