Hillman Hit the Showers by MP

Why should KC Royals Manager Trey Hillman get the terminal hook? VC blames the deal on the ownership so I will tell you why it is Hillman and not ownership that needs to go.
Let's talk for a minute about "Glassholes". Yeah I said it, but didn't come up with the term. The handle refers to what the loyal Royal blue followers call David Glass and his ownership team. The Glassholes of Wal-Mart wealth have made the Royals bargain basement. Everyone can talk of how cheap the Royals have been. Do everyday low prices sound familiar? They talk of how they have gotten rid of all of their young talent and quality players, it is a running joke. It is very hard to defend Glass and sure Dayton Moore the boy genius GM is a target too, but ultimately anyone who thinks Trey Hillman should last another day is out of his mind.
Here are some things to think about. For the longest time Glass has been blamed for what he pays his players, but now his market is smaller proportionately than his payroll. From 2008 to 2009 the payroll went up 25% and from 21st in the league and up to 20th in this year. Not great but getting better. He was and is criticized for his front office so he went out and got Moore who was widely revered throughout all of MLB. He was also hammered for lack of updates to the "K" and then last year spent the cheese to renovate Kaufmann Stadium. This now puts Kansas City back in the conversation for best place to see a baseball game anywhere.
That said, Glass is a cheap owner and the Royals are low quality. The feel is very Carl Peterson"esque". Kansas Citians are very familiar with Peterson and Lamar Hunt who were famous for staying competitive but keeping a close eye on the bottom line. In other words lets try to be competitive but not pay too much in salary. We wouldn't want to get carried away but few fans would look at these lineups the last ten years and think the Royals are trying to win a pennant. A whole lot of money for Jose "am I the worst fielding right fielder ever" Guillen and 4.5 mil for Mark Grudzielanek?
Dayton Moore is the next in the line of scapegoats. Forget the 12 million tacos for Guillen or the 4 big ones for Grudzielanek, there have been other issues. Yuniesky Betancourt? What in the heck? Scouts say he is the worst SS in baseball and he and Rick Ankiel are our big pickups for 2010? Maybe we can get Ankiel to go back to the mound and help our pathetic bullpen? I mean throwing it 60 feet 6 inches is not that important right? Please do not let me forget Scott Podsednik. It is hard to argue as he is hitting .340 as this is written but certainly not the jackpot, prize pickup of the offseason. This may sound familiar, but again, few would look at these lineups and think the Royals are trying to win anything! Dayton is a Wichita boy and I suppose that is a positive to go along with growing up a Royals fan. He has to have our best interest at heart right?
I have to be honest. As I am writing this I have come to a conclusion. Dayton has to go too! I cannot come up with much at all to validate what his argument would be to stay. What has he done besides being a fan? What am I next in line to be the GM? Talk about train wrecks!! What would it be that he can hang his hat on? Being a Wichitard as Jim Rome calls them certainly does not make you a great GM.
It is a fact that Dayton must go, but he must take his buddy with him.
Why send Hillman packing with Moore? I mean he is just playing the hand dealt to him right? He is just playing the Doyle Brunson ten deuce off suit and everyone knows Doyle is the only one who can win with those rags. Wrong!
Worse results in 09 from 08.
Worse offense in 09 from 08.
Worse defense in 09 from 08.
Basically no visible improvement in anything since he has been here.
Horrible start this year.
If the above statements are factually correct is the Manager exempt from blame?
VC says our man George Brett was quoted as saying coming in to this year this was the best defensive team we have fielded and here we are in early May ten games under .500. I am so thankful George felt we had improved in the defensive category as I was not going to forget that last year we were first in something.Talk about dubious honors but in 2009 we were first in all of MLB with 117 errors committed. Sorry George not hard to look a whole lot better on D than that!
Outside of Zack and thank goodness his meds were right, there is nothing at all to say good about last year.
The upshot is that I am not sure what you are looking for in a Manager, but I look at improvement in something outside of increases in errors committed as a necessary evil in keeping your job. I mean we are talking professional sports where the lifespan of a Manager or Coach is close to that of a mayfly.
Hillman will probably go soon and Moore at the end of the year. But is that going to alone solve our troubles?
The fans or "consumers" as Glass thinks of us need to speak up. An empty Kaufmann Stadium, while sad, may make Glass go get some talent, a GM and a Manager that will make us more competitive. Argue all you want but everyone will agree that all we want is to somehow get what Kansas City deserves, a winner!!!
Attention Wal-Mart shoppers Clark Hunt to the front of the store please!!!