Quote Originally Posted by WantinCrappie View Post
Okay, back to topic Jack and Baxed. In all honesty I was enjoying your comments on the teams and players. I really enjoy watching the Cards, but don't even come close in the knowledge that many of you have on the sport. Keep up the Ball conversation when you have thoughts. I'm enjoying the knowledge.
Okay Chris, here is my take and this centers on the Royals, since it is the "home" team. Mark Teahan was recently traded to the Chicago White Sox. The minute the trade was announced, the Sox said WHAT POSITION he would play. Teahan's comments were he would be happy going to the ballpark everyday knowing where he was going to play. If you look back to the last couple of years, the Royals have NEVER had a set lineup. Players, while happy to be playing, are just like us; they would like to know what to expect when they go to work. Royals players, save a few, constantly played positions they were not very familiar with. The only thing this breeds is INconsistency, and it showed in their play, the amount of errors, not throwing to the proper cut-off man allowing a runner to take an extra base etc.etc.. My point is Trey Hillman is quite possibly the worst manager in all of baseball. ALL of these issues should be settled in spring training; where and who is going to play. Players were at second base one day, center field the next, third base the next and so on. Each position has a definate way to play it. When you are in the field having to THINK about what you are supposed to do rather than REACTING, you are at a great disadvantage. I believe he has fostered a losing mentality in his players. It is a fact he does not have the respect of his players and why they perform the way they do. I truly do not believe you can blame an individual player for mistakes made in the field if they are not comfortable where they are playing. It would be no different if it were football, and you told your center; "Hey today you are going to play quaterback" You have just set him up to fail, no matter how hard the other ten players play; it's not the players fault it's yours. In summary, if the Royals break spring training WITHOUT a day to day set line-up, get ready for another dismal season.