Royals Rumblings – News for January 22, 2021

Not Royals information however positively Kansas Metropolis baseball information.

Bear in mind how the T-Bones stopped paying their payments and went bankrupt? They bought purchased up and now they’re partnering with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum to grow to be… the Kansas Metropolis Monarchs (story: Invoice Ladson at MLB.com)

The membership was on the lookout for a reputation change for a number of months and labored with longtime followers, model businesses and league officers to assist provide you with a brand new title. Monarchs rapidly emerged as the favourite and most inspiring possibility. The NLBM and Brandmeyer’s MaxFun Leisure, LLC, have signed a long-term licensing settlement that may permit to be used of the Monarchs title.

“The Monarchs is a model that’s close to and expensive to our hearts. We’re very protecting of it,” Kendrick mentioned. “However the extra we had the conversations and the extra we noticed the marketing strategy, the extra this [became a reality]. It led us up to now right now the place we announce this rebranding.”

I used to be a bit of skeptical after I heard the information. But when Bob Kendrick is onboard, then full velocity forward!

Kevin Hardy on the KC Star also has a story about this news.

When groups just like the Kansas Metropolis Royals sport throwback Monarchs jerseys, curiosity within the Negro Leagues and the museum typically ticks up. And Kendrick hopes the cope with the T-Bones will do the identical. “Negro Leagues baseball hasn’t been performed in 61 years. So how do you retain it related?” he mentioned. “And what I immediately noticed was a chance for relevancy.”

…Jackson County Government Frank White, a former Royals participant and part-time T-Bones coach, mentioned the Monarchs model is called a “title of champions”. “The PA announcer earlier than each recreation will say to the followers, ‘And now, right here comes your Kansas Metropolis Monarchs,’” White mentioned. “And I believe that’s a heck of a tribute.”

Pete Grathoff has a story with some fan feedback in regards to the title change.

Yesterday, the Royals agreed to contracts with 14 per-arbitration gamers.

KSNT was nice enough to list the players should you don’t wish to click on on the above hyperlink:

The Kansas Metropolis Royals have signed 14 gamers. They embody Scott Barlow, Scott Blewett, Kris Bubic, Carlos Hernández, Jake Newberry, Angel Zerpa and Tyler Zuber; catcher Sebastian Rivero; infielders Kelvin Gutierrez, Nicky Lopez and Ryan O’Hearn and outfielders, Khalil Lee and Edward Olivares, and Junction Metropolis native Nick Heath.

I don’t assume it’s not “Newkirking” if I’m quoting Shaun. That’s solely when Shaun quotes Shaun, proper?

Hawkeye Sports activities had a profile on former Royals announcer Bob Davis:

“I’ve lived in Iowa, Chicago and Kansas Metropolis,” Davis mentioned. “Your college stays with you. The place I used to be a Bears and Cubs fan (in Chicago), now I’m a Royals and Chiefs fan (in Kansas Metropolis). However your college, the College of Iowa, is with you completely.”

I do know it’s not baseball, however since we’re speaking about outdated KC franchises, I believed I’d throw on this story from Rustin Dodd (sub required):

Since not a lot occurred yesterday, Royals blogs get their very own part right now, stealing the realm that normally goes to “different baseball information”.

Whereas I’m unhappy to see that the content material isn’t right here at RR, I’m excited that Craig Brown has began a brand new enterprise: Into the Fountains. He has a free publication (subscribe!) and does a every day weblog put up that appears rather a lot like the nice writing he’s all the time completed whether or not over at BP, right here, or elsewhere on the internet. Yesterday’s story was a mixture of information and notes about Wade Davis and different signings round baseball:

Davis has misplaced about one mph off his fastball annually since 2015. That’s an enormous situation. Final yr, his heater averaged 91.4 mph and the opposition dined off of it to the tune of a .417 batting common and 1.167 slugging proportion. Yikes. And that well-known cutter? The speed of that pitch can also be down about 5 mph and was battered for a .500 BA and 1.000 SLG in 2020. Likewise troubling, his stroll price had ballooned to over 6 per 9 whereas his strikeout price has dropped the final couple of years. It’s a longshot that Davis will be capable to contribute, however generally lengthy pictures are available in.

Talking of Wader, Kevin O’Brien at Royals Report dives into his signing, as nicely:

One other attention-grabbing improvement for Davis in 2021 would be the utilization of his cutter, which was his best pitch as a Royal and Cub. Based on Baseball Savant information, the wOBA on his cutter was .231 and .233 in 2016 and 2017. Moreover, the cutter was additionally amplified by whiff charges of 30.7 and 35.7 p.c throughout these two years, respectively, as nicely. That being mentioned, whereas he did preserve a 37.8 p.c whiff price on the cutter in his first yr with the Rockies, the wOBA rose to .274. In 2019, the wOBA elevated .341 and the whiff price dropped to 31.3 p.c. And final yr, these wOBA and whiff charges had been .618 and 25 p.c, respectively, in a restricted pattern.

Lastly, let’s full our “Wade Davis signing story-stravaganza” (that’s a phrase, proper, as a result of I really need that alliteration) with Fansided:

I’ve a folder on my bookmarks tab referred to as “Royals” the place I’ll toss random tales. However, as you’ve most likely observed, I haven’t completed numerous off subject stuff recently and a few of these tales are embarrassingly outdated. Nevertheless it’s the offseason and nobody is paying consideration anyway so let’s have a look so I can clear out the folder

We simply completed watching The Good Place and I noticed an article (that I can’t discover now) claiming Ted Danson was essentially the most prolific sitcom actor ever and I used to be like “wait… what?” However then I began fascinated about this: from Cheers to Becker to The Good Place? That spans 3 many years and reveals the place he was the primary star of every present. So perhaps that’s not as outlandish as I believe. Who would you contemplate the most effective Sitcom actor of all time? I believe it’s a must to star (perhaps not high billing however a part of the most important ensemble) in at the least 2 main sitcoms – so, as an illustration, as iconic as Jerry Seinfeld is, I believe he’s out since he was solely in a single sitcom. In my lifetime, solely a handful come to thoughts that even meet that standards: Michael J. Fox, Kelsey Grammar, Danny DeVito, Ed O’Neill, and Tim Allen.

So Bitcoin is on the ridiculous sum of $40K, give or take. I imply, it’s loopy, may you picture somebody shopping for one thing for a few bucks solely to have it soar excessive sufficient to repay a home and get their children by means of school (cough, RR meme, cough)? How in regards to the story of Dogecoin? It was a joke (kind of) however it nonetheless exists and currently trades at 8/10ths of a cent. Trying on the information on it’s value web page, apparently, as of Thursday, you possibly can even use Dogecoin to pay for Pornhub. What a world we dwell in. In any case, here’s a 2018 CNET story in regards to the rise and fall of Dogecoin about “how Dogecoin went from a joke equal of bitcoin to one of many world’s most precious cryptocurrencies — earlier than all of it got here crashing down”. I used to be going to begin itemizing issues on this story just like the Dogecoin NASCAR automobile, the joke cryptocurrency “Bells” based mostly on Animal Crossing, the Jamaican bobsled group, it’s almost $2 billion market cap – however I simply can’t do it justice. It’s so very… intenet-y.

And, lastly, let’s discuss beer. Or at the least what St. Louis thinks passes for beer: Budweiser. Keep in mind that entire deal a few years in the past the place Bud used advertisements to accuse different beer makers of utilizing corn syrup, implying they used none? This led to a authorized dispute and possibly the theft of Budweiser’s recipes:

In Might, a choose ordered Anheuser-Busch InBev to cease utilizing sure language associated to corn syrup in its promoting and allowed Miller Coors to proceed with its motion. Final month, the courtroom instructed Anheuser-Busch InBev to cease utilizing the phrase “no corn syrup” on its packaging.

The brand new authorized submitting, which is closely redacted, claims that an worker of the Budweiser brewer despatched info together with the recipes for Bud Gentle and Michelob Extremely to an worker of Miller Coors across the time of the Tremendous Bowl. The Miller Coors worker had beforehand labored for AB InBev. He allegedly solicited the recipes through textual content messages, saying he had been requested by Miller Coors’ senior administration to supply details about Bud Gentle, the authorized criticism states.

Based on the courtroom paperwork, the Budweiser worker printed out display screen pictures of the recipes, folded them up and eliminated them from the brewery. The worker then texted pictures of the recipes to the Miller Coors worker. Anheuser-Busch InBev explains within the courtroom paperwork that its recipes embody particular mixes of hops and barley, in addition to the load and quantity of substances. It describes the knowledge as “extraordinarily precious” to rivals.

This was again in 2019 and I do not know what ever got here of this case.

Over Christmas break, we shared the unique Star Wars trilogy with my 5 yr outdated son for the primary time. He’s going to develop up with my childhood of realizing the truth that (40 yr outdated spoilers!) Darth Vader is Luke’s father lengthy earlier than he understands why that’s even important. That is in distinction to my spouse, who noticed the films for the primary time after they re-released the Particular Version and was that one that audibly gasped within the theater, prone to the bemusement of everybody round teenage her.

As an apart: Ought to we present the 5 yr outdated another films? I mean, know the obvious answer. However I believe he’d like Episode 1 so we’ve thought of displaying it to him. Nonetheless, Episode 2 is rubbish and Episode 3 is simply too darkish so we’d most likely simply cease there. I additionally thought of that he may most likely watch Episode 7 however, once more, probably not 8 or 9. Positive, the simple reply is simply depart it at 4/5/6 and name it a day. Nevertheless it’s potential we may additionally present him 1 and perhaps 7. Ideas?

Okay, okay – again to the video video games. However that is all quasi-relevant to right now’s track of the day. As was foretold: “Contemplating my love of all issues Gamecube, it’s a mortal lock we’ll see Rogue Chief in some unspecified time in the future”. That “some level” is right now.

Yet another diversion and we’ll soar into the sport. When the Gamecube got here out, I used to be a poor school child. Really, scratch that – I had dropped out of college and was working a fairly depressing job (um, children, don’t do that). I didn’t get a fifth era online game console (N64 or PSX) till after the era was over and largely simply performed on associates’ consoles. However I used to be actually excited in regards to the sixth era. Sadly, I used to be grime poor and didn’t have cash to burn on such frivolities.

A co-worker of mine was a very massive Star Wars fan and actually needed to play Rogue Chief. However he didn’t take care of Nintendo so he didn’t have a lot curiosity within the console. So he proposed a deal to me: he would pay for half in alternate for getting to maintain the console for the primary 6 months after which he’d be completed with it. I believe he took some pity on me and knew how a lot this meant to me so I used to be extraordinarily grateful. It’s one of many causes the Gamecube will all the time have a particular little place in my coronary heart.

Should you’ve by no means heard of or performed it, I’m simply going to cite the original 2001 review from IGN’s Matt Casamassina:

It’s taken greater than 20 years, however a improvement studio has lastly captured the spirit and great thing about the Star Wars trilogy films and crammed all of it into one action-packed recreation. The Issue 5 developed Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Chief represents the evolution of the LucasArts shooter franchise, which was sparked to life on Nintendo 64 some years in the past. The GameCube sequel comes full with all new ranges based mostly on scenes from the trilogy, the power to pilot traditional crafts as Jedi hero Luke Skywalker and extra secrets and techniques than can simply be counted. And it’s fairly probably essentially the most lovely title we’ve seen on any residence console. Rejoice.

How about Ricardo Torres at Gamespot?

Whereas all of Rogue Chief’s parts are sturdy on their very own, they show a large amount of polish and find yourself making RL excess of the sum of its components… Because of tight graphics and immersive gameplay, Rogue Chief: Rogue Squadron simply stands as essentially the most spectacular launch title for the GameCube. GameCube house owners searching for a showcase for his or her new system owe it to themselves to select up a replica.

That’s effusive reward from the 2 largest on-line online game publications on the time.

Simply take a look at the video beneath. Sure, the graphics are a bit grainy by right now’s requirements, however bear in mind this was one of many launch video games for the Gamecube. However bear in mind, we’re simply months faraway from the N64 and authentic Ps. These FMVs seem like they had been reduce proper out of the Particular Version (pause for commentary about that) and shrunk all the way down to the lovable little Gamecube disc dimension

Right here’s the sport introduction and the primary degree the place gamers are thrown proper into the Demise Star trench run: