Royals Rumblings - News for February 8, 2023

Feb 8, 2023 - 1:00 PM

David Lesky wrote a fantastic piece at Inside the Crown collecting impressions of the new pitching coaches, and how it’s time for all the college pitchers from the 2018 and 2019 drafts to reach their potential.

Players are always going to praise the guys they’re with now and sometimes that ends up throwing the previous regime under the bus, but even if you just look at what that Brad Keller quote is saying, it’s very clear that they were well aware where the issues existed before. Even the oldest of old school baseball fans should agree that if you’re not utilizing all the tools at your disposal, you’re not doing enough. And I don’t believe the Royals were doing enough.

I had a chance to talk with someone who has worked with Sweeney before and he echoed what was in the newsletter. He said that he doesn’t see any two pitchers as being alike and isn’t afraid of anything like analytics. He is said to be a great communicator, which is something we’ve heard so much this offseason regarding the new hires (maybe saying something about the past hires…) and is “nearly impossible to dislike.” You obviously don’t need to like who you’re working with, but it certainly helps.

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The Royals have a small army of young (though getting less young) pitching that needs to show they can be part of a winning big league club. This is a massive season for them. It’s a lot to ask over the course of just one season, but they’re banking on the new coaching staff having an immediate impact and that leaves these young pitchers with a lot to prove in 2023. And if they don’t, well, their time might be nearly up when the season ends.

Mets owner Steve Cohen asserts that other MLB owners’ objections to his excessive spending is a Them Problem, not a Him Problem.

The Blue Jays and shortstop Bo Bichette agreed to a 3-year deal.

Some interesting platoon bats still available in free agency, from MLB Trade Rumors.

Kansas City’s end zone is yellow for Sunday’s large game:

Aaron Rodgers is going on a 4-day “darkness retreat” to contemplate his future.

Here’s an important NBA stat:

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Here are tips for winning at Monopoly, Tic-tac-toe, Settlers of Catan, and Scrabble. Parents/caregivers: what board game do you most dread your kid(s)/charge(s) asking to play?

Some popular Big Game Party snacks that your dog should not eat.

Also from Lifehacker, a suggestion that some couples can benefit from sleeping in separate beds, rooms, or even residences.

A behind-the-scenes look at how an advice column (specifically Ask a Manager, but I bet some of the information is in step with other columns) is run.

Photo Stealers is back up and running, exposing (get it? a photography pun?) photographers who steal images to advertise their own services.

There is a world record for the number of dogs in a conga line, and it is 14.

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SOTD: I’m going to steal my friend’s joke from Twitter, and take us on a Darkness retreat. It’s The Darkness - Friday Night. Permission to Land is a perfect album.