Thor'sLinks: Cueto carries KC to 2-0 Series lead

Kansas City made the most of their investment in fetching Johnny Cueto from the Reds as Cueto absolutely killed the Mets last night. The Royals also made the most of the hard work that Mike Trout contributed back in July when, while winning the 2015 MLB All-Star MVP, he ensured home field advantage for them. The Royals lead the Series 2-0 as we move to New York for the weekend.

The Mets, meanwhile, are showing signs of rust. That, or they have merely run out of gas.

Here is a Public Service Reminder to you all. This is my final Link Dump until November 9th. I am off to Mexico with friends and family to celebrate Dia de los Muertos in Guanajuato (and yes, for those familiar, we WILL be seeing the mummies). Should be friggin' awesome. But just as awesome will be your loyal lineup in my absence. Treat them well. They will be working hard for you.

Have some Adios to Octobre Links:

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Angels Baseball

Super Duper Two: This year the cut-off for Super Two players - those eligible for arbitration NOW instead waiting another year (and giving them FOUR arb windows before FA instead of three) - was calculated at precisely 2.130 years of MLB service. That stands for 2 full seasons and 130 games spent on the 25-man roster (not actual games played). At the start of the season, the projection was for 2.140. That 10 game swing just cost the Angels money, because Kole Calhoun finished the season with exactly 2.130 years of service time. Calhoun, along with Jeff Manship of the Indians and Anthony Rendon of the Nationals slipped in just under the wire. The full list is here............And, just in time for Haloween costumes, Calhoun becomes a superhero............

Trout Porn: Here you go. He might not make MVP, but Mike Trout has been named to The Sporting News' AL All-Star team for 2015. It's just my opinion, but he looks rather gaunt in the artwork they use for him over there.........

Ex-Seraphs: Two ex-Angels coaches got new gigs yesterday. Unsurprisingly, Bud Black found himself another dugout to command over in Washington, DC. So, now, he is not the cavalry for Anaheim. But holy cow could we finally get a bead on his skills with that roster! Surprisingly, Tony LaRussa tagged Mike Butcher to emphasize a gajillion sliders low in the zone for the Diamondbacks pitching staff. Maybe, since Butcher lives in Phoenix, he signed up for a home-twon discount...........

Matt Klentak: This isn't to rehash Klentak going to Philadelphia. He gone. Done. Not one of us good guys no more. This is a link to tell us all something about who does what in the front office of Anaheim. Thank you PHILADELPHIA journalists for taking the time to ask the questions and enlighten us local fans about what our front office staff does for a living. It might have been nice to know this kind of stuff while Klentak was here, but that would have required the LOCAL media with access to show some of that same curiosity. Just sayin'...........

Not so Offensive: Howard Bryant, who writes for ESPN The Magazine, notes that the Kansas City offense reminds him of the frenzied hitting of the 2002 Anaheim Angels. I agree. Emotionally, I project that 2002 offense in my complaints about more recent Angels teams, everybody taking their at-bats as doing their own thing and hoping for cluster luck. I don't get the feeling that the Royals wait for cluster luck. I get the feeling they work to force their own clusters. And I would like to think that those 2002 players, in their 10-year anniversary speeches, were making the same projections when they advised today's players to not play for themselves, but for each other...........

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Elsewhere in Baseball

1975: This was a great World Series certainly among the very greatest. If you are too young, you missed some baseball amazement. But it requires an east coast bias to believe that 1975 was the greatest Game 6............

Special Delivery: Ben Zobrist and his wife are expecting a child any day now. Let's suppose that, with Zobrist and the Royals in New York, she goes into labor. No big deal, says she, Daddy Ben is on his own. She got this. Easy to say now, but I predict that if the Royals win the WS and are dousing one another with champagne while, at the same time, Julianna Zobrist is screaming and sweating for hours one end busting her chops building their family safely, Ben is never, ever gonna hear the end of it. Never. Ever............

Edinson Volquez: You know what would be great? That the fans of New York give Edinson Volquez a long, warm, standing ovation when is announced in Citi Field, when he rejoins his teammates after attending the funeral of his father. He is due for Game 5 on Sunday, should that prove necessary. It would not be uncommon for New Yorkers to show that level of class...........

Easy, Breezy, Baseball: Bookmark this one, folks. You might find a need to refer to it down the road. It documents well the wind impact to be found at every MLB stadium. To save you some reading, Southern California being paradise and what not we don't suffer from too much wind, nor too little. It's Practically Perfect in Every Way............

Opportunity Knocking: $10 million might seem like a lot to pay for a single-family home fo approximately 1,000 square feet. That's about $10,000 per square foot. But considering you are just a few hundred feet away from Wrigley Field, think of all the money you will save on stadium parking fees!...........

Pine Tar: Somebody correct me if I am wrong here, but I don't believe it is illegal for a player, say Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez, do doctor up a game ball with pine tar. It's just illegal for a pitcher to throw a ball that has been doctored. Right? Somehow I would personally take the position that all players should be forced to play in the same conditions and this bit about player safety is B.S. Why is it Ok for a catcher to overcome cold and wet game conditions but not a second baseman who needs to turn a double play? Or an outfielder trying to throw out a baserunner?.............

Just a Kid's Game: This is kind of cool, and surprising. Michael Conforto has lived quite a charmed baseball life. It turns out that he is the first person in history to collect an RBI in the Little League World Series AND the College World Series AND the MLB World Series. Remember, baseball is a TEAM sport and it's not enough to just be exceptionally talented yourself.........

LOL: Yeah, it's a really big deal to get media credentials for things like an MLB game. Especially a World Series game. Ignorant bloggers need not apply. No way a REAL journalist would fail to properly identify the winning pitcher right after the game, right?.............

Baseball Biz: World Series television viewership is on the rise, folks...........

Sad and Lonely: this is what happens when you leave some geeky architect alone to figure out how to design a baseball stadium. You get isolated and lonely seats encased in concrete.............

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And now, being the full-service weekend linkage institution that we are, here is the obligatory moment we take out of each Thursday...for beer...

Friday: Fiesta Beer Release and Tasting Party at The Good Beer Company in Santa Ana..........

Saturday: Halloween Dance Party at Pyramid Alehouse, Brewery & Restaurant in Walnut Creek..........Halloween Party at Honey Wagon Brewing in Tehachapi..........

Sunday: Nada

Stay safe, everyone!

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