Royals Rundown: A Kansas City Royals Podcast

There's an old idiom about the fact that eventually even a blind squirrel will find a nut or some sort of indehiscence fruit. What this idiom does not describe though is exactly how many nuts this blind squirrel will find after the first nut. In the case of the Royals, they've found two consecutive nuts. Who is the blind squirrel in this scenario? One could argue it's Royals manager Ned Yost who despite all the critics and anti-saber ink spilled about him has found himself managing a World Series team in consecutive years. That's not an entirely crazy argument, but let me propose a different example: your humble co-host.

Somehow despite all earthly logic, this author, co-host, and unreliable narrator of truth finds himself writing about a World Series team for the second consecutive year. Most importantly though (to the author) the team he finds himself writing about is in fact his favorite team.

The nut from last year wasn't fruitful though. It was rotten...or at least it only beared an unfulfilling seed. The authors favorite team lost in seven games of the World Series. Hopefully the nut found this year births a bountiful harvest leading to trophies and triumphs.

On this episode of the podcast we have two segments.

The first segment includes two guests from Amazin' Avenues. Jeffrey Pasternostro (who also covers prospects and other non-Mets related content at Baseball Prospectus) and Greg Karam (who despite having a 30-grade Twitter presence, you should still follow).

Topics include:

Curtis Granderson: Not crazy old

The Wilpons, a negative connotation

Where's the power? featuring Dom Smith and Brandon Nimmo

Yankee Fans

Signing both Daniel Murphy and Yoenis Cespedes

Bartolo Colon vs Munenori Kawasaki

The book on Terry Collins

Goodbye Cesar Puello, thanks for all the sunflower seeds

The second segment doesn't feature quite as much non-Royals diversity however still features excellent guests. Those guests are still married Minda Haas and Matt Jackson of Beyond the Box Score fame.

Topics include:

Minda's feelings while driving to Walgreens

Matt tries to not incite a pregnant lady

Royals rotation plans

Cueto home vs away

World Series predictions

Pitcher hair

Barbeque vs Bagels: Why?

Whiff rates

Rumspringa

MLB Network does incalculable math

Lack of food around Citi Field

Music:

Introduction: The Wonder Years - An Elegy for Baby Blue

Interlude: Billy Joel - A Matter of Trust

Outro: Thrice - Melting Point of Wax

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This particular podcast features two segments. The first segment your humble co-host is joined by Max Reiper, Gus Booth, and Matt Jackson; all writers on this very site.

Topics include:

Sir Joseph Bats

Poor team decisions based on things Madison Bumgarner did

The upcoming Blue Jays ALCS

Ben Zobrist: Honorary ALDS MVP

Sal Perez and unfortunate involuntary bowel movements

The "vibe" around Toronto courtesy of Matt Jackson

Throwing beer at babies

Fallout from the August Royals/Blue Jays fight

On the second segment we feature a rare guest, one Scott Clarke of Bluebird Banter. For the uninitiated, Bluebird Banter is the sister site to Royals Review but of course rather than focusing on the ALDS winning Royals, they instead focus on the ALDS winning Blue Jays. Why? That's a question for Scott and his colleagues that we unfortunately didn't cover.

Topics include:

The Blue Jays (of course)

Canadian geography

John Gibbons: gone but not forgotten and then returned

The number of "bullets" in David Price's arm

Aaron Sanchez is or is not a ROOGY but is definitely maybe not just a reliever

Letting go of prospects

Thomas John Surgery

Over under the number of brawls in the ALCS? 2.5

How to like Josh Donaldson the player, not the man

Baseball needs the hockey equivalent of a goon

Also is hockey a sport?

Music:

Introduction: ILoveMakonnen - No Ma'am

Break: Watch the Throne - Liftoff

Outro: Periphery - All New Materials

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Often times when your spouse says that you need to "stop by" or "visit" your in-laws, he/she promises that it won't take long. "Don't worry... we'll be quick. We just have to say hello and sit and chat for a bit." Those experienced spouses though know that your spouse is lying to you. You are inevitably going to spend 2+ hours there watching CSI: Miami re-runs, being grilled over when you are going to have your first or next baby, and listening to them gripe about President Obama.

This same sentiment is normally expressed whenever we start recording the Royals Review Radio podcast. Generally there are only four or five items we have down to talk about, and assume maybe 10 minutes or so per topic. Much like the "in-law problem", Royals Review Radio hosts/guests always seem to go way, way, way longer than we plan to. Tonight's episode is no different.

You would think that having just two participants would lead to a quick conversation, but to our credit we are very good at going off-topic for too long.

On this episode of Royals Review Radio the host Shaun Newkirk is joined by solo-guest, and noted Savannah resident, Joshua Ward.

Topics include:

The Royals playoff roster

Not playing the Yankees

Playing the Astros

Wade Davis is historical

Josh and Shaun try summing numbers to get to 25

The oral history of Royals Review by Josh Ward

Abandoning Twitter

The indigestion that was the 2004-2008 Royals

Dogs barking

Jose Guillen

Sean Rodriguez

Music:

Intro: Lil B - New York Subway

Outro: The Band - When I Paint My Masterpiece

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In this edition, the gang discusses a variety of subject thats include:

Brandon Finnegan, BMI, and getting screwed

2015 Chickenpox Epidemic: Have you ever had them?

Are the Royals anti-vaccine?

Miguel Almonte's possible outcome

4 game losing streak: to panic, or not to panic?

Josh Staumont and his very fast ball(s)

John Lamb: good guy, like his dad

Vicente Padilla and his peccary disease

Not wanting to maybe play the Blue Jays

Game 1 starter?

September callups and their contract implications

Shaun asks himself questions

Arizona Fall League

Zobrist/Gordon 1&2: Heavenly

Alex Rios is similar to Bryce Harper

Music:

Misery Signals - Homecoming (Intro)

Migos - Versace (Outro)

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On Episode 8, the gang (Minds Haas, Matthew LaMar, Josh Ward, and Shaun Newkirk) discuss:

Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist

Great Moments in Mike Sweeney History

Emil Brown

Greg Holland in the ninth?

Emil Brown, again

Getting blocked by Buster Olney

Dan Szymborski and his Google Alert (@29:00)

David DeJesus: Royals Hall of Fame sleeper

The bad that was Dee Brown

The Royals getting "jobbed" via ESPN

Omar Infante: Why?

Minda Kuhlmann (nee Haas) getting married

Music:

Intro: Thursday - Turnpike Divide

Outro: Thrice - Words in the Water

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Part I: In which the gang (Max Rieper, Matthew LaMar, and Shaun Newkirk) discusses

(Listeners and readers alike should note that this portion of the podcast was recorded the Sunday prior to airing)

Johnny Cueto

The impact of having an "ace" in your rotation

Trading away prospect

Former Royals Brandon Finnegan, Cody Reed, and John Lamb

Foreshadowing a Ben Zobrist trade

What to make now of the rotation

Shaun Newkirk earnestly trying to ponder Jay Bruce, Justin Upton, and other trade targets and being shot down

Alex Gordon working at Craft and Draft

*See footnote 1

Part II - John Sickels of Minor League Ball (begins at 59:30)

Noted Kansan and Twins fan John Sickels joins us to talk prospects

Prospects traded away in the Johnny Cueto trade

Sean Manaea and Shaun's profound love for him

Raul Mondesi needing to show "results"

Union Civil War general George McClellan and not being him

Sleepers in the Royals system

The mystifying Paulo Orlando

See footnote 2

Part III - Max and Shaun Duet (begins at 01:34:00)

The trading of Ben Zobrist

The price of Sean Manaea

Taking risks

Probabilities

Shaun again confesses his profound love for Sean Manaea

Comparing the packages of recent trades

Thanking new members and listeners

The voice(s) of reason

Total run time: 01:54:41

Intro music: Cold War Kids - Royal Blue

Footnote 1. Interlude 1 music: Bastille - Flaws

Footnote 2. Interlude 2 music: King Charles - Wilde Love

Outro music: St. Paul and the Broken Bones - It's Midnight

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Dayton Moore's press call after the Royals first two selections of the 2015 draft. Audio is poor due to multiple people on the call and speakerphone recording.

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On this edition of Royals Review Radio, we have what could possibly be the world record for most podcast members at one time.

Topics include:

The Cardinals series

Yordano Ventura

The impending roster crunch featuring Jason Vargas, Alex Rios, and Erik Kratz

A poor Omar Infante

Deep dish pizza

Brett Eibner's abs

The Detroit Pistons

Shopping at Gap in Chicago

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On episode five Matt LaMar and Shaun Newkirk take over the handle of host/co-host and discuss Jeremy Guthrie, Bubba Starling, Prospects, Chris Young, and what is going on with the Royals rotation. Also discussed are the Royals playoff odds and a little bit of inpertant at the end.

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In episode four, Josh Duggan and Josh Ward talk with Max Rieper about the first two weeks of the Royals season and the Royals dust-ups with the Angels and Athletics. Later, Max talks to Brandon Warne at Fangraphs about the rival Twins and Hookslide at Bless You Boys about the division champion Tigers.

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