12 HBP for Royals batters this season. How should the Royals respond?

If you are keeping track at home, the Royals do not only lead the league in wins, but also in the number of times they have reached first base as a result of being hit by baseballs. Here in the early going of the 2015 season the Royals have stepped up to the plate 291 times and out of those 291 plate appearances Royals batters have been hit by twelve different baseballs. Is this intentional, bad luck, the result of giant targets on their uniforms that say, "American League Champions"? The world may never know. While it is possible that something more sinister is afoot, I would like to think that all these bruises that the Boys in Blue are acquiring as a result of these HBP's are all accidental results of pitchers trying to work the inside part of the plate.

To their credit, the Royals are handling this mystical magnetic attraction the ball feels to their bodies with dignity, poise, and humility. But it is all fun and games until someone gets hurt….

Which, of course, has now happened. The news has broken today that Right Fielder Alex Rios has a fractured hand as a result of being hit in yesterday's game against the Minnesota Twins. He has been placed on the Disabled List and a timeframe for his return has not been announced.

While it can be argued that the Royals defense might actually improve with Rios out and Dyson (or Cain or Orlando) as his replacement, it cannot be argued that this is a blow to the Royals. They lose a third of their starting outfield and a productive bat seven games into the season and it is a bigger blow to Rios, who was showing signs of a strong resurgence after dealing with hand issues all last season.

When I saw Rios get hit, my immediate thought was that he was fortunate that the ball found his wrist and not his face. A broken hand is bad, but a broken face is worse. While, again, it did not appear to be intentional, there is a rather vocal rumbling making its way through Royals nation that is calling for the Boys in Blue to start standing up for themselves and perhaps even having their own pitchers "retaliate."

Local and national writers and "experts" are starting to ask the question, "when is enough, enough?" and there are plenty of fans who say that Royals pitchers need to start responding. While this might be the instinctual response, this would NOT be the correct way to react to the twelve free base runners that the Royals have had gifted to them through this first week of the season. Let's be real, what would the alternative be? Have one of our Starting 5 ejected due to obviously intentionally hitting someone?

Risking a head injury to Gordon, Cain, Perez, or Hosmer because some opposing reliever wants to up the ante a little bit? No, these would not be good things and it would be foolish for anyone to suggest that the best team in baseball (which the Royals technically are) should start playing dirty ball. Wisely, the Royals are already "retaliating" in the best of all possible ways; instead of beating opposing pitchers with their fists or hitters with baseballs they are choosing to beat the tar out of the ball. It has been said that there is no better revenge than victory and that is exactly the approach Kansas City has taken and they should be applauded for it.

So far here in 2015 the Royals have demonstrated incredible poise, confidence, and presence of mind as they continue to seek to keep the full scope of the season in focus. They are not allowing themselves to get caught up in the hype of their white-hot start or with having the dubious distinction of leading the league in hit batsmen. While the loss of Rios will hurt, the Royals must continue to seek to keep the "main thing the main thing" and remember that they have the talent to repeat as American League champions as long as they keep their wits about them. So to Alex Rios, we are wishing you well on your recovery; and to the rest of the Royals, please, carry on.

Previous Post Rios Has Broken Hand-Headed for DL After being hit by a pitch in Mondays contest with the Twins, Alex Rios underwent testing that revealed he had actually broken his hand. This was after the Royals released word that they felt it was only a contusion. There has been no timetable yet ... Read more Tweet Next Post 2015 Royals Begin Right Where They Left Off… And We’re Off…2015 Royals Begin Right Where They Left Off… With the first seven games under their belts, The Kansas City Royals appear to have not let a little set back like game seven of the 2014 World Series get to them. In fact, it ... Read more

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