Thursday, May 30, 2013

George Brett Becomes New Hitting Coach for Royals

The Royals have brought in George Brett as the new hitting coach for the team along with Pedro Grifol. They replace Jack Maloof and Andre David, who were reassigned to minor league duties within the organization.

Brett brings instant credibility given that he is in the Hall of Fame. He knew when to light a fire under people and when to lighten the mood. When Brett tells the players something, they will be much more likely to listen because he carries with him credibility of having played successfully for almost 20 years for one team.

The move will likely serve as a wake-up call for the players. They now know that they are being evaluated and that it is now time for them to become more focused and perform on the field. Anytime there is a mid-season shakeup of this nature, that is the goal.

There is the possibility that the Royals are grooming Brett to succeed Ned Yost. Yost himself came on as a "consultant" before he was hired as the full time manager. This is the last year of Yost's contract. Let Brett get to know the team for a year since they are not going anywhere and then turn the reigns over to him is a possible plan if the team continues to flounder.

The fact of the matter is that some sort of change had to be made. Yost himself set the standard for the season when he said on the record that his hitters were capable of hitting for more power. However, the team actually is hitting for less power this year and hitting fewer home runs. The firing of Maloof and David was a foregone conclusion after the former publicly predicted that the team would finish last in home runs this year in the league. That was a public admission that he was out of answers.

We have to give credit where it is due. Owner David Glass has opened his purse strings to resign Butler and Gordon this year and has put a lot more into the development of his minor league players after years of having a reputation of being a tight-fisted owner. General Manager Dayton Moore has his weaknesses as well -- none of his top draft picks has met the team's expectations. But the fact of the matter is that this season cannot be pinned on him either. Moore went out and got quality starting pitching this year. He stepped in and acted when things were not working out as expected; the replacement of the hitting coaches was a good move. Something had to be done.

The hope is that not only will George Brett help out with the hitting, he will help out with the clubhouse chemistry as well. He was the ultimate clubhouse chemistry person as well as a great player, creating an environment where everyone could succeed. But while the owner is the one who sets the budget, the general manager gets the players, and the coaches work with the players on the mechanics of the game, it is the manager's responsibility to do four things -- write the lineup cards, change pitchers, make substitutions, and maintain a positive environment for the players to perform in. The ultimate responsibility for that still lies with Yost. We don't want him to scream and yell like he seemed to imply the other night; we want him to bring discipline. If someone celebrates when it is not appropriate or there are personality conflicts within the clubhouse, then the manager is responsible for getting it stopped. There is a big difference.

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