With apologies to Hillman's we're planning on a 180 game season routine, the Royals have played 29.6% of the 2008 season and are now on pace to win 70 games.

Hillman, all early season basepath stupidity aside, has proven himself to be just another guy. Just another fifty-something strangely dressed in a player's uniform managing like the rest of his peers. Rany wrote a few weeks ago that one of the major disappointments regarding Trey was this very bland conformity. The Royals went all the way to Japan to hire the next Phil Garner, Tom Trebelhorn, Buddy Bell or Sam Perlozzo. And that's ok, I suppose, because apparently it's unavoidable, here in the sport without ideas.

Still, it would be nice if we could see some other tactical or managerial move beyond finding creative ways to get Joey Gathright and Tony Pena Jr. as many plate appearances as possible.