Royals Rumblings - News for August 22, 2024
Yet another day off.
Michael Lorenzen righted the ship after a rocky first few innings last night:
“I was rushing through a lot of stuff, and instead of hitting the panic button, you’re trying to figure out how to problem-solve out there and figure out exactly what’s off,” Lorenzen said. “I felt like I was able to figure it out and slow things down, slowed my rhythm down a little bit, and my body synced up better and I was able to make better pitches.”
Lorenzen ended up needing 95 pitches through seven innings and relied heavily on his fastball-sinker-changeup combination. His sweeper continues to get better as he works its execution, and the Angels whiffed four times on six swings against it.
Bobby Witt Jr. could become the first player to hit .400 at home since Barry Bonds ($):
But Kansas City is home. Witt will take the hits however they come. He said his sole focus is having the same routine and preparation, home or away. “If I have that, then I feel like I’m going to be the same guy each and every night.”
Witt’s batting average is 106 points better at home than on the road this season. That’s in line with the Puckett, Boggs and Bonds home/road splits, and far less of a differential than the .400-hitting Rockies had. Players are more comfortable at home. (There’s a reason only one player in the past 75 years has hit .400 on the road: Ichiro Suzuki had a .405 road split in 2004.)
“When you’re at home and hitting well, everything is more to perfection,” Eric Young Sr. said. “You’ve got your bed, home cooking. It’s tremendous.”
Mark Gubicza finally received his Royals Hall of Fame jacket:
“It was a pretty cool moment,” said Gubicza of his jersey ceremony. “I really appreciated that one. You know, Wayne (Randazzo, his play-by-play partner), it was really cool. After I started walking back up here to come up and do the game with you, every guy on the team was over there. I got a chance to shake hands and give hugs. It was really really fun. It meant so much to hear the guys say ‘Wow, that’s really cool.’
“That was so much fun, that made me feel really really good. I mean, the jacket felt good, but that love from the players there is really, really amazing.”
Kevin O’Brien evaluates the case for a Vinnie Pasquantino extension:
Of qualified MLB first basemen, Pasquantino ranks 13th in wRC+ and fWAR. He ranks better in fWAR than players like Ryan Mountcastle, Luis Arraez, and Paul Goldschmidt. However, he still ranks behind Carlos Santana, Josh Naylor, and Nate Lowe. Thus, it’s hard to justify a big-time extension for a first-baseman who isn’t a Top-10 one right now and may not be one long-term.
Conversely, could the Royals live with a good hitter who may never be an All-Star? Can Kansas City be okay with a first baseman who may top out at 25 home runs in a year but can be an RBI machine in clutch situations (even if those RBI hits are singles or sac flies)?
The Mariners are wasting an elite starting rotation.
Several teams appear to have not done enough to address their roster deficiencies at the trade deadline.
2010 NL MVP Joey Votto announced his retirement from baseball.
Justin Verlander took the loss in his first game back from injury.
Yankees right-handed pitcher Luis Gil is headed to the IL with a back injury.
On this day 35 years ago, Nolan Ryan struck out Rickey Henderson to become the inaugural member of the 5000 strikeout club.
Pools and venues are set for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Baseball is rapidly growing in the small south Asian nation of Bhutan.
Travis Kelce will make a cameo in the upcoming Happy Gilmore 2.
Some Tesla Cybertruck purchasers have been receiving dirty trucks with garbage inside.
The Sierra Nevada mountains may get August snow for the first time in 20 years.
@dril wants $25 from the Kamala Harris campaign for using one of his old tweets in a press release.
Your song of the day is Scream & Shout by will.i.am and Britney Spears.