Royals Rumblings - News for September 19, 2024
A much needed day off.
The Royals are not panicking about their recent struggles:
Time to worry? A two-game lead for a playoff spot is a lot dicier than a four-game lead, which is what the Royals (82-71) would have had if they won Wednesday. But they’ve got nine games left, and getting back on track with some wins is the quickest way to avoid the ensuing chaos as the standings shake out.
“I don’t worry about it,” Salvador Perez said. “I think we’re going to be fine. I think we’re going to make it to the playoffs. That’s the kind of mentality we have here. Everybody has some bad series. It’s part of the game.”
Salvador Perez has bridged the gap between two eras of Royals baseball:
That reason, he has decided, is so he can help Kansas City’s young players learn what his older teammates taught him, starting with the importance of taking the field every day. Every so often, Quatraro gives him a day off. By about the fourth inning, the skipper tends to notice a hulking presence in his peripheral vision, lobbying to pinch hit. “My body doesn’t feel great at this time of year and I’m only 24,” says star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. “I can’t imagine how his feels, and he’s out there grinding it out.”
Pérez also reminds them of the importance of the mental game. He has noticed over the years that young players tend to look too far ahead. He tries to pull them back.
Jeff Passan gives out his regular season awards with some Royals honored ($):
In addition to urging general manager J.J. Picollo to add via free agency, Royals owner John Sherman greenlit the $288 million contract extension for Witt over the winter as well as a midseason budget expansion to acquire more talent at the trade deadline and via the waiver wire. The Royals have operated with a sense of urgency rarely seen among lower-revenue teams.
And their targets have hit. Lugo was among the best signings of the winter and Wacha not far behind. Cole Ragans, acquired for Aroldis Chapman in June 2023, is a top-of-the-rotation starter. Witt is a superstar; Salvador Perez is bolstering his Hall of Fame case by the year; and Vinnie Pasquantino is a legitimate middle-of-the-order bat (and they very much miss him while he’s out with a broken thumb). And with the work Matt Quatraro is doing in the dugout, the Royals could pull off the rare Manager of the Year/Executive of the Year double
Blake Mitchell was named a Carolina League All-Star.
The Brewers cliched the NL Central for their third division title in the last four seasons.
Tampa Bay’s Ryan Pepiot tossed an immaculate inning.
Craig Kimbrel has been designated for assignment by Baltimore.
Grateful Dead nights are taking over MLB ballparks. ($)
Multiple season-ending injuries:
- Dodgers right-handed pitcher Gavin Stone is unlikely to pitch again this season.
- Cincinnati left-handed pitcher Brandon Williamson is undergoing Tommy John surgery and will be out until 2026.
- Mets right-handed pitcher Christian Scott is undergoing Tommy John surgery and will be out until 2026.
- Toronto outfielder Daulton Varsho will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.
Portland is getting a WBNA expansion franchise.
NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski is retiring from ESPN.
Tupperware is filing for bankruptcy.
Nintendo and Pokémon are suing the maker of Palword for patent infringement.
MrBeast and Amazon are being sued by contestants from his competition show.
Your song of the day is I’ll Sue Ya by Weird Al Yankovic.