Royals Rumblings – Information for Might 26, 2023

No sport final night time and, usually, effectively, not lots going for a crew that’s barrelling in the direction of Memorial Day with a sub .300 profitable share. Thankfully, OT will likely be a bit lengthy.

A little bit transaction information and a bit of Rany response:

It doesn’t sound like we must always anticipate a reunion with just lately DFA’d Eric Hosmer :

Quatraro was requested about Hosmer’s expertise as a World Collection champion and if he might be an excellent presence within the clubhouse.

“I perceive your level, however that’s not like a delegated roster spot,” Quatraro stated. “We don’t have a spot for the tale-teller, or that type of factor. That’s to not take something away from Hosmer and his profession, clearly an incredible Main League profession, however we haven’t even mentioned that in any respect.

“Simply in you asking that query, the very first thing that involves thoughts is we’re taking part in two younger guys in Vinnie and Pratto at first, they usually DH, it doesn’t appear to be it could be a pure match.”

Down within the minors, the Quad Cities River Bandits rallied to win Wednesday with the assistance of a Little League residence run, courtesy of two throwing errors.

MLB.com’s Anne Rogers with 3 stats to take a look at as we close to the tip of Might:

1. .265

Bobby Witt Jr.’s on-base share is decrease than it was in his rookie season (.294), a regarding development when his whiff charge of 25.2% and chase charge of 33.5% – each numbers that haven’t improved from final yr. Supervisor Matt Quatraro moved Witt down within the lineup just lately to maybe change the feel and appear for the 22-year-old on the plate.

It’s a listicle point out, certain, however Eno Sarris has a column in The Athletic (*$?): “What’s up with that man, Pt. 2 — analyzing seven struggling hitters”. Bobby Witt, Jr. is on the listing however he doesn’t get his personal writeup.

*$? – I used to be in a position to learn all the article so possibly there’s a free trial or a number of free articles proper now?

Going running a blog, David Lesky checked out Mike Mayers’s begin on Wednesday:

He threw 84 pitches and simply 24 have been both a four-seamer or a sinker. His slider, specifically, was nasty final night time. He threw 29 of them, bought 16 swings and 9 whiffs on it. Add in 4 referred to as strikes and three foul balls plus 4 balls in play with just one hit onerous and you’ll see that it dominated a foul offense. However what I appreciated about this outing is that he threw simply three sliders within the first inning. He was profitable within the first, placing out the facet, however whether or not it was Mayers or Salvador Perez or Brian Sweeney or anybody else, they noticed one thing in that slider.

He began throwing it closely in opposition to righties. The Tigers didn’t actually stack lefties, however they did have a reasonably good stability with 4 of them. Towards the righties, he threw 22 sliders out of 38 pitches all through the sport. Of these 22 sliders, he bought eight whiffs on 15 swings. That, mates, will play. Check out a few these. They’re nasty.

Heck, I’ll even give him this shameless plug:

Sadly, Craig Brown is nowhere to be discovered. Maybe the 2023 Royals have damaged him. Or no less than put him on hiatus whereas he regathers sanity.

Weblog Roundup:

As we’re coming into summer season, let’s speak about one in every of my favourite summer season actions: curler coasters. I had a observe that we have been speaking about curler coasters within the feedback right here however, alas, there are not any extra legacy feedback due to Coral. Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job. Anyhoo…

I’m a decently effectively traveled curler coaster novice, but when I have been to put up this listing to a curler coaster discussion board, it could in all probability be shredded. I’ve been to some main parks, however removed from all. To make the highest 10 (11, as a consequence of ties) for “most curler coasters in a single park” listing, a park has to have 14 or extra. 4 are outdoors america, however of the 7 within the US, I’ve been to 4: Six Flags Magic Mountain (20), Cedar Level (16), Kings Island (14), and Six Flags Over Texas (14). I’ve additionally been to Kings Dominion (13), Six Flags Fiesta Texas (11), Six Flags New England (11), Six Flags AstroWorld (RIP) and, after all, Kansas Metropolis’s personal Worlds of Enjoyable (8).

Right here we’re speaking about curler coasters – that are considerably particular. As an example, whereas Disneyland has a whole lot of rides, solely 4 are thought-about precise curler coasters. BTW, whereas I’m utilizing Coasterpedia, it’s on no account a complete authority – it simply had the useful listing I used above.

What might be thought-about an authority, nonetheless, is Amusement At the moment. Since 1998, they’ve been handing out the Golden Ticket Awards, awards for the most effective parks and finest coasters on the earth. You’ll see quite a few coasters on my listing of their prime 50.

I final up to date this listing again in 2019 after visiting Kings Island for the second time. If I believed it was some form of authoritative listing, I’d in all probability edit it extra, however this can server as a beautiful leaping off level for a dialogue, largely unedited as is. In parentheses are the park and 2022 Golden Ticket rating, if relevant.

1. Millennium Drive (CP, 3) – This curler coaster is a gd work of retro futuristic artwork. Whereas it opened greater than 20 years in the past, it has positioned 1st, 2nd, or third yearly within the Golden Ticket rankings. It’s completely attractive and makes up a giant a part of the skyline of the most effective curler coaster park on the earth. The legendary Werner Stengel listed it as his favourite, of the over 500 curler coasters he engineered. And it’s a mechanical marvel, setting 11 world data at debut. Should you’re on the left facet, on the way in which up its revolutionary cable raise hill, you’re looking right down to Lake Erie. After about 20 seconds, you’re on the prime the hill that made it a “giga coaster”, the primary 300 foot drop in curler coaster historical past. Critics will say it doesn’t generate sufficient G’s. However they’ll’t deny how buttery clean it’s or the way it maintains velocity – there’s no foolish mid course brake run to bleed off pace. There are overbanked turns, zero gravity, a few tunnel sections, and a visit out to Millennium Island. I’ve gone on this trip greater than 20 occasions in my life and, god prepared, I’ll do it no less than that many extra earlier than I shuffle off this mortal coil.

2. Bizarro (SFNE, 7) – For being such a extremely ranked coaster, this trip has had an id disaster all through its existence. It began in 2000 as Superman: Journey of Metal, the tallest and longest curler coaster on the East Coast. In 2009, it was re-themed Bizarro, and I went on it throughout that period. Then, in 2016, it modified once more to Superman The Journey. From 2001-2015, Millennium Drive and this trip have been 1 and a pair of within the Golden Ticket awards, buying and selling off the highest spot for greater than a decade. Like its aforementioned Intamin-manufactured competitor, it opened in 2000 and contains a attractive view of a physique of water, on this case the Connecticut River, off the left facet. It’s “solely” 208 toes excessive with a 221 foot drop and prime pace of 77 mph, in contrast with 310 ft, 300 ft, and 93 mph for Milly. However it’s 5400 toes lengthy (vs 6595) and has an extended trip time (2:35 vs 2:20) with quite a few enjoyable parts and results, particularly on the again half of the trip. It may need the most effective second half of any trip on this listing and it makes it really feel for much longer than it’s.

3. High Thrill Dragster (CP, 28 in 2021, RIP) – I really feel a bit of soiled for liking this coaster as a lot as I do: It’s a one trick pony, however, oh, what a trick. You actually constructed a bunch of pace off the launcher, went straight up, crossed a tiny hill, and went straight again down. The trip was solely 30 seconds lengthy and reached 120mph. It was the primary and one in every of solely two “strata coasters” (over 400 toes) on the earth. It’s so simplistic, however the seems on individuals’s faces getting off that trip is in contrast to anything on this or any park. Using within the entrance automobile was completely superb – as you have been going up the hill, it felt just like the clouds have been spinning in entrance of you. Sadly, there was an incident the place a visitor was “severely injured” in 2021 when a metallic piece “dislodged from a prepare”. The trip has been closed ever since and is being re-engineered for 2024. A really comparable trip, Kingda Ka, Intamin made, however barely taller and barely longer, nonetheless runs at Six Flags Nice Journey in New Jersey.

4. Maverick (CP, 10) – I really feel this trip is a smidge overrated, although clearly not an excessive amount of if it is available in at #4 on my private listing. For greater than a decade, this was the road drop trip to do a Cedar Level, each due to its recognition but in addition as a result of its queue strikes a bit slower than Millennium Drive. Its stats are nothing to put in writing residence about (70 mph, 100 foot drop) however somewhat than a conventional raise hill, it options two completely different launchers – one in the beginning of the trip and one other within the center. Like Bizarro, it boasts an amazing second half, on this case as a result of the second launcher permits for parts that conventional raise hill coasters can’t do in in the direction of the tip of their run due to pace loss. Supposedly, its neighbor in Frontier City, the equally western themed Metal Vengeance, a Rocky Mountain Development remake of Imply Streak, is the brand new line drop. However we’ll discuss extra about RMC a bit of decrease down within the rankings.

5. Tatsu (SFMM) – That is one the place I deviate from the consultants. It’s been as excessive as 28 within the Golden Ticket rankings however that was over a decade in the past and it has solely positioned as soon as since 2014. This is likely one of the closest sensations I’ve ever needed to flying on a curler coaster. When speaking to some guys in line for X2, one other attention-grabbing coaster at SFMM, they stated it was a dangling coaster. I anticipated this to imply it was suspended. Nope, it means you’re in a (actually comfy) harness that, a number of seconds after the security examine, tilts again so that you’re really hanging from the highest. Put your arms out and also you virtually really feel such as you’re flying along with your blood pooling in the direction of your arms and abdomen. It’s one thing completely different and one thing very cool.

6. Diamondback (KI, 17) – My prime 4 coasters have been all made by Intamin however now it’s time to speak about Bollinger & Mabillard (colloquially generally known as B&M), who made Tatsu and Diamondback. B&M might be the largest participant in coasters immediately, manufacturing 8 of the highest 21 coasters within the 2022 rankings together with the #1 spot. Whereas Intamins appear to push the envelop a bit extra, B&Ms seemed to be extra most popular by parks as they’re regarded as safer and extra dependable.

Fast like B&M historical past Sidebar from wiki, tying collectively quite a few corporations, parks, and rides we’re speaking about immediately:

Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard began working for Giovanola, a producing firm who equipped rides to Intamin, within the Seventies. Throughout their time at Giovanola, they helped design the corporate’s first stand-up curler coaster, Shockwave (at Six Flags Magic Mountain). Additionally they labored on different tasks, similar to Z-Drive (at Six Flags Nice America). Bolliger & Mabillard left Giovanola, however the firm continued to make use of their monitor design; the corporate’s curler coasters Goliath (at Six Flags Magic Mountain) and Titan (at Six Flags Over Texas), use a monitor fashion similar to B&M’s. In 1987, Giovanola underwent a change of administration, and B&M determined to go away and create their very own firm.

At this level, Diamondback in all probability isn’t even the most effective B&M within the park as Orion, the seventh giga coaster on the earth, opened in 2020, however right here have been my notes after driving it again in 2019:

It’s an attention-grabbing contest for “finest trip within the park” however I feel Diamondback retains that title till the rumored gigacoaster (Polaris? Orion?) is completed subsequent yr (?). This isn’t on the Millennium Drive, Bizarro, Dragster, (Maverick?) tier that’s heads and shoulders above the whole lot else. Nevertheless it sits comfortably within the subsequent one with all the opposite non-gigas. Its measurements are 230’ peak, 215’ drop, 5282’ size, 80 mph, and three:00 period. You get fairly a little bit of airtime on the quite a few lengthy hills, particularly should you don’t have the tightest restraints, and I bought frightened about my cellphone sneaking out of my pocket a time or two. It additionally has this glorious splashdown on the finish – you don’t get moist, however it’s a pleasant theming impact. I believed it was a bit of overrated (prime 10 Golden Ticket) whereas we have been there and driving it, however it’s sounding higher in my thoughts now that I’m scripting this every week later.

7. The Beast (KI, 5w) – This curler coaster is an aptly named retro legend. It’s, by far, the oldest curler coaster on this listing, inbuilt 1979, however it nonetheless ranks because the #5 picket coaster inthe world. After we went, it was celebrating its 40^th anniversary and continues to be top-of-the-line points of interest within the park. When it opened, it was the world’s tallest (110/141), longest (7359), and quickest (64) coaster on the earth and there’s an enormous level of delight in that the trip was principally designed by in-house employees. Even in spite of everything this time, it’s nonetheless the longest picket coaster on the earth. Sure, it’s a bit of tough and, no, it doesn’t have among the extra superior parts of contemporary coasters however it’s splendidly constructed into the panorama with the hills and forest included. It’s nonetheless fairly quick, particularly for a woody, has an insane 4:10 period, a pair of raise hills, and is only a actually stable trip. Grading this in opposition to one thing like Diamondback is like making an attempt to rank Wrigley Discipline or Fenway Park. It’s an iconic basic and I’m glad to have ridden it, notably in entrance. I’ve a smooth spot for picket coasters, tough although they could be, however my spouse hates them. So we waited an additional 10 minutes to trip within the entrance automobile, partially for the view and partially to keep away from getting jostled in again. Effectively value it!

One other Apart: There was a coaster named Son of Beast at Kings Island, however it flew too near the solar. In 1999, again when Paramount owned Kings Island, they introduced a document breaking trip: the world’s first picket hypercoaster. They actually did go all out: tallest, greatest drop, quickest, (barely shorter than Beast however nonetheless 7032 toes) and, sure, the one picket curler coaster LOOP on the earth! A WOODEN COASTER LOOP! THAT’s INSANE! Sadly, it had points from even earlier than the beginning as Paramount fired after which sued designer RCCA. They needed to make quite a few adjustments and, in 2006, an accident injured 27 riders they usually subsequently eliminated the loop and changed the automobiles. There was a minor incident in 2009 that wasn’t reported for 2 weeks and the trip closed completely with the reasoning being that that they had already spent $30M on the trip so I feel there was some measure of throwing good cash after dangerous. Sadly, this robbed Kings Island of a possible landmark trip and, after we went in 2010, it was closed. They’ve additionally had different misfires like an costly Tomb Raider: The Journey debacle a number of years later which actually hamstrung the park and has made it extra like Cedar Level’s little brother somewhat than an in-state companion.

8. Iron Rattler (SFFT, 14) – The opposite main participant within the manufacturing world of Curler Coasters is Rocky Mountain Development, boasting 5 of the highest 20. Utilizing their well-known I-Field Observe, they refit outdated picket coasters with a metal monitor, making a form of wood-steel hybrid with the appeal of an outdated picket coaster however with the pace and skill to do parts that merely can’t be engineered on wooden. Personally, I feel they’re a bit of overrated – not badly overrated, just a bit, as they don’t really feel like picket coasters however extra like placing a veneer over them. What makes this a bit of above among the different RMCs on the listing is that the Rattler was a big trip in its personal proper earlier than getting its facelift. At its 1992 opening, it was the tallest and quickest picket curler coaster on the earth.

9. Twisted Colossus (SFMM, 18)

10. New Texas Large (SFOT, 42) – I is likely to be shorting these a bit of as each of those are the RMC centerpieces of their respective parks. The New Texas Large is notable for being the primary RMC refit and the debut of the I-Field. In the meantime, the unique Colossus was the coaster featured because the Screemy Meemy at Walley World in Nationwide Lampoon’s Trip.

11. Titan (SFOT)

12. Goliath (SFMM) – Much like the earlier two, these get point out collectively as they’re considerably comparable. Goliath’s wiki entry has my again right here: “The trip is almost an identical to Titan at Six Flags Over Texas, however it lacks a 540-degree upward helix previous to the mid-course brake run and contains a barely shorter monitor format.” They have been each made within the early 2000s by now-defunct Giovanola and have been the massive identify rides for his or her respective parks. They’re nonetheless good rides however different good rides have been made since then.

13. Magnum XL-200 (CP, 25) – We’re again to Cedar Level and extra historical past. When it opened in 1989, it was the world’s tallest and quickest curler coaster. It’s credited as being the primary hypercoaster (200 toes) in addition to beginning the curler coaster wars . It was constructed by Arrow Dynamics, a historic firm identified for milestones from creating the Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland to the construction across the Olympic Cauldron on the 2002 Winter Olympics. It was #1 within the inaugural Golden Ticket Awards in 1998 and for 1999 and 2000 till Millennium Drive and Superman knocked it off its perch. Nevertheless, it nonetheless has a particular place in many individuals’s hearts, as evidenced by that #25 rating

14. Superman Escape from Krypton (SFMM) – This one’s a bit of powerful to rank because it’s not a closed circuit curler coaster – extra like a large drop tower. Nevertheless, it’s a document breaker as the primary trip at over 100 mph and it’s 415 toes tall. In fact, it’s an Intamin. It’s solely 28 seconds lengthy and in that point, you’re shot up the enormous drop tower after which again down once more. The outdated design had you dealing with ahead in the direction of a large Superman statue on the prime whereas now the trip runs you backwards. It’s nonetheless the 2nd tallest, third highest drop, and 4th quickest curler coaster on the earth. Regardless of the data, it’s not terribly well-liked and its companion trip, Tower of Terror II at Dreamworld in Australia closed down in 2019, regardless of being “the fourth-tallest, the fifth-fastest, and had the third-longest drop amongst metal curler coasters on the earth” on the time. For the document, that is my 4th coaster for Six Flags: Magic Mountain. The park close to Los Angeles isn’t any slouch: it’s an amazing park, it’s simply not Cedar Level.

15. Valravn (CP) – Talking of CP, that is emblematic of what Cedar Level does. They go choose a specific sort of coaster, make one thing that breaks the entire data for that sort of coaster, after which transfer onto one other sort of coaster, rinse and repeat. In Valravn’s case, it’s a dive coaster and, when it opened in 2016, it broke 6 dive coaster data together with tallest, quickest, longest, and most inversions.

16. Mamba (WoF) – Once I lived in Kansas, this was the premiere trip for Worlds of Enjoyable. It was the proper trip to go in the direction of at 10pm and simply trip time and again till the park closed. It falls shorts of among the different coasters on the listing as a result of, after that huge raise hill and drop, it fizzles out with a lot of the remainder of the trip being some easy camelback hills. It’s nonetheless an excellent trip, however, as I’ve talked about above, the older rides aren’t getting worse – it’s simply that different good rides are opening up. Mamba debuted at #7 in 1998 however, as extra rides got here out, it steadily fell down the Golden Ticket charts. It was within the 20s and 30s for a lot of the 2000s however fell to 50 in 2011 after which off the chart.

17. Gatekeeper (CP) – For these maintaining monitor, that is my sixth coaster at Cedar Level within the prime 18. Sure, Cedar Level is that good. Sure, Six Flags Magic Mountain has extra coasters. However for high quality and amount, you possibly can’t beat Cedar Level. As with Valravn above, Gatekeeper broke all of the significant data for Wing Coasters when it opened in 2013. Its keyhole parts proper over the parks entrance make for a dramatic begin to the day in Sandusky.

18. Banshee (KI, 37) – Actually, this can be a cheat as I had it at 15. It’s a greater coaster than the three above it, however wished to maintain the story rolling forwards and backwards from SFMM to CP and I point out a few these different rides under. Banshee was constructed on the positioning of Son of Beast and among the entry approach theming features a headstone for the trip. Constructed by B&M in 2014, it’s the world’s longest inverted coaster. Historically, you consider inverted coasters as a pleasant, clean trip with good vest harnesses like Gatekeeper or Valravn. And, whereas it’s that, it’s additionally actually quick for a hanger with some good weightlessness. Due to some terrain change, the highest pace is in the midst of the trip somewhat than after the primary drop and there’s additionally a pleasant gradual twist on the finish that may have been my favourite component. It’s top-of-the-line non-giga/non-hypers I’ve ever ridden.

19. Texas Cyclone (SFAW, defunct) – Rising up, my native park in Houston was Six Flags AstroWorld. Sadly, it went out of enterprise in 2005 and there’s largely empty land the place the park used to face. Six Flags was struggling within the early 2000s and somewhat than pay to modernize the park, they demolished it and offered the land. Nevertheless, this entry from wiki tells you all you’ll want to know concerning the enterprise expertise of park administration on the time: “firm executives anticipated to promote the land for as a lot as $150 million, however finally obtained lower than half that quantity… after spending $20 million to demolish the park and clear the land, Six Flags offered the cleared property for $77 million”. They badly misjudged how a lot they might get for his or her asset and left the fifth largest metro space within the nation with no actual amusement park. A number of of the smaller rides nonetheless reside on in smaller parks all over the world.

Then once more, possibly the administration was all the time lower than very best. Per wiki: “Texas Cyclone was modeled after the unique Coney Island Cyclone, which AstroWorld had initially supposed to buy and transfer to their park earlier than realizing the method could be too costly.” It wasn’t as loopy as that sentence sounds: within the 70s, the unique was going to be demolished so Houston thought they might purchase up the historical past on a budget. As soon as that proved to be too expensive, AstroWorld employed famed designed William Cobb to create a bigger and sooner mirrored model of the unique. It was Astroworld’s signature trip till its closure. The unique 1927 Cyclone has since been refurbished and is #17 on the picket coaster listing.

20. Volcano The Blast Coaster (KD, defunct) – I lived in Richmond for a few years and needed to discover a method to work in our hooky day at Kings Dominion. The most effective rides on the park had but to be constructed like Intimidator 305 and Twisted Timbers. Nevertheless, we nonetheless loved our day on the park with beautiful climate and smaller, weekday traces. Formally, Kings Dominion in Richmond is the sister park of Kings Island, although the latter has vastly superior rides at this level. Volcano, which is not with us, was a enjoyable themed launch coaster the place the automobile (on a monitor, after all) was shot out of the highest of a mountain with numerous fireplace results and, at 155 toes, the best inversion for a coaster from when it opened in 1998 till Gatekeeper broke the document in 2013.

As for the long run, I have already got plans to return to Six Flags Over Texas later this yr. I’d like to to Carowinds in Charlotte, and trip the present #1, B&M’s Fury 325. I might even pair it with a return journey to Kings Dominion, as they’re about 5 hours aside, because the automobile drives.In fact, I’m all the time up for a visit again to the curler coaster Mecca of Cedar Level as I haven’t been again since Metal Vengeance opened and we’ll must see how the re-engineer Dragster. I’d like to go to Japan to trip Metal Dragon 2000, the trip that took a bunch of data from Millennium Drive and is longer than 8000 toes and 4 minutes lengthy! Or Fuji-Q Highland to trip Fujiyama and Do-Dodonpa.

The lengthy and brief is that I’ve been to all of the parks which have 2 or extra of the highest 25 metal coaster on the earth. Now I’ll must go to parks to select the remainder off one after the other, as long as my physique permits it. I’m a bit of bummed I missed out on Canada’s Wonderland after we have been in Toronto a few years in the past, however my son was solely a few years outdated on the time and didn’t meet the peak necessities for the one giga coaster in Canada, Leviathan. Talking of which, he’s now over 48” and simply did his first curler coaster final yr, a 100 foot drop in Galveston that left him each excited and afraid. He is likely to be able to go on bigger ones sooner somewhat than later.

For our track of the day, we’re going to make use of a POV (perspective) video. It is a frequent factor for curler coasters the place a park worker rides within the entrance automobile and movies the trip to allow them to put up it on-line. Followers additionally typically do that, although it’s in opposition to the foundations for most individuals at most parks. One factor about POV movies, although – the simply don’t do the expertise justice. However they’re nonetheless enjoyable to get the thought of what you’re .

That is an newbie video however it does an excellent job of capturing the essence of the trip from the “futuristic” music within the station, the sound of the wind whipping round you as you go up the 300 toes hill, the lake off the left facet, the fixed pace in the course of the trip the place it’s onerous to maintain the digicam up, and the NSFW language that folks usually use on the prime of that first drop hill

This one’s the official POV from Cedar Level:

Right here’s a bonus for Bizarro. Not a real POV, however it beats lots of the different movies that put a whole lot of annoying music excessive: