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Daily Clips
May 2, 2018
LOCAL
Royals rely on Soler power to clip Sox in 13th
Gordon's clutch home run in 9th inning forces extra frames
May 1, 2018 By Jeffrey Flanagan/
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Royals release Buchholz due to opt-out clause
May 1, 2018 By Jeffrey Flanagan/
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Jorge Soler's three-run homer in the 13th powers Royals to win over Red Sox
May 1, 2018 By Maria/Torres/KC Star
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Jorge Soler just had his best month with the Royals. An iPad helped him break through
May 1, 2018 By Maria Torres/KC Star
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Outfield positioning? For the Royals, it’s in the cards
May 1, 2018 By Lee Judge/KC Star
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Mellinger Minutes: Sgt. Perez's lecture, the Chiefs' draft, Mahomes' future, KU's AD, and a Terez story
May 1, 2018 By Sam Mellinger/KC Star
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Five MLB All-Stars to take part in Negro Leagues Hall of Game event this summer
May 1, 2018 By Sam McDowell/KC Star
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Did the birth of baseball launch angles come in 1885 in Caldwell, Kan.?
May 1, 2018 By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
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His older brother went deep in batting practice. Alex Gordon had to upstage him in victory over Red Sox
May 1, 2018 By Rustin Dodd/The Athletic
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MINORS
Q&A: Royals assistant general manager J.J. Picollo details the progress of the club’s top prospects
May 1, 2018 By Rustin Dodd/The Athletic
[pic]Chasers Defeat Rain, Cubs, 7-4
Mondesi homers in rain-shortened victory
May 1, 2018 By Omaha Storm Chasers
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Naturals Claim The Series Opener, 4-2
Closer Jake Newberry records a six-out save in the victory over Springfield on Tuesday night
May 1, 2018 By Northwest Arkansas Naturals
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Wilmington's Valiant Comeback Falls Short
Rocks Strand Tying-Run at Third Base in Ninth
May 1, 2018 By Wilmington Blue Rocks
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NATIONAL
5 former All-Stars headline Hall of Game class
Allen, Grant, Lofton, Murray and Richard will be inducted in June
May 1, 2018 By Deesha Thosar/
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Cueto lands on DL with elbow inflammation
May 1, 2018 By Chris Haft/
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MLB TRANSACTIONS
May 2, 2018 •.
LOCAL
Royals rely on Soler power to clip Sox in 13th
Gordon's clutch home run in 9th inning forces extra frames
May 1, 2018 By Jeffrey Flanagan/
It sure seemed like old times for Royals manager Ned Yost.
Jorge Soler belted a three-run home run in the 13th inning, and the Royals hung on for a wild, back-and-forth 7-6 win over the Red Sox on Tuesday night at Fenway Park.
"We just kept battling and battling," Yost said. "That's always been a hallmark of our team, no matter how difficult the times get. That's why I'm so proud of watching these guys."
Alex Gordon and Whit Merrifield delivered one-out singles, and Soler jumped on a 1-0 curveball from Brian Johnson and lifted it just over the Green Monster.
"I'm just happy the way we were able to win," Soler said through interpreter Pedro Grifol. "I was looking fastball, but I saw the breaking ball pop out of his hand and I put a good swing on it. I didn't think I hit it that well, but when I saw the outfielder turn, I knew it had a chance."
The excitement was far from over, though. Right-hander Burch Smith was one of two final relievers Yost had available in the bullpen for the 13th, and Smith immediately gave up a single and then hit a batter. After a fielder's choice, Yost opted for left-hander Brian Flynn, who allowed the inherited runners to score before securing the final two outs for his first career save.
"I was trying to get Burch through the whole inning," Yost said. "But I'm trying to win the game, too. So I went with the favorable matchup with Flynn."
The final out came when Eduardo Nunez, who had homered off Royals closer Kelvin Herrera in the 12th to tie it after Jon Jay's go-ahead sacrifice fly in the top of the frame, flied out to the center-field wall.
"I was ready to punch the guy out for my first save," Flynn said, smiling. "Instead I'm standing there holding my breath."
Royals reliever Kevin McCarthy pitched three scoreless innings to get the game to Herrera in the 12th. McCarthy didn't allow a hit and struck out two.
"Good two-seamers and good defense," McCarthy said. "I knew, extra innings, I had to throw strikes and go as long as I can. It was great. Good team win."
Gordon picked an opportune time for his first home run of the season, sending a 2-1, 97-mph fastball over the bullpen in right field off Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel in the ninth inning, tying the score at 3.
Earlier, right-hander Brad Keller showed exactly why the Royals kept the Rule 5 Draft acquisition and believe in his potential as he struck out Hanley Ramirez with a 99-mph heater with the go-ahead run on third base and one out in the seventh inning.
Moments later, Keller showed why they must continue to show patience with the rookie as he fired a wild pitch, allowing the lead run to score.
Royals starter Jakob Junis was solid for five innings. He carried a 2-0 lead into the sixth when his out pitch, his slider, suddenly betrayed him. Mitch Moreland jumped on the 2-1 pitch from Junis with one out and blasted it over the right-field wall.
With two out, Rafael Devers pounded on another slider and belted it off the right-field wall for a double. Jackie Bradley Jr. then fisted a 3-1 slider into an open spot on the left side of the shift for an RBI single.
Junis went six innings and gave up seven hits and two runs. He walked one and struck out five.
MOMENT THAT MATTERED
Some old-school Royals baserunning pulled off a run in the sixth. Jay led off with a single and moved to second with one out on Lucas Duda's single to left-center. Alcides Escobar hit into a fielder's choice, pushing Duda to third. With Gordon up, Escobar took off from first on a delayed steal. Escobar stopped several steps before second base to force a rundown. And as that rundown started, Jay sprinted for home plate and made it without a throw.
UP NEXT
Left-hander Danny Duffy (0-3, 5.40 ERA) takes the mound at 12:05 p.m. CT on Wednesday for the series finale at Fenway Park. Lefty Drew Pomeranz (0-1, 7.27) will start for the Red Sox. Duffy gave up four runs and six hits over six innings on Friday in a no-decision against the White Sox.
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Royals release Buchholz due to opt-out clause
May 1, 2018 By Jeffrey Flanagan/
The Royals released veteran right-hander Clay Buchholz on Tuesday, the day of his opt-out clause in his Minor League deal.
Buchholz, 33, had been signed on March 25. He threw 16 Minor League innings between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha, giving up 10 hits and two runs, along with seven walks and nine strikeouts.
Buchholz, a former All-Star with the Red Sox, was traded to the Phillies prior to the 2017 season. He then missed most of the year because of right forearm surgery.
Royals general manager Dayton Moore said they had hoped to keep Buchholz in the Minor Leagues so he could continue to build arm strength.
"But he had that opt-out [clause], and he chose free agency," Moore told . "It just wasn't the right fit."
Moore said the Royals were comfortable with their present starting rotation, which includes left-hander Eric Skoglund, who is coming off throwing his best game in the Major Leagues on Saturday: seven innings, two hits, one run and nine strikeouts.
"And we also have Justin Grimm and Nate Karns, who eventually will come off the disabled list, and we'll need room for that," Moore said.
The Royals also would have had to bump a player off the 40-man roster to make room for Buchholz.
Asked if the Royals considered Buchholz a possibility for the bullpen, Moore said, "We signed him as a starter, and his preference is to be a starter."
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Jorge Soler's three-run homer in the 13th powers Royals to win over Red Sox
May 1, 2018 By Maria/Torres/KC Star
For a year, the Royals were questioned if they’d made the right choice.
Fans, especially, wondered if the move to send closer Wade Davis to the Cubs in exchange for a strong outfielder who had yet to really prove himself in the major leagues was worth losing an integral member of a World Series-winning bullpen.
On Tuesday night in Boston, 16 months after the December 2016 trade brought outfielder Jorge Soler to Kansas City, the Royals were rewarded for holding on to hope.
Soler struck a 74 mph curveball offered by Red Sox reliever Brian Johnson into the Green Monster seats in left field. The three-run homer in the 13th inning paved the way for the Royals’ 7-6 win at Fenway Park.
With a mighty hack that muscled the ball 357 feet over the wall, Soler absolved Royals closer Kelvin Herrera of his first blown save of the year.
“I wasn’t looking for a breaking ball,” Soler said in Spanish, in the moments after hitting his first game-winning home run in a Royals uniform. “He’s a pitcher who doesn’t throw really hard. I was looking fastball. I saw the curveball there and made a swing on it.”
The Royals had fought from the ninth inning on to re-take a lead they lost in the sixth, when starting pitcher Jakob Junis surrendered a solo home run to Mitch Moreland and an RBI single to Jackie Bradley Jr.
Until then, Junis held his own in his first career outing against the Red Sox. Over six innings, he gave up seven hits and two earned runs to the best-hitting team in baseball. He also struck out five.
Before the sixth, Junis had limited the Red Sox to just five baserunners. He’d allowed four hits and issued a walk through five innings. When the Red Sox loaded the bases with two outs in the third inning, Junis turned to his vaunted slider and struck out Xander Bogaerts, the shortstop who on Monday hit the Red Sox’s sixth grand slam of the season.
“Junis gave us a heck of a start,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “Made a mistake on Moreland, tried to go back-door slider and got it over the plate. Bradley fisted one against the shift, tied it up. A couple wild pitches, they take the lead. … (We) kept battling, kept fighting.”
After Junis left the game with the score tied 2-2, Andrew Benintendi scored the go-ahead run when Royals rookie reliever Brad Keller threw a wild pitch that rolled toward Mitch Moreland in the on-deck circle.
Alex Gordon provided the first glimmer of hope. He tied the game 3-3 in the ninth inning with his first homer of the season, off Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel.
Then Royals pitcher Kevin McCarthy provided three scoreless innings of relief. When he exited the game in the 12th, yielding to Herrera, the Royals had taken a 4-3 lead on Jon Jay’s sacrifice fly that scored Drew Butera in the top of the frame.
Herrera, who hadn't allowed a run in 11 appearances to start the season, made a mistake inside to Red Sox second baseman Eduardo Nuñez, who drove it over the Green Monster for another game-tying homer.
But Soler, who deposited his home run near where Nunez’s landed, provided the power Herrera needed for a victory. Brian Flynn earned the save.
The Royals improved to 8-21 and handed the Red Sox their eighth loss of the year.
“They would bend a little bit but they would never break,” Yost said. “That’s always been a hallmark of our team — these guys continue to battle no matter how difficult the times get.
“That’s why I’m always so proud of watching them out there fight. But it was good to get on the good side of one, too, when they’ve been fighting their tails off.”
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Jorge Soler just had his best month with the Royals. An iPad helped him break through
May 1, 2018 By Maria Torres/KC Star
Royals outfielder Jorge Soler can often be seen ducking out of the team’s clubhouse, the hood of a T-shirt pulled over his head and an iPad tucked underneath his arm.
The device has become a weapon for him.
It’s loaded with video, flush with scouting reports on opposing pitchers. Similar ones exist for every hitter. It’s the strongest lifeline they have in a baseball world revolutionized by analytics.
But it wasn’t until this season, a few games into an April during which Soler hit .316 with 17 walks, his most in a calendar month, that he ever made use of the tool. He’d already gained an edge in the offseason when he refocused his approach in the batter’s box with the help of a privately contracted coach. This seemed like the logical next step.
His dedication to studying has paid dividends. Soler has never put together such a well-rounded month in his career. Although he had yet to tap into his power — his eight extra-base hits through Monday ranked behind Mike Moustakas' 15 and Alcides Escobar's 10 on the team — he reached base 43.4 percent of the time and knocked 24 hits in his first 24 games this season.
Combine those figures with improved plate discipline and Soler has provided manager Ned Yost an analogy to chew on.
“He just reminds me a little bit — I was always kind of amazed and wondered why he was so selective and that was (Carlos) Santana in Cleveland last year,” Yost said in his Fenway Park office this week. “Even though he’d hit (.260) he’d still have a (high) on-base with 25 home runs. … Adam Dunn the same thing.
“This kid seems to me a kid that’s gonna be kind of more the complete package. A lot of walks, a lot of power and can hit for average.”
All it took for Soler to put it together was a push. He began the season in an 0 for 11 rut, wherein he struck out and walked three times each. He made moderately hard contact with pitches, but flyballs never landed for hits and he often rolled groundballs right at infielders.
Then he was handed an iPad, offered instruction and encouraged to study.
“I kind of know what the pitcher is gonna do with me, which isn’t something I did before," Soler said.
In the weeks since, he’s batted .353 (24 for 68) and reached base safely in 19 of 20 games. He’s worked counts so well he sees 4.48 pitches per plate appearance, good enough for sixth in baseball entering Tuesday. He saw an average of 4.01 pitches in his first full major-league season in 2015.
Soler offered a simple explanation for his success: "I’m just trying to stay focused in every at-bat and make good swings on pitches."
In doing so, he’s become the hitter the Royals thought they were getting when they traded closer Wade Davis to the Cubs in exchange for the 26-year-old outfielder in December 2016.
For someone who’s been limited by injuries to 271 major-league games since his debut with the Chicago Cubs in 2014, this 2018 campaign is a crossroads. Thus far, he’s embarked on the right path.
"He's a sponge. He's always wanting to learn," Royals coach Pedro Grifol said. "He has the talent to be a pretty good hitter."
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Outfield positioning? For the Royals, it’s in the cards
May 1, 2018 By Lee Judge/KC Star
On a recent Sunday morning, just before a game against the Chicago White Sox, Royals outfielder Alex Gordon sat at his locker and studied a 3x5 card.
The card listed Chicago’s lineup and bench players and was divided into two categories: It told the Royals left fielder where he should position himself when the Royals had a right-handed pitcher on the mound, and where he should position himself when the Royals had a left-handed pitcher on the mound.
Those categories were subdivided into positioning before the hitter had two strikes on him and after the hitter had two strikes; that’s necessary because some hitters alter their approach once they get into a two-strike count.
Gordon doesn't carry the card with him to the outfield. He memorizes the card before the game starts. But some of the Royals' outfielders carry them in their back pockets or keep them in their hat and refer to them during games.
Royals outfield coach Mitch Maier was happy to share what's on the cards — he said the team's outfield positioning isn’t a secret. All an opposing team has to do is look at the field to know what the Royals are doing.
There are a couple of keys to deciphering the cards.
If a box next to a hitter’s name says “ST,” that means straight up; if you drew a line between first and second base and continued that line into the outfield, and the left fielder stood on that line, that would be straight-up positioning.
“L” stands for line, and “G” stands for gap. The number that follows indicates how many steps in that direction the outfielder should position himself. “G-1” would tell the left fielder to move one step toward the left-center gap.
A white background indicates straight-up positioning; green means the outfielder isn’t playing straight up; and red means the outfielder should also play in. If a Royals outfielder gets confused, he can always look at Maier in the dugout and get help with his positioning.
That’s what the cards are.
Here’s how they’re created.
Heat maps
The Royals' analytics department supplies Maier with “heat maps” — color-coded charts showing where the opposing hitters tend to hit the ball. Cool colors indicate few balls hit into that area; warm colors indicate more balls hit into that area. But heat maps are only the beginning.
Specific matchups
The heat maps might represent hundreds of at-bats against all the pitchers the hitter faced during a given time period. They give Maier an overall idea of where opposing batters tend to hit the ball.
But then he looks at specific matchups with the Royals' pitchers. For instance, where do opposing hitters tend to hit the ball when Danny Duffy is on the mound?
If the sample size is too small to draw conclusions, Maier can look for “similars” — left-handed pitchers who have similar stuff to Duffy's. That can help Maier decide where to place the Royals' outfielders when Duffy is pitching.
The matchups can get even more specific.
Say Royals pitcher Ian Kennedy likes to throw a back-foot slider to a certain left-handed batter once he has that hitter in a two-strike count. If Kennedy gets the slider down and toward the hitter’s back foot, he’s got a great chance of getting a swing and miss. But if Kennedy misses his spot and leaves the slider up and over the plate, the hitter will pull that off-speed pitch down the right-field line.
It’s Maier's job to make sure the Royals have an outfielder standing there when the ball comes down.
Advance scouts
Hitters do not remain constant; they go through hot and cold streaks.
So advance scouts watch the teams the Royals are about to play and report back. A hitter might have a history of hitting balls up the middle and the other way, but right now he’s pulling the ball. The advanced scouting reports go into the mix of information used to decide positioning.
The radar gun
A pitcher's velocity can also affect the outfielders’ positioning.
It depends on the pitcher. Kennedy might throw a 92 mph fastball, but because of movement and deception, hitters react like it’s 96 mph. Another pitcher might actually throw 96, but because his fastball lacks movement and deception, hitters react like it’s 92.
Outfielders can’t just look at the radar gun and decide where to stand.
Know your enemy
Maier said it was interesting to see how other teams positioned themselves against the Royals' hitters; some teams would play a Kansas City hitter to pull, while another team might play the same hitter to go up the middle or the other way.
Former Royals outfield coach Rusty Kuntz said a divisional opponent would probably do a better job of positioning than a team the Royals see only once in interleague play. The divisional opponent would have a better idea of how to play them. Theoretically, the positioning in the third game of a series should be better than the positioning in the first game.
Appreciating what you have
One night, former big-league umpire Steve Palermo and I were watching a Royals game that wasn’t going well.
At one point during the game, he turned to me and said, “You know what? In this entire country, there are only 15 big-league baseball games being played tonight, and we’re lucky enough to be at one of them.”
Good point.
The Royals' season has not started well. They have a losing record. But borrowing from Palermo's point of view, only 30 cities in the entire country have a baseball team, and Kansas City is lucky enough to be one of them. Palermo is gone now, but his words of wisdom live on: Until things get better, Royals fans should enjoy the game for what it is.
Even if your team loses, every game contains moments worth watching. And once you know a little more about outfield positioning and the work that goes into it, a routine fly ball to an outfielder can be one of them.
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Mellinger Minutes: Sgt. Perez's lecture, the Chiefs' draft, Mahomes' future, KU's AD, and a Terez story
May 1, 2018 By Sam Mellinger/KC Star
If you read the next few paragraphs and think I'm being at least a little hypocritical, I won't try to change your mind. I am a sports columnist at a newspaper in a city that loves college sports, so literally if a little indirectly I profit off the interest and hype surrounding top high school athletes.
I or at least people who have jobs like mine are part of the problem, even if we can say we're only responding to the demand and interests of our readers, so who am I to say that 85 credentialed media members and a line around the block two hours before a high school basketball player announces where he wants to play in college is a bit much.
I don't know, but that's what I'm saying.
We talked some about this on the Border Patrol but basically I had three thoughts.
Shock: I'm not shocked by much. The craziest things in sports happen so often that we don't even notice most of it. LeBron is the best basketball player in the world in his 15th season. Fifteen seasons after Michael Jordan was drafted, he was in the middle of his second retirement. When he returned, he was a shell, essentially owner of one of the league's all-time old man games. This is a fairly shocking development, and somehow we've all just come to accept it as normal. But Sal Perez going full Chief of the Fun Police on a guy for being excited about a home run is no less shocking than if I come home and see that my dog has made me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Hilarity: This is like a bad bit from a WWE script, a heel turn so outrageous it's like a cartoon. The Royals literally made a billboard out of Perez dumping water on teammates during their postgame interviews, often after the most mundane wins, and the majority of which happened before he had ever played in the postseason. The 2018 version of Perez would be FURIOUS if he could remember the 2014 version of Perez. Or, really, even the 2017 version.
Sadness: The joy is gone, apparently. Before the calendar flipped to May, this wretched baseball team had sucked the fun of baseball so completely from Perez's mind that went all Brian McCann on a young kid who dared enjoy himself on the baseball field. We all know where the Royals are right now, and I think most of us understand it's going to take awhile to build this thing back up. That's the reality of being the Royals. But it's going to be a pretty miserable stretch if Perez is demanding the other teams act like they're in study hall while beating the Royals.
I come at this from a bit of an emotional place. For far too long, baseball has been out of touch and too self-important. A culture grew, somehow, that demanded athletes remain very serious while performing incredible feats of entertainment in front of thousands of fans.
That culture has cracked in modern times, and for those who feel like I do, Perez was sort of our ambassador. He made goofy videos, he flexed his muscles after base hits, he crashed interviews, he splashed water, he laughed even when nothing was funny, and generally gave off a vibe of joy, particularly when the cameras were on.
I get frustration, and Perez wouldn't be competitive if he wasn't frustrated. But baseball is an unrelenting grind, perhaps the hardest in sports, and it's long been said that the only way to survive is to focus on the positive and move past the negative.
If this is Perez's new worldview, that opponents cannot celebrate, or that celebration is only allowed for someone who's played in the postseason, then an already difficult few years is going to be even worse.
My hunch is that Perez was mostly blowing off steam, which is fine enough.
But if this is an indication of a new normal, that Perez won't be happy on a losing team, I wonder if it changes the front office's calculus on making him available through trade.
Soler will be a free agent after 2021*, which changes the math here a bit, but it's still a good question.
* His salaries are set through 2020, and then he'll be in arbitration in 2021.
The decision on Soler is not urgent, unless the Royals believe his value peaks in the next year or so.
All the usual disclaimers about small sample sizes apply here, and it's also worth noting that we haven't seen the power this year. I believe that will come, and probably very quickly. He's hitting the ball hard, and consistently. The weather's been mostly terrible. Twenty-five home runs or more are in play, even if he has just two right now. OK. Moving on.
Assuming he's a good player, the Royals could still expect strong trade value after 2019, and even at the trade deadline in 2020. Home runs are being devalued, generally, but there's always a spot for a good athlete who can get on base and hit it over the fence.
That final year of club control, 2021, could be the beginning of the next "window." If Soler is a good player, he'll make a lot through arbitration, but the old baseball line holds that there is no such thing as a bad one-year contract and if he fits the rest of the roster he could be a valuable piece.
The Royals could also explore an extension. This is purely speculation, but Soler will have made somewhere north of $18 million in his career by the end of this season, and locked into base salaries of $4 million each in 2019 and 2020. If he's productive, that last year of club control will cost more than $10 million.
He isn't in obvious need of a quick payday, is the point, and the Royals have always had difficulty signing power hitters because of Kauffman Stadium.
Or, like you mention, they could see what he'd bring back in a trade. This is actually where I'd lean, because I think he'd be more valuable to a team with a smaller ballpark and more emphasis on power, less emphasis on defense and outfield range.
No matter what, Soler is part of the Royals' future, so in some ways even more than a guy like Mike Moustakas, his performance is important for the franchise's outlook.
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Five MLB All-Stars to take part in Negro Leagues Hall of Game event this summer
May 1, 2018 By Sam McDowell/KC Star
The idea surfaced initially out of necessity, as Negro Leagues Baseball Museum president Bob Kendrick saw interest in his winter fundraiser dwindling. He had hoped to rejuvenate public attention to the Negro Leagues, while replenishing the financial account of a non-profit organization intent on prolonging its community outreach programs.
Five years later, his solution is flourishing.
Kendrick unveiled Tuesday the class for the museum’s fifth annual Hall of Game. The inductees will be Dick Allen, Eddie Murray, Kenny Lofton, Jim Grant and J.R. Richard. They are all scheduled to attend the ceremony on June 9 at the Gem Theater.
The summer event — which replaced the former Legacy Awards ceremony that took place each winter — is nearing $1 million in total fund-raising, Kendrick said. It honors former baseball players who exuded “the spirit of the way the game was played in the Negro Leagues,” Kendrick said.
“That’s what we wanted to convey with this celebration — pay homage to the Negro Leagues by honoring major leaguers who played the game with the same pizazz, the dazzle, the sizzle,” Kendrick said. “That’s all Negro Leagues.”
The museum still presents its annual legacy awards to current MLB players in the namesakes of former Negro Leagues players, but rather than hosting a winter ceremony that many of them could not fit into their schedules, they present them the awards during their visits to Kauffman Stadium. The shrinking number of player appearances led to the cancellation of the ceremony after 10 years.
Part of the requirements of the inductees into the Hall of Game is their attendance, with players from the initial four classes including Rickey Henderson, Dave Winfield, Tony Perez, Ozzie Smith and Lou Brock, among others.
“This event is critical for us. It helps us do the educational programs and the community outreach programs that we do to serve primarily a community that is not affluent,” Kendrick said. “There are always demands on the museum for discounted admission (and) free admission, so the more money we generate, the greater impact we can have on the lives of many of those young people who come see us.”
The 2018 ceremony will also present a Jackie Robinson Lifetime Achievement Award to Robinson’s daughter, Sharon. She serves as an educational consultant for MLB and also manages an educational curriculum designed to empower young students encountering adversity.
Sharon Robinson plans to be in attendance on June 9 to receive the award, Kendrick said.
“It was very emotional when I called Sharon to share the news. It took her breath away,” Kendrick said. “It was one of those moments that I’ll hold near and dear to me — to be able to (share) that news with her.”
All five players in the 2018 Hall of Game class were MLB All-Stars. Murray was an eight-time all-star and first-ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee. He topped 3,000 hits and 500 home runs, spending time with the Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Cleveland and Anaheim.
Allen was named the 1972 American League most valuable player with the Chicago White Sox. Lofton, who played for eight teams, won four Gold Gloves and led his league in stolen bases five times. Grant, nicknamed “Mudcat,” was the first African American pitcher to win 20 games for an American League team and the first African American to win a World Series game for an AL team. Richard twice led the National League in strikeouts.
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Did the birth of baseball launch angles come in 1885 in Caldwell, Kan.?
May 1, 2018 By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
It's hard to imagine now, but there was a time when Statcast information wasn't readily disseminated to baseball fans.
During the 2014 playoffs, when the Royals were making that remarkable run to the World Series, Major League Baseball made Statcast information available, and we all got to see the raw numbers behind those Lorenzo Cain catches.
By the next spring, MLB had rolled it out for every game.
These days, fans get in-game information on route efficiency, pop time for catchers and launch angles for home runs.
If it seems like "launch angle" has entered the vernacular over the last few years, you'd be right. But Twitter user Nathan Ward shared a clipping from a newspaper that mentioned launch angles ... in 1885.
The Caldwell (Kan.) Advance noted, "A base ball should be struck at the angle of 23 degrees in order to send it to the greatest possible distance. If you can't strike it in 23 degrees, give it a boost in ten, five, or even one, but be sure to bat it in some degree."
Could this be a fake? Absolutely. If so, someone did a great job of matching typography to the rest of the newspaper.
If you click on the link, it goes to Page 3 of the Advance from May 28, 1885, and the launch angle chatter is sandwiched between items on a horse sale and a man who fell off a horse.
Elsewhere on the page there is this write-up about a baseball game:
"The Caldwell base ball club had another round-up with the Wellington Clippers Monday morning, and the result was the C.J. club got it put upon them in horrible shape. Up to the end of the seventh inning it looked as though the game might be a pretty respectable one for amateurs, the scoring standing 6 to 6; but after that the scrub cropped out and the was up to 28 to 16, in favor of the Clippers. We are all scrubs, and there is no use denying the fact, in the light of past events. The boys do not propose giving up the game until the scores come down below ten for nine innings. A game some time in the near future will be played at our fair grounds between the same teams."
My favorite line: "We are all scrubs, and there is no use denying the fact."
But I digress.
While that 23 degree launch angle might be better for line drives than home runs, it's interesting (if true) that a paper in Kansas wrote about this subject more than 135 years ago. Want more on launch angles, then you should check out Daren Willman's incredible site, which showed that launch angles between 25 degrees and 29 degrees led to the most homers in 2017.
So why did the Caldwell, Kan., write about launch angles? Well, that's a mystery that may never be answered.
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His older brother went deep in batting practice. Alex Gordon had to upstage him in victory over Red Sox
May 1, 2018 By Rustin Dodd/The Athletic
It was Tuesday afternoon at Fenway Park when a group of middle-aged men and weekend warriors disembarked a charter bus and found the entrance to the field. They had come from all corners of the country and around the world. They were here take aim at the Green Monster.
The fathers of the 2018 Royals come in many shapes and sizes, hailing from all backgrounds. Some are former pros; other stopped playing the game after high school or college. Some look as if they never swung a bat at all. But all were here Tuesday to hit batting practice in a historic stadium as part of the Royals’ annual Dads’ Road Trip.
In every group, of course, there must be a ringer. And on this day, the role was filled by Eric Gordon, the older brother of Royals left fielder Alex Gordon. Once a baseball standout at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Eric Gordon grabbed a wooden bat and took his place in line with the dads. With his younger brother filming from the side, he looked out toward left field and clubbed a baseball out of Fenway Park.
“I almost pined Alex and signed his brother,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.
In the moments after the power display, after he had hit two balls over the monster, Eric Gordon found his brother and offered some gentle ribbing. He reminded Alex that he had zero homers in 2018. He pointed out that he had just hit two balls out in Boston. You know, that kind of stuff.
“He inspired me,” Alex Gordon said.
A few hours later, in a 7-6 victory over the Red Sox that lasted 13 innings and nearly 4 1/2 hours, Gordon smashed his first homer of the season, a game-tying shot off Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel in the top of the ninth inning.
The pitch was a 97 mph fastball. The baseball soared 413 feet out to right field. The solo blast launched a wild marathon that included a blown save from Kelvin Herrera in the 12th, a clutch three-run homer from Jorge Soler in the 13th, and a close call in the bottom half of the inning as Brian Flynn notched his first career save.
“It’s so much better to win these games,” Flynn said.
This was never more true. The Royals (8-21) had secured at least one victory on this three-game road trip, winning a game that was once defined by a duel between Jakob Junis and Boston ace Chris Sale. Yet as the clubhouse cleared out on late Tuesday night, the moment had turned into a friendly jab session between brothers.
“He started talking crap that I didn’t have any home runs on the year,” Alex Gordon said. “And that he was taking it out in Fenway. So I had to step up, talk a little bit back. So I think mine went a little bit further.”
“He had to upstage me,” Eric Gordon said, sitting at his brother’s locker.
Eric Gordon, who lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, had joined his little brother on the Royals annual fathers’ trip for the first time this season. Their dad, Mike, died Feb. 14 at the age of 63 following a five-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. The family had grieved the loss yet felt a palpable sense of relief.
Mike Gordon had been the first baseball coach for all his sons, working around a job at a local Coca-Cola distributor in Lincoln. So in the weeks before the season, Alex asked his brother if he wanted to take a few days off work and join the team on the road.
“As much as we both love the game of baseball, it’s fun to share this experience,” Alex said.
Eric, the oldest of four boys, had never been to Fenway Park. He also had never been inside his famous brother’s professional life. He had an idea of what it might be like, of course, the charter flights and hotels and clubhouse amenities. But for the first two days of the trip, he soaked in the surroundings.
Then came Tuesday night at Fenway Park. He sat inside the old stadium and watched his brother break out with his first game-tying homer in the ninth inning since Game 1 of the 2015 World Series.
“It’s in there,” Yost said.
The Royals want this to be true. Gordon, 34, entered Tuesday batting .250 with a .624 OPS this season. He had missed 13 games in April after going on the disabled list for a labral tear in his left hip. He had homered just nine times in his last 163 games, dating back to the start of 2017. His contract — a four-year, $72 million deal signed before the 2016 season — is the source of discontent in Kansas City.
Yet as he stepped in against Kimbrel, the Royals trailing 3-2, Gordon channeled his past. He braced for a fastball from the All-Star closer. He would lose on a breaking ball if he had to.
“I wasn’t going to let the heater beat me,” Gordon said. “So I was on time for the heater and got it.”
In the end, of course, it was just one victory on a Tuesday night in Boston. Reliever Kevin McCarthy tossed three innings of scoreless relief. Junis offered a gem with family here. Soler maintained his early-season form and hit his third homer.
But in the moments after the victory, as two brothers prepared to return to the team hotel, Gordon smiled as he buttoned his shirt. His brother had gone deep at Fenway Park. His pop was still present in his mid-30s. But, yes, his homer had gone a little further.
“I don’t get to see him as much as I want to,” he said. “But it’s great to have him here.”
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MINORS
Q&A: Royals assistant general manager J.J. Picollo details the progress of the club’s top prospects
May 1, 2018 By Rustin Dodd/The Athletic
Seuly Matias is a 19-year-old outfielder with a linebacker’s build, a howitzer for a right arm and tons of raw power from the right side of the plate. Royals officials and coaches rave about his maturity and aptitude.
Yet over two seasons in professional baseball, Matias’ production never matched his tools or scouting report. That is starting to change.
Matias, one of the Royals’ top prospects, is batting .286/.329/.657 in 19 games for Low-A Lexington in the South Atlantic League. Playing in a lineup with 2017 first-round pick Nick Pratto and another intriguing position prospect in MJ Melendez, he put up seven homers and 11 extra-base hits in April.
Matias still has some rough edges to smooth out. He has 28 strikeouts and just three walks this season — and 186 strikeouts in 129 career minor-league games. He is still young, though. Signed for $2.25 million out of the Dominican Republic in 2015, Matias was part of a splashy international class. The club spent $1.25 million on shortstop Jeison Guzman the same summer.
Matias opened his career with stints in the Dominican Summer League and Arizona Rookie League in 2016. He spent last season at Rookie-league Burlington. This is his first year with a full-season affiliate.
With the calendar turning to May, The Athletic spoke with Picollo, the Royals assistant general manager who oversees player development in the club’s minor-league system. The conversation focused on Matias’ start at Lexington, the starts of Pratto and Melendez, the development of top prospect Khalil Lee at High-A Wilmington, and one under-the-radar outfielder (Rudy Martin at Wilmington). The interview has been lightly edited and includes editor’s notes in italics for clarity.
The Athletic: What have you guys seen from Matias’ start? Obviously, the power numbers have been really impressive. What’s the full picture from a player-development perspective?
“Obviously, he’s off to a good start, and he’s always had tools to play the game. He’s a typical young-hitter type, swinging at bad pitches, a little susceptible to the breaking ball. But so far this year, his pitch selection has drastically improved. As he got off to a hot start, it’s always interesting to see how he’ll adjust to the pitching, how the pitching adjusts to him, and he’s answered it so far. He’s had a couple games where he struck out a little bit, but overall, he’s really adjusted well when they’ve adjusted to him.
“The thing that stands out with Seuly that we’ve learned just by being around him, he really has a good understanding of when he’s playing well and why he’s playing well at those times. And when he’s not playing well, he knows why he’s not playing well. He’s got some maturity about him, acts a little bit older than his age would indicate. So I think that has a lot to do with it. So at least so far this year, he’s 0-for-5 or 0-for-6 [and] he gets through it pretty quickly and makes the adjustments. So it’s just been good to see. There’s a lot of young hitters on that lineup, so we’re gonna strike out a little bit there. But I’ve been happy with what he’s done in particular and how he’s handled pitchers attacking him and kind of counteracting him. It’s been a good start so far.”
With his strikeout-to-walk numbers, I think he’s at 28 strikeouts and three walks. Is that something that you focus on developmentally or do you just let him work through it? I mean, he is still productive now. So do you just kind of wait and see because he is a young guy?
“Yeah, we don’t necessarily harp on the results as far as say walk or no walk, or no strikeout or strikeout, or hit or no hit. We’re focused more about the type of at-bat it was. Which ultimately, always comes back to your pitch selection.
“We ask: Where in this at bat did something go right to put you in a count that you’re able to do something, and where in this at-bat did something go wrong that could have been prevented? Sometimes pitchers make good pitches, and regardless of what the hitting chart would say, you weren’t gonna have a good result in that at-bat. But it’s minimizing the at-bats that you give away.
“So it’s more the process of the at-bat than the result. With that said, we’re always attentive to strikeout-to-walk numbers. It’s something we’ll address with our players monthly. ‘Here’s what your last month looked like, and let’s go through it.’ And a lot of it is just reviewing what the hitting coaches have already gone through. That’s a long-winded answer to, are we aware of it? Yes, no doubt. But it’s more about the process of how he got to that result that we’re trying to focus on.”
Another two guys in Lexington that are off to pretty starts are Nick Pratto (a first-round pick in 2017) and catcher M.J. Melendez (a second-round pick last season). Are they just on schedule, doing what you expected? Or has there been anything that stood out with those numbers?
[Editor’s note: Pratto, 19, has drawn comparisons to Eric Hosmer for his defensive acumen and baseball IQ. He’s hitting .288/.352/.425 in 21 games at Lexington. Melendez, 19, is hitting .259/.328/.574 with three homers in 15 games.]
“Really solid first months. We’re happy with the production. So there’s nothing that’s really stood out. If they had done really well, it wouldn’t have been a surprise. If they had done poorly, it wouldn’t have been a surprise, just because they’re so young. But when you look back at the month, Melendez is finishing the month really strong. Pratto started the month really strong.
“The feedback I’m getting from the coaches is they’re very impressed with the maturity of their at-bats. There’s no panic. They get to two strikes, they’re not necessarily chasing a bunch. With Pratto, I’d have to go back and look at the exact numbers, but he’s actually had more strikeouts looking more recently than he has swinging. So really, he’s got a feel for the strike zone, or he’s just getting caught looking. So that’s a much easier adjustment. That’s a good problem, if you will.
“With Melendez, he’s really advanced in his game-calling skills. And just from my perspective, I don’t hear that a whole lot. I can’t recall having a young catcher where that’s been said about him, so it’s really standing out that he does call a good game. He’s got a good feel for what the hitters are doing. He’s not afraid to double-up pitches. A lot of times a pitcher gets to 0-2 on two fastballs, and automatically in A-ball, they go to a curveball. But he’ll recognize if a hitter is late, and he’ll go with another fastball. So he’s doing some advanced things from a game-calling standpoint.”
With Pratto, one thing that’s stood out, and obviously there are rookie-ball numbers included in here, but he has 13 stolen bases in 73 minor-league games. Is that just showing his athleticism? Is he just taking advantage of minor-league pitching or is that actually part of his game at all?
“I just think he’s a smart player. If somebody’s not paying attention to him, he’s gonna take the base. I just think it speaks to his instincts and his knowledge of the game. He doesn’t view himself as a bat only. I think he takes a lot of pride in it. We get some limited scouting reports on opponents. So he spends some time going through it. If he knows a guy is slow to the plate, he’ll look to take a bag.
“I think it’s just more of his instincts and his baseball IQ that allows hims to steal bases than just his pure speed. [Eric Hosmer] did this a little bit in the minor leagues as well. Eventually, you steal enough bases, they’re gonna pay a little more attention to you. Or at least it’s gonna be in the scouting report, ‘Don’t go to sleep on this guy.’
“We encourage it. Our role in the lower levels is the attempts. We want to steal as many bases, attempt to steal as many bases as we can. And then when you get to Double-A and Triple-A, it’s more about success rates. So we don’t mind if guys get thrown out in the minor leagues because it develops an aggressiveness. And then we can do the coaching part of it: ‘Okay, here’s when you steal a base so our success rates go up.’”
Speaking of stolen bases, Rudy Martin is off to a pretty good start at Wilmington. People are naturally curious. How would you compare him to some of the guys you’ve had, whether it’s a Jarrod Dyson, Terrance Gore or a Derrick Robinson. Does he fit in that similar mold?
[Editor’s note: Martin, 22, is a 5-foot-7 outfielder drafted in the 25th round out of Mississippi in 2014. He has 76 stolen bases in 147 minor-league games. He’s also batted .281 with a .400 on-base percentage in his career.]
“He definitely fits in that mold. In pure speed, he’s definitely a step below Gore, maybe a half-step behind Dys. But his instincts to steal a bag at a young age are more advanced than those two guys. And offensively, we think he’s a different type of player.”
[Editors note: This season, Martin is batting .268/.441/.380 with 21 walks and 22 strikeouts in 21 games at Wilmington.]
“You look at his age. At the same time we were just signing Dyson. We had a lot of work to do offensively with Dys when we first got him. Rudy is more advanced offensively than both [Dyson and Gore]. He’s a good player. He’s kind of an under-the-radar guy, but I just saw Wilmington and you can already tell the way teams are very attentive when he’s on the bases. It’s gonna get a little more difficult when you jump out and have that many stolen bases that quickly.
“When you look at the age, we think he’s a little more advanced overall as a baseball player, and that’s not a knock on Terrance or Dys. It’s just when you sign out of high school, that’s the advantage. You get a lot of at-bats and you get a lot playing time and experience at a younger age.”
With Martin, it looks like his plate discipline is pretty advanced, too.
“Rudy doesn’t swing a lot early in the count. He’s comfortable getting to two strikes. He’ll chase a little bit with two strikes. He doesn’t swing and miss a lot; he’s extremely good. He puts the ball in play. So that’s why he’s not afraid to take a strike or get deep in a count, because his eye-hand coordination is good.”
Wilmington is a big park and it’s tough to hit for power in. Did they have some bad weather there in April, too?
“They had terrible weather. But the field is in the best shape that I’ve seen it this early since I’ve been going there. They have new lights, and the players that have returned said it’s a world of difference. They got LED lights there and it looks like a day game. It’s really impressive what those lights have done. As the weather warms up, our expectations offensively are a little bit greater than they have been.”
I wanted to ask about Khalil Lee, of course. He’s been one of your top prospects. Is the plate-discipline tool there as well?
[Editor’s note: Lee, 19, is batting .243/.413/.414 in 21 games at Wilmington. He’s struck out 24 times while drawing 19 walks.]
“He’s really kind of elite when it comes to swing-and-miss rates of fastballs. But his overall swing and miss is a little bit high. And that’s the off-speed pitches he’s seeing. Early in the count, he’s just so aggressive. It’s just a very, very confident hitter where early in the count, he’s looking to do damage. The numbers right now, a month into it, they are already giving us something to go to him and say: ‘So let’s look at how little you swing and miss at fastballs. Now let’s look at your overall swing and miss. It’s all on off-speed stuff early in the count. Once you adjust that, you’re gonna get into 2-0 counts more often or 3-1 counts. Now you can look to drive the ball and you’ll be a better hitter.’”
With Lee, is there anything developmentally that you guys really want him to focus on this first half of the season?
“Two things: One is that aggressive early approach. We want that, but it needs to be fast balls, not off-speed pitches. So he’s still making that adjustment. But the second thing is the strikeout rates. And with that, it’s putting the ball in play more with two strikes. He’s done a much better job so far this year than he was last year. And you can see it. He’s choking up, he’s spreading out a little bit, he cuts down his leg kick. They’re all the things we were asking him to do and he’s applying it. He’s making those adjustments.”
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Chasers Defeat Rain, Cubs, 7-4
Mondesi homers in rain-shortened victory
May 1, 2018 By Omaha Storm Chasers
Ryan O'Hearn collected 3 hits, Adalberto Mondesi homered, and the Storm Chasers defeated Iowa 7-4 in 8 rain-shortened innings on Tuesday night at Principal Park.
Mondesi gave the Chasers an immediate 1-0 lead, as he led off the game with his 1st home run of the season. Ramon Torres followed with a single, and with 1 out, Ryan O'Hearn doubled Torres to 3rd. Frank Schwindel followed with a single, scoring Torres, and Cam Gallagher brought O'Hearn and Schwindel home with another double, making it 4-0 Omaha.
Iowa pulled a run back in the bottom of the 1st against Heath Fillmyer ; Mike Freeman singled, David Bote walked, and Efren Navarro singled to drive Freeman in.
Omaha stretched the lead to 6-1 in the top of the 3rd. Hunter Dozier and Ryan O'Hearn singled, and Frank Schwindel was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Cam Gallagher drove in Dozier with a sacrifice fly, and Bubba Starling grounded into a fielder's choice, plating O'Hearn.
Cubs started Duane Underwood Jr. (L, 0-3) was chased after 2.2 innings; Omaha tagged him for 6 runs on 7 hits, with no walks and 2 strikeouts.
Iowa closed the margin to 6-2 in the bottom of the 5th inning; David Bote drew a 2-out walk, went to 2nd on a passed ball, and scored on a base hit by Efren Navarro.
Fillmyer (W, 2-1) pitched 5 innings for Omaha, limiting Iowa to 2 runs and 4 hits. He struck out 1 and walked 3.
Omaha added a run in the top of the 7th with a 2-out rally of their own; Ramon Torres doubled, Hunter Dozier walked, and Ryan O'Hearn doubled to bring in Torres for a 7-2 lead.
The Cubs closed the gap to 7-4 with 3 doubles in the bottom of the 7th against Eric Stout . Chesny Young, David Bote, and Efren Navarro each hit two-baggers, with Bote and Navarro notching RBIs.
Jason Adam recorded the final 2 outs in the bottom of the 7th (stranding 2 runners), and then worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the 8th.
The game was placed in a delay after the 8th inning, and after nearly 50 minutes of continued rain, the game was called after 8 innings, giving Omaha the victory.
The Storm Chasers (9-16) will continue their series in Des Moines tomorrow afternoon at 12:08 Central time. Omaha's starter is to be determined, while RHP Jen-Ho Tseng (0-4, 7.18) will throw for Iowa.
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Naturals Claim The Series Opener, 4-2
Closer Jake Newberry records a six-out save in the victory over Springfield on Tuesday night
May 1, 2018 By Northwest Arkansas Naturals
With no outs in the top of the ninth, Springfield loaded the bases against Naturals closer RHP Jake Newberry . The hard-throwing righty was up to the task as he got a fly out to shallow center then struck out the final two batters of the game as the Naturals (8-16) claimed the series opener over the Cardinals (13-10) on Tuesday by a 4-2 final.
Newberry (S, 4) picked up his fourth save of the season and worked 2.0 complete innings in the process. He limited the visitors to just a couple of hits, walked one and struck out four while lowering his earned run average to a miniscule 1.80. The relief combination of Newberry and RHP Corey Ray (H, 2) completed the finale three scoreless innings to preserve the victory.
RHP Scott Blewett (W, 1-2), made his fifth start of the season and enjoyed his best home outing of the year. The highly-regarded prospect has now recorded back-to-back quality starts against the Cardinals. He followed up 6.1 innings of work on April 26 at Hammons Field by scattering seven hits through 6.0 innings while striking out four and allowing just a pair of runs.
Northwest Arkansas backed their starter by scoring a run in the first as Elier Hernandez delivered a RBI single through the hole at shortstop to plate Nicky Lopez , whom had reached earlier in the inning with a single to center, for the early 1-0 lead.
Springfield would answer in the third as Andrew Knizner brought home Tommy Edman with a single to tie the game at 1-1.
The tie would not last long as the Naturals offense got rolling in the bottom of the third as they would send eight men to the plate and score three runs. Samir Duenez had a key two-run single while Nick Dini would score the third run on a wild pitch.
The Cardinals would scratch a run across in the fourth to make it a 4-2 game. A single by Victor Roache and a double by Blake Drake set the table for Luke Dykstra , whom would bring home Roache with a RBI groundout to Erick Mejia at second.
Northwest Arkansas and Springfield each recorded nine hits in the ballgame with Donnie Dewees and Hernandez leading the Natural nine with multi-hit nights.
Northwest Arkansas will continue this 4-game set against the Springfield Cardinals, the Double-A Affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, tomorrow morning - Wednesday, May 2 - with first pitch scheduled for 11:05 a.m. Gates will open to the public at 10:00 a.m. for an Education Day Game presented by SWEPCO. It's the second of three Education Days scheduled this year.
The Naturals will send LHP Emilio Ogando (2-1, 6.01 ERA) to the mound while the Cardinals will counter with RHP Mike O'Reilly (1-0, 0.00 ERA). Catch all of the live play-by-play action with the Voice of the Naturals Benjamin Kelly on KQSM 92.1 The Ticket at 10:45 a.m. for the Indigo Sky Casino Pregame Show leading up to first pitch against Springfield from Arvest Ballpark.
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Wilmington's Valiant Comeback Falls Short
Rocks Strand Tying-Run at Third Base in Ninth
May 1, 2018 By Wilmington Blue Rocks
The Wilmington Blue Rocks (11-13) attempted a two-out, ninth inning rally, but fell short in a 6-5 loss to the Potomac Nationals (15-10) Tuesday night at Pfitzner Stadium. The Blue Rocks scored the final five runs of the ballgame, including two in the final inning, when Khalil Lee tripled home a pair of runs to position the Rocks to tie the game. The rally and contest would come to an end when Emmanuel Rivera flew out to left field.
Trailing 6-3 in the top of the ninth and with two outs, the Blue Rocks started their rally. Down to their final strike, D.J. Burt drew a walk and Gabriel Cancel smacked a two-strike single to centerfield to put runners at first and second. Lee followed with a bases clearing triple to right field to pull the Rocks within a run, but was left stranded to end the game.
The Rocks chipped away at the Potomac lead and added two runs in the top of the sixth inning. Burt and Lee each singled to put a pair of runners on base before Brandon Downes drove both in with a two-run single to make it a 6-2 ballgame. In the seventh inning, Chase Vallot hit a solo blast over the centerfield wall for his third home run of the season to cut the deficit in half, 6-3.
After both starting pitchers did not allow a run through the first two innings, Wilmington starter Gerson Garabito ran into trouble in the third inning. The righty allowed three home runs including a solo homer from Telmito Agustin, a two-run shot by Juan Soto and Jakson Reetz hit a three-run home run to make it an early 6-0 deficit for the Blue Crew. The combination of Jared Ruxer , Vance Tatum and Justin Camp combined to pitch 5.1 scoreless innings of relief to allow the Rocks to get back in the game.
The Blue Rocks and P-Nats play the second game of the series on Wednesday, May 2 at Pfitzner Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. with righty Arnaldo Hernandez (2-0, 1.35 ERA) making the start for the Blue Rocks while left-hander Matthew Crownover (1-2, 3.49 ERA) starts for Potomac. Fans can listen to the game as Matt Janus will have the call on 89.7 WGLS-FM.
PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:
Brandon Downes continues his hot start to the season and drove in two more runs Tuesday night to push his season total to eight in just five games played this season. Sunday afternoon, he hit a three-run homer which proved to be the difference in a 3-0 series finale win over Winston-Salem. He has driven in multiple runs in three of his first five games this season and is tied for fifth on the team in the department.
With Chase Vallot's solo home run in the seventh inning, the Rocks have clubbed a home run in 14 of the first 24 games this season. It was Vallot's third homer of the season, tying him with outfielder Kort Peterson for the most on the team this season. All three home runs hit by the 21-year-old have been hit on the road. He has a solo home run, a two-run blast and a grand slam to his ledger this season.
THEY SAID IT, MANAGER DARRYL KENNEDY:
(On Garabito): "I think he pitched up in the zone a little too much (Tuesday) night. He had good stuff, but just left the ball up and over the plate. (Potomac) made him pay for it. That's one thing about this ballpark and (Potomac) so far this year. If you make a mistake, they will make you pay for it and that six-run third inning killed us."
(On Bullpen's Performance): "The bullpen did a great job (Tuesday) night. They have done a pretty good job all year. We were fortunate to have the off day (Monday) and we were well rested, almost too rested for some of the guys. We were able to get them some work and they were pitch efficient, so they won't be down too many days and we'll be alright."
(On Vallot's Adjustments at the Plate): "Him and hitting coach Abraham (Nunez) have spent a lot of time down at the cage. They made a mechanical adjustment during our last homestand and Chase seems to like it. He has put some good at-bats together since he's had it. Hopefully the home run to dead center will back up what they were working on and hopefully he will get on a roll for us."
(On Lee getting back on track offensively): "That triple was very big for him. Even the infield hit he had earlier in the game, those are the ones you need. Then he comes up in that spot against Potomac's side arm pitcher (Jordan Mills) who has done nothing but eat him up at our place last week and he came up with a big hit. He gave us a chance to get back in the ballgame and also win it."
(On team rallying late): "They never give up. They don't take big innings from other teams and don't dwell on it. Sometimes I wonder what's so funny about this because they are very loose. I have to bite my tongue a lot with them because they are resilient. They scratch here and scratch there and all of a sudden we have a chance to win the ballgame. They are resilient and I try to stay out of the way as much as I can."
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NATIONAL
5 former All-Stars headline Hall of Game class
Allen, Grant, Lofton, Murray and Richard will be inducted in June
May 1, 2018 By Deesha Thosar/
Dick Allen, James Grant, Kenny Lofton, Eddie Murray and J.R. Richard will be inducted into the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum's fifth "Hall of Game" class on June 9.
Established by the Kansas City museum in 2014, the Hall of Game recognizes players who "competed with the same passion, determination, skill and flair exhibited by the heroes of the Negro Leagues."
The NLBM will also present the Jackie Robinson Lifetime Achievement Award, the recipient of which will be the namesake's daughter. Sharon Robinson will receive the accolade for "career excellence in the face of adversity," as she serves as MLB's educational consultant and manages Breaking Barriers, a baseball-themed national character education curriculum that helps empower students facing obstacles.
The five Hall of Game honorees also will receive permanent recognition as part of the future Buck O'Neil Education and Research Center being developed by the museum at the site of the Paseo YMCA, the birthplace of the Negro Leagues.
"We're thrilled to honor five former MLB greats this year in honor of our fifth Hall of Game anniversary," said Bob Kendrick, who has served as the NLBM President since 2011. "These men were truly captivating to watch every time they took the field, and they played with the same spirit, passion and hustle as the men who made the Negro Leagues so special."
Allen, a first baseman, third baseman and left fielder, was the National League Rookie of the Year Award winner in 1964. He was a seven-time All-Star and earned the American League Most Valuable Player Award in '72 for leading the AL in home runs (37), RBIs (113), walks (99) and OPS (1.023). Allen was added to the Phillies' Wall of Fame at Citizens Bank Park in '94.
Grant was the first black pitcher to both win 20 games in an AL season and to win a World Series game for the AL. The two-time All-Star was The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year in 1965 after going 21-7 for the Twins, helping to lead Minnesota to the World Series.
Lofton broke the all-time record for an AL rookie by stealing 66 bases for the Indians in 1992. The center fielder racked up four AL Gold Glove Awards to complement his six All-Star appearances. Lofton completed his 17-year career playing for 11 franchises, helping the Indians win six division titles in the nine-and-a-half seasons he spent in Cleveland.
Murray was inducted into the Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 2003 after playing in 21 MLB seasons. Considered one of the best first basemen to play the game, Murray garnered three Gold Glove Awards and three Silver Slugger Awards en route to eight All-Star Game appearances. Murray is just the third player in history to reach 500 homers and 3,000 hits, following Hank Aaron and Willie Mays.
Richard led the NL in strikeouts (303) in 1978 and ERA (2.71) in 1979. The right-hander won at least 18 games in each season between '76 and '79. Richard earned a sole All-Star nod in '80 before suffering a career-ending stroke in July of that year.
"Each of these players were phenomenal athletes who achieved remarkable stats and records," Kendrick said. "Buck O'Neil once said of the Negro Leagues that fans couldn't go to the concession stands because they were afraid they'd miss something they'd never seen before. That's how these guys played. Fans couldn't take their eyes off them because they might miss an incredible play. This year's honorees embody that wonderful Negro Leagues spirit, and we are delighted to welcome them as our fifth induction class of our Hall of Game."
The event will also include a full day of activities, highlighted by a news conference, a VIP meet-and-greet and a reception and dinner at the NLBM followed by Hall of Game ceremonies at the Gem Theater.
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Cueto lands on DL with elbow inflammation
May 1, 2018 By Chris Haft/
Adversity continued to strike the Giants' pitching staff Tuesday as the club placed right-hander Johnny Cueto on the 10-day disabled list with inflammation in his throwing elbow.
Though the extent of Cueto's injury won't be known until his MRI results are examined further, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said, "Obviously, it's not good news when you have to put him on the DL."
The move created room on the 25-man roster for left-hander Andrew Suarez, who started Tuesday night against San Diego. Suarez went seven innings, allowing two runs while striking out five in the Giants' 3-2 loss to the Padres.
But moving Cueto aside was not the type of corresponding move the Giants had in mind for accommodating Suarez. Cueto entered Tuesday leading the Major Leagues with an 0.84 ERA.
"There's been nobody in the game who's been pitching better," Bochy said.
Including Madison Bumgarner (fractured left hand) and Jeff Samardzija (right pectoral strain), the Giants have been without at least two of their top three starting pitchers for most of the season.
The Giants announced that Cueto's DL assignment was retroactive to Sunday, one day after he allowed two runs and three hits through six innings in San Francisco's 8-3 victory against the Dodgers in the nightcap of a split doubleheader. That outing improved Cueto's record to 3-0 in five starts.
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MLB TRANSACTIONS
May 2, 2018 •.
|TEAM |PLAYER |TRANSACTION |
|[pic]ATL |Mike Soroka |Purchased From Minors |
|[pic]TB |Yonny Chirinos |Placed on 10-Day DL (Right |
| | |forearm strain) |
|[pic]TB |Ryan Yarbrough |Called Up from Minors |
|[pic]LAD |Edward Paredes |Called Up from Minors |
|[pic]MIN |Gregorio Petit |Purchased From Minors |
|[pic]SEA |Guillermo |Called Up from Minors |
| |Heredia | |
|[pic]SD |Austin Hedges |Placed on 10-Day DL (Right elbow|
| | |tendinitis) |
|[pic]MIL |Brandon Woodruff|Sent to Minors |
|[pic]MIN |Dietrich Enns |Designated for Assignment |
|[pic]BOS |Renda, Tony |Signed to a Minor League |
| | |Contract |
|[pic]SD |Raffy Lopez |Called Up from Minors |
|[pic]BAL |Mark Trumbo |Removed From 10-Day DL (Strained|
| | |right quad) |
|[pic]BAL |Mark Trumbo |Recalled From Minors Rehab |
| | |Assignment |
|[pic]MIN |Tyler Kinley |Drafted Player Returned to |
| | |Minors |
|[pic]MIL |Brett Phillips |Called Up from Minors |
|[pic]SEA |Dan Altavilla |Placed on 10-Day DL (Right AC |
| | |joint inflammation) |
|[pic]LAA |Keynan Middleton|Placed on 10-Day DL (Right elbow|
| | |inflammation) |
|[pic]LAD |Brock Stewart |Sent to Minors |
|[pic]NYY |David Hale |Signed to a Minor League |
| | |Contract |
|[pic]MIN |Miguel Sano |Placed on 10-Day DL (Strained |
| | |left hamstring) |
|[pic]COL |McMahon, Ryan |Sent to Minors |
|[pic]TEX |Ricky Rodriguez |Sent to Minors For |
| | |Rehabilitation |
|[pic]LAA |Eduardo Paredes |Called Up from Minors |
|[pic]SEA |Erasmo Ramirez |Placed on 10-Day DL (Right Teres|
| | |Major strain) |
|[pic]BAL |Engelb Vielma |Called Up from Minors |
|[pic]PIT |Musgrove, Joe |Sent to Minors For |
| | |Rehabilitation |
|[pic]STL |Luke Voit |Called Up from Minors |
|[pic]COL |Daniel Castro |Purchased From Minors |
|[pic]SF |Andrew Suarez |Called Up from Minors |
|[pic]STL |Mike Mayers |Sent to Minors |
|[pic]SEA |Casey Lawrence |Called Up from Minors |
|[pic]COL |Zac Rosscup |Transferred to 60-Day DL |
| | |(Blister on left middle finger) |
|[pic]SF |Johnny Cueto |Placed on 10-Day DL (Right elbow|
| | |inflammation) |
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