But Buddy is use to this type of lineup so he would see the positive and overlook the obvious like lack of runs.

Lack of consistency with strike zone discipline is a big red flag.  Having the manager not aligned with the organization is trouble.  Sounds like Ryan Shealy is an example of a guy who is too patient and needs to be more aggressive.  However, when the whole lineup swings at first or second pitch, it's trouble.  Royals have seen many of those innings this season.  I think it is one reason why KC makes average to below average pitchers look so good.  

Matthews: The Twins got 5 runs in the 3rd inning [Wednesday night], and boy, they were aggressive at the plate, scoring those runs rather quickly.

Bell: Well, you know what, Denny, they have a good offensive club. They have, I think, as good an approach as anybody in our league. And I think the reason for that is, they're ready to hit from the first pitch on. They don't take a lot of pitches, and as you mentioned earlier, they batted around on only 17 pitches, which is incredible, really.  But that's pretty much what we're talking about. ...

All the good hitters that I've ever been around are always ready to hit the first pitch.  And what's going around baseball now - and I don't know when it started - is this idea of taking pitches, which is ....  You know, you want to learn your strike zone, but I think the more you swing, the quicker you learn your strike zone - what you can hit, what you can't hit.  Actually in some organizations, they're actually getting kids rewarded for how many pitches they take, which - I don't really subscribe to that philosophy.  We don't do that in our organization here, which I think is good, because I think the way our kids figure out their swing is to swing the bat.

Matthews: Doesn't that take away the natural aggression of a hitter, when you say, `OK, make sure you get your pitch in your spot, and take as many pitches as you can, foul off a few pitches' ?  It seems to me that that would make the hitter a little less aggressive.

Bell:  Well, there's no doubt about it.  It's, for me, it's a passive approach. And a lot of times, you find yourself down quicker [when] you work the count, because pitchers are taught to throw strike one.  They don't always do that, but that's what they're taught.  They're taught to throw strike one, so as a hitter, if that's what pitchers are taught, I'm gonna, you know, that, for me as a hitter, seems to be a little bit of an edge, anyway, if you're smart enough to think through things.  But as a hitter, like I said, all the great hitters I've ever talked to or ever been around have always talked about getting busy early in the count, and that's what they did last night.

I hate our approach at the plate. It's ridiculous the number of times our guys swing at the first pitch. And rarely does anything good happen when we do. Best case it's a foul ball. Most times, we give them an out on one pitch.

On a related note, does anyone want to scream everytime Splitt says "he's first ball hitting". They aren't first ball hitting, they are first ball swinging; calling it "hitting" is giving it too much credit.

Ted Williams said he took the first pitch the first time he was facing the pitcher that day.  Every once and a while he would swing a the first pitch of the day just to keep the pitchers honest. You need to know what he has that day is he throwing harder or slower than normal.

The next game you watch keep a total of the first pitch balls put in play the average will more than likely be less than .100.  Ted did a study of that and he said it was in the .090s.

More to come this is my first time posting.  Let me know what you think.  

Your not going to swing at the first pitch just because your coach says be aggressive.  You have wasted an ab.  With each pitch you are gathering information.  How's his FB CB CH etc. If you are first pitch swing every time by your third ab you have only seen 3 pitches.  What has that done for your teammates?  

By taking pitches you where down the pitcher.  You get to the bullpen faster.  Ideally in the majors the team would like to see three or more pitcher a night.  That means they have knocked the SP out before the 7th and in a series the more the bullpen is used the better.