OTC: Royals and Hillman Talk of Town
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Bluestrike
I don’t care what 66-year olds think about 25-year old millionaires. Move on, Jack…
Js
Trey Hillman listens to the criticisms. Several weeks bedfore George’s rant there had some reports that he thought the criticisms about him were unfair. The managers and players who make that comment are generally just covering up so they don’t have to respond to reporters questions.
This Royals team is the reflection of years and years of neglect by ownership and just because they have stepped up to the plate the last 2 years doesn’t make up for the previous 18!
MoCrash
A team is partly a reflection on its manager, at least in its approach to situations. The first inning Sunday told part of the story: Maier fails to hit a cut-off man on the first play, allowing Podsednik to stretch a double into a triple — from where he scored on Thome’s two-out single, which would not necessarily have scored even a fast runner from second base since it got to LF quickly. In the bottom half of the frame, Bloomquist draws a leadoff walk and Maier wastes the at-bat by popping up instead of moving the runner into scoring position — where Butler’s double easily brings him in.
An unnecessary run against, a potential run for wasted. These are the things which add up over the course of the season, and in the Royals’ case — where winning hangs on the margin — it turns a team that could be around .500 into one that is sinking rapidly.
(And why or why was Jacobs, a platoon player who has a career .233 BA and .297 OBP vs. LHP — and both worse this season — batting clean-up against Danks?)
One doesn’t have to be a Hall of Fame manager to have serious questions regarding Hillman’s ability at this level. I’m starting to believe we have the Peter Principle at work here, that a man rises to the level of his own incompetence. While a manager may have success at one level, it doesn’t necessarily mean he has the tools to advance to the next level. And in Hillman’s case, his declaration that he doesn’t pay any attention to the media may suggest that he is attempting to hang on to his delusion of competence by not acknowledging the critics — that he is somehow above it all and, since they aren’t being paid to manage a MLB franchise, their criticisms are not credible enough to be heeded by one who is. Somebody who realizes he may be in over his head is certainly not going to subject himself to the views of those who may confirm those doubts.
Not to be too hard on Hillman; he’s only using the tools at his disposal, which are and have been sub-standard. However, he’s hardly getting maximum production out of the talent available. That would be reflected in the ability to manufacture runs (instead of leaving 10 runners on-base, as the Royals did Sunday — a number which would have been lower if anybody knew how to hit a grounder to the right side of the infield instead of popping up) and play fundamentally sound defense.
Gavin
Greg,
Top-notch column today. However, you might want to note that “Nippon” is the native name for the country we Americans call “Japan.” What you said was essentially referring to Japan as you might refer to a place called “Deutschland, Germany.”
On a more serious note, no, you aren’t the only one bothered by all the mercenaries poulating my favoriute teams. I wish they’d all make themselves more prominent in the community (although less in the way done by Larry Johnson and more done by Tony Gonzalez). But the mercenary nature of “our” teams might be easier to swallow if they, you kno, WON something.
And I’m not sure why it’s so jaw-dropping that Strawberry would have taken steroids had that been an option when he was playing. Name for me a drug that was available to him as a player he DIDN’T take. And he has been pretty honest about that too.
jojo
hillman gone at all star break if team falters!
Glass and Moore were in the clubhouse on
sunday morning beating on the players. After
Saturday nights loss, Moore told the players
“if you want big league play you better start
playing big league ball. If you want minor
league money I can arrange that’
Glass is getting concerned because 1.8 million
fans can make them some money.
When Bloomquist was asked sunday morning if
he was playing that day he replied “I don’t ever
know if i’m playing til the manager puts the
lineup together”
Gordon was asked when he will be coming back
and he replied “maybe never”.
Somehow this team has no direction. the manager
is supposed to have these guys ready to play
every day but according to players he’s not.
Guillen has had several conversations with
glass and just turns his back on the man.
Something will have to give.
Moore needs to make some changes.
This team needs a spark. Hillman has lost control of this team. Glass has no patience
with hillman and the players. Watch for a
confrontation between team and Guillen. It’s
about to blow up.
Saw seitzer sunday. Apparently players are not
listening to him. I can understand why. He is not a proven hitting coach unless you include the
middle schoolers and high schoolers that
he’s worked with. Was this the best moore
could do? A guy fired from arizona at mid season. Was there not a better candidate for hitting coach than one of Brett’s friends?
Seitzer has done a terrible job.
And who was the architect of this team. They
need help. You’ve got 5 players who can’t play
any defense. You told fans the team was built
on defense and pitching but outside zack there’s
neither.
70 million down the drain.I have been to 12
home games. The energy the team carries has
gone down fast. The batters arent even running
out ground balls. Guillen doesn’t run…he just
goes to dugout with his bat in hand on ground
balls.
We need a major shakeup. Moore’s on the line…
hillmans on the line…we need a good road trip
NOW.
CM
I don’t know Hillman, or his community involvement, but it’s quite a leap of logic to conclude that if you don’t listen to sports radio or watch “local network news” that you don’t care about the community.
Local network news is especially worthless. All the local TV stations are good for are:
1. Reporting house fires
2. Finding stories about perverts
3. Scaring you about crime
4. Scaring you about weather (Run! Tornados!)
5. “Investigating” whether the ShamWOW! is a good consumer buy.
6. Finding footage of wacky stuff that happened in OTHER cities
7. Running stories that are actually disguised promos of their prime-time lineup (something perhaps like this:”We sent our reporter out with some questions to see if he could find local Kansas Citians that are smarter than a 5th grader”)
There’s very little of value in local TV “news”.
craig glazer
Sadly as I said on 610, the Butler,Gordon,and Mark experiment failed and with that just no offense at all…all Royals fans are sad and hurt cause we thought this would be the year the Royals started to be a much better team…I think maybe we are just snakebit….wow, last again…last year a few players were hot here and there and that kept us from being awful, Jose and Mike had some hot bats at times, but this year nobody…and now the ptiching is gone, WOW, likely last or near there…quick season…enjoy the ‘new’ stadium cause there isn’t much else to watch out there…sorry…
tanana
Jo Jo
Where did you come up with this…there is one thing to throw shit at a wall and see if it sticks….and it is another to hide behind a keyboard and say all of these things and hope someone believes you…Yep, the Royals had Glass come and scold the players…Ummm I don’t think so…
look the best comment I read here was that this club has been neglected for 15 years and 2 years does not fix the problem…great call…the fact is that without a star player you are just sprinkling sugar on shit and calling it candy…well the sugar seems to be gone so that means, yep it is just shit
greg
Gavin,
Always appreciate having my cultural horizon broadened. The Nippon fix is in.
rick
Part of the game if you are a local celebrity is to be nice in public. I don’t care about this they are only human who have good and bad days. NO!! You fake it. Bad day. Bad mood. Want your privacy. Sorry. Fake it. Their are people making a min. wage as cashiers, fast food, whatever and they got to smile and pretend all is well. So Lenny, Tom, and George who I saw be a jerk at an indoor soccer game. Fake it for your millions. You gave them to easy of a pass Greg. How many times have you had to grin and bare it?
I heard Soren talk about how wonderful KK was at the Super Bowl. OH? You said what he REALLY thinks. Only when he is unemployed.