Kansas
Here’s a pre-game change Kansas City Royals have made with help from new hitting coach
Kansas Metropolis Royals supervisor Mike Matheny waits for the subsequent participant to enter the cage as he pitches batting apply earlier than a baseball sport in opposition to the St. Louis Cardinals in Kansas Metropolis, Mo., Tuesday, Might 3, 2022.
AP
4 and a half hours earlier than first pitch on Friday night time, Royals hitting coach Alec Zumwalt organized a pitching machine to the aspect of a display forward of early batting apply.
The system’s exact positioning was intentional. Zumwalt’s setup was meant to imitate precisely what the Royals would see that night time in opposition to Houston starter José Urquidy; that meant simulating the pitcher’s launch level, his beginning location on the rubber and his four-seamer’s motion, which Statcast says rises 19% greater than the typical MLB fastball.
“These machines are fairly correct,” Royals supervisor Mike Matheny mentioned later Friday. “However at present, it was extra about guys which might be actually engaged on getting on high of these balls, and to have that vert (vertical break) quantity that’s a little bit completely different from standard.”
The brand new on-field methodology is a part of what Zumwalt — employed two weeks in the past because the Royals’ hitting coach — has added as KC works to finest put together its hitters every night time.
Beforehand, pre-game hitting off this pitching machine was solely accessible to Royals hitters within the indoor cage behind the workforce’s dugout — an space that may get congested on sport days.
Utilizing Friday for example, Zumwalt establishing the pitching machine made for a extra inviting train on-field, with veterans like Whit Merrifield and Hunter Dozier participating alongside youthful gamers like rookie Bobby Witt Jr.
Matheny says all of it goes again to a bigger-picture query that the Royals and different major-league groups face: What precisely is the top objective of batting apply?
For instance, throughout his 13-year major-league taking part in profession, Matheny didn’t really feel like conventional BP — hitting lobbed-in pitches — helped him. The mid-50s fastballs would possibly’ve felt good to hit exhausting, however he felt like these swings didn’t put together him for the sport as a result of they had been so completely different from what he’d see from big-league hurlers.
Matheny shouldn’t be each participant, although. And he says some guys do acquire confidence — and really feel higher about themselves — by roping liners in opposition to delicate tosses earlier than the sport.
All of it goes again to the problem of what Matheny has began to label as “Get good versus really feel good.” The pitching-machine batting apply — “get good” — prepares gamers for what’s to come back, although additionally it is difficult and can include extra failure. Hitting softly tossed throws from coaches — “really feel good” — can nonetheless be helpful for veterans who’ve made that a part of their coaching.
Matheny says the artwork from there is determining the proportions of BP that every participant must carry out his finest.
This a lot, although, can also be clear: Zumwalt’s machine-based on-field BP has develop into a larger precedence over the previous few weeks.
“The younger guys embrace it to the place it’s a part of their routine,” Matheny mentioned. “And also you’ll see a number of the veteran guys are asking the suitable inquiries to see, ‘Is there a great why to what we’re doing right here? Sure, that is smart.’”
For the first time since the 2022 AFC playoffs, the Kansas City Chiefs will square off against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Kansas City has a three-game winning streak over Pittsburgh, which includes the aforementioned contest in the Wild Card round of the postseason. This year, both teams have already clinched playoff berths but still have something to play for. The Chiefs, specifically, can get the best Christmas present of all by winning and locking up the one-seed and a first-round bye. A win makes them unreachable to the Buffalo Bills. The Steelers, on the other hand, are looking to maintain their division lead. They hold a conference tiebreaker over the surging Baltimore Ravens but are far from certain to keep that.
Here’s everything you need to know and how you can follow along with the Chiefs as they square off against the Steelers on Wednesday.
Game: Chiefs vs. Steelers
Location: Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Date and Time: Wednesday, December 25 at 12:00 p.m. CT
TV Channel: Netflix or KCTV local
Listen Live: WDAF (106.5 FM) Chiefs Radio Network or Tico Sports (Kansas City) for Spanish radio broadcast
Betting Line: Chiefs -3 (as of Wednesday morning)
This contest’s television broadcast team is highlighted by Ian Eagle (play-by-play) and both J.J. Watt and Nate Burleson (color) in the commentary booth. Melanie Collins and Stacey Dales will serve as the sideline reporters for Week 17’s matchup.
For updates throughout the game and after the action has concluded, including plenty of postgame content, keep it locked in right here at Kansas City Chiefs On SI and follow us on X @ChiefsOnSI, Bluesky @chiefsonsi.com and Facebook at Chiefs Nation for additional coverage, commentary and more.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Read More: Steve Spagnuolo Assesses Christian Roland-Wallace’s Performance in Starting Debut
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – After three full days of searching on land and in area waters, the search for 80-year-old Gary Foster has been put on hold.
The Reno County Sheriff’s Office said Foster’s family decided to postpone the search until after the holidays, when efforts will resume as a recovery mission.
Over the last 72 hours, crews launched a large-scale effort involving over 200 people combing a five-mile radius around where he was last seen. The Kansas Highway Patrol searched the area via aircraft, and Saline County provided a water rescue team and sonar to scan nearby ponds.
The Silver Alert for Foster remains in effect.
Copyright 2024 KWCH. All rights reserved. To report a correction or typo, please email news@kwch.com
Kansas
Kansas man charged after leading an Osceola, Mo. police officer on a high-speed chase on Highway 13
ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Mo. (KY3) – A Kansas City, Kansas man has been charged after leading Osceola police in a high-speed pursuit while under the influence.
According to court documents, 43-year-old Marvin Ruiz is charged with DWI and resisting arrest.
Court documents show that on December 21, around 5:30 p.m., an Osceola police officer noticed a Jeep driving south on Highway 13 at 110 miles per hour in a 65-mph zone. The officer then pulled out of the median and saw the Jeep go through it and start driving north on Highway 13.
The officer started chasing the suspect, at one point reaching speeds nearing 121 mph. He was then able to stop the car as it tried to turn back around and go south. The officer got out of his patrol car and drew his gun as he approached the Jeep.
According to court documents, the officer saw Ruiz behind the wheel and noticed his eyes were bloodshot and in a daze.
Moments later, Ruiz put the Jeep in reverse, almost causing several accidents before driving south in the northbound lanes. The officer followed Ruiz going about 70 mph and noticed Ruiz nearly hit other cars head-on.
The officer tried a PIT maneuver in the median to stop Ruiz, but it did not work. Ruiz then went south in the southbound lanes, and the chase speed reached near 110 mph. The officer says Ruiz then slammed on his brakes, causing him to hit the Jeep and spin out. The chase continued through the Lowry City city limits before Ruiz lost control and wrecked near a curve.
According to the officer, he got out of his patrol car and was able to arrest Ruiz. The officer tested Ruiz for alcohol, and his BAC came back to be 0.169.
According to the Osceola Police Department, the officer involved in the chase was Officer French and his K9 Officer Beck.
The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office and Missouri State Highway Patrol worked the crash since Ruiz hit the officer’s patrol car.
Ruiz appeared in court on December 23 and entered a not-guilty plea for the incident. He is being held in the St. Clair County Jail without bond. He is set to appear in court again on January 8, 2025.
To report a correction or typo, please email digitalnews@ky3.com. Please include the article info in the subject line of the email.
Copyright 2024 KY3. All rights reserved.
College football's Hawaii Bowl highlights slowest sports day of 2024
Larry Williams' Tree Top Ranches in Idaho for sale
Illinois Basketball Report Card: Grades vs. Missouri (Game 11)
How to Watch Chiefs vs. Steelers: NFL Week 17 TV, Odds, Preview
Indiana turns to transfer portal again, lands Cal QB, Maryland RB
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene was ‘kicked out’ of the Freedom Caucus according to Rep. Buck
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
Biden vetoes bill that would have given Trump more judicial seats to fill
Five convicted over Amsterdam clashes with Israeli football fans
Fox Star Is All For Trump Blowing $1.5 Trillion on Greenland: ‘Probably Will Pay Off’
Johnson allies urge Trump to intervene as messy speaker battle threatens to delay 2024 certification
Ciolacu's new government sworn in, tasked with bringing stability
-
Business1 week agoFreddie Freeman's World Series walk-off grand slam baseball sells at auction for $1.56 million
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23951353/STK043_VRG_Illo_N_Barclay_3_Meta.jpg "Meta’s Instagram boss: who posted something matters more in the AI age")
Technology1 week agoMeta’s Instagram boss: who posted something matters more in the AI age
-
News1 week agoEast’s wintry mix could make travel dicey. And yes, that was a tornado in Calif.
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24924653/236780_Google_AntiTrust_Trial_Custom_Art_CVirginia__0003_1.png "Google’s counteroffer to the government trying to break it up is unbundling Android apps")
Technology3 days agoGoogle’s counteroffer to the government trying to break it up is unbundling Android apps
-
Politics4 days agoIllegal immigrant sexually abused child in the U.S. after being removed from the country five times
-
News4 days agoNovo Nordisk shares tumble as weight-loss drug trial data disappoints
-
Entertainment5 days ago'It's a little holiday gift': Inside the Weeknd's free Santa Monica show for his biggest fans
-
Politics1 week agoSupreme Court may free Catholic charities from paying state unemployment taxes for their employees