When we left Omaha to begin our trip, the Royals were 3-4. By the time the trip ended, the Royals were 10-4. They then proceeded to drop two of three to the Mets.
I bear all responsibility for this, and the next time I leave on a vacation during baseball season, I will do my best to stay on vacation in perpetuity, because sacrifices must be made.
My apologies for the absence last week, and for the delay in WLR this week, but without further ado, let’s get to some good things, bad things, and other things from the last several days.
WIN
Salvador Perez defying science
The Royals catcher is proving that he is both ageless and made of adamantium. Just shy of his 34th birthday, Salvy is in his 13th season, posting a .339/.369/.565 line, good for a wRC+ of 163, 20th-best in all of baseball. He’s hit four dingers this year, 250 in his career, and he continues to climb the Royals’ all-time statistical leaderboards.
He also continues to recover from injuries that would seemingly hospitalize most ordinary humans. After straining his groin and hip in Sunday’s game against New York, Salvy comforted any worried fans on Twitter Monday afternoon:
While Salvy wasn’t in the lineup posted Tuesday afternoon, Mother Nature, having been defeated enough times to gain immense respect for the man, unleashed a torrent of rain, therefore allowing Perez to return after only a single game off.
He’s an absolute treasure, and I’d say we should protect him at all costs, but obviously he doesn’t really need our protection.
Mountains
Unfortunately I didn’t get any great pictures while driving through southeastern Colorado on account of, you know, driving, but the scenery there was simply breathtaking. Living in eastern Kansas and Nebraska my entire life, I don’t often have a chance to see that kind of backdrop, but I was glad I got to experience it, and that my kids did as well.
The driving through western Nebraska/Kansas/Texas, on the other hand, can pound sand, of which there is plenty to be found.
Pasquatch awakening
I don’t know if hibernation is a thing for sasquatches, but Vinnie Pasquantino appears to have fully emerged from his slumber. A week ago, he had a batting average hovering above .100 with an identical slugging percentage. Entering play Tuesday, Vinnie’s got a line of .255/.344/.473, good for a wRC+ of 131.
The 2-6 spots in the Royals lineup are absolutely crushing the baseball at the moment. Behold:
Bobby Witt, Jr.: 187 wRC+
Pasquantino: 131
Perez: 163
MJ Melendez: 143
Nelson Velazquez: 135
Combined with a rotation that continues to dazzle, that’s how the Royals find themselves among the league’s best teams more than two weeks into the season.
LOSE
Wind
During our travels last week, we experienced wind gusts of more than 50 mph. It was not pleasant, particularly during stretches of two-lane highways with semis pushing even more wind to our path.
Whoever thought it was a good idea to put a cactus right next to a hiking trail
Seriously, didn’t they consider that an easily distracted toddler might be wandering slightly off the trail at some point?
Gas stations without diaper changing stations in men’s bathrooms
It’s 2024! How is this not a universal business requirement? And while I’m at it, the diaper changing stations should not be confined to a stall! Needing to wait for the stall to open up in order to change an angry toddler’s diaper is an upsetting experience for everyone involved.
MLB umpires
It’s been covered sufficiently at this point, but the fact that MLB hasn’t at the very least instituted some sort of challenge system utilizing automated ball-strike technology is absurd. I haven’t been a huge robot umpire proponent because there will be issues there, too, but to continue down this path, particularly with the disgustingly unnecessary and ubiquitous gambling partnerships promoted incessantly, is lunacy.
RAIN
Hotels
I love the idea of hotels, and most of the time, it’s executed well enough. But there are typically at least a couple of things that disappoint. Maybe the bathroom is too small, or the water pressure is too weak, or, hypothetically speaking, the room is dirty and the beds are uncomfortable and the eggs and sausage at breakfast are “cooked” in the microwave right there in front of you.
The kids did enjoy having pancakes and Froot Loops every other morning, though.
March Madness
On the one hand, the women’s tournament had compelling players, tons of close games, and a champion that wrapped up a perfect season against the biggest star in all of college basketball.
On the other hand, the men’s tournament felt, I don’t know, boring?
There were some great games, and UConn capping off dominant back-to-back title runs is impressive, but it seemed like there was hardly any drama. The most exciting part of the championship game might have been when Dan Hurley pushed his own player during the action. That man spends more time on the court than most sixth men, and I would like for him to go away.
Spring weather
In New Mexico, the wind made it feel too cold to not wear a jacket, and then 20 minutes later the sun made it feel too hot to wear pants. We came home to great temperatures with strong winds, or temps near 90, and on Tuesday morning it stormed.
Despite this, spring is still, objectively, the best season.
Spring
Summer
Fall
Being punished like Prometheus
Winter
That’s it for WLR this week, be sure to drop your own thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for reading!